By Paul Lacitinola
When you go camping, you want to make it an experience that’s as memorable as possible. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and having some time in nature is a great way to achieve that. The best way to do this is to pick a campsite with everything you need for a relaxing trip. This includes amenities such as clean drinking water, bathrooms with hot showers, a fully stocked general store, and other services. If you’re new to the world of camping, you might not be aware of something called “long-term resident campers” who take over some campsites for months at a time. While this might seem like a good thing, there are downsides to having long-term residents take over your favorite spots. Keep reading to learn more about why long-term residents taking over campgrounds is not always good news for campers.

WHAT ARE LONG-TERM RESIDENT CAMPERS? 
​Long-term resident campers are people who occupy campsites for months, a season, or even years. Most people who stay at a campground for a long time are likely relocated or retired, not on vacation. They may stay in one place because they don’t want to move all the time, or they’re traveling or working remotely in an RV and don’t want to set up and take down their home over and over.

​WHY ARE LONG-TERM RESIDENTS TAKING OVER CAMPGROUNDS?
Housing costs and availability or people displaced from their homes by fire or other tragedies may be reasons for an extended stay at a campground. Living in a campground may be less expensive than renting or owning a traditional home in the area. A temporary job that spans weeks or months is another situation that may necessitate temporary housing. A campground offers amenities like a pool and maybe even a convenience store, making it very appealing to someone working long hours each day. They might have found a place they enjoy staying at or have made friends with other people who stay at the same park, so they don’t want to leave. Other people might stay in one place for an extended period of time because of their health. If an older person or someone who is disabled is traveling in an RV, they might not be able to keep setting up and taking down their home. Full-time RVing also allows you to travel with the season.

PROBLEMS WITH LONG-TERM RESIDENT CAMPERS
While it may seem like there are a few problems with long-term resident campers, there are some issues. Long-term residents can become very territorial of “their home.” Often they are not tolerant of weekend warriors who are on vacation. They can be rude and aggressive about your campsite, kids, and parking abilities. Full-time residents often accumulate more outside possessions, including furniture, flags, plants, and even fences that junk up the property. If you are lucky, you may get a primered vehicle on blocks for your neighbor. The lower cost of living and the nomadic lifestyle can sometimes attract a less desireable element to the trailer park long-term life style. If you end up at this type of park be sure and take care to secure your possessions.

​CONCLUSION
Long-term resident campers can be a nuisance at RV parks, especially if they consume the majority of the campground sites and are intermixed with short-term visitors. If you’re going on a camping trip, you want to make sure that the site you’re going to has short-term residents who will leave after a few days or a week. If you’re looking for a place to go camping, you can check out reviews of different sites to see if there are long-term resident campers. You can also ask the site manager about the camper situation to know what to expect when you arrive. While park management may see long-term residents as an easy solution to cash flow, it will be at the expense of their reputation as a vacation destination. The atmosphere created by messy long-term residents and the shortage of campsites that it produces will be a problem for all campers looking for a clean and peaceful weekend getaway.

Have you stayed at a park with an uncomfortable amount of long termers? Let us know in the comments.

​On April 1st, 2022, Nicole Young, a member of Bitches with Hitches of northern California, pulled her 1977 Cardinal, Love Bird, “Oopsy Daisey” into Ann Lockett’s 3-acre field for the annual Poppy Fest campout. Little did Nicole know that her trip to Poppy Fest was about to change the life of Oopsy Daisy forever.   

The Bitches are a hands-on group of women who camp together all summer long throughout northern California. Several of us noticed that Oopsy’s rear end was being held together with packing tape, foam, and yes, even hot glue. The rear cargo doors were pretty much non-functional. The rear, door side, and passenger side of the trailer bowed out like someone was kicking them out from the inside. Looking at her, it became obvious that Oopsy needed some serious repairs. Several suggestions for fixing her were tossed out there. I was asked to take a look at her and give my suggestion for repairing Oopsie. Kathy Lawson sent us this story for the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine and appears in issue #63. Click on the "Read More" link below to read the rest of the post.​

Issue #63 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine features a 1947 Aero Flite on the cover. We tracked down Michael Rieth of RIETH CREATIONS who fabricated a 1947 Aero Flite in 1/48 scale.

