Saturday, August 13, 2011

1957 Pathfinder Vintage Trailer







Original lamp shade.

This is the toaster I used in my first apartment. Makes the best toast!

Vintage game basket fits under bed.



Last winter I drove out to the small town of Tum Tum, Washington and came home with this 1957 Pathfinder trailer. I suppose I am a little sentimental about vintage trailers because they remind of my great-grandparents, Grandma Anna and Daddy Bud.  As long as I can remember, they had a little Shasta trailer that they used to travel back and fourth from Tucson to Yuma. My great-grandfather was a conductor with Southern Pacific railroad and my great-grandmother would stay in the trailer while they were away from their home in Tucson. After he retired from the railroad, it was used for camping, fishing and hunting, and later as storage. Even after it had been permanently parked on the property, they took special care of it, painting it every couple of years to keep it looking good after being baked by the Arizona sun.  As kids, we used to love to play in the trailer; it made a perfect "clubhouse".

Maybe because of sentimental reasons, or maybe because I wanted my clubhouse back, I decided that I wanted a little vintage trailer to park on my property, as well.  I have been looking for one for several years that would fit into the modest budget that I had been setting aside for it.  Finally, I found this little Pathfinder on Craig's List. It was priced right, so I drove out to Tum Tum in the wee hours of  the morning to purchase it. Happily, the interior of the trailer is good condition, with no major damage. Nearly everything is original such as the lights, shades and Formica. The floor had been replaced in the 70's and was really unattractive, so I covered over that with black and white vinyl. After the floor was finished, I could think about decorating the trailer.
I decided that I wanted to decorate it with fun, vintage items that would be true to the era of the trailer, instead of a specific theme. Although, I am definitely going for more kitchy items.
I was able to display the trailer at our May Barn Bazaar, and since our guests seemed to enjoy seeing the inside of the trailer, I thought our blog readers would like to see it, as well. It's still a work it progress, but I'm in no hurry. I am enjoying the process of fixing it up and finding just the right items to put inside. My son is having a great time with his new "clubhouse", and so am I. I hope you enjoy it, too.

4 comments:

  1. Such cute items inside!! Have fun=)
    Love
    Hollie

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  2. Loved seeing the pictures! Are you going to take it camping or will it just be a clubhouse??

    I hope I can see it in person. I'm thinking about possibly coming for your next bazaar.
    Love ya, Lois

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  3. I think we may take it camping someday, but for now it's a clubhouse. We have it parked right outside the barn! We would love to see you at the next Barn Bazaar! We had so much fun last time you were here. Im thinking about Tucson in Feb, as well. Talk soon.

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  4. I just wandered onto here~
    I loved what you shared about your camper~ it's adorable! So glad I found you :-)
    Julia

    ReplyDelete

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