April 13, 2018
Hello again, faithful readers! We attended the annual rally of the Texas Vintage Trailer Club at Lake Livingston on the weekend of April 13-15 (our third rally with this group) and once again had a great time, saw wonderful vintage AND reissue trailers and got to actually camp!
Our caravan to the park–Melinda’s truck towing and mine following.
This spring has been unseasonably cool in SE Texas, and we have not yet had any of the scorching hot muggy days that coastal Texas is known for. Hoping for spring-like weather over the weekend, we were greeted with mild mornings and warm afternoons, until Friday evening rolled around. More on this later, I promise!
We have not been camping in the Shasta since last November’s trip to the Texas Renaissance festival in Plantersville- a quick weekend jaunt–and our work schedules have kept us from road trips suitable for vintage camping. The annual spring rally at Wolf Creek park is always a long anticipated event and it always is over way too soon, but it is a chance to renew friendships and acquaintences with other vintage camper fanatics. This year was the biggest turnout yet, with 63 trailers registered and several brought in for the day on Saturday, and lots of folks touring the grounds to see the campers in person.
leaving our yard in Houston. here we come!
We occupied spot 25 this year, next to our friends from Livingston who brought TWO vintage campers, a fiberglass Venture for their son and his friend, and their newly found Alaskan truck bed pop-up riding in their 1965 Ford F-100.
Guy and Beth’s 1965 F-100 and Alaskan popup truck bed camper. it doesn’t get more authentic than this!
Guy and Beth’s Ventura fiberglass camper used by their son and his friend.
Our campsite was mostly unchanged from last year with the addition of a new yellow and white awning and mid century metal lawn chairs which we had found and repainted last summer.
New awning, new (old) metal lawn chairs.
Getting camp set up on Thursday afternoon.
That’s better! Awnings up, lights strung and lit, furniture staged, time for a frosty cold beverage!
There were several of the 2015 Reissue Shasta campers in the various colors of Butternut Yellow/Matador Red/Seafoam Green,
Team Matador Reissue
Kimberley and Mark’s Team Butternut
but a spectacular new arrival was the 1964 Shasta Twenty owned by a couple from Longview, Texas. Following a two year restoration process this was it’s first public showing and it is a KNOCKOUT!
Ethan and Amanda’s 1964 Shasta Twenty!
Another view of the Shasta Twenty, AKA “The Peacock”
The Shasta Twenty is a foot longer and six inches wider than our own Deluxe so it offers more interior space as well as a full size bathroom with full size sink, toilet and shower!! Most Twenty trailers were eventually used as park models, i.e, stationary use as permanent living spaces, and few have survived to the present.
Of course, other makes and models were well represented, with some beautiful Airstream type trailers
SIlver Streak, year unknown
1967 Airstream Caravelle
Argosy camper, year unknown
and painted and polished ‘canned ham’ trailers as well.
beautiful mid 60’s Mallard
Lee Huntoon’s 1964 Shasta Airflyte
1972 Ford F-100 and 1972 Shasta 1600
Make unknown but spectacular polish and finish!
The park had filled up by Friday afternoon and all the campers shared supper at the pavilion as darkness was falling. Unfortunately, a strong cold front was predicted to move through the area about midnight, so we deployed the brown tarp over Tallulah Belle to ward off leaks, and thanks to the air conditioner we were cozy and cool. The storm hit about 1 AM and the rain was torrential with severe winds, but we had lowered the awnings and staked everything down so no problems occurred. The air temperature dropped suddenly and by morning the thermometer was in the upper 40’s with water everywhere. Overcast skies and cold temps stayed most of the day until about 1 PM when a bit of sunshine peeked through in time for the Open House trailer tour for the general public.
Of course our cats took the opportunity to ham it up for the public and get LOTS of attention–see, they NEVER get ANY attention from either of us–
Ziva on top of the fridge.
“Is it dry outside yet?”
Deuce looking pensive
and during the open house we took the opportunity to go look at some of the other trailers ourselves.
1951 Spartan Royal Manor
Sitting room of Spartan Manor
Galley of Spartan manor.
Truly unique homebuilt from a 1978 VW Beetle
Believe it or not, a family of four camp in this!!!
Melinda had to depart midafternoon to drive to Louisiana for her mother’s 93rd birthday celebration, so the author was left alone to attend the potluck dinner at dark on Saturday.
Think there will be enough food??
Excellent turnout!
The temperature never warmed up on Saturday so the evening was quite cold, which put a damper on the campfire/tall tales (which is always a big attraction), and many of the attendees retreated to the warmth of their campers.
And all too soon, it was Sunday, and time to pack up and break camp. We all hate for these events to end, but it is more incentive to attend additional rallies–as we plan to do ourselves.
********ADDENDUM******
As I write this, on April 20, there is a possibility of a MAJOR road trip through several Western states using Tallulah Belle, for Melinda’s job duties. If this event is greenlighted, we will be using this blog as a daily travelogue and uodating quite frequently! Check back soon for more news!!