Looking toward the future, admiring the history of RV culture
At the recent Seattle RV show, a few trailers got our attention for very different reasons.
There was the two-story party house, the Timberwolf by Forest River, that looked as if it had been designed by some college students. Well done, gang, but how you gonna drive that 13-foot tall-beast to the tailgate bash?
Then, the was the InTech Terra Rover we’ve been dreaming about for a while. It’s sleek and stylish and seems just about perfect if we were going to make that move from our 23-foot Thor Gemini motorhome. Except Leslie can’t get over the lack of kitchen storage space inside.
Finally, on our way out, we spotted something called the Living Vehicle, a utilitarian-looking trailer loaded with features designed to stay off grid. The roof is covered in solar panels and the interior had a smart design that included a pull-down bed that doubles as a desk by day. Oh, and a washer-dryer, plus a cool-looking kitchen. The pricetag? Around $250,000. Yikes, that’s out of our price range.
It’s encouraging, though, that innovations are evident on the trailer front because that’s where the whole industry began. At the fantastic Vintage Trailer Show that’s part of Modernism Week in Palm Springs, Leslie got a good look at one of the oldest, a 1936 Covered Wagon. This historic gem has been owned by the same family from the get-go. Impressive.
While wandering through the dozens of meticulously maintained pull-behinds, the big takeaway was the incredible craftsmanship that went into these works of art. And the retro relics the current owners fill these spaces with create a kind of time capsule of another era.
One standout was a 1962 Aloha that was made to appeal to those going to the World’s Fair in Seattle. The owners of this gorgeous trailer have filled it with memorabilia from that event that brought us The Space Needle and one of the best Elvis movies. They told Leslie they haven’t purchased any of the items on display, but have been gifted them by friends and family.
The community that comes together to celebrate these beautiful vintage trailers looks like such a fun bunch. There are rallies around the country and many owners have become lifelong friends while attending these welcoming events. Guess what? There’s one in Lynden, Wash., every September. The Mt. Baker Vintage Trailer Rally is set for Sept. 3-9 at the Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center.
One of the absolute highlights of the recent Vintage Trailer Show was meeting actor John C. Reilly, who’s the proud owner of a 1961 Airstream Globetrotter. That trailer is actually for sale through our friend Johnny Agnew of Funky Junk Farms fame. It was wonderful to shake your hand, John C!
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