TCT Campfire

Winter Convention Rally Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton Fl.

February 28, 2010

Tim Heintz, S.E. Rep.

     This morning everyone gathered at the pavilion around 8am to say their goodbyes, and find out when and where we would see each other! For some it will be very soon, others as long as next year. By 9am everyone was heading back to their trailers to pack up and head out. It was a perfect travel day with no clouds and all sun, a little cool but nowhere near what it had been!. I had packed the interior of my trailer last night, but still had the exterior stuff and awning to take down and pack, I was hopping the sun would dry out the awning this morning before I took it down. By 1045 am EST I was pulling out and heading North. The traffic looked like it was going to be very busy, but it moved right along and as soon as I got past Tampa the traffic was very slim. In fact I was able to make great time with no problems, by late lunch….well CDT Lunch (I was an hour behind all weekend) I was in Cross City, Fl. Stopped for a real quick fast food break and headed back on the open road! The Closer I got to home the cooler it got, I am ready for Spring!!!!

Around 345 pm I was in Blountstown, Fl and pulled over for a short break, as usual I had a few tours to give of the trailer! One couple who drove an eighteen wheeler fell in love with my trailer and wanted to know all about the TCT so I gave them a brochure and headed back out on the road!  An hour later I was pulling in at the house!!!!! Finally! I was really amazed that I made the 420 mile trip in exactly 7 hours!!! Best time I have ever made that trip in! It is good to be home, but I really look forward to the next time my Spartanette hits the road!

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag

Tim Heintz

TCT S.E. Rep.

1950 Spartanette Tandem

Flickr Slideshow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbone2/sets/72157623530102484/show/

Pictures set to music

http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d5455794f4467314f544a384d7a4d344e7a45344d44593d0d0a&sb=1

Winter Convention Rally Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton Fl.

February 27, 2010

Tim Heintz, S.E. Rep.

     Woke up around 730 am to the sound of rain! Not a hard rain, but the cold Florida winter drizzle with a cold wind! What a great day for an open house. Picked up in the trailer and went a head and got it ready for the show, then walked down to breakfast; donuts and coffee. We all wondered what the weather was going to do, and if it was going to get any better. By 10am the judges arrived and we decided to drive around to each trailer since it was raining. Had a great time going around with the judges and seeing the trailers and talking to the owners, I usually don’t get to do this as I am always very busy showing my trailer, but it worked out great! I got to see the trailers, and talk to the owners when there really wasn’t any public there! By 11 am we had finished judging the trailers that had entered and I headed back to my trailer. I got inside were it was warm and started fixing a few things that I had put off in the trailer, wasn’t long before some of the new members I guess were getting cabin fever (or would it be trailer fever…..trailer fever might actually be what we, with more than one trailer have!) Anyway had a great time showing my trailer to some of the new members! By around 1 pm the rain stopped and even the sun came out! started to heat up a bit too, wasn’t long at all before quite a few people started to show up! By 2 pm there was a constant flow of people on through 4 pm and even several more on through 5 pm! So the weather didn’t hurt us too bad!  Even met one woman who used to live in a 1949 Anderson Coach many years ago, she was trying to remember what the interior looked like, and I told her to wait just a minute…..came back from my truck and showed here a few Anderson ads from  1949 with interior pictures! She was thrilled and started to remember more about her trailer, small details like the front wall shelves that had little metal poles holding them up, She was so excited every time she saw the next ad, Usually after turning the page there was a loud “I remember that now” That was the best part of the show!

     By 5 pm it was time to start heading to dinner! BBQ catered dinner, with tons of food!!!! The later it got the colder it got, but it still was warmer than we had been getting! After we were all stuffed with food we had dessert….A large Birthday Cake for Lawrence Perry! Even had a small trailer on it like his!

When dinner was over it was time to announce the winners of the S.E. Trailer judging: Best of Show  Herb & Sidra Spies and their 1963 Airstream Globetrotter,  Reserve Best In Show Doug Bachman & Steve Allen and their 1974 Argosy 24′, Honorable Mention Dan Maciejczyk and his 1954 Airstream Cruiser, Special Interest Lawrence Perry and his 2010 Midget Tag-A-Long.

