Jefferson Swap...

I realized 20 minutes into owning this trailer that we would defiantly need a spare tire for this trailer. The problem is there wasn't one with the trailer. Hence the crap we had to deal with when we had our first blow out. I wanted to keep the style of steel wheel like it had originally. I realized that after getting the tires removed from the wheels that one was original to the trailer and one was a replacement. My local shop said I should look for the newer version to match the replacement and use the original for a spare. Where would I find a used steel 15" wheel with a 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern and a 3 3/4 backspace? Good question. Jefferson Swap Meet maybe?

I haven't been to Jefferson Swap Meet in quite awhile. Usually the weather sucks when we have gone in the past. This year it was pretty nice and warm. My Dad went with me on the mission to find the rim and a set of hubcaps. Only about 3 or 4 rows in I saw a vendor just setting up set the sea foam green wheel down in front of me. I grabbed my tape measure and everything looked good. $20 dollars was all the vendor wanted. Not a bad deal. Here is the "new" sea foam green wheel on the right with our other two...

I need to find someone to media blast this things so I can paint them up. Something like powder coat would be the best option for a finish but that is at a minimum over $100. Too pricy for our budget. I will have to stick with paint.

There were actually a few vintage trailers that vendors where using at the show. I ran into a kind old man (If I remember right he said he was in his 80's) and his son that had a 1963 Shasta 16 SC that he had owned for a few years. He gave me a tour and we talked a bit about his trailer. It was in the typical shape for a Shasta of that age. Water damage and that sort of thing. It was pretty much all original. One thing that was different was that he had the front gaucho instead of the more typical dinette. He did add more modern 12v lights in a few spots inside. The only big downside is that he had cut the wheel wells larger so he could fit a different size wheel and tire on it. It wasn't the best feature on a trailer this age but it could be fixed by someone with skill. The SC had the optional heater in it and stated that is why he bought the trailer. He said he sold the canvas bunk that was almost brand new and sold off the Shasta script badge. My Dad popped the question if it had wings when he bought it. "Yeah, I sold those for scrap a few years ago" he said. Dad and I let out a groan and I told him that those things go for around $200 now a days. He tried to keep a poker face when he asked if that was the case. You could tell he was rethinking that decision again.

He also mentioned a story about the trailer having a spare tire carrier on the back and loosing that on a trip and not realizing it until he got home. That must have been interesting for someone following him. He said that he may be leaving the parts business soon and would no longer have a need for the Shasta. I gave him some contact info and told him if he wanted to sell it that I could probably find a buyer for him. Not sure what he would want to sell it for but I might be a decent deal for someone.

Ultimately I did not find any hubcaps. There were plenty to choose from at the swap. The problem is that they are usually branded by the car manufacturer. I am looking for something more generic. My choices were to do a full size generic cap or find some baby moons and maybe do a beauty ring also. I found a vendor selling new made baby moon caps that fit the Ford style rims but they suck. The new caps are made in Taiwan and not what I would say a quality product. They are very thin and the chrome seems thin also. The vendor was selling them in sets of 4. First off I don't need a full set for $65 bucks. At the most I need 3. The cap on the top of the stack was nice and shiny. If you picked it up and turned it over it had rust on it already. The next one on the stack had small scratches in the chrome and more rust. The third had a tiny dent in the face. That was all I needed to see. $65 bucks for brand new scratched rusty caps? I don't think so. I think most vendors online sell the same thin crappy caps. Of course there was a guy at the swap selling full 15" Moon style caps but when I decided to go back to see if he still had them they were gone. So the hunt is still on for some hubcaps of decent quality.

Sorry for the lack of pictures in this post but there isn't much to show. Maybe more next week...