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.

​The increased price of fuel will certainly affect your travel budget. Coupled with inflation across all sectors it may be enough of an increase to cause you to rethink your travel plans. Before you do anything drastic, consider these 6 fuel-saving tips and take our 3-question survey to give us an insight into how vintage trailerites are dealing with the rising cost of camping. 

KEEP YOUR TOW VEHICLE IN TOP CONDITION (Also applies to RVs)

• Keep your trailer and tow vehicle tires inflated to their recommended tire pressure. Every five pounds per square inch (psi) of tire pressure you lose can translate into a two percent loss of fuel economy.
• Oil changes and tune-ups on your motorhome or tow vehicle can result in between a 4% and 40% increase in fuel economy.
• Change your tow vehicle air filters. A dirty air filter can significantly reduce fuel economy. 
• Speeding and rapid accelerations will drain your tank. A consistent speed is best. You may give up fuel economy by a whopping 15 to 30 percent if you’ve got a lead foot. 55 to 60 miles per hour is typically the law for towing and will maximize your fuel economy.

Camping is still a good value for vacationing. Even with unpredictable fuel prices, you can keep your trip as economical as possible by following these tips, making your own meals enjoying the sites and the company of your travel mates and the new friends you meet along the way.

Share your money saving ideas and feedback or questions in the comments.

This trailer was featured in Issue #59 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine. Read the entire article.

Steve and Paula or you may know them by their “trailer park names”, Sugar and Booger, have a Spartan in their house! Last year they built a new house that incorporated a 1957 Royal Mansion into the floorplan! Housing a bar, lounge area, and ½ bathroom, the beautifully refurbished mid-century mansion overlooks the Okanogan River leading to the Columbia. The trailer was restored on three sides using parts and materials from the fourth side that does not show. New doors were acquired from Dan Piper at Vintage Campers in Peru, IN. The trailer had to be craned into place and sits on four-foot-tall stem walls. (The entire article is in issue #59 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.)

The original, made in the USA, magazine for collectors, restorers, admirers, and dreamers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Elverta, CA - www.vintagecampertrailers.com. It has been ten years since we started publishing the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine. We started with a newsprint tabloid that we could afford to print for two years without any income from subscribers. Issue number 15 was an actual glossy paged magazine. It was only supposed to be a "Special Collectors Edition," but the feedback from the community was so positive that we never returned to the folded tabloid format.

The trailerites (vintage trailer enthusiasts) and subscribers are the keys to the success of The Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine. We receive photos and stories from trailer owners, restorers, and rally hosts across the USA. We can tell the stories of their vintage journeys, share their how-to tips and pass-on rally ideas from coast to coast. Each issue includes a rally calendar and classified ads for those buying or selling a trailer. A niche magazine like ours relies on advertisers who value their investment and subscribers who enjoy each issue's content. Many of our advertisers have been on board since the first issue.

We are family-owned to this day, and if you call, chances are Caroline or Paul will answer. After almost eight years of working another full-time job, Paul dedicated his time exclusively to the magazine and hosting rallies. Over the years, we have added a digital option, but the physical printed magazine remains the choice of most. If you have never had the opportunity to view the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine, use the code VCTB20 to save 20% on a digital subscription. Click here to see subscription options.

If you have content you would like to contribute to the magazine, send it our way; we look forward to hearing from you soon. Join your people and stay connected with others rescuing, restoring, and rallying with America's mid-century trailers.
​
We'll see you campin-
vintagecampertrailers@gmail.com
(916) 572-8554
​

From issue #1 (far left) in tabloid form to our full color glossy print and digital copies. Looking for back issues? Click here. Many are still available in print or digital.

This is an excerpt from an article by John Palmer in issue #59 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.
Photos by Hal Thoms

​The Vintage Trailer hobby is just over twenty years old.  I have been active in the hobby for the past twelve years and have witnessed extensive growth.  For example, we now have lots of vintage rallies to choose from attending within a day’s driving distance.  In California this past month, we had three very large Vintage Rally’s scheduled on the same weekend!   We now have The VCT print magazine, we have had T.V. shows about our hobby and vintage trailer rebuilding, we have our annual Boot Camp Learning Experience “sold out” each year, and companies are now opening that specialize in the restoration of vintage campertrailers.  We have parts vendors that have invested their resources into the tooling necessary to build reproduction parts to help save our old trailers.  Major insurance companies are developing special policies targeted to our specific vintage trailer insurance needs.  You cannot watch a primetime T.V. show or a T.V. commercial without seeing a vintage trailer used as a prop in the background.  Mainline R.V. companies have tried to jump on the vintage bandwagon by releasing modern versions of the old Vintage Trailer designs.  

Anyone remotely watching this hobby has already seen the significant increase in prices for restorable camper trailers, only to find them already sold when you call. ​So, what are your options to just accepting the increase in cost and limited availability of core trailers to rebuild that are in popular camper sizes?  How about building your own hand built vintage trailer? Read the intire article in issue #59 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine.

Click "Read More" below for more pictures.

