More People Settling For 70s and 80s Toasters

My video, (The Right Way) has sparked a lot of attention as you might imagine. Of course I get lots of comments like, "Your way isn't the only way" or "There's more than one way to skin a cat"... And I answer them with "This isn't my way, it's the factory way but improved on." and I also tell them that we aren't skinning cats here. Some understand and want to know more, others just fight me with their last breath. I don't bother with the latter. It's just the kind of thing you must expect when you are in the public eye. 

But lately there seems to be a new problem in our hobby. Now I don't want to tell people what they should like and not like. That's not what I'm about. I'm just about building a trailer that doesn't leak and won't fall apart on the road. So what ever someone picks out as the trailer for them, so be it. I'm into the Mid-Century Modern era which I understand to be the era between 1945 and 1965. And trailers built during those times I refer to as "vintage". I don't really consider toasters built outside of this time to be vintage. Just my thoughts. But there's another problem with picking a toaster to "restore"..... And we all know what I mean by "restore".... 

You see the problem with restoring anything newer than the mid 60s is that as they get newer, they get harder to find parts for. I know it sounds weird but think about it. Lots of metal and plastic parts that are no longer manufactured. How do you deal with those parts and keep the trailer original? Plastic falls apart over time and metal parts get damaged or lost. Windows and window parts along with door and door parts are especially hard to deal with. No one is making aftermarket parts for 70s and newer trailers.

Now with the mid-century modern trailers, a lot more was built out of wood. And the metal parts can be easily fabricated. Most of the other parts are being manufactured as after market parts and readily available. No one is doing that for the rest. We can still buy the paneling and we can buy the wood for framing. The metal skin is still being made so the canned hams are MUCH easier to deal with when restoring than the newer trailers. 

My problem is that more and more people are coming to me in need of advice and it's hard for me to get this idea across to them. I have to tell them they wasted their money in the first place unless they are just in love with the trailer because they will never get out of it what they put into it. I also get the "I don't have much time and I don't have much money and I don't have a good place to work on it inside and it's 19 feet long"..... Geeesh. What the heck do I say to that? 

Anyhow I guess I just needed a place to spew about this where people might understand what I'm talking about. I'd love to hear your thoughts.