Hello - new member and Camper!

to VTT!! I like the shape of your Fan. Looks like you have everything you need to really enjoy camping.

Welcome Pete!

I bought our FAN last May, found it on Craigslist. Ours is 1965 17 foot "Sunseeker" cabover. (You are fortunate not to have to worry about "The Cutter's Club"...they are scary.) It seems that FAN campers are not available often. I have only seen one like ours anywhere online since May. Funny though, I noticed your CT plates...I found ours in Granby. I've wondered about those wide looking rails on later FANs, ours has regular J-rails. Can you describe them? Are they aluminum? They look like rubber.

This forum is a wealth of info. Cool beans!

Thanks! Although she is a humpback/trunkback we also like the shape and we really like the extra space. She also has the genuine/imitation/faux wood contact paper, although all the actual wood work under the paper is very nice birch plywood.

turbodaddy, yes the corner wraps are a little different with this vintage FAN, but that's what they appear to be, aluminum corner wraps. I'm hoping the wraps help keep water out and are not a future headache to work on.

She is heavily built and as a result not really manageable in my mind with a smaller SUV or a car. Although, back in the day, I'm sure they pulled them with cars!

I'll put up a post describing my over the top electrical distribution system upgrade when I can and also Try my best to Search and Read before asking Too many questions. I need to figure out what to do with the cute vintage toilet which is currently not working and that seems to be a typical discussion item.

Thanks again for offering this website as I've learned a ton already!

Thanks,
Pete

Very cool old trailer and on such great shape. Enjoy and welcome to the forum!

Big Bill.. what do you think about people using vintage tow vehicles now? Do you think it is do-able or is the likelihood of breakdown very high due to all the factors listed above concerning the highways? We are having this conversation quite regularly.. because I would love a vintage tow vehicle, but we live in Canada and we always go to the USA due to cheaper gas and camping etc. so we drive long distances. Our last trip was 12000 miles over 3 weeks. 

Hi Mobiltec,
Yes, our camper does have around a 6gal black water tank but only an external provision for a grey water tank.  The toilet is a Towsend and it includes a small onboard freshwater tank just like in the house.  This onboard tank is very slow filling and it's not clear if the float valve is currently working.  The tank bowel also leaks past the main ball valve and then the lower section of the toilet appears to leak at the toilet to tank flange.  That is all I really know about it just yet.  I'm guessing I'll pull out the toilet and try to rebuilt it but I haven't actually found any information and/or parts for it online.  We could always go with either a replacement toilet or a porta potty, I'm just not ready to abandon the vintage toilet!

Thanks,
Pete

I think that is a very loaded question. I will pull my trailer with a 1941 Plymouth when the trailer is finished. That being stated you should know that the entire mechanical system has been completely reconstructed or replaced with modern systems. It has 4 wheel power disk brakes, It has a nine inch ford rear end that has had every bearing replaced and new high performance axles installed. The engine is six cylinder Chevrolet truck that has been completely  rebuilt, the transmission is a 700 R 4 that has been completely rebuilt, and the list goes on. I have invested over 30 K in this car and I trust it to go anyplace. I also have the knowledge to know what parts to order if something breaks. The problem that I see with anyone traveling with an older car (pre 1980) is many mechanics don't know how to repair them, many highly skilled auto technicians have never worked on a non computer controlled vehicle. If you think about it non fuel injected cars  have not been made for about thirty years so they are becoming rare.
As you start to get into older cars everything about them was designed to operate in a different world. In the day A family bought a nice 55 chevy six cylinder standard shift with no A/C and a AM radio hooked the trailer on an toured the country with no problems, but they most likely never drove over 50 or 55 mph and the expected to lose speed on hills where the sometimes even shifted in to low gear (think long long trailer) and the traffic around them understood. In today's world no one would understand, they would just run over you. Now you might say that you are going to get a early 60s Ford with a 390 motor and you will have the power to pull the trailer at modern highway speeds, but you are still doing it with  a fifty year old brake system. Stop in to your local garage and ask them if they can quickly repair a 50 year old car and how available are the parts. You most likely will get laughed at.
In conclusion most of the old cars you see towing trailers any distance are being driven by either a total motor head or a person with lots of money that doesn't mind be broke down in the middle of nowhere for a couple of weeks. I don't want to be a wet blanket but that is the reality of things. When I am talking about rebuilding an entire car I am talking about replacing all the steel brake and fuel lines, inspecting the entire frame for any weakness such as rust or cracks/ metal fatigue. Also the complete steering system including the steering box. The radiator,heater core all hoses and electrical parts and wiring.
One last thought most of us are used to rack and pinion steering not the natural slop in a worm and sector box.
12,000 miles in 21 days is 571 miles a day if you towed at 50 mph you would average at the most 45 mph so you would be driving about 13 hours a day not counting any stops for food, restrooms, or sightseeing. Now add about 2 hours a day to register, set up and tear down camp and you have had a very relaxing vacation if you don't need to sleep and nothing goes wrong. My thoughts would be a strong late model vehicle designed for a trip like that and it would burn about half the fuel. FOOD FOR THOUGHT.....