When Jim Inglese of Lake City, Florida, bought a 1960 Shasta Airflyte (19 ft) on a whim back in 2007, he didn’t know a thing about vintage trailers. In fact, he didn’t even have any friends or family in the hobby. But as luck would have it, Jim struck gold his very first time out.
He bought the trailer from the granddaughter of the original owner in Canada — and the deal included every piece of paperwork imaginable: the original brochure, invoice, warranty card, manuals, and more. For a vintage trailer enthusiast, that’s the ultimate score — and the best part was still to come.
The Shasta had been stored under a tarp for over a decade before Jim towed it home to Connecticut, but remarkably, the interior showed no signs of water damage. The woodwork, upholstery, and appliances were all pristine. Jim stored it safely in a building he owned, where it underwent a slow but careful ten-year restoration between other projects.
All of the aluminum skins are original, as are the windows and frames — which Jim disassembled, cleaned, polished, and reassembled by hand. Inside, only the décor was updated to his taste; everything else remains factory original, a rare find for a trailer of its age.
In 2017, the Shasta finally hit the road again. Jim towed it to Florida after a move that summer, then took it on a second trip to Defuniak Springs, FL, to escape Hurricane Irma. That fall, he discovered the world of vintage trailer rallies when he attended the Gathering of the Times in Pine Mountain, Georgia — and realized he’d become part of a growing, passionate community.
Today, Jim tows his lovingly restored Shasta with a 1951 Ford pickup, upgraded with a 1964 Corvette engine — a perfect pairing of vintage style and modern power. From a lucky first purchase to a full-blown vintage lifestyle, Jim’s story proves that sometimes the best adventures start with a whim and a little bit of luck.
