What is it that propels us to travel and camp? Is it something that resides in our itchy bones or is it something instilled by early experience? Maybe some of both, I don't know.
My wife has the same itch as I do. She spent time with her family in the boundary waters if Minnesota. I grew up fishing and hunting with my father in the Colorado Mountains. The desert reached into my soul when we lived in Gallup, New Mexico during 1941 and 1942. We lived on the east edge of town while my dad worked on Ft Wingate as an engineer. I was an only child, and I amused myself by playing in the arroyos carved into a sagebrush hill.
Our family camping began in 1963. We had two children, Sarah 6 and Martha 4yrs. Son John would arrive later. We had a new 1963 Ford wagon and decided to take the kids camping.
1963 Margot fixing lunch on the Ford tailgate. We had a borrowed tent, which unknown to us was bomb primed to go off.
Margot and I had camped with our parents as kids so we were not totally ignorant. The tent was a device made in hell. By the time we got the interior steel rod frame to work we were near a divorce.
1965 The tent thing had to be exterminated so I bought a 1965 Dodge A100 Sportsman van, and I built bunks in it.
Lotus Creek CG Colorado.
1966 Sand Dunes National Monument, CO. We had many good times in the van. Sarah was 9 yrs, Martha was 7.
I was passing a Ford dealer in Littleton CO when I spied this baby. Hmmm, a new baby was on the way and a truck camper looks like a better venue. The dealer was selling a truck and camper package, which was a 1966 F250 4X2 and the 8ft.Open Road Balboa Model. The package cost was $5109.09 ($36,174 at today's dollar). I made it work by working two jobs.
Notice the very questionable mounting hooks. It stayed on the truck, and I didn't know any better.
John was 5 weeks old when we went to Bandelier at Thanksgiving 1966. As he grew older up he would not sleep in anything but a sleeping bag.
It was cozy but it did the job.
Notice the gas light fixture. We never used it. There were a couple if 12v lamps.
Our first trip to canyon DeChelly on the same vacation.
I took it down moderate jeep roads. Derby Creek Colorado. The camper survived the rough roads.
1967 Margot detests mud. The road to Buford was greasy for sure.
Monument Valley 1967. On this trip I met Harry Goulding and talked with him for an quite a while. He told he and his wife Mike brought sheep and lived in tents several places in the valley during the 1920s. When they found the best place for water and least wind he leased a school section and eventually was able to buy it.
Goulding's trading post at it looked in 2005.
Near Goulding's lodge.
1967 Looking for more room for a family of five. I went to the Mitchell and Sons factory to Commerce City, CO. I was impressed by the quality and design of Mitchell units. The 10 ft. with a large front dinette was my choice. The campers we sold only factory direct.
From this point I'll devote much of the story to our history with the Mitchell organization and family.
This was the start of a long relationship with the Mitchell family. My business as a commercial photographer fit with their needs for brochures and ads. We took a trip to the Teton country in Wyoming with Bud and Mary Jane in 1967.
Son John was relegated to toddler jail when hyper active. Now at 46 yrs old he is contemplating abuse charges when he sees this picture.
The big dinette would handle three children for sleeping. Mom and pop slept in the cab-over east/west.
The kids road in the camper with the ability to come through the boot for time in the cab. We never thought about the risk element.
A lunch stop on the way.
Bud and Mary Jane Mitchell had lots of kids and needed a lot of room. The company sold mostly truck campers, but Bud was probably the driving force behind big "Chassis Mounts". The name Motor Home was not generally used.
This is from a Kodachrome slide. The photos I made for commercial purposes were made on large format 4x5 film. I have none remaining because the old Ektachrome has faded into oblivion.
I convinced Bud to take some campers to Monument Valley for photography after showing him pictures of the red "land of standing rocks". Pictures are what Harry Goulding used to bring Hollywood director John Ford to the valley in 1938.
Mick and Rita Mitchell posing for a photo. This 35mm slide suffers from age.
This 1968 black and white is the only photo I have of our first brochure cover shot. The color image is long gone due to dye molecule fade.
After we finished photo work, I took the group up Comb Wash to explore some canyons. We setup camp along the road leaving room for ranchers to get by.
Bud with his Honda 90 trail bike and my Kawasaki.
Crossing fish Creek at the mouth of the canyon.
We visited some Anasazi ruins which led to an enduring interest if these ancient peoples.
1969 another desert trip with Mitchell clan. Camping in Butler Wash.
My new 1968 Yamaha DT1 at Squaw Flat. How about the riding uniform?
