Camper Quest


How cute is this little camper from the latest Cath Kidston online magazine? (Thanks Will)! It's a vintage 70s Abbey and I'm loving it's little Cath Kidston floral trimmings (you might have to take a closer look by visiting the magazine). Every year about this time I start dreaming of taking a little road trip in a cute little vintage trailer  just like this and always find myself searching the classifieds for a possible treasure. If you go back in time here, I'm sure you'll find many posts on camping. Here's this year's quest.

First off, let's take a look at vintage trailers:

Jadite Jane (Sister #71)
Sisters on the Fly is a group of women (nearly 1,000) from around the U.S. who own and restore vintage camping trailers. Their gallery of trailers is mind-blowing and a must-see from this cowgirl caravan community. My favourite are the ones with cool paint jobs, wooden screen doors and striped canopies. Aren't they adorable?

Button Willow (Sister #595)

Miss Rodeo (Sister #6)

Trinity Bunkhouse - 1957 Westerner [Sister # 1033]

The Boler
Photo: Lise Beaudry
The Boler is a Canadian classic which stopped production in the 70's but is still one of my favourites.  (I've been eyeing one in a nearby neighborhood for quite some time).  I love it's egg-like shape and compactness.  Even a golf cart could pull it it's so light. I love this art show by student photographer, Lise Beaudry on the Boler. There seems to be heaps of them for sale too!


And then there are the new.

The Outback by Trillium Trailers



The Outback has got to be one of the cutest "new" trailers being made out there.  Based on the popular Boler trailer (see above), this Calgary (Alberta)-based company has created a newer looking version filled with the latest technologies (check out their Build Your Own Outback page for a list of all available options).







GO! from Sylvan Sport


The GO! by Sylvan Sport may just very well be the coolest camper (well tent trailer) around. Designed to be a one-of-a-kind mobile adventure trailer that's even more versatile than a Swiss Army knife. It's lightweight and easy to manage in the parking lot, garage or on the road. Weighing in at 800 lbs, the GO! can be pulled by even the smallest cars.






What's your favourite?  Maybe I've missed a gem?

Previous posts on camping:

El Cosmico
Camp Out
Can Camping Be This Beautiful
Trailer Crazy

Jan Halvarson

31 comments:

Melanie said...

A cinema camper!

http://duhmericana.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-next-hipster-career-cinematheque.html

Beth said...

I can imagine a weekend getaway in a vintage Airstream!

Jan Halvarson said...

Melanie - oh yes, very cute!

Beth - yes an airstream (is a dream)...

Mandy Crandell said...

I've never understood the camper craze, but the first ones in this post are so cute!

http://mandycrandell.blogspot.com/

Pinecone Camp said...

You've pretty much covered it! We talk about getting a tiny camper, now you've spurred me on again. These are all pretty fantastic and the perfect size. You don't need a 50 foot camper with a satellite dish to go on a camping trip!

Melanie said...

Apparently I'm into campers lately too. I also love this mini-version created for Royal Wedding goers!
http://duhmericana.blogspot.com/2011/05/mini-mobile-slumber-caravan-rock-harder.html

Danielle said...

We've been thinking about campers for years. We both drive compact cars so buying one would also involve a vehicle purchase as well, so we've shelved the idea for now.

That tent trailer looks really cool though.

In the meantime, we rent cabins when we want to be outdoorsy.

Jan Halvarson said...

Janis - oh i know, i could shop for them all day -

Melanie - that is super cute! thanks for showing it to me.

Melanie - good idea - renting a cabin!

Maie said...

oh how cute!

shauna said...

eek! i NEED that one from cath kidson's site. maybe it will fit inside our loft?

Will @ Bright.Bazaar said...

So fun! You have me dreaming of a little weekend escape now, Jan! Thanks for the link love!

Anonymous said...

i must admit trailers have never really been my thing. my husband's family has one and i fear one day we will have to go on a trip. but you make it seem kinda fun...now if only it were as cute as some of those first images!!

Erin said...

Loving the old trailers!! (although still hard to top Enjoy...serving scrumptious cupcakes and all)...and here's another for you...http://magnoliapearlblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/hi-everyone-were-excited-to-share-with.html...all the layers of textiles are 2DIE4!

Julie said...

OMG!!! These are so cute! I want one!

Unknown said...

The Cowgirls Forever camper is BAD ASS! I lOVE this post.

Jan Halvarson said...

Shauna - that would be so cute in your loft - omg - i'm already imagining!

Erin - wow!

Julie - : )

Mo Pie, Please - : ) Cool to hear, thanks!

Katie said...

That sylvan go is maybe the coolest thing I've ever seen.

Crystal said...

I ADORE the cute little store/trailer Oh So Lovely Vintage just revealed on their blog - http://ohsolovelyvintage.blogspot.com/search/label/olive

Alisa said...

Love seeing Sisters on your page! They were just at our Pismo Beach Vintage trailer rally last month!

My uncle has a 66 Cardinal trailer that he has redone, and I dream of finding a little turquoise canned ham to call my own ... ah. one day.

jackie kersh said...

love this! you can take a fab oad trip in your dreamy vintage camper and i'll hole up in my playhouse. deal?

Annas Camping said...

Oh, I love old campers! I went to an exhibition last weekend, and there I found this super sweet camper outside:
http://annascamping.blogspot.com/2011/06/wish-this-was-mine.html

I think the brand is Polletta or Poletta (Polish brand). My grandparents had one of those.

cross street workshop said...

Hi there,
Check out our vintage Airstream that we are doing up, and keeping original I hasten to add.
http://airstreamintheuk.blogspot.com/

Nutbird said...

Yup, that would be a lot of fun with a toddler and an infant in a teeny, tiny one! Are you Crazy? I think you should get a little one for your backyard for a play house. Or join Sisters on the fly. My daughter has an Airstream that we use, but it has A/C plus TV and sometimes WiFi. It is great and the dogs love it, but little kids would be tough. Ann

Kimberly said...

New modern tear drop trailers are a lot of fun as well, loaded with all of the Modern conveniences! My Husband and I own http://moby1trailers.com/ The site is a little under construction and we are currently building two amazing trailers so if you're interested in what you see check back in the coming months! One of them has a roof top tent that can sleep four extra people so you can fit the whole Family!

kathreen said...

seriously cute. We just purchased a camper trailer for our trek around Australian in a year or so. Because Aus has so many dirt roads and we plan to go outback/offroad a bit - we needed something robust -
http://www.greataussiecampers.com.au/galleries/photo-gallery-2/#viewgallery
Not as pretty as those caravans - but great if you have a family.

Jan Halvarson said...

Hey Kathreen - those look pretty awesome!

lise said...

Fantastic pictures!

I also have a vintage caravan from the 70s, a Norwegian Bjølseth. I love it! We haven't been camping with her yet (her name is Astrid..), but as soon as the vacations starts.. Six days left.

She is so beautiful kept. We have changed all the fabric, so she is fresh as a four year old girl, and yet kept original in every other way.

Thanks for the peak!

belinda marshall said...

total coolness!

janna said...

awesome! Also check this Vancouver photographer out

http://fragmentsblog.weebly.com/1/post/2011/01/craig-sinclair.html

Kelly P. said...

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this already or not but last summer Uppercase Magazine did an adorable article on campers and businesses run out of campers! :)

Kelle said...

We absolutely love our 61 Shasta Compact. We have 5 in our family (2 adults, 3 children ages 2-16) and believe it or not we can all fit if we had to. But the boys usually tent camp. You can see pictures here if you like: http;//www.LittleVintageTrailer.com