Window Found...

I finally found a rear window! Yeah, I know it isn't a huge deal but it's nice to know that I will be able to plug up that huge hole in the back. I bought this window off of a VSTF member Frankshasta...

The window came out of a burned out Shasta so it kind of rough but I should be able to clean it up this winter to get it ready to be put in when the trailer gets repainted...

I know this isn't a earth shattering post but there won't be a lot of progress till the spring time.

Happy Halloween...

We carved our pumpkins tonight. I thought I would share one I did. It ain't perfect but you get the point...

Lit up...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Future Plans...

There has been no physical progress on Louise. No dough...No go. So we have been doing some planning on the interior design of the trailer... 

This is the plan as of right now. We have the yellow and gold flecked counter tops in the trailer which we really like. We plan to add color to the exterior of the trailer also. That color has not been decided yet. I am going to recover the dinette and rear bed in vinyl. Hopefully the marine grade vinyl will stand up to some abuse by a young child. It should be really easy to wipe down and clean.

I threw together a quick sketch to see how the colors that we have chosen for the vinyl would look. My plan is to do a tuck and roll on the benches. I have always liked that in old cars and I think it would look cool on the dinette. We chose Morbern Seabrook for the vinyl. The colors being Marigold and D Gel White. They make a welting in those colors so that makes my life a lot easier. We may be starting work on the dinette benches and rear bed this winter. I know it sounds silly to do that when there will not be much work done to the trailer by that point. Although I can work on the upholstery in the basement with no concern for the weather.

We also selected Boomerang Beat in Jade as the curtain fabric. It has some off white and yellow in it so I think it will go nicely with the upholstery. We will keep you posted on the progress of this project when actual progress has been made!

Lego Vintage Shasta...

I found THIS Lego Shasta trailer some time ago. I thought it would be pretty cool to have one. Come on...who doesn't like Legos? I figured I could make one too. My friend, who is really into Legos, told me about Lego's Digital Designer application. It turned out to be a pretty neat thing. You can create your own Lego kits in a 3-D environment. Once you are done you can buy the kit that you put made and have it in real life. It takes some getting used to but after 3 attempts I think it turned out well. So, here is my Lego trailer...

Side view: Sadly, the application doesn't have any windowless doors to choose from so I just gave the appearance of a door being there...

This trailer is a bit bigger than the red trailer that I showed you on Flickr. You can see the twin propane tanks, the "wings" and big front window...

Here is the street side: The window layout is like an Airflyte. I used stacked small clear blocks to make the look of Jalouise windows. You can see the roof vent also.

The back window area is kinda funky because I couldn't continue the curve with the window there. Being that these are Legos so they have their limitations...

Overall, I like the way it turned out and I want one. The problem?

Anyone that has bought Legos in the last ten years knows...they are EXPENSIVE for what you get. This design comes out to about $52.60. Isn't that crazy?!? It is 255 pieces but wow. That is a bunch of dough for a little model. Maybe I'm just cheap. 50 bucks could help me out on the real Shasta. So this little guy is on the back burner for a while. I hope you enjoy it.

Nice and Shiny...

One thing I could get done is shine up the orginal script badge off of Louise. I think it sure looks better than it did before.

As you can see, it is pitted quite a bit. If I stay on top of it and polish it often it should not get any worse.

I know this isn't much of a post but it is the little things that count. Right?

Midwest Vintage Trailer Rally...

Yesterday, we attended the Midwest Vintage Trailer Rally. We were just there as spectators because Louise is far from being completed. I didn't get pics of all of the trailers there but I got a few...

This is our friends, Dave and Rebecca's 1968 Kencraft...

Of course I tried to get all of the Shastas that were there. I think this is the same colors that we will be going with for Louise...

This Yellowstone was pretty cool...

Love the color of this one...

Later model but still cool...

This Aljo was very cool...

We met some very nice people there. It was fun to see what other's were doing with their trailers. I hope we can get up there next year with trailer in tow. We will see!

