Meet Jon and Stacy Schneiderman

We live in Carrabelle, Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico’s “forgotten coast.” Stacy and I recently moved from Bocas del Toro, Panama where we owned and operated a dive shop. We moved to Carrabelle when I was offered the Dive Safety Officer and Marine operations Manager positions at Florida State University.

Tell us about your trailer and tow vehicle

We own a 1956 16’ Kencraft which Stacy has named “The Mermaid Motel.” Our trailer is towed by a 1994 ambulance which we call the “Glambulance.” We were originally towing our camper with a Jeep Cherokee Laredo, but were looking for something that could carry all of Stacy’s vintage camping stuff. We looked at lots of vintage trucks, but we wanted AC, manual transmission, and preferred enclosed storage. We couldn’t find any trucks that met our needs, so we decided to think outside the box and we bought ourselves an ambulance.

Where did you find it?

We started looking for vintage campers in 2005, but stopped searching in 2007 when we decided we were moving to Central America. When we returned to the U.S. we resumed our search. In December of 2013 we found just what we were looking for, but it was located thousands of miles away in Vancouver, Washington. Ignoring sage advice and common sense, we decided to buy our trailer sight unseen (it was being sold through a reputable vintage car restoration/sales company). We had it shipped and after its 3000 mile journey it arrived better than expected.

When and who did the restoration

We bought our trailer primarily because it was almost entirely original and it was in excellent condition. Stacy did an excellent job with new curtains and upholstery. We are indebted to Tim Heintz who did a fabulous job adding air conditioning, a new screen door, and a rock guard.

What is unique or interesting about your trailer

We are proud of the original condition of our trailer. It has the original flooring (still in great shape), the original lighting fixtures (both propane and electric), the original pink boomerang countertops, and the original pink appliances.

What do you like about vintage trailers

Stacy and I both love mid-century modern furniture and accessories. Our vintage trailer captures the look and feel of the 50s. While I love the amenities of newer models, I really enjoy the uniqueness of our camper.

Have you been to many rallies and what do you like about them

We received our camper in February of 2014 and have already camped 50+ days in our camper. We took it to upstate New York and have camped at many of the state parks in the Florida panhandle. We just returned from a Glampaholics rally at Brown County State Park in Nashville, Indiana and we’re hooked. Bonding with folks who share a common interest is a blast! We plan on attending many of the upcoming TCT rallies in Florida.

What clubs do you belong to

We belong to TCT, Glampaholics, and a Vintage Kencraft owners’ group.

Can you share an interesting bit of information that most people don’t know about yourself

Stacy and I are avid scuba divers (I’ve been a scuba instructor since 1994) and we love to combine our love of diving with camping. Part of the reason the theme of our camper (The Mermaid Motel) and our tow vehicle (Mermaid Mobile 1) is decorated the way that it is is because we love the underwater world.