1969 Squaw Flats before the campground was developed.
Night shot brings memories of desert evenings with kids scampering around the fire.
Fall1969 at Chaco, Ron, Martha, John, Sarah, and Margot
1969 Ron dismounting a 4x5 view camera while overlooking Pueblo Bonito.
1970 the Mitchell group gathers at Sand Island near Bluff, UT.
1970 Arch Canyon became a favorite trip
1970 We had stopped at this point and someone noticed a ruin high up the canyon wall.
High up the canyon wall is a small cave with a stick structure in it. One wonders what it was used for.
1970 Running up Fish Creek canyon Mick had a bit of a problem. Winching was the answer.
Mick Mitchell in the early morning.
I In 1970 I bought a Red Chevrolet one-ton Longhorn pickup. It had 9 foot bed. To fit the Mitchell 10ft so that we could have boot to the cab modification was needed. Much to the horror of the Chevy body shop I had them cut off the tail lamps and fender to the 8ft dimension. I had the camper bolted down to the bed. Strange as it may seem it worked out well. The Chevy had much more power and handled better that the '66 Ford. Of course, I had to sell the rig as one unit.
Pretty stupid as I look back. The photo was taken at Alta Mines near Telluride on a misty morning..
Winter 1970. My family and I took a large unit to a ski area for a few shots.
1970 summer trip up Derby Creek to Bailey Lake. The '63 Jeep with Mom, Pop, and three kids was a load. I had converted the engine to a Buick V6 and it ran well.
The Mitchell developed a customer club called the Bighorn Caravan. Mick, in his memoirs, says Bud decided to invite all the local customers to a steak -fry after a good year in the 1960s. The response was "overwhelming" according to Mick. Bud was inspired by the Airstream Caravan, and selected the name Bighorn Caravan. The whole thing became so popular that it got out hand. The Mitchells hired Bill Jackson to run it . He was a great manager.
The Caravan grew to up to hundreds of attendees. The caravan developed 14 sub groups each having their own events. Mitchell Campers sponsored two events a year, a Steak Fry and a Kokanee Snag. Some 300 to 500 owners would come for fun and fellowship.
This was a Steak Fry in South Park east of Jefferson, CO. There were games and a trap shooting contest. Mick recalls the Bill Jackson invited Art Rouse, publisher of RV magazines, to come to a Steak Fry. The result of the visit was Art starting the Good Sam Club. He later Hired Bill Jackson to lead the caravans.
I would guess that Mitchell and Sons was perhaps the largest manufacturer of truck campers in the country in the 1970s.
1971 Bud and his son Charlie. Both have passed away .
1971 Mick ( Harry B. Mitchell) in Arch Canyon, UT.
1971 Arch canyon, Ron and son John
1998 John and Madeline Alice at the mouth of Arch Canyon.
1971 The Blacksmith in Blanding, UT. While in Arch Canyon, one of the group driving an International Scout broke the front spring u-bolts on one side. The Scout could not be driven out so we headed to Blanding for help. Parts were not available, but it was suggested we go to the local blacksmith. We showed him the u-bolts . He measured and cut a piece of steel rod, threaded it and then heated it. He formed it over a pipe and produced a perfect copy. He made two for $3.00. Those days we will never see again.
1971 camping off road near Halls Crossing.
1972 back to the cottonwoods at Arch canyon. The red Bronco on the right was my new 4x4. It was a lot more roomy than the CJ5. It was a 1971 that was a left-over in 1972 inventory. It listed for $4768 and I paid $3733 ($19,207 today)
1972 Using creek water for hair washing at the Arch Canyon mouth. We had no camper shower.
1972 Mitchell had a compact trailer with slides. Mitchell never applied the idea to truck campers
1972 the Squaw Flat CG had become paved.
1973 I bought a small Mitchell Chassis Mount. The Chevy truck was untold grief.
it would suddenly stop running and be totally flooded. It turned out to be a fuel pump that was severely over pressure. Mick had a Chevy truck leak gas and near Salt Lake and the rig burned to the ground.
1973 My new rig with '71 Bronco
1973 spring. This was a real adventure. The old road from Blanding to Halls Crossing was a dirt trail that could be a mud nightmare. We were headed to Lake Powell and ran into a snow and rain storm that tried to stop us. The Mitchell were never discouraged or upset. It was an entertaining challenge. We had to chain two or three 4x4s to the big rigs to drag them over the gooey hills. The old road was 140 miles long and the new road is about 95 miles. It took 10 hours to reach the marina.
1973 Buddy Mitchell showing off a fish he caught. He got tired of fishing and chucked his rod and reel overboard. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes.
