Hot Rods Hot Rod Camping

I ran across this old photo and though others might get a kick out of it.

Traveling in a hot rod didn't mean staying at the Holiday Inn back in the 50's. HRP

 

I belong to the Five Aces Motor Club outside of Chicago. Half of our club own vintage Campers! We went to a vintage camper rally,and had a blast! Camping,and Hotrods go together great!

 

I just sleep in the back of the wagon



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I grew up in the back of a wagon, we would go on vacation with the back piled up to the windows then us kids would just lay on top of it all. Looking out the windows and waving at the cars. From Iowa to Wyoming and back one year, to the black hills and back another. Today my parents would be in jail for that, but it was great! I even remember the back window down and me letting my sister's scarf go in the brees, she didn't think it was as fun as I did.

 

That Avion looks just like the one I sold to a guy from Michigan.

 

I've been thinking of maybe getting a Boler or something similar to pull behind my Shoebox.
It's gotta be light cuz of the flat motor.
Would be nice to have something to stay in for the occasional rod run.
I don't need anything fancy, just clean so Mama will stay in it.
What are my options boys & girls?

 

This is kinda what I'm going to be doing with my 47 Frazer this spring.I attend an event called the Gambler 500.It's a on and off road rally that covers 500 miles in two days.It is meant for cars that are cheap or impractical.

 

Boler, Trillium and small fibregl*** trailers are great if you can find one for a reasonable price.

Older (like fifties and sixties) canned ham style trailers up to 15 feet or so should be ok. They are not heavy but then, they don't have all the modern conveniences like bathrooms and waste water tanks.

Lots of guys are buying old canned hams and fixing them up. If you want a college level course on canned hams go to Youtube and look up Mobiltec (Larry Walsh). He is the real expert and has posted a hundred videos on finding and restoring old trailers. His favorite method is to peruse around until he spots an old trailer in a driveway or back yard, and ask if they want to get rid of it. Sometimes he gets them for nothing but will pay a few hundred if he has to. But be careful, most old trailers have hidden rot and need work. The work is not very difficult but you have to know what you are doing.

Here he is interviewing a fan who restored his 1958 Mercury trailer with the help of his videos.

 

Hah...sleeping in a roadster would NOT be good for me...lol. I've gotta be able to stretch out.
Often thought about the possibility of removing the back seat in a sedan or hardtop and modifying the seat-back-support and floor for room to sleep.

 

I do a lot of traveling and camp in the back of my OT diesel pickup. Converting it to a permanent flatbed camper soon. I'm going to do some trips in my '34 and will convert one of my small flat bed trailers into a small teardrop like this one below. I'm too old to sleep on the ground in a tent anymore!

After going to car shows for the last near 40 years I don't go to many anymore and prefer to just drive my cars on road trips, both local and long distance. Sticking to the back two lanes and hitting up small towns, you get to see things most people p*** up when they are on the interstates. The addition of a small camper allows you more flexibility to overnight where ever you find a spot as well as saving money on hotels.

There are a few good threads on here of guys road trip camping. I wish we could have a section just for road trip reports!

I know a lot of guys do group road trips to shows or runs but I'd like to do one someday to just tourist spots and scenic areas and try to hit any old time roadside attractions that are still out there.

 

Sedan delivery or better yet, panel truck would be ideal.

 

If you want to be real creative you could build your own vintage canned ham or teardrop trailer. What the heck, guys did it in the thirties, forties and fifties. Plans here.

Vintage Teardrop Trailer Plans

 

We pull a little teardrop i built behind us. Lots of fun.

 

Here's my old 58 Shasta behind Dads 57, we towed it to Indy for the U.S.Nationals for years.

 

In the mid 50's when you went to a track for the weekend you carried your accommodations in the form of a surplus army tent. HRP

 

My last Hot Rod Camping trip was more out of necessity than getting back to nature. It was a drive up to the 2016 Jalopy Jam Up in Durham,Ontario. Do to the off the beaten path Jam Up former location there wasn't much for nearby motels so camping was the best option. We had room for the tent, sleeping bags, and whatever else would fit in the roadster's trunk. It was a great adventure.

Lee

 

Lee,the boss lady is a real tropper! HRP

 

You got that right Danny. She's been putting up with me for fifty years now and still let's me play with cars.

 

OK;so story time;;;"Way back story"1963 on our way over to the west cost of Fla. for some camping in Punta Gorda from Miami,we broke a rear axle on Steve Reep's 30 "A"sedan hotrod about too "40Mile Bend". So we sent Peter K., hitch hiked back too nearist phone, east of us by about 10miles"Frog City" too call Steve's Mom. Had Steve's Mom bring us another axle. Frog City's phone number in 1963 was #5 =Frog City an to call there you had too ask operator!. Peter hitched back to us in about 3 hr. NO CELL's back then !!! As you can tell,the tool box was the first thing we put in the trailer.
Top pic is us killing time tell another axle gets there!
That all took us taking it apart PM,then camping on the side of Tamiami Trail over nite,an fixing axle AM. Got on our way by lunch,just two min.s before Florida Highway Patrol was going to call a tow truck to clear the road. Yes that's a one caster wheel ,clamp to rear bumper type trailer with all our camp **** piled in it,an we topped it all off for aero smooth,LOL,with the little boat up side down strapped on,going down the road. Bottom right pic is camp site in Punta Gorda woods.

 

Prior to the Ontario trip my ol' buddy Normspeed and I camped our way out to the Lonestar Round up. I was roughing it in a pup tent while Norm was cozy in his restored 1947 teardrop pulled by his hopped up flathead six powered '53 Plymouth Momad. That was a fun trip.

Lee

 

I plan on doin just that next year. Sleep in the back, bum shower from buddys in the $100 + nite rooms or $1 @ the local truck stop. Throw the skivies away and buy a new 6 pak of em @ Wally World. Ship dirty cloths home UPS so it'll be there when I get home. Tshirts and shorts are cheep @ Wally World also.

 

From our Loadsville party


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Voodoo Larrys old rig IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181220/b3754887f511a82a444d0cafc65d0a2e.jpg[/IMG]


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30 years ago I'd throw a tent and bag in the back of my coupe to camp. Lately it's been in the delivery.

 

Tent camping with the '29....boat I pulled had all the camp stuff in it. Don't have any pics on the PC from my '36 Chevrolet p/u with a pop-up

 

I had a 63 Pontiac 4 pillarless sedan in Australia that was dealer fitted with a camp front bench seat, you slid it all the way forward, then the back down to line up with the back seat to make a bed, had a lot of fun in that car [emoji3]


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This is just part of the group at Relix Riot this year in Michigan. The Gilmore Museum grounds are a wonderful location for the event.

 

The last time I showered at a truck stop(flyin J) it was $12 but it was a lot nicer then they used to be

 

So it's 12 bucs, lot better than $100