Tim Heintz
Panama City, Florida
TCT Southeastern Representative
What Trailer and tow vehicles do you own?
1949 Airfloat Landyacht 28′
1950 Spartanette Tandem 30′
1951 Lighthouse Duplex 28′ (TWO STORY)
1956 Hicks Mobiliner 28′
1958 Skyline Deluxe 45′
1959 Ellsworth 11′
1960 Manorette Proto-type 16′
1962 Yellowstone Cabover 16′
1968 Serro Scotty 13′
1967 Ford Mustang
1969 Pontiac Bonneville
Where did you find your trailer/tow vehicle?
I find them everywhere, local and 1,000+ miles away
When and who did the restoration?
I do all my own restorations and even own a professional vintage trailer restoration company.
What is unique or interesting about your trailer?
I prefer to mainly collect unique and/or rare (unheard of ) brands. My Airfloat is the exact same make, model, and year of the original trailer from the Long Long Trailer book,;my Spartanette is a rare special order from the factory model, the Lighthouse Duplex is a TWO STORY trailer with two private bedroom upstairs, and the Ellsworth is only one of two known to still exist.
What do you like about vintage trailers?
I like the history of the trailers, the unknown facts and information that most people never realize about certain brands, and the history of many companies that started out building things other than trailers.
Have you been to many rallies and what do you like about them?
I have been to many rallies across the country, they are a great way to meet and talk to others that are as passionate as I am about vintage trailers.
What clubs do you belong to?
Tin Can Tourists is the only Vintage Trailer Club I belong to.
Can you share an interesting bit of information that most people don’t know about yourself?
One of the most interesting fact about myself that most do not know, is just how young I am! Most people know me online or over the phone but when I attend a rally people even ask me to my face if Tim Heintz has arrived yet, or they see my trailer with my name in the window and will ask me if Tim is around; they think I am his son. Looking much younger than I am doesn’t help, but I am 31 year old I have a degree in architecture and have been restoring, researching, and acquiring vintage trailers for over 15 years! I am also the youngest member of the Tin Can Tourists’ Hall of Fame.
How did you get involved with the TCT and what made you decide to become a rep?
I first found out about TCT from the internet many years ago. I attended the first Cedar Key Florida Rally not knowing what I was getting into. After arriving I knew it was the group for me….it was better than I ever expected and that I had finally found ‘my people’….I thought I was the only crazy one out there! It was only a short year later I was asked to be the SE Representative.
What is you favorite part of hosting a rally? What is your most memorable rally experience?
My favorite part of hosting a rally is finding great and unusual venues to hold TCT Rallies/exhibits. My most memorable would be an event I hosted around 2011 on the front lawn of the State of Florida’s Historical Capitol Building right in the center of downtown Tallahassee FL. We had to camp about 10 miles away and then arrive at the front gates of the Capitol around 5:30 am to meet with national security so they could escort us through the blockades and courtyards (where vehicles are not allowed) and then set up. It was the busiest open house I have ever seen…..every trailer had a line of people at the front doors 20-50 people deep…..ALL DAY from 10am -4pm!!!!
What is unique about your region in terms of camping or the community?
Here in the SE we have some great areas to host rallies; mountains, white FL beaches, and some of the greatest state parks in the country. Plus we have very little snow concerns and can still host rallies in the southern part of the region all year long!
What future plans do you have for the region?
We are aggressively trying to schedule rallies in the southeastern states that have yet to establish one (LA, AL, VA, and MS). We are also hammering away at scheduling rallies here in the south during the summer months where tourists season can make it difficult to find a park/campground willing to reserve a large number of sites for one venue, they are under the assumption that it interferes with the other tourist’s reservations…..but we are working on that and making great progress!
Every rally host brings their own unique flavor to a rally, what is it that you bring?
I try to bring history to all my rallies, from TCT History to trailer history. Usually all the rallies I host I have custom window signs for all the trailers/owners that list their information as well as a short history on their particular make/model/and year of trailer. I like to share the history I have/know because many trailer owners find it difficult to find anything on their particular brand of trailer……I have a TON of information that I have been collecting for years!
How can members/participants help in your region or at rallies?
Members in the SE can help by hosting a get together in the states that do not currently have rallies. A gathering is quite simple as it only requires a little work….. no schedule, rally fees or cost…..just plan a date and a park and invite all TCTers in the area to come camp at the same time that you will be there. Year by year it will grow in size and before you know it, it will grow large enough to become an official TCT Rally. As always I am here to help along the way!