Some restorations are about more than wood, metal, and paint—they’re about love, legacy, and the joy of shared adventures. For Diane Hopkins, restoring her 1970 Avalon vintage trailer was just that kind of project.
With the help of her eight-year-old grandson, Connor Lance Hopkins, Diane dove into the work with enthusiasm. Once the Avalon was confirmed to be structurally sound, the real fun began—decorating. A devoted grandmother and proud Scottish Terrier owner, Diane found creative ways to weave both her family and her dogs into every detail. Her dining table, for instance, is a showpiece: epoxied with photos of her loved ones and her two Scotties, then finished with chrome edging. “The pictures bring me joy every time I look at them,” she says.
Family heirlooms also found new life in the Avalon. Her grandparents’ headboard now forms the backrest of the long bench that converts to a bed, while her other grandparents’ wooden ironing board serves as an outdoor table when she’s camping.
Her trailer’s maiden voyage was perfectly timed. Diane’s parents’ 60th wedding anniversary happened to coincide with that first trip, so she towed the Avalon to Rock Island State Park—just 10 minutes from her home—and hosted a celebratory dinner inside. It was the start of many meals and memories shared in her lovingly restored camper.
These days, Diane enjoys traveling with Connor and her Scotties, Malcom Jessie and Paisley Faith. She offers a bit of hard-earned wisdom for those camping with dogs: keep a radio on low at night so they won’t hear raccoons rummaging in the trash. “That way, the dogs won’t wake up and scare you to death barking like there’s a bear outside!”
With so much heart and history woven into her Avalon, Diane has no plans to sell. For her, it’s not just a trailer—it’s a rolling scrapbook of the people and pets she loves most.