When the awards were over it was time for the entertainment!!!!!  Alex Kensington (aka Prof. Otta Knowbetta) and Charon Henning did their show again for us! Several of the new members and first timers to this rally had no idea what they were in for! Alex and Charon are Sword Swallowers, fire breather, human block head, Alex even swallows a floresent neon light that can be seen through his body! This is the kind of shows and entertainment that the original Tin Canners would have back in the 20’s and 30’s, Carnival type shows, but Alex and Charon are not the typical Carnival show of today, both are very well know and the best I have ever seen! Both have done things that only a hand full of true professionals can do! Charon is one of only a small hand full of female Sword Swallowers, so we were very lucky to get to see her preform! The Best part was watching the reaction of the First Time viewers! Some of us knew what was coming and seeing the faces of the others were priceless!

After the entertainment every one headed for warm trailers and time to start packing and getting ready for the trip home! Tomorrow morning there will be donuts and coffee and the usual goodbyes! For most we will not see each other for several month, most not till fall!!! The End of the winter convention always comes too soon since it will be so long till we see each other, this rally really has gone by fast!

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill 

Tim Heintz

TCT S.E. Rep.

1950 Spartanette Tandem

Winter Convention Rally Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton Fl.

February 26, 2010

Tim Heintz, S.E. Rep.

What a much better day!!!!! Got up around 730 and was surprised to be very hot after leaving the Heater on high (89 degrees is what it was set on, highest it will go!) After getting ready step outside to a much better morning, still a little cool, but a great improvement. Headed over to the pavilion for breakfast; we had hot biscuits and sausage gravy! Made the cool morning much more enjoyable! Didn’t take long sitting in the sun to start getting hot! After breakfast most of us headed back to our trailers to get ready for the walking tour of Braden Castle. At 10:30 we were driving to Braden Castle, We really had a lot of people there!!!!! When Forrest asked yesterday for a show of hands on how many would be interested, there were about 8, But I guess the cold air had a little influence………Got there and had about 30+ The weather was perfect, no wind or clouds, and several residence at Braden Castle were out sun bathing! So after we parked (all over, so many people, we were parked everywhere!) we started our tour! Got to see a lot of the Historical building that the Tin Can Tourists built back in the 20’s and 30’s! And even got to tour a few of the Historical Cottages, but my favorite part was seeing some of the Vintage Mobile Homes still left in the park! A few 1954 Andersons, a 1952 Star, 1954 Spartan, 1946 Spartan, etc…. I also saw my future as a millionaire……..a 1954 Spartan with what looked like a new Ferrari under the carport! I could have tons of money and still be happy in a vintage trailer!

     After the tour everyone went thier seperate ways for the rest of the day! I took my annual trip through an old mobile home park across the street from Braden Castle! There are hundreds of trailers in there dating from early 40’s-60’s. Most are in ruff shape inside, when you see one with an open door or windows, but the outsides still have the original character to them! The best looking one is a 1950 Spartanette Tandem just like mine, even still has the original decal one it, that typically wore off after 20+ years (Water based decal type) but this one was protected by the built on carport!

     Got back to the campground a decided to setup the outside of my trailer for tomorrows open house. Needed to put the awning up, clean windows, setup table, etc… got hot, really was a great weather day! Also had a few park visitors and member come by and see the trailer, always willing to give the tour!!!! (I admit I am a trailer-holic and the Tin Can Tourists is my therapy group!) Wasn’t long before 5pm was near and time to head to dinner! We had a huge dinner with Ham provided and everyone else brought sides, salads, and deserts! Way too much food! Also had time to meet many of the new members! Even had a few more arrive today!

     Wasn’t long before the sun was down and the temperature started to drop fast! Most everyone started to head in out of the cold. We had some great music and dancing from the same guy from last year! The Music is always great and everyone enjoys the oldies he plays and sings! Although the crowd was very small due to the cold weather! I could only take it a short while till I had to find warmer climate inside! I could still hear the music at my trailer and enjoyed it from my Warm Living Room!

