Arnie'S Sporting Goods

​If you have ever attended a vintage trailer rally you likely have at least one trailer that you remember. An incredible restoration that took years to complete. A project where money was no object and someone bankrolled a mid-six figures budget to have a renowned restorer work his magic on a carcass that was headed for a scrap heap.

We have been publishing the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine for eight years and hosting the Trailerfest Rallies even longer than that. We have seen and photographed 100's of trailers over the past decade. We are privileged to have seen some incredible work and many one-of-a-kind and unique builds. Several of them stand out in my mind for different reasons.

One of my favorite builds wasn’t highly polished, didn’t have fantastic woodwork and was built with stuff the owner had sitting around. While Scott has restored some trailers in his day, he does not do it professionally. This project came about in part because of Scott's large collection of vintage camping-related gear. How better to display it than in a trailer? It just so happened that Scott had a 1952 Boles Aero Montecito sitting around.

I first saw this trailer at the Pismo Beach Rally and was taken aback. I had long had the vision of doing something similar, but for me, it was just a dream. Scott had exercised restraint in not over restoring the trailer and made it look like it was a survivor. The trailer has plywood flooring with a shuffleboard court down the middle! The finished display struck me in such a way that it inspired me to build our Mid-Century Mobile Museum. Scott's trailer was featured in Issue #26 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine and in our second book, Vintage Camper Trailers Rallies.

Collecting vintage camping gear is part of the hobby. Scott's collectibles that are displayed in Arnie’s Sporting Goods Store appear to be in very good and even “new in the box” condition. Usually, we don’t get that lucky and we need to restore all the goodies that go with the vintage trailering hobby. This year at Boot Camp we have both an appliance repair and troubleshooting class along with a class on getting your vintage lanterns and stoves in good working order. If that doesn’t sound like fun we have sewing classes and crafting like making Rag Rugs.

Scott knocked this one out of the park.

Scott Burud’s Boles was sold at the first rally it was shown at. The Murphy Auto Museum bought it and it was displayed at the museum for a couple of years before being sold to another collector. Looking at the photos in the book and the magazine remind of how cool this budget-minded trailer is and why it still stands out to me as one of my all-time favorites -PAUL

Click on the above image for information regarding the magazine.

It's No Secret
We save money when we are on the road with our Harvest Host membership. Camping for free is a great way to cut your expenses and meet interesting people. We have really enjoyed the peace and quiet we find stopping for an evening at a winery, family farm or fruit stand. If we are on the road for a couple of weeks, and stop every few nights at a Harvest Host, we save a couple hundred dollars a trip. We'll see you campin, for FREE!