This 1951 Spartan Spartanette was discovered in a permanent campground in western North Carolina along the Nantahala River. It had been under a shed with an attached room since 1958, and the interior was in remarkable condition.
The owners, Tom and Charlene Pagano of Asheville, North Carolina, purchased the Spartan to add to their collection of vintage campers at JuneBug Retro Resort in Weaverville, North Carolina. They commissioned Retromodern Campers to complete the renovation.
We began by disassembling the structures surrounding the camper and towing it back to our shop in Pickens, South Carolina. The aluminum portions of the exterior were cleaned and polished to reveal a beautiful shine. The end caps, roof, and rub rails were made of aluminized steel due to an aluminum shortage during the Korean War. This material could not be polished, so Ozone in Greenville, South Carolina, gave it a beautiful custom metallic silver paint job. The owners chose aquamarine as an accent color for the wheels, propane tanks, and Spartanette emblem.
Because this camper had limited exposure to the elements, the interior was in great shape. We began by updating the wiring and plumbing and then added roof air conditioning. We installed a wooden duct into the existing cabinetry to provide a comfortable and consistent temperature throughout the camper.
Tom and Charlene chose eye-catching click Marmoleum in Bleeckerstreet Red, and it changed the look of the trailer while keeping its period appeal.
The fiberglass shades on all of the sconces were in great shape and only needed to be cleaned. In the kitchen, the original refrigerator worked perfectly, but we added a vintage Dixie stove. The original dinette was also in great shape, including the vinyl seats and the gray cracked-ice table. We added a Sputnik-inspired light fixture for a mid-century modern look.
In the bedroom, the original dressing table was cleaned, and the floor plan was changed to allow for a queen-size bed. The original shelf unit from the front of the camper was converted into a headboard. We finished the space with a vintage gazelle lamp and a vintage alarm clock.
The bathroom was completed with a new toilet and LED lighting. To tie everything together, mid-century-inspired fabric was chosen for window treatments throughout the camper.
