Can you tell us about how you got into the vintage trailer hobby?
My husband, Nick, and I had been informally looking at campers for a couple of years as we approached retirement. We looked at one vintage camper, but it was too heavy for us to tow and needed quite a bit of work. For the most part, we looked at newer campers, but none of them seemed quite right for us. Then, one weekend we were headed to a garden festival, and on the way we came upon a car show and decided to stop and take a look. Off to one side was a little vintage trailer, and I was drawn to it right away. It was a 1960’s era Scotsman. I took a look inside and told Nick, “THIS is what I want.” We had never seen a Scotsman before, and they are not at all common in Indiana. However, within the week, I saw a Facebook Marketplace ad for a 1966 Scotsman for sale only about an hour from our home. It had been nicely restored and was ready for camping. I immediately set up an appointment to go see it, and the rest is history! We got into the vintage trailer hobby almost by accident, but we are thoroughly enjoying it.
What type of trailers have you owned and what do you have now? What is your dream vintage trailer?
The 1966 Scotsman is our first-ever camping trailer, and it is also my dream trailer! We like how easy it is to tow and take care of. Even though it’s tiny, it’s very comfortable and fun to take camping. Besides, it’s just so darn cute!
What do you tow with?
We currently tow with a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but I would love to find a 1960’s pick-up truck to use for our tow vehicle someday.
Do you attend rallies and what do you like the most about attending a rally?
We attended our first 2 rallies in 2021, and we are signed up for 2 rallies so far this year. The best part of attending rallies is all of the great people you meet. It’s always a good time to be with people who share similar interests, and folks with vintage campers are just a lot of fun. We also enjoy seeing all the different types of trailers.
Why did you decide to join the Tin Can Tourists?
I’m always trying to learn more about vintage campers, and I discovered Tin Can Tourists early on while searching for information on-line. Another reason is that I would like to host a vintage camper rally, and I saw where Tin Can Tourists can offer a lot of resources to help. Finally, membership with TCT seems like another way to interact with those who share the love of vintage campers. I also hope we will be able to attend some TCT rallies.
What are your camping plans for this year?
In addition to camping rallies, we enjoy camping at our Indiana state parks and recreation areas. There are still some we haven’t visited, so we hope to explore as many of them as possible this year.