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VCT Magazine Issue #47
Back issues are available as single copies, in money saving collections, or in "bulk", (multiple copies of the same issue). Digital download collections are also availabe. New subscribers may select subscriptions that include back issues and the shipping is free.
In this Issue:
- 1950 Spartanette - Learn From the Past
- 1972 Chevy C-30 Custom Camper
- 1968 Bee Line - Old School Loo
- 1967 Airstream Caravel - Yard Art
- Four Corners Campout - Colorado
- Rally on the Fruitway - Utah
- 1956 Shasta - Follow Your Dreams
- 1959 Airstream Tradewind - Karludi
- 1950 Vagabond - Two Tone Treasure
- Before They Were Vintage
- Campin the Cumberland - Kentucky
- Jersey Shore Rally - New Jersey
- 1962 Winnebago - 36 Month Remodel
- Route 66 Roadtrip - Mod Betty
- 1968 Mobile Scout - Paradise Everyday
- Bearings and Brakes - How To
- Propane Safety Checklist
- USA Rally Calendar
The evolving vintage trailer hobby has a language that may not be familiar to newbies or outsiders. As the hobby becomes more popular, the lingo that we use is also growing. Having a unique dialect is one of the things that defines a community. Terms like “Trailerites” date back to the early days (1930’-40’s) to describe the people that travel in trailers. Some descriptors like “Canned Ham” are easy to see why they were coined because they are such an accurate narrative of the popular shape of many small mid-century trailers.
In the Vintage Camper Trailers Rallies book we included a glossary of the terms we were familiar with at the time that book was published. Terms like “Glamping” and “Potluck” are more mainstream labels that most people know, but have you ever heard of a “Template Trailer”? A “Template Trailer” is a trailer that is so dilapidated that you can only use it for a template. If you want to build a vintage trailer from scratch, a "Template Trailer" is a good place to start. You can find a complete trailer that most people pass on because of its condition. The value to a trailer like this is the frame, axle, windows, hardware and appliances. The price of these components, and having the patterns to reproduce the wood parts, will far outweigh what you paid for the mess that many other less ambitious builders averted.
When it comes to a rally we all have a pretty good visual of what a “Vintage Trailer Rally” comprises. Although each one has a unique itinerary, the basics of a rally remain a weekend camping event for pre-1980’s RV owners. We have hosted the Trailerfest rallies for almost a decade and are mindful of the large number vintage lifestyle admirers that DO NOT own a vintage trailer. Until now, they have only been able to attend an “Open House”. We have reserved even more sites and are now able to accommodate non-vintage RV owners at some of the events we host.
We are still grouping the vintage trailers in their own “Vintage Village” and placing the newer trailers in their own space. Being inclusive is the spirit of camping and creating “Vintage Inspired Campouts” is sure to welcome new families into the hobby while still revering the vintage coaches. The only requirement is that you appreciate the vintage lifestyle and play well with others. (See our Cajun Campin and Western Shindig Trailerfest events.)
An “Open House” house is often, but not always, a part of a “Vintage Trailer Rally” or “Vintage Inspired Campout”. The public is welcomed into the campground to tour the trailers and visit with trailer owners. The hours are limited usually to 4-6 hours on Saturday. Another version of this is a “Trailer Tour”. A term we are using for essentially an “Open House” that is only open to the rally’s attendees. We have had great success with “Trailer Tours” in the evening when the trailers are lit up with colored lights.
The more you hang out with "Trailerites" the more you will pick up on the jargon. The Vintage Trailers Field Guide book has a glossary of terms that will bring you up to speed more quickly. Welcome to the tribe!
By Paul Lacitinola