The Maiden Voyage of the Glamper

Remember my little camper? After its initial 3-mile trip to my sister-in-law's house a couple of years ago, it never moved again, sadly. While Steve was deployed, the boys and I only managed back yard camp outs. Then, last summer, my beloved Glamper* sprung a leak. Leaks would be more accurate., So, we tilted it up, covered it with a tarp, and I went about my business. A couple of weeks ago, when the threat of any rain vanished, I uncovered it. I did some research on how to repair the roof, and that will be tackled this coming weekend.

In the meantime, we had reservations at Sagehen Reservoir this past weekend. The boys left on Friday with the Sweet Dream in tow, and I stayed behind for my date with MaryJane and Meg on Saturday. After that was done, I packed my bags and headed out to meet up with my boys.

I got right to work unpacking my things and getting everything nice and cozy. I just love this little camper! Kudos to my manly husband for not saying anything, if he thinks I am a total nut. I think he realizes my need for girly things, in this life I lead that is overflowing with testosterone at every turn.

Steve tells me that it towed nicely, on the windy, narrow roads up to the reservoir. I got a chance to practice towing it on the way home, and it was easy-peasy. See that pink chenille bedspread? It use to belong to my beloved grandmother Violet. I think it is a perfect addition.

See that bizarre ramp? Well, I got this trailer for next to nothing - - it was previously owned by someone who traveled the state, selling jewelry at flea markets. This was what he used to haul his wares. The inside was completely empty for storage, and he had installed this ramp so that he could wheel his carts of items in and out of the trailer with ease. While I would prefer that it wasn't there, I use it to my advantage. I hung a sheer curtain in front of it, and when there is a need for some cross-ventilation, I just drop it down. Works like a charm!

We had the best time camping (more about that, tomorrow), and I can just tell that this little camper is going to get lots of mileage.

FYI:  Glamper = Glamour + Camper  :)

The Round Up: 2010 Edition

A few weeks back, my sister-in-law, who also owns a vintage camper, suggested we have a little camp out in her back yard, just us and our posse of little boys. Hence, The Round Up was born. This gave both of us the jolt we needed to really hunker down and work on our little campers.

Since purchase, my camper has been parked out in my back yard. To get to Kasey's house, I obviously needed to hook the thing to my truck and drive up there (a mere 3 miles away). Luckily, I spotted my neighbor's son and begged him to help me hitch it up, and then even had him pull it around front for me. I'm such a wuss. When the boys and I arrived, we found Kasey and Banzer decked out in all their cowgirl/cowboy finery. I was feeling quite under dressed in my jeans and sneakers, but lucky for me, Kasey quickly produced some duds for me. Thanks, Kas!

Here's The Sweet Dream, in all her glory. Not so pretty on the outside, but I promise, she's very cute on the inside.

The bed came out just as I'd hoped it would...super cozy.

Here's the foot of the bed. I ended up putting a tension rod in the "ramp" area and hanging a sheer panel, in hopes of disguising the weird ramp/door - - I like how that part turned out.

I think my favorite bit of decor is my wine glass rack, made from a recycled rake. I had Steve save it for me years ago, as I'd seen this idea somewhere. I'm glad I finally remembered I had it, and that I got to use it!

Here we are in front of Kasey's camper. I think it is a 1956, but I'm not sure of the make. I love the shape of it.

Kasey's bed. I love the colors she chose for the interior. It is kind of hard to see in the picture, but she used rope as a trim piece, where the walls meet...I love this!

This is the end opposite her bed, which is a twin bed, but doubles as a sofa. I love the fabric she chose to cover the pillows and the sofa.

Once we got settled in, we sat down to a cowboy feast of brisket, corn on the cob, baked beans, yeast rolls, and Griffin's favorite, Little Smokies. After dinner, a fire was blazing in the fire pit, and we all kept nice and warm there.

By the time I went to bed, my boys were snug as could be. I have to say, even when sharing a full-size bed with two little guys, I was plenty comfortable and slept great. When we woke up in the morning, Camden declared that he was going to live in the camper from now on.

The next morning, we enjoyed another camp fire and some hot chocolate. We all had a great time, and I'm already looking forward to a trip to Sagehen next year.

A Little Peek

I'm still working on my camper, bit by bit. Last week, my dad helped me cut out the linoleum for the floor. I still need to secure it, but you get the idea. A huge improvement over the ratty old plywood that was serving as the floor, before. I also ordered a mattress for the bed, and when that arrives in a few days, I'll post another update of the completed project!

Progress Report: Camper Edition

I've been a busy girl this week! Steve took the boys on a little camping trip and I even found myself ALL ALONE for approximately 24 hours - - I seriously cannot recall the last time I was alone for that long in my own home. I had grand plans of going here, there, and everywhere, but in the end, I never left the house. It was so nice to just do whatever, whenever. I spent most of the morning putting the finishing touches on the interior painting job in my little camper. Here are some befores and afters:

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

Icky light fixture before

Lovely little light fixture after

Boring little corner before

Tiffany Box blue delight after

I didn't get a picture of the closet before, but here it is after its makeover anyway

I love what a little paint can do. What was drab and tired is now bright and new, and I love it. The next big jobs to tackle will be laying the plywood down on the bed frame, and laying down the linoleum. Not sure when I'll be able to squeeze either of those in. I'm trying to control myself before I go too crazy decorating...want to get the big jobs out of the way first. I'm just itching to find the perfect vintage reproduction fabric to make curtains though, and decorate the walls. So much fun!