Bud frying the delicious fish. When fishing with Bud, John and I caught 3 or 4 fish while Bud caught a cooler full. He didn't need Buddy's help.
The drive out featured another stormy sea of mud. We had spent a week with chains on.
I had used full dually chains, very messy to remove.
Bud showed me it was better to just chain the outside dual.
1973. Having nine children and lots stuff, Bud and Mary Jane needed a really big outfit.
1973 A camp somewhere in Canada, our last trip in the Chassis Mount. A bad economy and the Arab embargo oil problem forced a change in direction. I sold the camper and bought a 1973 Chevy K2500 Suburban. I needed it for a work truck besides camping.
1974 trip to Capitol Reef. Margot, Sarah and John slept in the truck while Martha and I had the backpack tent.
1975 Martha waits to leave. We were ready to drive this Mitchell Class C to Sand Island, UT for Photos and Easter Holliday.
1975 Class Cs on van chassis were becoming popular. The Mitchell factory devoted one of their six manufacturing buildings to Class C production.
1975 The usual night shot.
1975 A cold night at Chaco. We went for Thanksgiving and the weather changed. Margot fixed dinner we had at near zero which brought her to tears. Over night it dropped to -5 below zero. Not much fun. Martha's dog, Mac, stayed in the little tent with Martha and I. Mac got between the down bags. Margot and Sarah slept in the cold truck. Our friends had a Mitchell trailer where John was able to sleep.
Where was our camper when we needed it.
The Suburban got modified. I had a big roof rack made and 2 saddle tanks installed. The total fuel capacity was 75 gallons. The truck served us for 260,000 miles.
1976 brought a disaster to Mitchell and Sons. March 15 after closing time fire broke out and Mick and Rita got a call that the factory was on fire. When Mick arrived four of the six manufacturing building were an inferno. Two other buildings and the office were saved.
The brothers tried to keep things going on limited scale. The Class C building was operational. They struggled until 1980 when they shifted to modular buildings manufacturing.
Eventually Margot and I came back to truck campers. But that's another story.
Satchel Paige warned, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."
I notice age changes one's life, but looking back is worth it. New adventures await us.
When the subject of old times comes up, I can say, "Hell, I was there!" (taken from the title of Elmer Keith's biography).
The misty planet is such a beautiful place.
Ron and Margot
My wife has the same itch as I do. She spent time with her family in the boundary waters if Minnesota. I grew up fishing and hunting with my father in the Colorado Mountains. The desert reached into my soul when we lived in Gallup, New Mexico during 1941 and 1942. We lived on the east edge of town while my dad worked on Ft Wingate as an engineer. I was an only child, and I amused myself by playing in the arroyos carved into a sagebrush hill.
Our family camping began in 1963. We had two children, Sarah 6 and Martha 4yrs. Son John would arrive later. We had a new 1963 Ford wagon and decided to take the kids camping.
1963 Margot fixing lunch on the Ford tailgate. We had a borrowed tent, which unknown to us was bomb primed to go off.
Margot and I had camped with our parents as kids so we were not totally ignorant. The tent was a device made in hell. By the time we got the interior steel rod frame to work we were near a divorce.
1965 The tent thing had to be exterminated so I bought a 1965 Dodge A100 Sportsman van, and I built bunks in it.
Lotus Creek CG Colorado.
1966 Sand Dunes National Monument, CO. We had many good times in the van. Sarah was 9 yrs, Martha was 7.
I was passing a Ford dealer in Littleton CO when I spied this baby. Hmmm, a new baby was on the way and a truck camper looks like a better venue. The dealer was selling a truck and camper package, which was a 1966 F250 4X2 and the 8ft.Open Road Balboa Model. The package cost was $5109.09 ($36,174 at today's dollar). I made it work by working two jobs.
Notice the very questionable mounting hooks. It stayed on the truck, and I didn't know any better.
John was 5 weeks old when we went to Bandelier at Thanksgiving 1966. As he grew older up he would not sleep in anything but a sleeping bag.
It was cozy but it did the job.
Notice the gas light fixture. We never used it. There were a couple if 12v lamps.
Our first trip to canyon DeChelly on the same vacation.
I took it down moderate jeep roads. Derby Creek Colorado. The camper survived the rough roads.
1967 Margot detests mud. The road to Buford was greasy for sure.
Monument Valley 1967. On this trip I met Harry Goulding and talked with him for an quite a while. He told he and his wife Mike brought sheep and lived in tents several places in the valley during the 1920s. When they found the best place for water and least wind he leased a school section and eventually was able to buy it.
