Vintage Campers

Probably most folks have heard of “Glamping”. There are various interpretations of the term, but many associate it with the Vintage Camper lifestyle. Here is a photo of a typical modern Glamping site.

Vintage campers seem to invoke in us a romantic look back at a bygone era when life perhaps was simpler and the future looked very bright (despite the cold war). This is certainly true for Dominique and I, we don’t deny it. But we also just love vintage campers in and of themselves. Just for the beauty, craftsmanship, and imagination that went into building them.

The most recognizable of the vintage trailers is the Airstream, and their iconic Bambi. These trailers are still built today. They command high prices both new and old because of the quality of their construction and their popularity. But there were many, many other types of interesting trailers built during the mid-20th century. Some, like the Airstream, were finished in bare aluminum, invoking images of aircraft. But most were painted in fun colors. Below is a photo of what is lovingly referred to these days as a “canned ham”, due to the shape obviously. Many brands of camper were made in this recognizable shape, including the well-known Shasta brand.

There were also larger campers build in gorgeous aerodynamic shapes. Everything in those days was about the “Jet Age” and camper designs definitely reflected this.

As with classic cars, there are also shows dedicated to vintage campers. At the show the campers are often staged in vignettes aimed at replicating how they may have been used during their original period.

There are two upcoming vintage camper shows in California scheduled for 2019. One is just a couple of hours from home. We hope to go to both of them.

Here is one fun website by Mary Jane dedicated to Glamping and vintage campers – National Glamping Weekend. She has developed a very fun logo as well:

There are lots of other fun sites similar this and as I will add them to the links page over time.

With the popularity of vacation rentals and AirBnB, it was only time before Vintage Campers became part of the mix. One such place is Rêves de Moutons in Paso Robles: