Chatter Boxes

I've been researching and planning the purchase of a vintage travel trailer for a while.  I've been fascinated by rvs/campers since I was a little kid.  My sister and I would play in my grandparents motor home in their driveway.  We never took it anywhere.  Using it as our playhouse was fun enough.

Now that I'm the wife of an aspiring fishermen and a long-distance bike tripper and the mom of two very active outdoorsy boys.  I was feeling left out of all the camping fun.  Not enough to jump right in to the long bike rides or even sleeping in a tent.

Now listen, I would love to be the adventurous type who can sleep under the stars by the campfire.  I probably pretended to be that kind of girl to impress a boy in my younger years.  But these days I can be honest about my camping limitations and own them.  I need a comfortable bed with adequate support and I need walls.  That's just the way it has to be.  You can judge if you'd like.

So after searching on Craigslist every hour on the hour for the last 4 months.  I finally found the vintage trailer I've been looking for.  It has a lot going for it but still needs some work.

It's a 1961 Sante Fe travel trailer made in Belville, Kansas.  It's 12 feet long and is just the cutest thing!

The interior - most everything in here will change except for that gorgeous stove.  It was a huge selling point.  And bonus...it works!  That cannot be said for a lot of vintage trailers.  Behind the kitchen are two bunk beds that slide in to make a single or pull out to make a double.

The front of the trailer has a dinette to seat 4 and the benches fold down to make another double bed.  So technically we have room to sleep 6 but those six need to either be tiny or they have to like each other a whole lot!

Doesn't it look awesome with my car?  Seth thinks so too!

We're at the start of Spring Break here so this will be our family Spring Break project.  It's not a ski trip or vacation somewhere warm but if we put in the work now...someday it could be.

We'll keep you updated on the fixing up process.  It's already begun.  The old bedding and curtains have been removed.  The cushion and bed foam have been disinfected and left outside to dry in the sun.  The cabinet doors and drawers have been primed and all the cabinetry bases have been primed.  I am estimating that the last time the interior was painted it was sometime in the late 60's or early 70's.  Everything in it was painted mustard yellow, burnt orange, and brown.  Thank goodness they didn't touch that stove.

Wish us luck!