Goulding's trading post at it looked in 2005.
Near Goulding's lodge.
1967 Looking for more room for a family of five. I went to the Mitchell and Sons factory to Commerce City, CO. I was impressed by the quality and design of Mitchell units. The 10 ft. with a large front dinette was my choice. The campers we sold only factory direct.
From this point I'll devote much of the story to our history with the Mitchell organization and family.
This was the start of a long relationship with the Mitchell family. My business as a commercial photographer fit with their needs for brochures and ads. We took a trip to the Teton country in Wyoming with Bud and Mary Jane in 1967.
Son John was relegated to toddler jail when hyper active. Now at 46 yrs old he is contemplating abuse charges when he sees this picture.
The big dinette would handle three children for sleeping. Mom and pop slept in the cab-over east/west.
The kids road in the camper with the ability to come through the boot for time in the cab. We never thought about the risk element.
A lunch stop on the way.
Bud and Mary Jane Mitchell had lots of kids and needed a lot of room. The company sold mostly truck campers, but Bud was probably the driving force behind big "Chassis Mounts". The name Motor Home was not generally used.
This is from a Kodachrome slide. The photos I made for commercial purposes were made on large format 4x5 film. I have none remaining because the old Ektachrome has faded into oblivion.
I convinced Bud to take some campers to Monument Valley for photography after showing him pictures of the red "land of standing rocks". Pictures are what Harry Goulding used to bring Hollywood director John Ford to the valley in 1938.
Mick and Rita Mitchell posing for a photo. This 35mm slide suffers from age.
This 1968 black and white is the only photo I have of our first brochure cover shot. The color image is long gone due to dye molecule fade.
After we finished photo work, I took the group up Comb Wash to explore some canyons. We setup camp along the road leaving room for ranchers to get by.
Bud with his Honda 90 trail bike and my Kawasaki.
Crossing fish Creek at the mouth of the canyon.
We visited some Anasazi ruins which led to an enduring interest if these ancient peoples.
1969 another desert trip with Mitchell clan. Camping in Butler Wash.
My new 1968 Yamaha DT1 at Squaw Flat. How about the riding uniform?
1969 Squaw Flats before the campground was developed.
Night shot brings memories of desert evenings with kids scampering around the fire.
Fall1969 at Chaco, Ron, Martha, John, Sarah, and Margot
1969 Ron dismounting a 4x5 view camera while overlooking Pueblo Bonito.
1970 the Mitchell group gathers at Sand Island near Bluff, UT.
1970 Arch Canyon became a favorite trip
1970 We had stopped at this point and someone noticed a ruin high up the canyon wall.
High up the canyon wall is a small cave with a stick structure in it. One wonders what it was used for.
1970 Running up Fish Creek canyon Mick had a bit of a problem. Winching was the answer.
Mick Mitchell in the early morning.
I In 1970 I bought a Red Chevrolet one-ton Longhorn pickup. It had 9 foot bed. To fit the Mitchell 10ft so that we could have boot to the cab modification was needed. Much to the horror of the Chevy body shop I had them cut off the tail lamps and fender to the 8ft dimension. I had the camper bolted down to the bed. Strange as it may seem it worked out well. The Chevy had much more power and handled better that the '66 Ford. Of course, I had to sell the rig as one unit.
Pretty stupid as I look back. The photo was taken at Alta Mines near Telluride on a misty morning..
Winter 1970. My family and I took a large unit to a ski area for a few shots.
1970 summer trip up Derby Creek to Bailey Lake. The '63 Jeep with Mom, Pop, and three kids was a load. I had converted the engine to a Buick V6 and it ran well.
The Mitchell developed a customer club called the Bighorn Caravan. Mick, in his memoirs, says Bud decided to invite all the local customers to a steak -fry after a good year in the 1960s. The response was "overwhelming" according to Mick. Bud was inspired by the Airstream Caravan, and selected the name Bighorn Caravan. The whole thing became so popular that it got out hand. The Mitchells hired Bill Jackson to run it . He was a great manager.
The Caravan grew to up to hundreds of attendees. The caravan developed 14 sub groups each having their own events. Mitchell Campers sponsored two events a year, a Steak Fry and a Kokanee Snag. Some 300 to 500 owners would come for fun and fellowship.
This was a Steak Fry in South Park east of Jefferson, CO. There were games and a trap shooting contest. Mick recalls the Bill Jackson invited Art Rouse, publisher of RV magazines, to come to a Steak Fry. The result of the visit was Art starting the Good Sam Club. He later Hired Bill Jackson to lead the caravans.
