Paul and Caroline Lacitinola, along with their children, Angelo and Grace, are full-time vintage trailer enthusiasts. While they’re not on the road year-round, they truly eat, sleep, and breathe the vintage trailer lifestyle. To take their passion a step further, Paul envisioned creating something extraordinary—a mobile museum dedicated to celebrating the history and beauty of vintage trailers.
That vision came to life in the spring of 2017. During a conversation with Justin Scribner of Flyte Camp, Paul mentioned that he was searching for a Spartan trailer to convert into a traveling museum. As luck would have it, Justin had exactly what Paul was looking for—a 28-foot 1955 Spartan Manor. Paul and his son Angelo made the trip to Bend, Oregon, to bring it home.
The Spartan had been completely gutted, but thankfully, all of the original cabinetry and trim were saved and stored inside the trailer. Over the next six months, Paul and John Green led the rebuild, with invaluable help from Tim and Linda Brown. Together, they transformed the empty shell into a masterpiece of craftsmanship and design.
The Mid Century Mobile Museum was outfitted with high-quality materials, including new FORBO Marmoleum flooring, Wilsonart laminate in the bathroom, a Dometic toilet, a low-profile Dometic Penguin air conditioner, custom blinds from Blinds.com, and a Parallax power supply unit. Every detail inside—from the paneling and insulation to the electrical and plumbing systems—is brand new, ensuring modern comfort wrapped in vintage style.
This 1955 Spartan Manor became a true mid-century mobile museum, featuring over 100 water jugs, ice chests, and thermoses from the 1940s through the 1960s. Sprinkled throughout the display were lanterns, stoves, and other camping gear from the same era, capturing the nostalgia of America’s postwar love affair with outdoor adventure.
The finished Spartan debuted at the Exposure Outdoor Shows in 2018 and immediately captured attention. Designed to function as both a display space and a comfortable camper, the museum featured a large exhibit area, a work desk, a pull-out double bed, a hidden flat-screen TV, bathtub, shower, and toilet. Though it didn’t include a stand-up stove or full-size refrigerator—leaving room for vintage camping displays—the layout could easily accommodate them in the future. With added holding tanks and 12v lighting, this Spartan was better than new.
Visually, the Spartan’s exterior is a showstopper—polished aluminum on the lower half with a satin finish above, creating a striking mid-century aesthetic. The Mid Century Mobile Museum made appearances at rallies and shows across the West Coast, including the Pismo Beach Rally, the Buellton Trailer Bash, and the Trailerfest Rally in California.
Today, this beautiful Spartan has been finished as the Lacitinolas’ personal camping trailer, continuing its story as a functional family camper. (We’ll do a feature on the trailers look now in the near future.)
