WONDERLAND - Vintage Trailer Camp

Trailer Tribe
BY PHIL NOYES
PHOTOGRAPHY: MARTY SNORTUM AND PHIL NOYES
T
RAILERITES LOVE TO TELL
“WAR” STORIES ABOUT
HOW WE ACQUIRED OUR
RIGS. LIKE THE ’53 AIRFLOAT
THAT WE PULLED OUT OF THE SAND
IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT, THE ’47
WESTCRAFT THAT WAS FILLED WITH
ENGINE BLOCKS AND DEAD MICE,
OR THE ’37 HAYES THAT WAS USED
AS A CHICKEN COOP FOR THE LAST
FOUR DECADES.
˚ No gathering is complete without a set of pink
VINTAGE
WONDERLAND
plastic flamingos.
˘ These trailerites
even have a vintage
vacuum cleaner for
those nasty spills.
˘ Modern motor
Then there are the original owners who we
gently worked on, sometimes for years. The most
common excuse for not selling? “Oh I’m gonna
restore that one of these days.” So we walk away
and make a mental note to come back in a few
months and after we play this sometimes endless
game, the reluctant owner lets go and we drag
home our new baby, smelling like cat urine and
looking like something that should be on its way
to the dump, but we know what lies beneath and
begin to strip away the layers of neglect and abuse
to uncover the hidden gem that emerges. We are
an eccentric bunch and love nothing more than to
get together and show off our pride and joys.
The 4th Annual Trail Along to Pismo Vintage
Trailer Rally is the biggest event of the year, and
with more than 270 trailers in attendance, it is an
old-school wonderland.
What’s your favorite era? Like the ’30s? Step
back in time in a 1932 Gilkie tent trailer or bask
in the reflection from a 1935 Bowlus Papoose,
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homes have a rich
history as well, and
this 1960 Housecar
was a showstopper.
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RALLYING THE
TRAILERS
The Trail Along to Pismo Vintage Trailer Rally is
held each year at the Pismo Coast Village RV
Resort on California’s central coast in the town of
Pismo Beach. It is always on the third weekend
in May with the open house on Saturday. For
information, visit www.vintagetrailercamp.com.
˚ It’s not just trailers that get the spotlight, this
vintage rig is built to go anywhere.
˚ This 1949 “Star” brand shows off its new paint job
in the afternoon light.
˚ Another happy
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trailerite outside
his 1958 Aljoa
Sportsman.
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built by famed glider designer Hawley Bowlus. Or
visit the very first riveted aluminum Airstream that
started it all in 1936, the Clipper.
Is the ’40s your bag? Well, you can get a history lesson in the ’45 Spartan Silver Queen, which
was the prototype and first foray into trailer design
from J. Paul Getty’s aircraft company. Or get small
and visit any of the beautiful little ’40s teardrop
trailers in attendance.
The affectionately and appropriately nick˚ This 1958 Fireball is a classic “canned ham” trailer.
named “canned ham” trailers
of the ’50s are en masse and are
always a crowd favorite. With
brands like Shasta, Rod and Reel,
Traveleze and Field and Stream,
these little gems are a true testament to American’s post war love
of camping.
This rally is open to any and all
trailers, the newest being an ’86
Airstream. They are decorated to
the nines and you will find any
theme you can imagine. How
many museums will let you walk
around inside their exhibits? How
many will offer you a cocktail and
something to eat? If you love
Americana or just want a time machine to take you back to a differ˚ An incredibly rare 1935 Bowlus Papoose, the precursor to the
ent era, this rally is a must.
modern Airstream.
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