Chevy Wagon Took us Camping

I decided to put the ball on the '60 Chevy Wagon and hook her up to our trailer for a recent family camping trip. We drove up north to Casini Ranch on the Russian River to attend a vintage trailer rally. When my daughter gets older, i know that she'll never forget old car bumps, open exhaust and wide bench seats on trips like these. Soul glows when you mix station wagons and old trailers together....





The camper is a 1954 Traveleze, is restored original and in pretty damn good shape. It's one of the trailers showcased in Doug Keisters' book, Ready to Roll, if you're into this stuff. It weighs a tad under 2000 lbs and pulls great with the wagon (350 small block / Muncie 4 speed.)
The rally had about 50 great other trailers.



You can see all my pics on my flickr. Here's also a couple of my favorites:



These folks were totally decked out, with about everything era correct-- including canoe.



loved the body lines, high polish, tire cover and rear taillights on this "Streamline."



my favorite interior.



This is an early 60's German camper. all six or seven foot of it.


At night the campground set up a movie screen and played the old Lucy / Desi movie called "The Long Trailer." Between that and getting to play with fire and eat smores, a good time was had.








-scott noteboom

 

Love your trailer. I see lots of little trailers around, mostly sitting in yards, but none for sale.

 

love that 60' wagon dude!

 

Man, that is awesome. My fiance and I really want to build or restore one of those old teardrop trailers. Once we "finish" our cars of course.

 

I was in a bad mood tonight...until I read this. Looks like a ton-o-fun. Glad to see folks getting their old cars AND trailers out. I went to an estate sale today and there was an old Spartan for sale in the backyard for $900. It had 1966 plates on it, but was an early 1950's model. It had been used as a rental unit and was tied in to the electricity and plumbing of the fixed house. If it wasn't such a big rig, I would really love to own it but I don't have the room. Your Traveleze is more my size!

 

You got a real nice wagon there! Thanks for posting the pics of the vintage trailers. They all have a soul and style that no new 5th wheel trailer could match. You got me thinking about seeing if I can find a small vintage trailer for my 64 Acadian wagon...

 

Thanks for posting your adventure,,as a kid my granddad did a lotta camping with a early model Shasta,,,as kids around the holidays it was a treat for us to have Thanksgiving dinner in the camper while the adults dined in the house.

Someday I'm gonna run up on an old camper and join in on some weekend adventures,,,as if I don't have enough hobbys already! HRP

 

Cool. I've been wanting an old tag-along for a while. There's a Scotty not too far away.....

 

Cool... Great to see the family enjoying it as a whole...

I've been noticing that I can get a big (17' or so) trailer cheaper than I can get a smaller one (10-12'). I've been looking for a while...

 

Man I can still remember going to Russian River back in Da Day

 

We're there now. Octoberfest today and then it's off to the redwoods.
However, we're in a hotel and a rental car.

 

I'm impressed! looks like a lot of fun. Your trailer is amazing!

I have a question, how were you able to hitch the lowered wagon for the proper tongue height of the trailer?

 

That's gonna be my next acquisition...a cool old trailer...those are experiences that kids hold onto and cherish...cool rig you've got there

 

That's cool Scott!...I bet you had a LOT of interest in your rig....the car And the trailer!
I'm jealous! I'd kill to find an old aluminum trailer to restore.
Do they hold that trailer ralley every year? I'd love to take it in.

 

VERY KOOL! Here's a shot I received from the son of the original owner of our "new" '63, "IZZY"

They are from Cleveland, OH and this looks like FL in Dec 1971. That's how families used to roll. Thanks for keeping it "traditional!"

 

I have a 1964 Cardinal garage model that my folks bought new at the factory in El Monte California $980.00. it will never leave the family everyone wants it when I die (hopefully not soon)

 

That looks like a Great laidback Weekend!That is a NICE combo of Chevy Wagon and Caravan,You probably came home very refreshed!
Nick.

 

LOL. I'm from Ohio too.This is how we rolled in 77. 3 buds and I in Florida
for Christmas break in our senior year. What a roadtrip!

 

what was in the 8 track or was it strictly static and am radio?

 

There's a '60s square trailer locally that's sitting next to a guy's house. Looks like it's in pretty decent shape. When my Suburban gets a little farther along, I'll swing by with it and make him an offer. I also have to get rid of a pick-up box trailer, and add gravel to my parking "area" next to the shop where the car trailer and our old family boat is parked.

Guys posting stuff like you just did really light a fire under me to make that happen. Thanks!

-Brad

 

YOu Rock...

I'm a youngster, but I wish I could have lived in the 50's or even the 60's... Thanks for keepin it alive for everyone else!

 

Hey Scott,, nice to see that wagon being used to the fullest, heres a pic of me and my old girls 52 Desoto from about 11 years ago, The Trailer was a 47 with O.G plates, I do not recall the make. When i went to restore the trailer i removed the rear panel to replace it, the original panel was behind it, it had all the markings from a camp ground and old phone number, i guess from what i read on the panel you could rent the trailers in the camp ground. Trailer sat in a underground parking garage in S.F for over 35 years. Good time camping in it.

 

Hahaha. That would be an 8 track on the trans tunnel with Lynryd Skynyrd
"Street Survivors" CSN,"CSN" Bad Co.,Led Zeppelin, etc. Over and over and
over.... Thanks for the time trip.

 

Way cool! Sweet set up...thanks for sharing.

 

You betcha! That looks like real time travel!

Gotta get my '59 Chevy Parkwood wagon up and running so I can go camping in it.

 

I got this wagon from a friend, so i didn't originally do the airbags, but I had to redo the rear suspension a bit in order to pull this 2000 lb trailer comfortably: 1) put in heavier duty Slam Specialty bags; 2) had to up the amount of air pressure produced to support the weight (takes about 150psi in the rear when loaded); 3) had to modify the top stock 3rd link-- it's a weak point and when low the pinion angle is bad enough that the tires rubbed on the front of the wheel wells. I also flipped my 4" drop hitch so that it would be a raise hitch

Yep, it's held every year. The couple who run the Yahoo groups named NorcalVintageTrailerGroup organize it (you can search for that group at groups.yahoo.com)

Thanks all for the nice comments. We had a ball, and i really like to do more with my cars and the family than just car shows-- i think it makes it more memorable and enjoyable for all.

-scott noteboom

 

Steve, thanks. That desoto & trailer setup is bad ass...

BTW: You know, even though we're both in San Jose and share many common friends, I don't think we've ever met in person.... Especially strange as i'm also a VW guy from back in the day too... (lived in Socal most of my life though.) Anyway, look forward to meeting someday...

-scott noteboom

 

Very cool combo of your wagon and the trailer looks like a lot of fun for those into camping. Very cool indeed....................... There's a big outing like this in California for teardrop trailers that I viewed somewhere.

CRUISER

 

That's because lots of people are keeping them ,to live in,when they lose their homes!

 

Love the family vibe........