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Post by jessesmith on Jul 28, 2022 6:09:42 GMT -8
Im a new owner reading previous posts. Most are old, just wondering how active it is. Bought a 69 Volunteer camper-hardly no info about them anywhere. We are in Tn so its kinda cool. I appreciate everything that has been posted-great resource! JesseSmith in Knoxville, Tn
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Post by vikx on Jul 28, 2022 10:57:40 GMT -8
There are new posts most days here.
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preacher
Member
We have finished the restoration/remodel of our '68 Frolic. We hope to see you on the road.
Posts: 42
Likes: 16
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Post by preacher on Jul 29, 2022 6:08:44 GMT -8
I just finished my first and, so says my wife, last camper restoration/rebuild/modification. This site provided a lot of encouragement, ideas and help.
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Post by danrhodes on Jul 29, 2022 20:20:03 GMT -8
A lot of the information on the site is historical because we are rebuilding 50+ year old campers. When you have a new issue or question as i did, the site has many active experts who can assist
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Post by wisconsinjoe on Jul 30, 2022 18:12:40 GMT -8
It is worth it to go back and explore all the threads methodically. It's an amazing record full of stuff you never even knew you didn't know.
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aslmx
1K Member
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Post by aslmx on Aug 2, 2022 16:16:53 GMT -8
When I came to this site I knew it all because of all my house building experience. Hahahaha. I quickly found out that I was wrong. It takes a lot of bbq sauce to make crow eatable.
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mobiltec
5K Member
I make mistakes so you don't have to...
Posts: 9,822
Likes: 3,749
1954 Jewel In Progress...
Currently Offline
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Post by mobiltec on Aug 9, 2022 9:32:34 GMT -8
It has been less and less popular to restore these old relics properly. Even the name, "Vintage Trailers" has been corrupted to a lack of any meaning. Now if it's old and rolls, it's a vintage trailer. Of course this isn't true, it's just a new reality brought about by laziness and lack of imagination... Instant gratification is another culprit.
Because of all this and more, I have noticed that the participation on this forum has been drastically reduced over time. This forum is one of the best resources on the net or in the world if you are truly interested in restoring Vintage Trailers properly. If you are just looking for an old trailer to buff up and paint to make it cute, then this is probably not the place for you.
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nccamper
Administrator
Posts: 7,744
Likes: 2,871
1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Aug 10, 2022 19:59:38 GMT -8
What has stalled my latest camper project (besides life) is the cost of materials. Or more to the point, the resale value hasn't kept pace with material costs. 5 years ago we made a little money (like $2 an hour) with a restoration. Now that isn't the case. Plus, good candidates for restoration are harder to find. Impossible to find on the east coast.
With that said, a good library isn't always busy but when you need one, you need one.
We're here when needed.
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mobiltec
5K Member
I make mistakes so you don't have to...
Posts: 9,822
Likes: 3,749
1954 Jewel In Progress...
Currently Offline
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Post by mobiltec on Aug 11, 2022 6:22:49 GMT -8
I'm still holding my online classes and I'm still dishing out diplomas. I sent out 3 diplomas last month and another one just yesterday. So people are still interested. It's just slowing down a lot. I now have 4 trailers going at the same time. One of which is mine. And the canned hams are still out there. I know of at least 10 that are just sitting in back yards and fields waiting for someone to restore them.
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Post by danrhodes on Aug 11, 2022 18:15:13 GMT -8
Been looking for half a decade for my perfect camper. In Cali at least,there is little inventory that hasn't been glamped I'm still holding my online classes and I'm still dishing out diplomas. I sent out 3 diplomas last month and another one just yesterday. So people are still interested. It's just slowing down a lot. I now have 4 trailers going at the same time. One of which is mine. And the canned hams are still out there. I know of at least 10 that are just sitting in back yards and fields waiting for someone to restore them.
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nccamper
Administrator
Posts: 7,744
Likes: 2,871
1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
Currently Offline
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Post by nccamper on Aug 11, 2022 18:57:17 GMT -8
Most of us don't have Mobiltec's sixth sense. My guess is he can smell the scent of a rotting canned ham from miles away.
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adderall
Junior Member
Posts: 65
Likes: 32
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Post by adderall on Aug 15, 2022 5:11:45 GMT -8
It's definitely also the area. Campers out west in the dry air just don't seem to rot like they do in the midwest, east, south, and north. My GF and I took a trip to Santa Fe for a few days and driving from Galisteo area up to Taos we saw hundreds of canned ham campers in people's yards or on the ranches in fantastic exterior shape, being used as chicken coops and storage. The majority around me are covered in lichens, sinking into yards, and the bottoms of the walls are blown out from the walls detaching from the floor and outer boards. I've tried talking to some of those people and they all think they're sitting on a gold mine, with no title. People see vintage campers original or restored selling and think their 1965 Tetanus Bamboozler is $5k minimum with no title.
To Mobiltec's point - there are a lot (LOT) of people who are using Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and now Tiktok to showcase flashy instant gratification builds with their costs faked / reduced so they can seem more thrifty or creative than they really are. Why would I make a depressing YouTube video where "I'm building my dream" only to find out it takes more than white paint and LED bulbs to go glamping. No one wants to see cracked springs, rusty frames, rotted floors, dangling poop pipes, and rotted walls. A lot of them refuse to show you their peeling of the skins or spending a month of their days off work removing 40lbs of silicone.
I'm very thankful for the older info on this site, even if the old links don't work, because it's uncontaminated by that new group. And even though my GF and I are building a kiosk camper, my GF tried to retain as much of the original style and looks as possible. We're at over $20k into it and almost 3 years. No one tells you that you should get a good chop saw and a good table saw or track saw. Old tools work if you have the skill and experience, but they suck if you don’t. That kind of reality isn't going to get YouTube views.
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Post by vikx on Aug 15, 2022 11:00:04 GMT -8
Anyone finding a link that doesn't work, please let me know and I will edit the info...
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turbodaddy
1K Member
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 462
17' 1965 Fan "Sunseeker"
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Post by turbodaddy on Aug 16, 2022 17:26:22 GMT -8
Another factor in this discussion has to do with age (ours...not the camper's). I was only 62 when I found our 1965 Fan. It took me over a year and a half to "restore" it. It was a labor of love, resulting in several awesome trips in the US and Canada. Now I am 70 years old. The thought of taking that kind of project on now is a bit overwhelming. That said, I still check in on this forum regularly. As others have said, it is probably the most informative source available, and the contributors have a collective knowledge base that is unique. Another is www.tapatalk.com/groups/repairingyesterdaystrailers/. Great folks dedicated to trying to keep the history of early campers alive.
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