Vintage Trailer Trekking
Destination: Vintage Trailer Village -- Daytona Speedway, Florida
In October 2012, after traveling 6,500 miles and using 905 gallons of premium gas, we made it home with our 1938 REO truck, 1950 Westcraft Pullman trailer and 1917 King canoe without breaking down in either direction. Chuck often drives the modified REO around town but the thought of driving it and the trailer cross country and back was a little intimidating at first. We packed spare parts and built in extra-time traveling in both directions in case we needed to make repairs (hurrah, we had no real problems with the truck or trailer). The only time we had to hold our breath was during a heavy dust storm near the border of Texas and New Mexico on the way back home.
It was an amazing trip in so many ways.
While the purpose was to make it to the famous and popular Daytona Speedway in Florida to participate in the vintage trailer village at the Good Sam National RV Rally, it enriched our lives with wonderful, interesting and entertaining people; unbelievably beautiful scenery; informative and educational observational sites along the way; and to be able to see through eyes of others, their appreciation for historical items. So many folks mentioned they had never seen anything like “it” and a few also mentioned they’d only seen “stuff” like “it” on TV but not in real life. We never nicknamed the Westcraft trailer like some of our other trailers until this trip. It now is known as “the circus wagon”. If you have a vintage trailer and you’re reading this, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s like bees around a beehive. Folks surround you everywhere (including the highways, freeways and everywhere else you might drive or park). They want to talk to you and to perhaps even share their own story. No one is a stranger.
This journey was an adventure of a lifetime -- one that we once thought, “Oh, if I could really do that!” We decided to take that adventure!
Some of our best stops along the way were visits to Big Bend National Park and the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center and Cactus Garden Interpretive Trail -- both in Texas; eating at local hangouts and talking with the locals and finding out about their lives and interests and nearby places to visit; camping and canoeing on the mangrove bayous in St. Petersburg; touring the emotion-filled Kennedy Space Center, hunting for fossilized shark teeth at Stump Pass Beach State Park, sighting the 8 partially buried Airstreams along the highway near Dover (which we’d only previously seen on the internet); antiquing; and walking the boardwalk at the beautiful Blue Springs State Park and observing the lumbering yet graceful manatees in Florida. An example of strangers welcoming us was when we passed through the Live Oak area in Florida. We met Kim who took us to his home where the Suwannee Belle Paddleboat once docked in Old Town, because he felt we could appreciate the history of his home and the surrounding area. He was updating the building, camping, and dock areas into accommodations for senior living where their families would be encouraged to come as often as they could making it easy and fun to visit. Located on the Suwannee River, every room faced the river with a private view.
And now, it’s time to get to the real purpose of the roadtrip.
Al Hesselbart, illustrious historian at the RV Museum and Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana, was instrumental in setting up and organizing the vintage village at the National Good Sam Club Rally in Daytona. He had arranged a similar show in 2010 for the Good Sam group at the Louisville, Kentucky Rally. Good Sam expressed to its cardholders, “Good Sam members can learn and perhaps remember how RVing was done in the early days.” We were camped in the infield and in front of the registration booth thereby making it convenient for those attending the rally to tour our little village. The success of the vintage village display was an affirmation of Al’s hard work. Lanny Webb from Custom Vintage Trailer Parts designed and printed the vintage trailer rally shirts exclusively for vintage village trailerite participants. He honored Al Hesselbart on these shirts. We know there is an interesting story behind every vintage trailer -- sometimes still undiscovered by its caretaker. Vintage trailering is about the rescue and restoration of our prized trailers but the rallies also allow us to network our knowledge and experiences in a recreational setting to socialize with folks with similar interests. The friends we make along the way are priceless. Spectators were absolutely astonished that we trailerites were actually camping in our trailers while they were on display. Giving the visitors the benefit of doubt, I think they opened our cupboard doors and closets without thinking of our privacy because there were new motorhomes and trailers for sale at the rally which were uninhabited and that’s what one does when shopping for a new RV.
This has never happened to us at a rally open house before . . .
Seminars on everything and anything to do with RVing were presented throughout the weekend along with vendors and booths dealing with special interest groups such as Saving the Manatees. Camping World also had their store. New RVs were available for purchase. Country stars Reba McIntire and Kenny Rogers performed on stage on the track on different nights. The movie RV starring Robin Williams was shown. There were spectacular and unique fireworks shown the last evening.
The rally had 3,534 RV units in attendance with 7,299 people registered. In addition, folks could buy single day admissions.
We estimate we had about 6,000 folks walk through our vintage trailers in the three days (November 2 - 4). I wonder how many seeds were planted motivating some folks to ponder exploring the ownership of a vintage trailer because of the beautiful vintage trailers on display. The spectators were so appreciative of our efforts in making our trailers available to them. Our group was so, so busy answering questions but also couldn’t help feeling we were contributing to a small part of the rally’s success. The rally staff treated us nicely and was there to assist us in any way possible. They made us feel secure and comfortable. Our little vintage trailer village of 17 consisted of the following trailers: 1912 Sheepherder Wagon, 1947 Alma New Moon, 1950 Airstream, 1950 Westcraft Pullman, 1953 Airstream, 1954 Airstream Bubble, 1954 Airstream, 1955 Wally Byam Holiday, 1956 Beck Bus Conversion, 1957 Shasta, 1960 Shasta, 1960 Winnebago, 1963 Shasta Compact, 1964 Corvair Greenbriar Camper, 1975 Avion, 1977 GMC Motorhome and 1978 Newell Motorhome. Another positive experience the rally organizers provided was allowing us to obtain early entrance on October 30th and to set up before other early registrants began coming in on October 31.
We departed the speedway on November 5 and began our return trip home.
We were invited to spend time as guests at two different campgrounds along the way. We also made two stops on our way back to new vintage trailer friends’ homes whom we met at the rally to visit and see their vintage trailers and auto collections -- one in Archer, Florida and the other in Leander, Texas. Great hospitality! We also met an Englishman on the road who visits America for three months every year. He has a 1954 Airstream in England and a 1981 Airstream motorhome in America. He belongs to the New Mexico Vintage Airstream group. He shared with us that his ’54 Airstream Bambi was the prototype for the Brooklin (old world craftsman) manufactured toy model. If you haven’t already, we sincerely hope that you will be able to take advantage of journeying from sea to shining sea in your vintage trailer. If you can, find a way and make it happen. Our vintage trailer activities continue to enhance our lives by bringing us together with all the wonderful trailerites we meet along the way . . .