You’ve heard of renovations. Well, “retrovation” is a “renovation-with-a-retro-look,” and ultimately, how our camper was brought forward to her past.
It took us more than two years to find a vintage camper, since they are rare in our part of Virginia. Every inquiry would end up in “it’s sold” disappointment. When the owner of a Yellowstone called to tell us that her prospective buyers had canceled, we immediately jumped in the car and drove four hours to inspect the camper. The day was a blur and included a sick dog and finding arrowheads (that unusual story is in my blog).
When we looked at the trailer, we had already planned to gut the camper to the studs, so seeing a semi-dismantled interior was a plus, as it allowed us to see leakage issues. But nothing was insurmountable. JohnnyV (my husband) used to own a cabinet shop and build motorcycles and I am a full-time artist (he says he married me for my tools). With our skill sets, we figured we could handle the retrovation and we became the new owners of the 13’ 1966 Yellowstone Cavalier.
While JohnnyV drew up interior rebuild plans, I concocted color palettes and idea boards, both of us honoring the camper’s birth era. We appreciate mid-century style (heck, WE’RE mid-century). In fact, my art studio is an atmospheric vintage tiki lounge. Picturing an atomic-era interior, we dubbed the tiny trailer: “The Aquatomic Lounge”.
We started “gutting the fish” in July, 2013. To keep from getting overwhelmed, we set up a series of goals such as stripping exterior latex paint, removing/polishing trim, painting exterior, replacing rotted studs, rewiring, insulating, installing new birch walls, plumbing, building, staining, and installing cabinetry, and we calculated our halfway point. There were a million “to-do’s” inside each of those goals, too, so checking each item off the list was a step closer to done! One step at a time.
Thanks to our generous friends, Colette and Donny, who run a business out of an old school, we were able to work on the camper in their re-purposed gym – a secure indoor shop where we could leave tools set up and come and go as we pleased!
In October, 2013, JohnnyV began having serious health issues. After three hospital stays and surgeries in 2014, he could barely walk and couldn’t work. The camper was the last thing on our minds. We are so blessed that he is alive and able to stand on his own two feet now.
Little by little, we got back to it. With the help of a couple of friends, JohnnyV gave direction when physically unable to do a task, and we were finally able to bring our little trailer home on August 11, 2015. I quickly finished the outfitting and décor. With huge smiles, we headed out to the camper one night with our dog, got settled in, and listened to the cicadas and tree frogs. Our first campout was special, even though it was just in our driveway!
