Chris Peterson - Camper Rehab: A Guide to Buying, Repairing, and Upgrading Your Travel Trailer

The iconic Airstream got its start as a small, art decoinfluenced tow-behind trailer, shown here with founder Wally Byam. Courtesy of Airstream Inc.

Suddenly, that purest of American iconsthe open-road, V-8-powered, four-door, boatlike sedanhad a partner. It was a simple tow-behind structure with its own set of wheels and its own identity: a living room for the road. It wasnt a brand-new idea; enterprising individuals had toyed with producing tow-behind camping trailers from the 1920s onward. But those early models were basically oversized picnic baskets or tents with wheels. The modern camper trailer was so much morea way to take convenience and comfort with you into the heart of untamed nature.

These newfangled camping quarters started small, to be sure, the first of them being no more than a galley kitchen and a tiny sleeping space sandwiched between a curved top and a plywood base over a two-wheeled suspension. But the idea caught fire, and campers expanded to answer their growing popularity. Soon enough, they included full-blown, self-contained living quarters with sleeping space for four, dinettes, working stoves, refrigerators, and eventhat comfort of comforts among outdoor adventuristsbathrooms!

Suddenly, you could go camping without roughing it. If you were being swarmed by mosquitoes or threatened by bears and mountain lions, you could retreat behind the safety of solid walls. Instead of waiting hours to pull a slimy undersized fish out of an ice-cold river, just so you could half-cook it over your dying fire and spit the bones out between bites of flesh, you could bring your own favorite foods and prepare them however you liked. If it got too cold, or too hot, or too scary to be outside, you could go inside. Inside in the great outdoors: what could be better?

The earliest camper trailers were crafted from materials widely available in the postwar period, including aircraft aluminum, wood, and sheet metal. These materials gave the campers unique appearances and became signature styles for some companies. Airstream, for instance, continues to clad their distinctive rounded camper trailers in polished aircraft aluminuma cool retro look that has been associated with the company for more than sixty years.

Modern campers are more likely to be wrapped in smooth fiberglass or corrugated aluminum panels. As campers became big business, the camper trailers themselves became more bland, if more comfortable. Manufacturers these days maintain a love affair with the neutral end of the palette, producing interiors in uninspired earth tones full of plastic surfaces with little to distinguish one model from the next.

Not all retro camper trailers are old. CH Campers is one of a handful of manufacturers producing brand-new retro-styled units. Their canned ham trailers capture all the panache of yesterdays finest, with modern conveniences and materials. Courtesy CH Camper Company

Many glamping enthusiasts pair vintage cars with older trailers, restoring both. Its not just a pairing of historical accuracy; old-fashioned powerhouse V-8 engines are ideal for pulling trailers of just about any size.

Glamping isnt just about retro style, its also a way of life that captures the sheer fun of looking back and enjoying the outdoors with flair.

So the question is, what to do when you want the style and originality of a retro model but the conveniences of modern systems and technology? The answer is simple: rehab your own camper. Older campers contain their own cool just waiting to be brought back to life, and whether you choose to restore one to its original glory (turquoise, anyone?) or create a totally new vision, they offer a clean slateusually at a bargain price. They come in funky shapes, with interesting features like jalousie windows that are a rarity in todays streamlined models. They stand out for all the right reasons.

They also offer good value for money. As new camper trailers have come to be equipped with convenience feature on top of convenience feature, the prices have shot up. But if youre willing to forego that stock DVD system or that questionable proprietary undercoating, you just might wind up with the coolest getaway in the neighborhood.

The fact is, most of the conveniences youll find in todays camper trailers can be retrofit into yesterdays more distinctive, stylish, funky, and fun models. Campers from the 1950s through the early 1980s are finding new life with aftermarket air conditioning, solar panels, microwaves, and satellite internetall without sacrificing the integral retro flair and charm that are such a draw.

THE GLAMPING MOVEMENT

The idea of combining the thrill of the outdoors with the comforts of home has gone upscale in recent years with the advent of glamping. If you didnt already know, you can probably guess that this is a cross between glamour and camping. Glampers are increasing in number across the country, and thats because glamping combines the practical aspects of camper trailer life and travel with the sheer fun and panache of tooling around in your own customized caravan. Some people even tow their glampers with vintage Cadillacs or classic pickup trucks. Whatever the case, glamping is all about having tons of fun outdoors and looking great doing it.