By Clint Cox

​​In July of 2020, I transported a Spartan Carousel (10x50) through Tulsa, OK. Knowing that the Spartan factory had been razed a year (or two) earlier, I decided to leave the highway and pull the trailer onto the factory floor (located at the south end of the western runway at Tulsa International Airport). I figured I could take some pictures for the new owner of the Spartan I had in tow. I wasn’t there all of 10 minutes when a car pulled up on the pad, and a lady jumped out and was in awe of the trailer. She introduced herself as Tonya Blansett, the executive director of the Tulsa Air & Space Museum (TASM). She asked if I could bring the trailer to the museum, to which I happily agreed. I opened the trailer up so that all of TASM’s employees and volunteers could have a look. In exchange, I was given a quick tour of the museum hangar, which houses three Spartan airplanes, including the last one built, an Executive! An instant friendship was made, and upon departing, Tonya casually mentioned that they had a flat, open field next to the museum, in case we ever want to organize a rally.

​The idea of a rally stuck in my head. I had been involved with Spartan trailers for about eight years since purchasing my own 1959 Royal Manor. It dawned on me that 2021 would be the 75th Anniversary of trailer production’s beginnings. I became excited about the rally idea and spoke with a few trailer restorers. They all felt that a rally in Tulsa would be a great idea. A Facebook page was started to gauge interest and Chance Ty, one of the group members, was a graphic artist, so I asked him to design a rally poster. Early in the fall of 2020, I posted the rally poster and announced that there would be a rally a year from now.  Ryan Rice, another graphic artist in our group, who had just purchased a 1956 Executive Mansion, offered to help me with merch. We designed hats, T-shirts, bath towel sets, and a beautiful commemorative blanket depicting five popular Spartan trailer models from 1946 to 1959. Read the entire article in issue #59 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine. Click "Read More" below for more photos.

​Don't Spoil the Vintage Look with a Modern Fridge!  Try an Energy Efficient Fridge Alternative
We can think of about a million things that we love about vintage trailers, but the original "ice box" food storage solution in our 1957 Sportcraft, was not one of them.  Designed for a simpler time, we appreciate both the minimalism and the sweet, mid-century hardware on this poorly insulated aluminum box.  But, the original ice-to-food-storage ratio just wasn't going to cut it for longer than a weekend, let alone full-time living. 
During our 2011-12 remodel we considered a modern replacement -- 3-way fridge, 12V cooler, etc.  We just couldn't find anything that would fit the space while keeping the vintage look and budget, and provide us with enough cold food storage. With our launch date to full-time living approaching and with no viable solutions on the horizon, we settled on a hasty compromise.
We used the vintage ice box inside Hamlet as a dry-goods storage space and kept all of our cold food in a cooler out in our pick-up truck bed.  This forced us to stick with the tried and true habit of picking up 10 lbs of ice every 3 to 4 days.  Planning ahead to avoid being somewhere far off-the-grid with a melting bag of cold water instead of a robust block of ice, just became part of our routine.   

​Call it procrastination, call it just settling in to the way we did things, but the constant draining and cleaning, the sweaty cheeses, the partially liquified lettuces, the trips to the store -- it all finally got the better of us.  We needed a different solution that would allow us to store enough food without having to compromise our inside space or vintage esthetic.  We were not alone.  With all the folks transitioning to life on the road in RVs, vans, and vintage rigs, the 12V product options just keep opening up!
We settled on the ICECO VL45 Single Zone Portable Fridge Freezer, with its simple design, very reasonable price tag, efficient compressor, low-profile but durable handles, as the perfect solution for our situation. Many 12V fridge options were either too bulky, not powerful enough, too expensive, or simply too large for the allocated storage area.  When your whole life fits into a 72 sq ft camper and the utility box of a truck, reallocating space is, well…complicated.  Note: It's also perfect for those families who need extra fridge/freezer space beyond what they store inside their trailer.
We wanted to run our fridge off solar power to extend our boondocking adventures well beyond the lifespan of a block of ice.  It also seemed like a wasted opportunity to not include an engine charging option into the mix, without draining the truck battery.  The folks at Renogy thought so too, and created the Dual Input DC to DC Charger.  We became aware of this product while installing a DC to DC charger between my parent's towing vehicle and RV and it really got us thinking. 
This ingenious device takes an engine charge input (via the starting battery) as well as a solar panel input.  It allows us to run a 12V fridge off of our 12V-50Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate battery and be able to charge it while driving, or with our portable 100W Folding Solar Suitcase while camping off-grid. 

​One extra feature of the Dual Input charger is that when connected to solar and the service battery is full, the charger will trickle charge the starting battery in the engine.  So, no matter how far out we might be, or for how long, we won't be stuck with a dead starting battery.  
The installation was pretty straightforward and can be done with minimal tools, as you can see in our step-by-step video.  We had to design some vehicle specific solutions for mounting and securing components, but with the truck bed topper providing a water-resistant shelter much of the challenge for this installation was already solved.     

Click on "Read More", (below) right for the rest of this article, a downloadable pdf, video product review and coupon codes.