Michael Rieth watched the gas station scene from the 1979 movie “1941” what seemed like hundreds of times to gather information for the diorama. He did additional research online, gathering information on everything from the trailer, the buildings, the 1939 Ford pick-up truck, and even the vintage gas pumps (1939 Tokheim). He spent quite some time on the Gilmore Gasoline and Lion Head Motor oil signs and recreated the artwork that matched the signs in the movie. 

Everything is scratch-built except for the Hasegawa P-40E and the cab of the Wespe Models Ford 917, converted to a 1939 Ford pick-up truck. The scene was made from several screen grabs from the movie using known measurements like door height. Michael was able to create scale CAD drawings, which were used to laser cut the buildings, gas pumps, signs, pick-up truck bed, reptile farm fence and cages, and the 1947 Aero Flite Falcon Travel Trailer. He made signage artwork using Photoshop Elements. Click here for more details on the build.

Michael wasn’t going to include the Aero Flite in the diorama, but he had some dead space to fill. Michael said, “I thought, well, maybe if I can find some info on the internet, I’d build the travel trailer.” Micheal found dimensions, patent sketches, and photos of restored campers online, enough to do some CAD drawings and laser cut the parts from .0625” acrylic and .020” sheet styrene.  Click here for more details on this project.​​

Home Retrovation Expo at Denver Modernism Week 
For the first time, Denver Modernism Week will also feature the Home Retrovation Expo, which offers current and aspiring homeowners the chance to learn how to smartly renovate and decorate mid-century modern. On August 20th, from 11am-4pm, attendees will hear from industry-leading experts, designers, brands, and services about how to plan and design mid-mod home renovations. The event will be hosted at the architecturally significant I.M.Pei tower at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel and includes lunch, expert speakers, and a vendor showcase. ​

The book,  Scratch-Building a Vintage Camper Trailer brings a wealth of problem solving tricks of the trade, and offers new ways of thinking about old practices and techniques. Author Joe Mirenna brings a fresh look at doing things better, smarter, and less expensive by questioning everything from basic construction methods to choices of materials. Let these clear descriptions and hundreds of photographs become an inspiration for anyone contemplating joining this expanding world of interest. (Available in print and digital formats.)

• Use affordable prefinished cabinet plywood by back-kerfing, enabling interior curves to follow the traditional “canned ham” profile
• Build stronger roof framing modules with added aluminum extrusion reinforcement to replace traditional “rafter & curbing”
• Raise the level of craftsmanship with lightweight aluminum edged cabinet doors and drawer fronts inset into face frame cabinets
• Easily install affordable, durable, full-extension and self-closing modular metal drawer systems from the modern kitchen cabinetry industry
• Build in efficient LED lighting from widely available parts and fixtures
• Design a battery-based electrical system to enable off-grid camping
• Save on the cost of skins by sourcing locally heavier 40 mil aluminum from the trucking industry. Overcome the challenges to fabricating, installing, cleaning, and buffing to a mill finish or custom painting with hand tools
• Choose materials and fabrics for a custom bed tailored to your comfort
• Create an awning with a pole hoop system to avoid rain puddling
• Design and build a custom storage shed for home enjoyment

The digital version of the book offers an extra 100+ pages of content. There is a bit more about the authors experience with vintage campers, a considerable addition to the historical significance of camper trailers in the USA and many cool photos. There is an addendum on the workshop that may help any home DIYer. 

On Amazon you are able to “look inside” and read the first 20 pages. It includes the extensive table of contents, the preface, and details on the authors commitment to follow the safety protocols. Click here for more information.

By Caroline Lacitinola

​“A place for everything, everything in its place.” This Benjamin Franklin quote runs through my mind repeatedly as I walk from trailer to trailer in 105-degree heat, looking for clothes hangers to display t-shirts we will sell at an upcoming rally. Why can’t I seem to get this down? I have a coat rack with this saying on it. I write this saying down on my goal sheet. I know this saying is true and makes life so much easier, so why don’t I do it? I don’t have an answer for you, but I keep striving to make this true in my life.

