Living in the UK I didn’t know much about vintage trailers but as a young kid there was an old airstream that I would pass occasionally in somebody’s front yard and it always took my imagination away, because to me at that age they looked like something out of ‘ Lost in space’, so different and space age.
Years later at a vintage American car show I bumped into an old friend that lived in Florida half the year and the other half here and he was telling me that he had just purchased an old Airstream for his back yard in Fla and it was cheap!!
Well that grabbed my attention as I always wanted one but thought they would be expensive, I contacted an old friend in WV and he told me there was an old one just down the road from him for $800 and if I was interested he would take a look at it for me, two months later I was at the docks picking up my 63 Globetrotter, this was in 1998.
That was it, I had been bitten, I guess I had over thirty plus trailers since then, I just can’t help buying, passing some on and restoring the ones I really love.
My Wife Fiona and I love to escape in them around the countryside, and we also use them as part of our vintage clothing business at festivals out in the middle of fields, They are always a focal point of interest, people are fascinated by them and always want to look around and have a peek inside.
It has also grown lately through requests to hire them out at festivals such as the Glastonbury music festival, where these photos were taken.
I love to shut myself away during the winter months (with the help of Fiona who also loves to do all the subtle finishing touches) in the workshop bringing one or possibly two of them back to life to their glory days, The 1948 Spartan Manor 25 and 1952 Elcar are the newest additions to the family, both are fantastic trailers full of character and history.
I find I’m addicted to restoration, updating the trailers with solar panels and easier to use facilities but keeping them as original as possible with imperfections as they have all had a life! and love finding out the back stories where I can.
Not sure how to end this, as it’s a continuing story that I hope I can carry on for many more years to come.
Mickey and Fiona
Thanks for sharing your story and glad to hear from another passionate European member. We have been bitten by the same bug over here in France, as you know already. We’d definitely love to meet you once we decide to travel in Britain.