Baby Steps...

I have done a very small amount of work to the trailer so far. Here is the work to this point...

- Filled 12 trash bags full of crap out of the trailer. Very little was of any use so I pitched it all.

- Pulled that stupid AC unit out of what was once the back window. I actually put that on the curb and somebody took it. Glad I don't have to deal with throwing it away. Now I have to find a back window to fit the hole.

- I removed the Bargman license plate light/bracket. As you can see from this picture that the plate bracket is almost toast. I don't think there is any saving this bracket. I will use it as a template to make a new one. I should be able to fab one out of aluminum or something like that. I don't think I will buy one unless it is DIRT cheap. I don't like buying stuff like this. It is a piece of metal with some holes and some bends. Shouldn't be too big of a chore...

- I removed the Bargman tail lights also. The screws holding them in were almost gone so I figured I would save some trouble latter when they would be even harder to remove. The putty tape under the light was some what soft under the right light. I was kinda surprised. The left light was a bit more dried out...

This is the right light. It isn't in too bad of shape. I will de-rust it and paint it to fight off any more rust. The left light assembly was just a tad worse shape...

The offending screws. As you can see they are in pretty bad shape. One was completly rusted in half. I will replace these with stainless during reassembly...

It is looking pretty bare back there now. Just a lot of aluminum tape to keep out the moisture. Glad that AC is gone...

- I removed all of the badges also to restore them as best as I can. Hopefully they clean up nicely...

Here is the LP gas info plate. It is pretty faded. Does anyone reproduce these? I would love to put them back on. I think it adds to the trailer. Little things like that make a difference to me...

Electric info plate that was attached under the exterior outlet...

Here is the dealership badge. It was mostly covered up by the AC unit. I hope to get this back to life. I'm not sure how I will do it but I will get it done. It is kinda hard to read so here is what it says...

CENTRAL

TRAILER SALES

6511 State Street

EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL

EXpress 7-5907

Because I know this trailer was only owned by one family I know this is the orginal badge when they first bought it. I was misinformed though. The Dad said he bought it in St. Louis. He forgot to mention the EAST part. I thought he ment over the river in BIG city. Anyway. Doesn't matter. The name Louise still fits. I really like this badge. I like the old 5 digit phone number.

I found these old leveling jacks in the exterior baggage area. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I won't be using them. I bought nice new stacking jacks. I will keep the old wheel though. It is HEAVY. This one has a metal wheel. Not rubber like the new ones. I think it is kinda cool. Don't ask me why.

-  I also pulled the propane tanks off of the rack and pitched the bolt on stabilizer brackets. I don't have that kind of stabilizer so I don't need them.

I hope to get around to pulling the wheels and starting to sort out the running gear before winter. Around here that could be next week for all I know.

Stay tuned for more...

Join The Vintage Shasta Trailer Forum!!!

When we bought Louise I really started looking all over the internet for information about vintage Shastas. I really was disappointed with what is out there. I was really looking something that would answer all of my questions in a neat, organized, and easy to use manner.

All I found were the two Yahoo Groups on Shasta. I am REALLY not a fan of the Yahoo Groups format. That is nothing against the creators of the Shasta Groups. It is really a knock on Yahoo Groups itself. I find the format outdated and hard to use.

The Vintage Shasta Trailer Forum is very easy to use and find information. 

I have run a few forums myself in the past and having seen how successful they can be. I think the need is out there. The Airstream Forum is huge and I hope at some point the VSTF can have that much success if even on a smaller level.

I think it will be a place where owners can come share, learn and enjoy themselves. I really hope that Shasta owners come and join the forum.

Join the Vintage Shasta Trailer Forum!

Blog Of The Month...

If for some reason you own a Shasta and have missed Red Dirt Shasta...shame on you. 

This is my favorite Shasta blog out there. Why? A few reasons...