Got a big day tomorrow! Open House. Hopefully the weather will hold off, the forcast has changed as much as the temperature! It has had tomorrows weather in the last 12 hours from 70% rain all day, to 40% rain in the morning, then just 60% rain in the late evening, Now it just says 50% almost all day!  So we will just have to wait and see! Looks like it might just miss us! I am looking foward to helping out in the judging by being the Steward for the Judges and escorting them to the trailers that have entered the Show. I hope the weather cooperates and doesn’t keep the public away!  Either way it already has been more than worth the 400+ mile trip!

Tim Heintz

TCT S.E. Rep.

1950 Spartanette Tandem

Winter Convention Rally Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton Fl.

February 25, 2010

Tim Heintz, S.E. Rep.

      Never understood why, but every camping vacation I take I seem to wake up early and ready to get out of bed and start moving around! Why I can’t seem to do this every other weekday is still a mystery! Anyway, the morning was quite cooler than average and the heater had the trailer feeling very good inside, so I decided to finish setting up the inside of the trailer and do a few things inside till it warmed up a bit. After a while I decided to run to town for a few items to repair the gas leak in the stove I discovered last night, and boy did I discover it!!! Lit the pilot light and a few seconds later I had a flame thrower shooting back at me! All I could do was to try to keep blowing it out, seemed to be a loosing battle till finally it went out.  Nothing major, just a loose nut, and a cracked flare. I never sleep with the gas on anyway with the chance of something coming loose in transit (like this instance) Have a Carbon Monoxide detector too!

     Got the stove fixed and stayed around the trailer doing odds and ends till check in time, when the rest of the canners would start to arrive! Wasn’t long till they started to come in. It is always fun to get here a day early, it is kind of strange to watch an entire 50 site park empty and then fill up within a few hours! Had a lot of first timmers to the Bradenton Rally, and they brought some really cool and unusual looking trailers! Also had many travel as far as, CO ,MI , OH , Ontario , Qubec , etc..

      Wasn’t long till 4pm was here, and the temperature was dropping! We all headed to the pavilion for the social hour and New Member induction. There were several new members, more than last year! Afterwards we had our business meeting lasting a whole 47 seconds, John Culp really knows how to hold a business meeting! Next came the food, Pizza!!! If it is one thing we know how to do, it is eating! After dinner we were to have a Blue Grass band play. But the temperature dropped forced a slight change in plans, and moved everyone to Site 25 where we could have fire (heat!!!!) We ended up with two propane fires and a wood fire to keep all of us warm! The Music was fantastic, the band had a bass, steel guitar, fiddle, and a banjo. Everyone enjoyed the entertainment, and the warmth of the fires…..the later it got, the closer people got to the fires! After the music was over everyone headed back to their warm trailers for an early night. Tomorrow’s weather forecast promises warmer weather, lighter winds, and no clouds, but lately we have learned to wait and see! Hopefully this time the forecast is right!

Tim Heintz

TCT S.E. Rep.

1950 Spartanette Tandem

They share how they made their unconventional dream come true. Alex Kensington and Charon Henning are living the life of the Executive Hobo, with health, success well before what one would consider retirement age. They live full time on the road in their 1966 Airstream trailer, using their time and resources to live the life that they wish for themselves and taking every opportunity to help other understand that they, too, can live in this fashion, if only they would let go of the notions they have of what it takes to have such a lifestyle.. Listen here

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/defythebox/2010/02/24/the-executive-hobo-life-on-the-road-with-a-couple-of-swordswallowers

Their website:

http://theswordswallowers.com/

Winter Convention Rally Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton Fl.

February 24, 2010

Tim Heintz, S.E. Rep.

(I intended to post this yesterday, but after a long day I fell asleep in front of my computer last night!)

