Saying Goodbye To Our Vintage Trailer
This last weekend we sold our little vintage trailer we’ve had for 10 years that I wrote about here – the trailer that saw our family through many camping trips and vacations (like this and this).
I LOVED that little trailer – the sweet little shape, the wood interior, the compactness that still held everything we needed – and I loved owning it. It was easy to tow, easy to park, easy to pack.
But we haven’t used it at all in the past two years. Since living simply is not just a blog tagline to me but a way we really want to live, we started talking, honestly, about our need for it.
We came to the realization that without little kids anymore, Brian and I just aren’t going to camp on our own. I think we thought we might and we’d love to be known as campers – but we’re not. I don’t sleep well in the trailer anymore and we just find it kinda boring to camp just the two of us.
I’d much rather go somewhere and stay in a motel or just day trip somewhere. And that’s okay. It’s a new stage of life and it’s not bad, just different (this is what I tell myself…).
So we listed it on Craigslist and started getting calls within hours – the farthest from Bremerton, Washington.
Okay, clue: vintage trailers are hot.
But, oh how bittersweet this is! Look at that original wood screen door, one of my favorite things about it. The trailer wasn’t in mint condition and not everything was original, but all the cabinets where original and they’re what gave it so much character.
The walls, though redone, were still wood which just makes you feel cozy and content inside. Our family of four had no trouble hanging out in here to get away from rain or mosquitos – between the bench and the table there was plenty of room. It served us well.
So, yeah, I found myself crying as I cleaned out the trailer, packing up our special camping cups, finding the pad we used for games and the treasures the kids found in a drawer.
But as you probably guess, it’s not all about the trailer, but also the end of an era for our family where it was just the four of us taking school vacations and weekends to get away.
Again, not bad, just different. A new normal. But definitely something I have to get used to.
And so this? This helped ease the transition SO much. The sweet family who bought our trailer has been dreaming of a little vintage trailer for a of couple years. They loved it and thought it was perfect – dents, imperfections and all.
They drove 2 hours to come check it out and in the end they drove home with it. I hope they get as many years of enjoyment out of it as we did (and really hope they finally get rid of the red paint job that we never got to!).
As they drove away with it, my thought was, “man, that’s a cute trailer.”
Goodbye trailer…and goodbye season of life.
Oh….you have courage! We have a 1972 Airstream Argosy that I simply cannot part with. The kids were older when we bought it and were leaving home one by one. We had just moved a couple of years before that to a rundown cabin in the mountains in Colorado and wanted to park it on the “back forty” for company. The previous owners had named it the “Twinky” because of its shape. So, we call it the Twinky, too.
I don’t remember if we thought we would ever pull it anywhere, though. It’s so wonderful just being at home on our little farm that we don’t seem to have to go camping at all. I would like to rent it at weekends to poor, unfortunate folks who live in Denver and need a mountain fix. I have plans, oh yes I do. I just have to get hubby to come around to my plan. We’ll see! When the kids come home one or two of them like to sleep out there. It’s a very peaceful feeling just sitting in it. At Christmas we always drape it in colored lights just for our daughter. It looks so pretty in the twilight with snow all around.
Oh, my, that sounds amazing Caterina! What a great idea. We actually thought of using the trailer for an office, but it’s a bit too tight to be comfortable at the table for office hours. š Those airstreams, though – sigh…they’re perfect for that!
Oh…if only I’d known. Sigh. My dream is to own a little camper like this. Hubby and I used to camp before we were married, and for several years afterwards. However, I’m no longer a tent girl…I want something that’s packed and ready to go on a Friday evening. Nothing to do except to gather food and essentials, hook it up and go. I’m on the lookout. They seem to come up so rarely close by here.
Oh, too bad, Carole! I am still shocked at how much interest we had and how quick it went.
I always loved seeing pics of your little red camper. Sounds like your family got some really good use out of it. That’s so cool!! And now a new family will get even more awesome memories from using it. Such a sweet story.