Jeremy does a nice job of showing step by step progress on his Shasta. He is ahead of me in the game so it's a good reference point for me. He does insert a bit of humor now and again so it makes it easy to read along. One of the best parts is that he is doing this with a budget in mind so he is coming up with new ways of doing it well but cheap. That is important to me. I have read my share of Airstream blogs where guys POUR money into their trailers. They look great in the end but it doesn't give me any info because I am also on a tight budget. Nothing against you "Airstreamers" out there. It is just a example. Anyway...

HOWEVER...I hate Jeremy a bit too. He pulled this Shasta out of Wisconsin. Shame, shame, shame. AND...if I am putting two and two together correctly he snagged this trailer right before me off of Craigslist. I was heart broken when I called and it was gone. It is all good. I'm glad it has found a good home and he is doing it justice. I'm looking forward to his progress!

Check it out.... Red Dirt Shasta

Vintage Coleman Resources...

I dig old camping stuff as much as I dig old trailers. I am not a expert on the subject but enjoy learning about the stuff that was used in the past. I figured I would pass along any information that I come across...

I recently picked up a Coleman 413G Two-Burner stove at a thrift store for $6.50. Not a bad deal. It needs some work and I will probably restore it at some point. I did a bit of looking around and found some good info out there for anyone that also uses or collects vintage Coleman stuff...
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Old Town Coleman Center

This is a great website for anyone looking for information on Coleman lanterns and stoves. They have a great tutorials for anyone that is looking to repair or restore these items. I printed off the stove tutorial myself for a future rebuild. They also have original owner's manual PDFs for these products.

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Old Coleman Parts

Maintains a parts inventory and has great parts diagrams for the Coleman products.

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International Coleman Collectors Club

I haven't looked at this site too much but it could be a valuable resource.

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Classic Camp Stoves Forum

I haven't had a chance to look to close to this either. There is a bunch of vintage camp stove info on their for Coleman and other makes.

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Gas Pressure Appliance Decals and Labels

Reproduction decals for your vintage restoration

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Doron Papo's Lantern Site

A huge collection of vintage lanterns.

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I'm sure there are many more links out there. I just have not run across them yet. If you have a favorite vintage stove or lantern site let us know!

Parts Round Up...

Some parts from Ebay that my help some Shasta owners out there...

Shasta Vintage Travel Trailer Aluminum EXCELLENT

Time left: 5 days 23 hours

Current bid: US $76.00

PAIR TAIL LIGHT LENS--BARGMAN TRAIL-LITE NO. 99

Time left: 6 days 22 hours

Starting bid: US $4.99

2 VINTAGE SETS THEO. BARGMAN PLASTIC LENS COVERS

Time left: 6 days 22 hours

Starting bid: US $1.99

Vintage Shasta Travel Trailer Outside Metal Logo Sign

Time left: 4 days 22 hours

Starting bid: US $0.99

Vtg BARGMAN Trail-Lite #5 # 5 License Plate tag Light

Time left: 24 days 15 hours

Price: US $140.00 Buy It Now

Bargman Trail Lite # 5 LICENSE PLATE TAG LIGHT BRACKET
Time left: 16 days 11 hours
Price: US $15.00 Buy It Now

Wing Watch...

We, of course, need some wings! I have been keeping my eye out on Ebay for a set. So far the results have been less then promising...

Vintage Shasta Wings camper travel trailer 1960s

Winning bid: US $76.00

Shasta Camper Wings RARE

Winning bid: US $261.70

I know that these are the average prices that these fetch but... YIKES. I guess I will have to make my own.

Shasta T-Shirts on Ebay...

I came across these shirts on Ebay. I really didn't think that the $13.00 price was that bad at all. Just thought I would pass them along. Go to the link here...Shasta T-Shirts

The Dime Tour...

