Travel Trailers

Forty five years ago, Ken and I took off on our honeymoon with a tail behind us. The tail was an Avion travel trailer which my dad owned. My dad was big into bullet shaped trailers. Our family trailer was an Airstream, the Cadillac of travel trailers. I remember the pride he had in that trailer. It was usually the talk of the park when we stopped for the night. Many people had never seen the inside of such a shaped trailer so we had many visitors.

I don't remember how Dad came to be the owner of the superfluous second trailer but he did. Ken and I wanted to visit my childhood friends, Jerry and Joyce Oezer, whom were in Tacoma, Washington where Jerry was stationed. My dad suggested we take the trailer. I think he must have been a little crazy. Who in the world would send two kids, twenty and twenty one off hauling a 26 foot trailer to the west coast. The driver, Ken, had never pulled a trailer before. Start we did and I recall only one close call. We were in the Rocky Mountains and Ken went off the side of the mountain road for just a moment. Between being stressed at the new state of marriage and also driving around with my dad's possession, the slip off the road brought me to tears. It had really scared me. I could just envision us down the cliff with an Avion trailer on top of us.

The trip was a success. That was once and we have never done it again. Basically, because we have not had the need or opportunity. With the size family we reared, we would have needed a forty foot trailer and people don't pull those around much for recreation. I always contend that I'm the kind of person that enjoys camping in Holiday Inns.

However, my love of silver bullets is deeply ingrained in my being. Two Christmases ago I came across a string of Airstream trailer lights. I let go of all hesitation and scarfed those up as soon as I saw them. Even my older children were brought nostalgia when they saw them. I'm sure all people have something rather ingrained in them brought on by family interest or experience. Another thing that my father ingrained in us was that we were to buy American made automobiles and they had to have been made by Chrysler. My father drives a beautful silver Chyrsler 300 today. It is the envy of all his grandchildren. We have disappointed him many times by purchasing Japanese made vehicles. We loved them and still find them very well made and economical. This summer we bought a Chrysler mini van. The patriarch took a look at it and actually complimented it. Wouldn't have been that way if it had been a Honda or Nissan. We've had some beautiful cars made by those companies which he ignored. Funny, isn't it? To say he is a man with purpose and opinion is an understatement.

A few months ago, Ken and I saw a show on television where vintage travel trailers were featured. There is increased interest these days in restoring those vehicles of pleasure from the sixties and seventies. Both of us caught the itch. Wouldn't it be fun to be the proud owner of one of those old puppies? Wouldn't it be a blast to fix it up and make it cute and cozy? We shared that story with someone at the Harvest Sale the other night and he said, "Oh those are retro and in big demand now. They come with big price tags". I told him that we hoped to find an owner who was not familiar with the knowledge of this vintage craze.

Sunday's paper had an ad in it that showed a twenty eight foot Avion travel trailer for sale for a reasonable amount of money. Ken couldn't go to see it yesterday but sent Lauri, my friend, Bernice and I to take a look at it. Oh my. It is from l977 and hasn't seen many house cleaners since that time. I don't have too much vision when it comes to restoration. People can look at a dump of a house and see it restored and beautiful. I've never had that skill, but I actually could see some promise here. A house is a huge project and overwhelms me, but this mini house is a possibility. Ken wanted me to buy the thing immediately. I called him from the sight and said, "Honey, I can't buy this thing without you. You have to see with your own eyes how much work will be involved in this before we can bring it home". Sooooo, today, after Bible study, I will drive Ken to Burr street to show him this monstrosity. The question is, "Will we be the proud owners of trailer trash today?"

They say people get crazier the older they get. Maybe, uh?