New Member Interview with Julie and Jaeson Brewen

Can you tell us about how you got into the vintage trailer hobby?

When I was two years old, my parents bought a Go Lite camper made in Fremont NE. I loved that tiny house, and when I was five years old, we lived in it most of the summer that my dad built a cabin not far from our home in Steamboat Springs, CO. My parents, my younger brother and I somehow managed to “live” in that tiny thing! 

When the cabin was sold, I decided it was time to find a “new” camper.  In 2015, I found a 1960 Chilton MANOR’ette (made in WI) in North Dakota on Craigslist. It was in good shape structurally, so I started to put some serious elbow grease into it. I then had a professional restorer, Larry Hill, re-skin it and do some interior restoration. I learned a lot from Larry, and “Mid Century Maude” was ready to hit the road. 

What type of trailers have you owned and what do you have now? What is your dream vintage trailer?

Mid Century Maude, the MANOR’ette, is our go-to trailer right now. Earlier this summer, I picked up a 1958 Santa Fe that had been abandoned at an old house down the street.  I figured it would be something I could tear into myself.  My hobby grew bigger when about a month ago, a 1950 Spartan Royal Mansion kind of fell into my lap! I’ve been decorating the interior, and it is kind of “dreamy”. 

What do you tow with?

My Toyota 4Runner will pull “Mid Century Maude” and the Santa Fe, but not the Spartan! Maybe there’s a new truck in our future too?

Do you attend rallies and what do you like the most about attending a rally? 

My husband and I have attended a couple of rallies, and I attended one Sisters on the Fly event by myself. I love talking to people who share this love for vintage trailers, picking their brains for tips, and shining mine up to show. 

Why did you decide to join the Tin Can Tourists?

Since my husband clearly cannot attend a Sisters on the Fly rally with me, I realized that Tin Can Tourists membership would be something we could enjoy together. We’ve both got a lot of questions about our “new” Spartan that we are hoping can be answered by the new friends we’ll meet as Tin Can Tourist members. 

What are your camping plans for this year?

In August, we spent a week at Pactola Reservoir in the South Dakota Black Hills during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Of course, Mid Century Maude was the hit of the campground. This month, we will go to the tiny town of La Veta in southern Colorado to stay at their RV park and attend a Scottish Highlands Festival. And of course, we are talking about where to take the big ol’ Spartan.