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Bob_Olallawa's avatar
Bob_Olallawa
Explorer
Jul 24, 2013

Your first R/V

In about 1973 we bought our first RV, a 1966 Kit single axle, 19ft. trailer, pulled by a 1970 Chevy Blazer. When I ask about setting up the weight distribution hitch, If the rear wheels spun too much on the local steel grated bridge back off a link or two on the chains. If the trailer rocked back and forth, tighten up the chain a link or two. Nothing was said about the Blazer being a gas rig instead of diesel or way too short a wheelbase for pulling a trailer, or that the tires on the trailer needing to be changed out to LT type. I think the tires were 700/15 6 ply and way over 5 years old, but they were made in the USA. Diesel trucks had dump boxes or freight trailers, they were not R/V pullers, that job was for the cars or pickups we drove to work. There wasn't a race to the top of the hills nor worry about how much the tongue weighed or if the tow rig could handle the extra weight of the trailer. We all just went camping and enjoyed the time away from work. Oh the good old days.
  • elkabong's avatar
    elkabong
    Explorer
    Jul 25, 2013
    1969 I borrowed my dad's 1950 Ford stake bed pickup, flat-head 6 cyl, manual 3spd you had to double clutch to shift. Fastened a 4x8 sheet of plywood to each side and a 4x5 sheet to the front of the truck bed. Threw in a mattress and a camp cooler and drove to Madi Gras with a friend. We stayed in a campground in New Orleans for $5 a night for shower access. Chocolate chip cookies for breakfast and cheeseburgers for dinner.
    Oh, did I mention, the truck had no radio, we averaged 50mph on the highways and had two blowouts riding on bald tires.
    My rig is sure a lot fancier nowdays, but no trip I have taken since or likely in the future will be any more memorable.
    I still have the pictures.

    Ken
  • GoldwingCapeCod's avatar
    GoldwingCapeCod
    Explorer
    Jul 25, 2013
    Ah yesss, a VW CAMPER BUS circa1964. Had a pop top, not the angled one the straight up pop top. Tremendous luxury for a 19 year old Airman.

    I took it down i70 from Topeka all the way west. Steering wheel spoke at 45 degrees to counter the wind and than panic correction when I can to an underpass..

    Great fun

    Mike S
  • mbopp's avatar
    mbopp
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2013
    Growing up we had a Nimrod pop-up (with electric roof lift!) pulled by a '66 9-passenger Pontiac Catalina wagon. 2 parents, 5 kids, NY to Florida before the Mouse was there. Drove on Daytona Beach with the trailer in tow. I was 16, had my license, and we tag-teamed drove non-stop.

    DW's & my first "RV" was a canoe, we'd do 3-4 days in the Adirondacks pond and river hopping. Dried our own food, packed the 2-person tent, and we were gone.
  • brirene's avatar
    brirene
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2013
    In the mid 60's my parents bought our first camper after renting one for a couple of years. It was an orange colored EZ Camper fold out. No on board water, no sink, no furnace, no nothing except floor space and the 2 fold out sides/beds. We thought we were vacationing in a mobile palace! Some great times and memories. I can still feel the dampness of my clothes when dressing on a cool mountain morning.
  • deleted-2's avatar
    deleted-2
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2013

    92 F250 with our Kit 26 footer
    This was our first truck trailer.

    We're newbs I guess :)

    So many good times in this rig.
    We both had odd work schedules back then and could pretty much go during the week.
    Trailering in the mid 90's during the week spoiled us.
    Seldom had anyone else around.

    The pic is from the trip home after being at Shasta Trinity for a week.
  • bradnailer's avatar
    bradnailer
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2013
    When I was a kid, we had a El Dorado Roamer cab over camper, then a Shasta pull trailer.

    My wife and my first trailer was a Jayco pop up and I pulled it with a '76 Monte Carlo and equalizer hitch.
  • gbopp's avatar
    gbopp
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2013
    In 1959 my dad built a 'House Car' out of a 1940's city type bus.
    We left Pennsylvania in 1960 headed for California.
    In Iowa the engine gave out and he had to replace it.
    Because of this, we cut the trip short and only went to Wichita Kansas.
    The bus was equipped the same as today's RV's. Kitchen, toilet, bunk beds and fold out couch.
    We used it for several years before he sold it to someone who used it as a hunting camp.
    It had a three speed manual transmission powered by a 100 HP (I think) Ford flathead engine.
    Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures.
    Back then, you could park anywhere. People even invited you to park on their property.
    It was a much different, and nicer, world.
  • mlts22's avatar
    mlts22
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2013
    Was with a friend of my mom's who had a Coleman popup trailer. Very simple compared to today's rigs, just a glorified power strip for internal power, maybe a gas stove, a small water tank and city water pressure hookup with a manual pump faucet, drain going directly out the rig. Managed to sleep in it in sub-freezing temperatures with no heater at all. Brrr...

    Funny thing was how well engineered that popup was. The sliding bed rails were permanently attached. The door could be locked by folding the step up and locking it, or just pulling a little bit of rubber gasket out to flip the latch and pressing it back into place... good enough to keep honest people honest.

    Too bad Coleman popups are not being made anymore... just the little things made it a step ahead of the Jaycos and Starcrafts at the time.
  • the_bear_II's avatar
    the_bear_II
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2013
    Yep tires were made of rubber and lasted longer. Weight police only worried about the big semi trucks. No generators, A/C, Satellite, cell phones, microwaves...etc

    Just level and stabilize the trailer, put out the awning and chairs then relax.
    Watch the fire and stars instead of reality shows.

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