Monthly Archives: November 2015

2015 RVIA Show Prelude

header1

This week marks the annual RVIA trade show in Louisville, Kentucky. While not open to the public, I’ll be there bright and early Tuesday morning for the 5th straight year to bring you an overview of all the small towables on hand.

6428476701_ea3176e505_z

I’ll be Tweeting and posting on Facebook throughout the day. If you use either of those social media platforms, do follow along! Time permitting in the days after the show, I’ll put up a post here on the website about what I see. In the meantime, you can like us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/The-Small-Trailer-Enthusiast-269125426471703/ or follow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Small_Trailers

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

The Most Perfect People I Know

When I saw Teresa Miller post a picture of her and husband John’s 1960 Winnebago travel trailer decked out for Christmas on Facebook, I knew I had to borrow that for the cover for The Small Trailer Enthusiast Facebook page. But the more I thought about it, I realized I couldn’t just post that picture without going a little more in depth about the Winnebago and the folks who own it.

IMG_9685[1]

John and Teresa bought their Winnebago in 2013 while they still lived in Iowa, and aside from the exterior paint, it’s all original.

IMG_9686[1]

IMG_9687[1]

I had a chance to visit them at their southwest Missouri home in September to look into not only their Winnebago, but also their vast collection of Chevrolet Corvairs. They’ve got a great small trailer, they’re avid Chevrolet Corvair enthusiasts, and they live on Route 66. Since I’ve been involved with all three of those subjects throughout my 47 years, that makes John & Teresa just about the most perfect people I know!

IMG_8589[1]

As for their Winnebago, the interior is all original, with the exception of the curtains. Everything else is how it was in 1960, and the Millers tell me it’s in campable condition.

IMG_8590[1]

As for their Corvairs, I counted about a dozen scattered throughout their northwest corner lot on Missouri Highway 266 (an old alignment of US Route 66) and County Road 1210, which is just over 20 miles due west of Springfield. They purchased the home over a year ago and finally were able to move in full time earlier in 2015. Having owned two Corvairs myself totaling some 15 years, I was equally as interested in their herd of air cooled wonders as much as I was their trailer.

IMG_8587[1]

IMG_8600[1]

John & Teresa welcome road warriors traveling Route 66 to stop by to check out their Corvairs (and the Winnebago) they have on display in their huge yard that faces Route 66. It’s across the street from the popular stop for 66 travelers, the Gay Parita Station, so have your camera at the ready for some good photo opportunities at both locations.

IMG_8602[1]

To learn a little more about John & Teresa Miller, you can visit their website at http://jtvairs.com/.

(First three photos courtesy Teresa Miller)

 

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

First Hi-Lo Prototypes Completed

Last month I shared some pics of a couple of the reintroduced Hi-Lo trailers from their production facility in Pennsylvania. Those two prototypes are now complete and have arrived at the Transfer, Pennsylvania lot of Kerola’s Camper Store, where owner Bill Kerola heads the Hi-Lo Trailers effort.

Per the Kerola’s Camper Store Facebook page, the two units are available for viewing if you’re in the area. One unit, the Wanderer RB, can be seen at the nearby Shenago Valley Mall in nearby Hermitage, PA. The Wanderer SD should be available at the Kerola’s Camper Store at 3610 N Hermitage Road (Highway 18) in Transfer. However, if you’re driving from any substantial distance to see either one, it’d be best to contact Kerola’s at (724) 962-4561 to confirm either Hi-Lo will be available to be seen.

First off is the Wanderer SD. It comes equipped with a rear queen bed and side dinette. It has A/C, furnace, stove, and 3 Way Refrigerator.

hilosd-4

hilo-sd3

hilosd

hilosd-2

The Wanderer RB also features a rear queen bed and side dinette A/C, furnace, stove, and 3-way refrigerator. Note: All pics above are courtesy the Kerola’s Camper Store Facebook page.

hilorb

hilorb-1

hilorb-3

hilorb-5

hilorb-9

hilorb-8

hilorb-7

hilorb-6

6 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

New Sisters on the Fly Book Set for December Release

This past weekend I attended a Route 66 conference in Edwardsville, Illinois. The 3 day event featured panel discussions and workshops related to topics from historic preservation to marketing of Route 66. A section of the facility at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville was set up for authors, artists, and other groups and their displays. It was there where I met Karen West and Susan Ford-West.

IMG_9362

Karen and Susan were there promoting their new book that’s due for release late this month or early in December. The book, titled Sisters Get Their Kicks on Route 66, chronicles this past May’s 2400 plus mile journey down Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica by the women’s outdoor adventure group, Sisters on the Fly. The group consisted of over 300 “sisters” and their vintage trailers.

ch1-Chicago_v2-singles-2_large                                                                                             courtesy Karen West Photography

I looked through the advanced copy they had at the conference. The 144 page book will include 5o0 color photographs as well as stories from some of the participants. You can pre-order the book through Amazon at this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591521645/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized