Travel Trailers

Jake’s Bus Conversion

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The other day when I posted the bus for sale and talked about sharing some bus conversions, I was surprised by how many responses I received. There is quite an interest in this idea and I see several posts in the future on this subject.

Jake was one of those who emailed me the other day and shared his story with me. I decided to postpone the bus conversion I was originally planning to show you and share Jakes story instead.

In 1982 I was a sophomore at a small college in the Midwest. It was the beginning of second term and I was again standing in line at the on-campus book store waiting to pay for a too-heavy stack of text books. The line was not moving at all so I put my books down on the floor and started flipping through the coffee table books on display. The book I chose to pick up first was titled Rolling Homes – Handmade House on Wheels by Jane Lidz. Thus the seed was planted.

Vintage Painted Cowgirl Western Shasta Trailer

by Kent Griswold

Aaron Boyers was looking at Ebay under vintage travel trailers and found this one that looked like it might be one of the “Sisters on the Fly”. I love all of these little canned hams, and figured one of the ladies out there might be interested in keeping it in the tiny house blog family.

Aaron found out that it does belong to one of the Sisters on the Fly. Aaron was on looking because he plans on taking a road trip when he retires from the Air Force and wants to travel without touching an Interstate to really see the country.

Here is info about the trailer: Rare vintage Shasta camper/trailer painted vintage style. Painted by artist Teri Freeman. (rustycowboy2Painted like log cabin with sexy cowgirl, cactus, road signs, wheels, fence, etc. The inside is western. The stove is hooked up to propane.

Snowbirds in Florida

by Kent Griswold

One of our readers, Royal sent this to me the other day and I wanted to share this unique home with you. On Monday 11/02/2009 Royal saw this trailer in the parking lot of WalMart in Mariana, Florida.

This little home is certainly distinctive! Due to the signs on the back of the trailer (Neenah, WI – Tampa, FL) and the owner saying they had come to Florida for the winter…I assume they are snowbirds.

The owner said the following may be hard to believe, but the left rear corner of the trailer was run into by a car driver … IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!

Sandi’s Aliner & Route 66

by Christina Nellemann

Sandi Wheaton of Windsor, Ontario recently lost her job in Detroit. Instead of looking for a new job, she decided to use the time to fulfill one of her dreams: traveling and photographing Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Sandi is living this dream in an Aliner pop-up trailer. She decided to document the famous highway using a digital camera, a camera with infared film and another camera which follows her route with a shot every few seconds. She hopes to have her photos published in a book and a DVD or website.

Sandi Wheaton, her Aliner and her Campfire in a Can

Her trailer is a 1998 Aliner which she bought specifically for the trip. She initially wanted to travel in a T@B, but her Jeep could only tow a low-profile pop-up design. She is thrilled that she does not have to unhitch every time she sets it up. She also mentioned that she likes the Oliver trailer, like the one owned by Cherie and Chris of Technomadia.

“I love this trailer, especially for this purpose,” Sandi said. “Since I am traveling alone, unhitching is a pain. With the Aliner, I don’t need to unhitch in order to put it up. Plus it is up literally in a minute!”

Fiberglass Trailers

by Christina Nellemann

Let’s hold onto summer for a bit longer, shall we? Actually, many of these tiny fiberglass trailers can probably insulate you pretty well from the impending winter.

Fiberglass trailers first became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but since then several dozen companies and manufacturers of fiberglass trailers have been developed.

A fiberglass trailer is usually built out of two parts. A top part and a bottom part. Each created from a mold or form and then attached together. The benefits of this is there are fewer parts to create and replace and the insulation is more effective.

Teardrop Trailer Gatherings

by Christina Nellemann

Throughout the year, owners of tiny trailers will gather together for rallys or gatherings, in order to show off their designs, bargains or builds. The best way to get ideas for a tiny trailer is to go to one of these trailer gatherings. You will also end up meeting a wide range of really great people.

I recently went to a teardrop trailer gathering outside of Austin, NV. This was my third gathering and while there were only about 20 trailers, it was a wonderful way to see what other teardrop enthusiasts are capable of building and creating. Most gatherings will have over a hundred trailers.

Retro Traveler 1200

by Kent Griswold

You may have noticed a couple of new pictures up in the banner since the revamp of the website. One of them is of a retro trailer called the Retro Traveler. Alfred who designed the Little Red Cabin Plans brought this jewel to my attention. Retro Traveler designs several retro … Read more

A Year in a Car

by Christina Nellemann

The reasons for living in your car run the gamut. In college, I knew a few students who lived in their cars so they could afford to go to school, and this article talks about how hard times have forced some people to live in their cars. Jessica Spaulding is … Read more

Living in a Vardo

by Christina Nellemann

I recently came across these photos belonging to Scott, who traded in his $1,400 mortgage for a hand-build vardo and a rental lot in a KOA campground. It took Scott about three years to build the vardo, but he wanted to give it a style like an old gypsy caravan. … Read more

Kevin’s Camper Kart

by Kent Griswold

We have looked at a couple of homeless shelter options on a couple of posts in the past. Logan husband of Tammy from Rowdy Kittens found this cool site that had this and another tiny house concept within it. Kevin is an artist who likes to paint vehicles, he says, … Read more

Mule Drawn Tiny Home

by Kent Griswold

13 months in a 21 square foot, Mule drawn Tiny Home Bernie Harberts of River Earth recently bought a set of Sonoma Shanty plans and when we were communicating by email because he is wanting the shanty on wheels version, I discovered his website and learned about his interesting story. … Read more

The VW Bus

by Christina Nellemann

Not just for hippies anymore, the VW bus seems to be the epitome of traveling adventure. And they make snazzy little houses, too! Their stubby shape, tell-tale buzzing engine and ability to be customized have given the VW bus a dedicated following. If you are going to live for any … Read more