Prepping for a rally is an old story but one I always reflect on when going through the process. Every camping trip, rally, road trip, or vacation has variables. Tomorrow, we leave for a rally 8 hours from our home. We are going without children. We are leaving the dog at home. Those two sentences take a lot of prep work out of this camping trip.    

I am a list maker, and I find they are more and more necessary the older I become. I will remember for a moment, and if I don’t write it down at that moment, it may not make it to the event. I have lists for food, personal hygiene, our store, camping gear, dog needs, outfits, etc. WRITE IT DOWN – CHECK IT OFF!

​Divide and conquer. If you have a camping partner, divide the responsibility of prepping for a trip. In our home, the lines are blurred, but Paul ensures the trailer is safe and ready for the road while I buy and pack and inventory supplies. The blurry lines sometimes result in things that don’t make it into the camper for an event, but after 15 years, we both realize that it wouldn’t be camping if we remembered everything! (Pillows are always a contender for not making it as we both prefer to bring our own, and they are last-minute additions as we run out of the house at o-dark-thirty.)

While reflecting on life, you never remember the times when everything went 100% as planned. You tell the stories of tires blowing, kids getting sick, luggage catching on fire, sleeping on a cot in a minivan, awning poles going through the side of a trailer, and many other crazy tales that come from doing life. So, when things don’t go as planned, take a deep breath, and remember that it will make a story to tell down the road.

​This note is a glimpse into my scattered mind as I race around, getting ready for a rally. I did find the hangers. After looking in all the right places, storage shed, enclosed trailer, the last camp trailer we used at an event, back to the storage shed, back through the enclosed trailer, they were in the last place I looked. The other truck that we used at our previous event! Sure enough, the hangers were neatly boxed and ready to go in that truck. OH, DEAR!

Looking forward to hearing everyone’s stories around the firepit.  

​What do you make sure you don't leave home without? Comment below.

There has been an increase in stolen items recently at vintage trailer rallies. Most of the items were cut from the cables that were “securing” them in the wee hours of the morning. Theft and other crime are not something we have had to deal with over the 15 years we have been camping. Many of the ideas in this article are good measures to stay safe while camping in general, and focus on preventing the theft of your personal property. This is an excerpt from an article in Issue #62 of The Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.

​Part of the appeal of camping is the wholesome family atmosphere created when you get together with friends and meet new like-minded people. In the past 15 years, we have stayed at over 100 RV parks. Our kids grew up roaming the parks enjoying the park’s outdoor spaces without fear. I can only recall a couple of instances where anything was stolen. A recent weekend experience has caused me to rethink how we will camp in the future.

While many types of crime can occur at an RV park, I want to focus this article on preventing theft while camping—the kind of camping we do at vintage trailer rallies. We are surrounded by friends and fellow trailerites (and the park’s long-term residents). I don’t believe that these people are a threat. It is more likely that the lawbreakers from outside the park are preying on trusting travelers.

​I have very little interest in catching or confronting thieves. I want to direct my energy to keep them away, slowing them down or scaring them off. If campers take personal responsibility to safeguard their possessions, thieves will not return if it is not easy pickens. High-dollar, high-demand e-bikes bring the best return for the lawbreakers. Bicycles, scooters, and motorbikes can be an easy ride or roll away. They bring quick, easy money and are worth the risk for the prowlers. Here are some ways to protect your toys and collectibles and play an active role in stopping thefts where you camp. Don’t let the fear of crime in RV parks keep you from having a great time. Camping is generally safe and a great way to get away from the daily grind.

Camping gear and toys can be a substantial investment. Should a theft occur, be prepared with the information you will need to report a theft or recoup your losses.

