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Story by Marjorie Suddard • Photos as Credited
They’re on the stre…
In the Navy during the 1960’s I bought a 23 foot Shasta and lived in it whenever I wasn’t at sea. Paid $1500 for it and my rent to park it was $30 month.
It had a full rear bath including a bathtub!!!!!! ( shorty but I could almost get my legs stretched out in it! ).
2 single beds that slid together when access to the bathroom wasn’t needed. Plus a full kitchen in the front. Including a gas/ electric refrigerator. Amazing amount of storage and a roll out cabana with full sides that was 16x12 and amounted to the living room.
The interior was the full blond wood ( birch) so popular. And Orange shag carpet!
By living in it I was able to put nearly my full BOQ ( Basic Allowance for Quarters) into my race car
Our little 16SC is amazingly roomy inside. Tim's been making great progress on it... I really need to get back on that build thread and relink all my now-obsolete picture links, get in recent developments. We're aiming for an April debut. Been a long road to, you know, the road.
Margie
Been wondering what happened to that. Was keeping up with it. Spent a some of my youth is an early 60's Shasta before dad moved to an RV. Have a friend local that restored an old camper and regularly uses it.
In the late 60’s when my wife and I were married we began camping as I had done with my family since I was a little boy. We had a tent then but would get away on weekends and for summer vacations. After our first child we bought a used pickup camper. It was a Travel Queen on a 3/4 Ton Ford pickup. Travel Queens were rather unique with their rounded roof lines and I think built in California which made them rare in the Midwest.
It was a great unit that we put thousands of miles on traveling in the midwest and southeast. As the family grew we eventually bought a Minni Winne motorhome which we also used a lot including an extended trip out west. Our adult kids still talk about the trips and sights from their childhood.
We currently have a modern motorhome we use for travel and also attending Motorsports races and events. In our travels I have noticed the interest in vintage campers and it’s always interesting talking to the owners. Also have noticed manufacturers now producing retro looking models. There is also a TV program dedicated to restoring travel trailers named Flipping RV’s.
The woodwork is done. The chassis is done. Next it get's wired and insulated and the inside varnished. And then the siding can go back on.
In reply to Tim Suddard :
How is the bike coming?
E
Karl,
I will restore both the ladie's and the men's vintage bikes after the trailer is done. I did build a bike rack holder (trailer receiver) into the tailer already. And thanks for fining me that men's bike.
We have tent camped a lot over the years. Have been resarching and looking at small vintage trailers but ended up with a 1991 ford e250 Sportsmobile popup van. It's pretty neat but needs some work and we haven't used it much. Hope to this summer.
Not sure why this was bumped, being a 5 year old thread with the last real post just about 4 years ago. But in the mean time, our COVID project was restomodding a '71 WheelCamper. Heck of a lot of fun to travel in it.
Camper project? Sure...
Margie:
suggestion for follow-up article - classic motorhomes!!
our 1970 Starcraft Star Cruiser for example. of only 12 claimed
to have been built, ours is only 1 of 4 remaining!!
Mike
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