• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

An Oregon Cottage logo

  • Recipes
    • Best Desserts
    • Easy Salads
    • Easy Side Dishes
    • Homemade Breads
    • Homemade Soups
    • Pantry Basics Recipes
    • Simple Dinner Recipes
    • Simple Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Simple Snacks
  • Canning & Preserving
    • Canning Recipes
    • Dehydrator Recipes
    • Freezing Produce
    • Fermented Food Recipes
  • Gardening
    • Yard & Garden Tour
    • Vegetable Garden
    • Flowers, Beds & Borders
    • Gardening Tips
    • Ultimate Vegetable & Fruit Guides
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • 1900 Farmhouse
    • 1982 Ranch-turned-Cottage
    • Easy Handmade Gifts
  • Shop
    • Flexible Planner, Cookbooks, Ebooks & More
    • An Oregon Cottage's Amazon Shop
    • Shopping and Gift Guides
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Organic Gardening
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Get my newsletters + access to a library full of printables!

    Home » Life » Travel

    June 14, 2009 | By Jami

    An Oregon Cottage On The Road: The Dalton Vintage Trailer

    Come with us as we go on the road in our 1957 Dalton Vintage Trailer, taking a road trip through the Northeastern Corner of the state through the John Day Valley to the Wallowas.

    1957 Dalton Vintage Trailer in 2009

    We're gearing up for a family road trip exploring the northeastern part of Oregon. We'll be camping for a week in different spots in our little vintage trailer which we found in 2004 and have been fixing up. We love our trailer and use it any time we get the chance.

    The Trailer Story

    We found this trailer about five years ago, just as we were moving out of our old neighborhood in the city. We love vintage things - the quality, history, and inherent style just speaks to us. Trailers especially. I used to check out books on vintage trailers and we would dream about them.

    Then we saw this one for with a "for sale" sign driving to the grocery store. You see a lot of trailers moldering in fields, but not a lot for sale. We went and looked at it that evening...and decided it wasn't for us.

    We were moving. It was too small. It was a hideous shade of red. It had gross carpeting and cushion covers inside. But mainly it wouldn't sleep our whole family.

    But we kept driving by - and it kept being for sale. Maybe it was meant for us?

    It was all wood inside, though the walls were not original. It had character. We decided to offer less (it really was too small for a family of four) because we knew this opportunity was rare - and were surprised when the owner took it.

    We were the proud owners of our own vintage trailer.

    That needed a lot of work inside - and that new paint job.

    dalton vintage trailer name plate

    The trailer is a 1957 Dalton. If you look at this picture close, you can see the marks left from the paint roller (!) the previous owner used to apply house paint (!) to the exterior. It hasn't been a priority for us yet, but we envision a white trailer with silver trim and a cool red stripe like some other vintage trailers we've seen.

    It's about 12 feet long and sleeps 3. We made it work for the four of us by using a little pup tent for the kids when we go camping.

    The Dalton Vintage Trailer

    Dalton vintage trailer table area

    We were able to do some inside remodeling the summer we bought it. I recovered all the cushions, made sweet curtains out of reproduction bark cloth, and sewed some pillows out of a piece of vintage bark cloth I had.

    We replaced the carpet with a Marmoleum remnant we bought, added molding, and CLEANED.

    Dalton vintage trailer recovered bench seat

    Even though it's small, we easily fit all our needs in it for week-long trips. There is storage under the seats we use for the camp stove, lantern, and collapsable water carrier.

    Dalton vintage trailer kitchen area

    The sink area easily fits all our camping and food needs. It sure was nice getting rid of all the bins we'd haul around for tent camping! The previous owners had removed the stove and oven, which would've been on the right. We may replace it one day, but now it is nice extra storage.

    Dalton vintage trailer closet with mirror

    The closet didn't have a door when we bought it. We found matching plywood and I stained and finished it to match, adding matching hardware I salvaged and a much needed mirror. It's one of the things I think turned out best in our makeover!

    I also love the towel racks on the side, it's a great use of space.

    Dalton vintage trailer closet shelves

    To make it more functional for our family, we added shelves inside the closet, which I LOVE. Each of us has our own shelf and a basket for small items. We can pack enough clothes for a week here. This eliminated the need for suitcases and has worked out really well.

    Plus, the bottom of the cabinet can hold our four rolled up sleeping bags, a broom, lantern and small propane tanks.

    Dalton vintage trailer bed-bench

    The couch folds out to a double bed. Let's just say its nice and, um, cozy. There is more storage underneath for camp chairs and wood.

    It really has been so much fun to use as a family - I'm always amazed at how roomy it is inside when it looks so small on the outside!

    And now we are off on another adventure!