Overall, Louise is in good shape for her age. There are a few problems and water damage but nothing major... hopefully. She has been relatively untouched. The missing wings are probably the biggest deal. The loss of the rear window to a bad AC unit being the second place winner. In recent years she has been "dressed up" with some wall paper and some newer flooring. I believe that the female half of the previous owners thought the original aspects were not that great. Those changes are easy enough to undo. We really want to get the Shasta back to the vintage look. We dig that and think that this trailer will be a good candidate for such restoration. There will be some real challenges along the way I have no doubt. However we will cover that in later posts. Lets get to the tour...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-The curb side shot. The skin is really in pretty good shape. There is a small crack in the skin just above the door which will be repaired. The Bargman L-66 door handle is broken and need to find a replacement for it. Need those wings!

Street side. No major problems. You can see some staining from rusty screws and parts on the paint. No matter. It will get repainted anyway. The white on white isn't my favorite color scheme. Besides, the paint is worn and oxidizing...

Front view. You can see the dent in the front left side. Nothing major. I'm glad that is one of the only bad spots...

That damn AC unit. How I hate it so...

Original wheels with the new temporary tires on it. They need a repaint and some slick hubcaps...

I HATE you...

Exterior entrance door and screen door are in decent shape. They will get some attention though...

The grab handle is a bit pitted. You can see the Bargman door handle is broken...

One of my favorite parts of a Shasta! The great big name plate. A small amount of pitting. It needs some polish...

All of the windows are there (except for the back) and in good shape. These will get pulled, taken apart, polished, re-weatherstripped, and reputtied back in the trailer...

The original license plate light and holder is in rough shape. It will be take all apart and cleaned up. Hopefully it won't be too far gone to save...

One of the original hubcaps. Too bad he is an only child...

The marker lights are too far gone. Good thing replacements are only 5 bucks a pop...

I love original badges. A Shasta made in Indiana, Sold in Missouri. Lived in Illinois. And now stays in Wisconsin...

The original Bargman No. 99 "Wedding Cake" tail lights. These will be restored also...

Twin propane tanks...

Original water fill spout...

Original Mobile Home Manufacturers Association badge...

Now to the interior...

Shot of the dinette. Some snazzy wall paper border as you can see. The table top has been recovered but I'm told the original yellow and gold flecked formica is still under there. We will see. The dinette benches will get a new upholstery...

The overhead storage...

Another one of my favorite features of the Shastas... The magazine rack. All of the sconces are there too which is a great thing. You can see one of the canvas bunk brackets too...

Some of the bad stuff. Water damage under the curb side window...

The fresh water tank. You can also see the rear window drip rail laying there. I'm glad they saved it...

The kitchenette. Most of the cabinets are in good shape. The original cabinet pulls are replaced but I'm trying to find the best replacements. The stove and fridge work good and are just in need of a bit of polish...

The original vent has some leak issues. The vent lifters work but need some TLC. The vent will get pulled and restored. My favorite light is there above the stove...

The original yellow and gold flecked formica is OK condition. It is 45 years old after all. We will clean it up and keep it. You can't get formica like this anymore... 

The tiny potty area. Is it bad of me for not wanting a toilet? I am thinking of turning this into a storage area. There are plenty of campers out there with out a toilet. There are toilets available at most camp sites. I may buy a mini porta-potty for cases of emergency. We will get into that more later...

Original propane lamp. Don't you just love that wall paper? Yuck...

The nasty air conditioner has caused a bunch of problems. The back panel is messed up and needs to be replaced. I can't wait to pull this out...

The small plywood box that makes up the cargo area is delaminated from moisture and will have to get rebuilt...

The shelf and cabinet above the rear pull out couch/bed...

The canvas bunk was in it's storage area under the rear plywood box that was messed up. Water had dripped down and rotted out the bunk. I think I will restore the bunk but I'm not sure if it will see any use...

Well there you go. That will be 10 cents please. I could use the dime to fix her up! I'm sure I will be posting much more detailed pictures and information when I get to each part of the restoration. Stay tuned!