     Left Panama City at 5:45am CDT and was ready to head South, Hopefully leaving the Cold weather behind. Started out a great travel day, with very little traffic and perfect weather. Also I was highly impressed with the brand new Bias Trailer tires I had installed. I was a bit worried after hearing such bad things about bias tires….but I heard just as bad things about radials, so I had to make a decision! I went with bias, and with my longer and heavier dual axle trailer I was impressed how much smoother the trailer pulled! There was no bouncing, even less swaying, and my gas mileage improved 1.5 MPG!! The only difference I could tell was the slight feeling of the flat spot on the tires when I first started out,(normal for bias) but this worked out in about 5 minutes!!! And to top off the new bias tires were new Red rims, with chrome trim rings and best of all WIDE WHITE WALL INSERTS!!!!!! How Cool!!!! Finally White walls on my trailer!!!!  As some of you know I have had ‘partial’ white walls many times over the last year! From Cheaper inserts that ripped, tore, flew out, and all kinds of things, to the wonderful white wall paint that turned off white and started to peal before I got 30 miles, The paint was the worst…….everyone who looked at my trailer actually thought I was pulling it with the original 1950 Tires!!!!!! It really looked that bad!!!  Every small town I went through I had to try to keep from running off the road as I would catch myself looking at the reflection of my trailer in the storefront windows and the awesome looking white walls tires on it!!!!

      Got around Ocala sometime around lunch and it started to get cloudy. I was hopping to beat the rain, but it caught up to me! What a rain storm, there were several times that it was raining so hard that the traffic on I75 slowed to 30mph and you could barely see! Thankfully by the time I got about 40 miles from Bradenton it went from a down pour to clear skies and sun!!! Pulled into the State park around 2:30 and was thrilled to see I STILL HAD WHITE WALLS!!!! Although two of them are a little lifted which the old tire shop I went to said they might need to be re-adjusted after the first trip, but at least they still look great! Much better quality then the first ones I bought!

     Found my site, backed the Spartanette in place, then I opened the door……….Water…….and more water!!!! That down Pour of a rain storm had blown water up under the front windows, through the door jamb, and into the front roof vent!!! I have never had this problem before, even before seals were put in!!! It was that hard of a blowing rain! Thankfully the Slanted front curtains soaked up most of the water from the windows. (and unfortuantly the couch did too) The rain from the roof vent fell right into a large laundry tub of towels under the vent, that was luck! and the door water was mostly caught by the front rug and fabric on the back of the door. Also having an AC unit with a dehumidifier setting helped a little too!

     After getting the trailer set up, I went around to see who all arrived early like me! There were about 8-10 other trailers to arrive early and we sat around the rest of the day and caught up from our last rally! Ready for a good nights rest after the 420 mile trip!

Tim Heintz

TCT S.E. Rep.

1950 Spartanette Tandem

Name of event: Vintage Camper Show – Port Crescent State Park

Brief Description of event: Campers will display their vintage campers during their stay at the State Park.

Date: July 8-11, 2010

Location: Port Crescent State Park, Port Austin, MI

Number of units limited to: No limit, however we only have 142 campsites and reservations are required and will be somewhat limited for that time of year.

Registration procedure: Call 1-800-447-2757 for reservations, which should be done 6 months in advance. Participants should try to reserve campsites in the 1-20, 123-137, or 97-111 areas in order to be in the same general area as other vintage campers.

Contact person: Betsy Kish – kishe@michigan.gov
TCT member John Truitt @ airstreamguy@mac.com

Name of Event: St. Clair Vintage Boat and Trailer show

Date: Saturday July 17, 2010

Location: St. Clair Boat Harbor, St. Clair, Michigan

Number of units allowed at event: 20 units

Registration procedure: 15 units of varying vintages to be selected from applications submitted to Forrest Bone, 941-748-1483 winter, 248684-0393 summer,deadline to apply is June 1st – email f23bone@earthlink.net

Attached is a press release for the Port Sanilac – date: August 20th and 21st, 2010
Contact Doreen Bergman
bailey@7south.com for information.

Name of Event: Port Sanilac Boat Show

Brief description of event: Vintage Boats and Vintage Trailers and Motor Coaches

Date: August 20th & 21st, 2010

Number of units allowed at event: 15 units

Registration procedure: will be determined by the person that assumes responsibility to work with Boat Show Staff

Contact person – must have a volunteer to coordinate TCT’s involvement in this event.
If we don’t have a person to coordinate with the Boat Show staff by the spring newsletter (March), the event will be eliminated from the TCT schedule for 2010.

Additional information:
http://www.portsanilac.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83&Itemid=92
Contact: Doreen Bergman at bailey@7south.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220555791380&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:MOTORS:1123

The above link is to an Ebay auction on a Spartanette. This trailer was parked at Camp Dearborn most of its life.
No reserve – No Buy it Now
10% discount to TCT member