    Vacation route-Northeast corner of Oregon map

    We are going to explore some more of our state- the Northeast corner including the John Day Fossil Beds, the Wallowa mountains and Hell's Canyon. We are so excited to share this road trip with our kids - I think they will love the diversity they'll see in our state - and traveling with our Dalton vintage trailer!

    Update: Check out the links below to see this interesting and beautiful part of the state with us: 
    • John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
    • An Oregon Cottage on the Oregon Trail
    • Our Hell's Canyon Visit
    • Joseph and Wallowa Lake State Park Campground

    SaveSave

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jami @An Oregon Cottage says

      May 25, 2011 at 8:54 pm

      Tucknell- Sounds fabulous! I hope one day to get the outside painted- did your husband do it himself?

      Reply
    2. Tucknell says

      May 25, 2011 at 5:48 am

      Just found your blog and I am blown away by your vintage trailer! It is SO similar to ours. We have a 1964 Cardinal--my husband painted it white with red striping! 🙂 Ours is 15 ft so it has a little more room in it--and it still has the stove and oven which both work perfectly!! My husband and I have plenty of room in our cute little trailer--and we are "headquarters" when our children and grandchildren are camping with us. They have tents, but we keep the supplies in the trailer and do the food prep there! We have had lots of people who want to take a look at our vintage trailer and are impressed with the beautiful wood interior! We've had ours for about 10 years now and I've just completed new curtains for all the windows--bright yellow with big polka-dots! This summer's gonna be fun!

      Reply
    3. Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says

      June 15, 2009 at 5:17 pm

      Thanks,guys!
      We were very thankful last night for the trailer, small or not, as it POURED RAIN all night long. We all stayed dry and woke up to blue skies today- yea!

      I'm so glad to know there are others who like vintage. We get interesting looks from most of the other campers hauling their big rigs. 🙂

      Reply
    4. janice says

      June 15, 2009 at 5:00 am

      Jami,
      I have thought for awhile that we are kindred spirits but the vintage trailer makes me sure of it. We seem to like all the same things, gardening, cooking, saving money and vintage trailers. Have a fun trip with your family.

      Reply
    5. Gayle says

      June 14, 2009 at 10:41 pm

      This looks so great and like a fun family time. We sold our trailer two years ago and I miss it. I've been to Wallowa and it is beautiful.

      Reply
    6. Anonymous says

      June 14, 2009 at 6:06 pm

      i loVe yoUR BloG..
      TheSe thinGs--vintaGe--aRe cuTe aNd neeD tO bE kepT aLiVe--i thinK..
      YoUuuuu aRe veRy BLeSSeD....

      Reply
    7. Youthful One says

      June 14, 2009 at 4:11 pm

      You did a GREAT job of beautifying the inside of this trailer!
      I always have visions of doing the same kind of thing with a vintage trailer, but I imagine it would be even harder for us to find one to fit our family of 8. 😛
      Have a wonderful adventure!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Jami Boys headshot

    Hi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My goal is to help you live a simple homemade life on your terms: cooking delicious real food, painless gardening, and making easy things that are totally worth your time. 

    Read More →

    Popular Posts

    • Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Onion Dijon Sauce
    • Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
    • Original Brown Paper Floor Tutorial: A DIY Alternative to Wood Floors
    • How To Freeze Green Beans The Easy Way Without Blanching
    • 5 Reasons To Grow Cucumbers On A Trellis (And Taking Up Less Space Isn't One Of Them)
    • Quick Honey Sweetened Homemade Ketchup Recipe

    ALL OUR CATEGORIES

    Jami Orgeon CottageHi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My goal is to help you live a simple homemade life on your terms: cooking delicious real food, painless gardening, and making easy things that are totally worth your time. Read More...
    2021 Flexible Planner

    Popular Posts

    How to make a French style bench from old chairs upcycling them into high-end looking furniture.

    How to Make A French-Style Bench From Old Chairs

    Homemade Garlic-Mint Natural Garden Insect Spray - An Oregon Cottage

    Homemade Garlic-Mint Garden Insect Spray (that really works!!)

    Original Brown Paper Floor Tutorial: A DIY Alternative to Wood Floors

    sourdough artisan bread slices

    Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)

    Three Ways to Freeze Corn - An Oregon Cottage

    How To Freeze Corn Three Ways: Blanched, Unblanched and Whole

    Fermented pickled vegetables-pouring salt water

    Easiest Fermented Pickled Vegetables Ever

    All Our Categories

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Collaboration & Advertising

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer: All Content Provided On An Oregon Cottage Is For Informational Purposes Only. The Owner Of This Blog Makes No Representations As To The Accuracy Or Completeness Of Any Information On This Site Or Found By Following Any Link On This Site.

    Copyright © 2022 An Oregon Cottage | No Content On This Site, Including Text And Photos, May Be Reused In Any Fashion Without Written Permission.