I would guess that Mitchell and Sons was perhaps the largest manufacturer of truck campers in the country in the 1970s.
1971 Bud and his son Charlie. Both have passed away .
1971 Mick ( Harry B. Mitchell) in Arch Canyon, UT.
1971 Arch canyon, Ron and son John
1998 John and Madeline Alice at the mouth of Arch Canyon.
1971 The Blacksmith in Blanding, UT. While in Arch Canyon, one of the group driving an International Scout broke the front spring u-bolts on one side. The Scout could not be driven out so we headed to Blanding for help. Parts were not available, but it was suggested we go to the local blacksmith. We showed him the u-bolts . He measured and cut a piece of steel rod, threaded it and then heated it. He formed it over a pipe and produced a perfect copy. He made two for $3.00. Those days we will never see again.
1971 camping off road near Halls Crossing.
1972 back to the cottonwoods at Arch canyon. The red Bronco on the right was my new 4x4. It was a lot more roomy than the CJ5. It was a 1971 that was a left-over in 1972 inventory. It listed for $4768 and I paid $3733 ($19,207 today)
1972 Using creek water for hair washing at the Arch Canyon mouth. We had no camper shower.
1972 Mitchell had a compact trailer with slides. Mitchell never applied the idea to truck campers
1972 the Squaw Flat CG had become paved.
1973 I bought a small Mitchell Chassis Mount. The Chevy truck was untold grief.
it would suddenly stop running and be totally flooded. It turned out to be a fuel pump that was severely over pressure. Mick had a Chevy truck leak gas and near Salt Lake and the rig burned to the ground.
1973 My new rig with '71 Bronco
1973 spring. This was a real adventure. The old road from Blanding to Halls Crossing was a dirt trail that could be a mud nightmare. We were headed to Lake Powell and ran into a snow and rain storm that tried to stop us. The Mitchell were never discouraged or upset. It was an entertaining challenge. We had to chain two or three 4x4s to the big rigs to drag them over the gooey hills. The old road was 140 miles long and the new road is about 95 miles. It took 10 hours to reach the marina.
1973 Buddy Mitchell showing off a fish he caught. He got tired of fishing and chucked his rod and reel overboard. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes.
Bud frying the delicious fish. When fishing with Bud, John and I caught 3 or 4 fish while Bud caught a cooler full. He didn't need Buddy's help.
The drive out featured another stormy sea of mud. We had spent a week with chains on.
I had used full dually chains, very messy to remove.
Bud showed me it was better to just chain the outside dual.
1973. Having nine children and lots stuff, Bud and Mary Jane needed a really big outfit.
1973 A camp somewhere in Canada, our last trip in the Chassis Mount. A bad economy and the Arab embargo oil problem forced a change in direction. I sold the camper and bought a 1973 Chevy K2500 Suburban. I needed it for a work truck besides camping.
1974 trip to Capitol Reef. Margot, Sarah and John slept in the truck while Martha and I had the backpack tent.
1975 Martha waits to leave. We were ready to drive this Mitchell Class C to Sand Island, UT for Photos and Easter Holliday.
1975 Class Cs on van chassis were becoming popular. The Mitchell factory devoted one of their six manufacturing buildings to Class C production.
1975 The usual night shot.
1975 A cold night at Chaco. We went for Thanksgiving and the weather changed. Margot fixed dinner we had at near zero which brought her to tears. Over night it dropped to -5 below zero. Not much fun. Martha's dog, Mac, stayed in the little tent with Martha and I. Mac got between the down bags. Margot and Sarah slept in the cold truck. Our friends had a Mitchell trailer where John was able to sleep.
Where was our camper when we needed it.
The Suburban got modified. I had a big roof rack made and 2 saddle tanks installed. The total fuel capacity was 75 gallons. The truck served us for 260,000 miles.
1976 brought a disaster to Mitchell and Sons. March 15 after closing time fire broke out and Mick and Rita got a call that the factory was on fire. When Mick arrived four of the six manufacturing building were an inferno. Two other buildings and the office were saved.
The brothers tried to keep things going on limited scale. The Class C building was operational. They struggled until 1980 when they shifted to modular buildings manufacturing.
Eventually Margot and I came back to truck campers. But that's another story.
Satchel Paige warned, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."
I notice age changes one's life, but looking back is worth it. New adventures await us.
When the subject of old times comes up, I can say, "Hell, I was there!" (taken from the title of Elmer Keith's biography).
The misty planet is such a beautiful place.
Ron and Margot