• Document your possession’s serial numbers. It can be as simple as a written record in your RV or an app on your phone.
• Photograph your possessions to document their condition and provide a good description should they be stolen.
• Register your bike with Bike Index or 529 Garage. Both are free services that store your bike’s information in a searchable database that police departments and bike shops can access. 
• Operation ID is a nationally recognized property identification program to deter theft and aid in recovery. You can engrave your driver’s license number on items of value. A driver’s license number is easily accessible by law enforcement to find the owner.
• Are your bikes insured? Check with your insurance agent to see if they have liability and personal property coverage for you and your bike. Homeowners, renters, or vehicle insurance may cover losses. Confirm that you are covered for items when “away from home” and “outside the vehicle.”
• Velosurance is a company that specializes in bike insurance.
• Some insurances will cover items stolen from inside your vehicle or RV. Folding bikes (and some folding e-bikes) are small enough to stow away easily.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Taking precautions while camping will ensure that you do not become a victim. The park should be making reasonable efforts to protect their guests, but ultimately, they are not responsible for your losses. Here are some ideas to help prevent you from becoming a victim.

• Be attentive to people in the park during the day. Thieves may prowl the sites during the day to locate their targets. If someone looks out of place, report them to the park immediately. (You may want to say hello to let them know they haven’t gone unnoticed.)
• Lock up bikes during the day when you are away. (See lock recommendations next page.)
• Motion detector lights around your trailer will startle would-be thieves and make their activities more apparent after dark. Tri-Lynx makes battery-powered options that have magnets to attach them to a variety of spaces temporarily.
• Keep your site well lit. Leaving your decorative lights on may be a deterrent. Thieves prefer to work in the shadows.
• A tent room​ on your awning can provide extra living space and conceal your possessions from passers-by. If you don’t have canvas sides, you may even use something like mosquito netting to keep ne’er-do-wells out of your space. Use folding tables or the park’s picnic table to help secure your awning space.
• Although it may seem silly, a string of empty aluminum cans is almost impossible to move without making noise. In a pinch, you may have to get creative with a noisemaker. Booby traps that cause bodily harm are illegal. 

(Use a combination of two or more.)

• Folding Bicycle Lock Made with 3MMHardened Steel Links.
• Chain locks like Kryptonite are made from 3T manganese steel.
• U-Locks made from hardened steel are suitable for locking a wheel to the frame. Reducing the ability to roll the bike away simply will reduce the likeliness that you become a victim.

Note: With some exceptions, cable locks may be reserved for quick lock-ups where you are just trying to deter someone from walking off with your bike. Cables and padlocks are relatively easy to cut with bolt cutters.

• A cover is an inexpensive way to keep your bikes out of site and prevent deterioration from sun, rain, and dirt. Choose a bike cover that has a lock.
• Bike alarms like the Wsdcam Waterproof Bike Alarm with Remote are a great option. An anti-theft alarm is triggered by movement. A 113 dB loud alarm will help deter thieves and give you peace of mind. Storing your bike in the bed of your truck at night will utilize your vehicle’s alarm if someone attempts to take your bikes.
• Trackers like the Apple AirTag and Tile work with your cellular device and can help you locate your property if it is lost or stolen. These devices work primarily off Bluetooth and have a limited range of up to several hundred feet. Outside of the Bluetooth range, the device may “ping” the last known location if the device is in wi-fi range. A tracker like Tracki utilizes GPS tracking and can track items worldwide. This type of device requires a monthly service fee of around $20.
• Some e-bikes have locks and alarms integrated into their design. Removable batteries can be a deterrent as well. Features like this will add value to the e-bike you purchase. Do not leave your charger plugged in outside your trailer at night unless you are SURE it is secure. If a thief gets the charger with the bike, that is a bonus! Make sure that you do not leave the keys in the ignition.
• Cameras are another option to “catch” a thief. Trail cameras designed to capture wildlife images have features like motion detection and night vision to document what is going on outside your RV at night.

“It doesn’t do any good to report a theft. The cops won’t do anything.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. If you don’t report a crime because you think nothing will come of it, you facilitate the problem. Crime reports help direct future patrols and prevention and aid in returning your property to you if it is found. A police report may also be necessary for an insurance claim. 

Be a part of the Solution

• Take responsibility for securing your possessions.
• Be aware of your surroundings and suspicious activity.
• Report concerns and crimes to the park and police.

Earlier this year, we threw out some ideas to save fuel as prices were going up. Fuel prices have not stopped rising, and inflation, in general, may be impacting your family. We surveyed RV’ers to find out how their travel plans may be impacted in the upcoming months. As a follow-up to that survey, we asked about the habits of vintage trailerites as their travel relates to rallies. Here is what we found…

Most rally participants are typically getting out of town to attend a rally. Hitting the road and camping with friends can still be an affordable way to take a break from your day-to-day responsibilities.