Getting Started

This past weekend, Steve and I started working on my camper! The deal was that he was going to give me pointers and help me along the way, but as it turned out, he had a bit of trouble relinquishing the power tools and did most of the work. Oh well! He's very good at projects such as this, so I was happy to play construction assistant, and I don't know about Steve, but I had fun working on it with him.

I guess the first thing I need to do is show you what I am working with. Be forewarned - - it isn't exactly pretty. I got a heck of a deal on it, and I think it is going to suit my needs just fine. It is 45 years old, and for the most part, has been gutted on the inside. The man who owned it before me had used it to transport handmade jewelry to flea markets all over Idaho. Unfortunately, he'd cut a hole in the side of the camper and installed a ramp, but again, the price was right and I was willing to overlook the weird ramp.

Here is a picture of the outside of my camper. It is a tiny little thing - - only 10 feet long. On the left, you can see the ramp. Not ideal, but Steve assures me it can be removed, wall framed back in, and a window reinstalled. It doesn't really bother me that much, so it is low on my priority list at the moment.

Here is the back end of the camper. The ramp is on the left wall but not pictured. Pretty rough shape. Originally, there was a small bed that folded up to a bench seat, and a table. That had been removed.



Here is the hitch end. To the left is a good-sized closet, and to the right is the door to the camper. Even though I plan to camp "dry" (no plans to ever use propane), I like the little kitchen. Needs lots of work though.

This is my hired man, getting down to business. The plan was to build a sturdy frame for a full-sized bed. A comfy bed is the most important feature to me in the camper, so even though it will take up most of the floor space, I'll be sleeping like a queen!

Power tools!

The previous owner had slapped a bunch of white paint all over the place, not using tape or anything and kind of slopping it onto the light fixtures, too. So, I'll need to spruce those up as well.

Lots of white paint on all the drawer pulls, too.

Here is the finished project. All bolted into the wall and super sturdy. We have to add some supports to the center of it, and put plywood over the top. I'm going to make a bed skirt for it, and then I'll be able to store plastic totes underneath. I've got a bunch of paint swatches taped to the wall, and I think I've decided on some colors. Steve came up with a great idea for painting all of the cabinets that I can't wait to get started on. Next on my agenda is to apply sealant to all of the seams to protect against leaks, and then I will start painting the interior. More pictures soon!

Camper Obsessing

When recently in McCall, I had Steve take me to an antique shop that I wanted to check out. When we pulled up the drive to the shop, I spotted this camper parked out front, and just knew that it had to be a Sisters on the Fly camper...and I was right! As it turns out, the antique shop wasn't open, but the owner just happened to be there, and she graciously unlocked her camper so that I could have a look inside. Unfortunately my dark pictures do not do it justice, but it was just adorable inside. Now, I am completely obsessed about "getting to work" on my tiny Cardinal.

Here is the tiny little kitchen. Gloria (the camper's owner) told me she is a "dry" camper, meaning that she does not use the propane stove, or the propane at all, for that matter. She prefers to cook over the camp fire. I'd have to agree with her there - - I have about zero interest in using a 45-year-old propane stove, even if I were to get the lines checked. No thanks!

Here is the dinette area. In this camper, the table folds down and the seats become an extra bed. My camper does not have a dinette area. The most important item on my wish list is a super comfortable bed, and in a ten-foot trailer, that will take up most of the floor space.

Here is the bed. Above the window you can see something that looks like a window shade. It is actually a hammock, original to the camper, which stretches out and hooks over the bed, for extra sleep space. So cute!

Seeing Gloria's camper really got me day-dreaming about all that I can do to my camper. I virtually have a clean slate, as it is pretty much empty on the inside, except for the kitchen. It will be a lot of work, but I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy doing it.

Before I can get to any of the "fun" work of decorating my camper, I have quite a bit of repair work to do. I have a leak to contend with, but in the dry Idaho climate, I'm not too concerned. Must attack that first, though. I also have some scary blue carpet to tear up, and a floor that needs some heavy-duty scrubbing. Next, I will post some pictures of my little gem, in the condition I purchased it in. Let the renovating begin!

My Summer Project

***Update: A big thanks to my Dad, who did a little research for me and discovered that my camper is a 1965 Cardinal. We found some really neat pictures online that show what it originally looked like, which will be a big help to me when I design a new sleep space inside. Thanks, Dad!

Remember this post? I seriously cannot believe this, but I am the proud new owner of a sweet, 10' vintage camp trailer!


I am madly in love with it, and could hardly sleep last night, as my mind was spinning with all that I want to do to it. It is in great shape, but still needs a lot of work to get it to where I want it to be. I've already done some major scrubbing, but the real work will have to wait until we return from vacation. I'm not positive, but I think that is is a 1965 Safari. Still need to do a bit more research to be sure. Be prepared to see a bunch more posts about my camper restoration!