I had to do some sweet talking persuasion to get my husband to see my vision with as much enthusiasm as I did.
The joy, laughter, peace, and serenity I experienced with MeMaw and PePaw in Cimarron Canyon, New Mexico, are memories fading like the colors of old. Holding on to those memories, with a desire to bring them to life, has grown into a love and passion for vintage campers and the amenities that go along with them.
Although we were not avid campers, we did own some modern trailers with fancy slide-outs and all the conveniences of home. There was nothing wrong with those features, but the desire to have an old Shasta or a Mobile Scout grew into a zealous pursuit of my own vintage camper. I found the one that was perfect for me, a 1968 Mobile Scout. It wasn’t too old or too new. Some good restoration work had already been done, but it needed something more, something different.
I had the perfect camper for me and was excited to show it off. My husband made a few changes by adding some paint, installing black-and-white laminate tile, a faux-metal backsplash, and building a new screen door. I brought life to the inside with a few of my older collectibles. There was, and still is, a lot of fun in looking for the perfect knickknack at antique stores, friends’ barns and garages, and garage sales. One of my friends made some of the cutest curtains to dress up the windows.
I had to do some sweet-talking persuasion to get my husband to see my vision with as much enthusiasm as I did. My cute little camper was about to go on its first trip—to the backyard. Not a long journey, but there were several obstacles to overcome. We had to remove part of a chain-link fence, part of a metal fence, jump a curb, and navigate around a tree and a storage building to get it into an almost perfect spot. Then there was the debate over whether to leave the tree or cut it down, but it ended up staying right where it was to shade my she shed.
It was almost perfect, but it needed a few more things. We made a deck out of used pallets and fenced it with old iron fence sections we had acquired along the way. I decorated the yard area with flowers, bicycles, lights, and other odds and ends that found their perfect place in my own personal campground. I had my husband hang awnings over a couple of windows. I decorated the shower with a pin-up girl shower curtain and added several other little things that gave my Scout a new pulse.
I enjoy my paradise every day, but I still wanted to show it off to some of my closest friends. We strung up a vintage canvas awning that was absolutely adorable and brought the entire setting to life. My husband built a coconut tree, and I surrounded it with flamingos. We had a paradise party so our friends could share in our little piece of paradise.
