Cecilia the 1963 Shasta Travel Trailer

In 2011 I fell in love with the vintage Shasta travel trailer’s wings and z-stripe.  I knew I wanted to own a vintage camper and I knew I really wanted a Shasta.  When a 1963 Shasta Compact showed up in a parking lot in town with a ‘trailer for sale’ sign in the window, I stopped to peek in.  Before long, I was standing inside listening to the owner tell me how she “restored it”.  We later realized that she simply meant she put a coat of yellow paint on the ole gal to hide this water damage.  We had the title in our hand for at least a week before we made that discovery though.

now we know:

• We were green.
• We paid too much for what we were getting.
• We weren’t prepared for the hours of work ahead of us.
• We would both have moments where we dreamed of pushing this little vintage camper off a cliff.

For the last 7 years we have slowly worked to turn this old trailer into a space we love.

The project and the trips we take in Cecilia have brought us closer together; mostly because Cecilia became the common enemy.  There is nothing like a common enemy to unite two people.  When you are shoved into a 10 x 6 foot space with someone you love, it is hard not to make a good memory or two.

We will share what we’ve learned; either through our mistakes or research.  We will share our resources for finding vintage trailer supplies.  Just for fun, I will throw in a few of my favorite items for transforming this space into a glamper camper.

There isn’t a handbook on this.  I’m thankful for the handful of people who took the time to share what they learned through the journey.  I hope we are somehow able to contribute to that and help someone along.

You met Cecilia.  Leave a comment and let me know the name and make of your vintage camper below!