Towing a trailer is more complicated than just running down the freeway in your commuter car. Being alert of other drivers and road conditions can be exhausting. Over 60% of vintage trailers tuggers say 5-7 hours is about enough in one day. Only 8% are willing to push it much beyond the 8 hour a day mark.

What is the farhest you have traveled to a rally? Almost 70% travel less than 300 mile max.

Have something to add to the conversation? Let us know in the comments.

We took a poll of vintage trailer travelers and asked them what their travel plans looked like for 2022. This poll was taken in late March of 2022 as gas prices had risen to their highest point in years. We were curious how it would affect people's travels over the next several months and here is what we found out...

We would appreciate your feedback on a few more questions. If you are a vintage traveler. take just a second to tell us about your habits as it relates to drivng times and distances.

Tires are manufactured by bonding rubber to fabric plies and steel cords. Despite the anti-aging ingredients mixed into the rubber compounds, there is a realization that tires are perishable and a growing awareness that some tires (especially trailer tires) will age out before their treads will wear out.
For the most part, today's tires deliver more miles and years of service than ever before. In the 1970s, typical bias-ply tires lasted less than 20,000 miles and were only expected to be in service for about two years. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires offered a treadwear expectancy of about 40,000 miles during four years of service. By the turn of the century, many long-life radial tires extended treadwear to about 60,000 miles during four or more years of service. Passenger car and light truck tire technology and American driving conditions in the past resulted in tire treads wearing out before the rest of the tire aged. That may not always be true of today's even longer-lasting tires that are approaching 80,000 miles of treadwear.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to predict when tires should be replaced based on their calendar age alone. Properly stored tires that are protected from the elements and not mounted on a wheel, age very slowly before they are mounted and put into service. In our experience, when tires are properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years. While part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.
"Environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates and poor storage and infrequent use accelerate the aging process. In ideal conditions, a tire may have a life expectancy that exceeds ten years from its date of manufacture. However, such conditions are rare. Aging may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non-destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tire, even an inspection carried out by a tire expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric), regularity of use (frequent or only occasional), and the quality of care (maintaining proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc.) will all influence the answer. So while tire life depends on the service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to identify all of the variables that influence a tire's calendar age and attempt to quantify their influence.

Since Tire Rack sells tires manufactured in North and South America and Europe, Africa, and Asia, it's common for us to receive new tires directly from manufacturers that are already six to nine months old. Since we rotate our inventory, most of the tires we ship are less than a year old.
There are also some occasions where we work with a tire manufacturer to help them clear out their inventory when they discontinue a tire line. While this may uncover some new tires that are several years old, these clearance tires are typically offered at a discount and will wear out before they age out.
Tires are stocked in Tire Rack distribution centers under favorable storage conditions. Protected from exposure to direct sunlight, moisture, and hot and cold temperature extremes, our inventory leads a sheltered life compared to the tires mounted on wheels, installed on vehicles and exposed to the elements, road grime, and brake dust.
Tire manufacturers' replacement tire warranties begin when the tires are purchased and typically last 4 to 6 years from that date. This allows the tire manufacturers' limited warranty to accommodate the time it takes tires to be shipped from the manufacturing plant to the warehouse or distribution center, to the retailer, to the consumer, and the time they spend in-service on the vehicle.

Keeping tires properly inflated is probably the most significant action a driver can take to prevent tire failure. For example, driving a vehicle with a significantly underinflated tire can permanently damage the tire's internal structure in ways invisible to external visual inspections. A U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tire aging field study revealed that 30 percent of spare tires observed were significantly underinflated when first checked. Putting underinflated spare tires into service before properly inflating would greatly increase their risk of catastrophic tire failure. The inflation pressure of spare tires should be checked monthly along with the rest of the set.
Our experience has been that when properly stored and cared for, most street tires have a useful life in service of between six to ten years. And while part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer, and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.
www.tirerack.com

Share your experiences or other helpful information or questions in the comments.