In a personal history sort of way, the Trail Along to Pismo rally most likely began to formulate in June of 1963. We spent our honeymoon camping in an “umbrella” tent in Sequoia National Park for a week. In those days, most regular folks did not go far from home for their wedding celebrations like they do today. We continued camping in a tent until we purchased our first new truck and camper in 1967. We joined a camper group and belonged to it on and off for about 40 years (became secretary-publisher of the newsletter/flyer for a few years) and eventually had a couple of different sized motorhomes while we raised our four children. Members of the club took turns planning these just camping (and dune buggy) type rallies. We still belonged to the club until just after buying our first vintage trailer in 1999, and then — there was no going back.
 
We attended the Newport Dunes Rally a couple of years before I voluntarily assisted with publishing its newsletter and events for the wagonmaster, Craig Dorsey. The following year, when it appeared it would not be happening, I asked the wagonmaster if I could do it, and it was a yes. Altho’ it regularly had 100 vintage trailers, we could only obtain 75 sites at such late notice. The staff at Newport Dunes was very helpful.
 
We began attending small rallies mostly in northern California, a couple in southern California and Arizona enjoying and exploring the vintage trailer world with the old-timers and the newcomers. We kept seeing Bob and Cindy Ross at many of the rallies throughout this time. One day I received a call from Cindy Ross asking me to join her and Bob and one other in planning and organizing an unnamed event at Pismo Coast Village. Cindy found Pismo Coast Village Resort on the internet and felt it was an excellent location to bring northern and southern Californian trailerites together in one place. We were used to hosting many teams, birthday, school, work, graduation parties, and receptions in our backyard.  I replied with a yes since I often organized events at my place(s) of work before retirement. Even though Chuck Miltenberger was not listed as a wagonmaster, he was always present, supporting and assisting with all aspects of the rally.
 
Bob and Cindy were, and still are the canned ham specialists. It seemed everyone either owned a restored trailer or had one worked on by them. Their specialty at Pismo was the number of trailer folks they knew which was essential in getting the first word out on Pismo. They were and still are highly respected and popular amongst trailerites. Planning began in 2007, and it took 3 or 4 months to fill the spaces. Later on, it took less than 24 hours. We went by postmark as we accepted checks by snail mail. We also did not charge any registration fee. We decided it would be the party we gave. The waiting list grew longer every year. The most challenging part was putting names on a waiting list, recognizing how badly they wanted to join the Pismo experience, and we wanted to share it with them, too.
 
Little did we realize at the time how this rally would take on a life of its own and grow and grow and grow. Cindy and I were concerned and anxious if we would even be able to fill the 100 sites we had. We ended up adding sites and think we had 125 sites that year. The following year it grew to 160. Then I think we had a year of maybe 225 trailers. Pismo notified us that they were giving 300 of their 400 sites to us; we had this number of sites for at least the last two years of the event.

2022 Calendar
The Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine 2022 calendar is a glimpse back at some of our favorite photos. Like the magazine, the calendar features trailers from the pre-war era through the mid-century. Custom and traditional trailers that have been restored by professionals or owner-built. In the spirit of the magazine, each photo contains a caption that tells about the trailer and its owner's vintage journey. (8.5" X 11" full-color glossy paper with a cardstock cover.) FREE SHIPPING. Shop Here.

Silver Suzi Jewelery Designs
A self-taught metal artist specializing in unique silver designs. Shop a wide selection of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and pins.  Vintage trailer, Airstream, and custom designs for you. Shop Now

Tow Girlz Gear
Cozy sweats and ladies v-neck tees for around the fire or waking up in the woods. We include a sticker for your trailer so everyone knows you are in the "club." View Options

Christmas Cards
Do you love vintage trailers? Do you love holiday-themed vintage trailer puns? We've crafted a six-pack assortment of greeting cards featuring some of our favorite vintage trailers that embody the spirit of the season. Order Now!

Tow Boyz Gear
Get ready to rally with our club button-up camp shirts, t-shirts, and hoodies. Click here to shop and 
join the "club" with your own Tow Boyz decal for your vintage camper trailer. (Included FREE with every order.)

Picnic Table Shield
Avoid the mess, avoid the splinters and uncomfortableness of public picnic tables with these convenient covers! Made in the USA of commercial-grade marine vinyl. Shop here.

Mid-Century Key Fobs
Three mid-century key fobs for your vintage trailer keys. These motel-style key chains feature "room number 4569" to remind you of the mid-century years from 1945 through 1969. Only a few left!

Vintage Nights 2022 Calendar
Vintage Nights 2022 Calendar by Rick Rajewski.  Vintage Nights 2022 Calendar. Order yours here.

Vintage Camper Trailers Book
Vintage camper trailers are a unique symbol of midcentury America that resonates with many people. This book introduces many of those people, along with the trailers they’ve lovingly maintained or restored. It includes hundreds of photographs of everything from fancy and comfortable trailers designed for glamping (glamorous camping), to trailers handed down through families across generations. ​Shop our books.