What a difference a year makes! “Retro Florida Trailer Park Experience” in VCT Issue #49 described the four-day party TCT rally co-hosts Tim Heintz and Alex Alexander threw at the 2019 Rollin’ Through the Decades Vintage Trailer Rally at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. One year later, COVID-19 put a damper on a repeat performance during September 2020. No open house, no beach shuttles, no swimming pool, no breakfast-with-the-ranger program, no scavenger hunt, no 1960s theme party, no live stage performance, no potluck dinner, and no sponsored meals. Still, everyone in attendance had a great time meeting up with old friends and new, gathering in smaller groups using social distancing per the Florida State Park System’s requirements.
The only activity the campground allowed was a shuffleboard tournament organized by John Murphy. The Florida State Park System’s equipment, however, was still on lockdown, so the rally co-hosts were required to purchase their own shuffleboard equipment for the event, as well as enough sanitizing supplies to clean the equipment shared by players. The winners of the 2nd Annual TCT shuffleboard tournament were Bev Reger and her teammate Bill Jones.
Approximately 70 vintage trailers were in attendance at the rally, most worthy of inclusion in “Vintage Camper Trailers” magazine. The trailer specifically chosen for this article, however, was handpicked because of its recent purchase history: a 1954 West-Wood Holiday owned by Kyle and Lynn Kinman from Fortson, Georgia.
Three weeks prior to the rally in Florida, Kyle and Lynn were at another rally in Hiawassee, Georgia, camping in their 1972 Serro Scotty with the Southern Vintage Campers group. By chance, the Smoky Mountains Vintage Campers group also had a rally at that campground, which is how Kyle and Lynn stumbled upon the beautiful 1954 West-Wood Holiday owned by Allen and Marsha Torbett from Johnson City, Tennessee. Allen is a sheet metal fabricator by trade and all-around craftsman in general, which is why his West-Wood restoration turned out beyond special, including the single sheet of aluminum he ran from the tongue all the way up and over the roof and down to the rear bumper. Not a single seam in all that expanse!
The Kinmans had been searching for a larger vintage trailer for some time and fell in-love-at-first-sight upon seeing the expertly-restored West-Wood. Unfortunately, everyone at the Georgia rally who knew about the West-Wood told them the Torbetts would never sell it and that they’d all been trying to buy it ever since Allen completed the frame-up restoration three years earlier. With nothing to lose, Kyle told Allen that if he ever decided to sell the trailer to please give him a call. At that moment, Allen told Kyle he was ready to sell.
A price was agreed upon and the Kinmans became the new owners of the West-Wood in time to display it down in the Florida panhandle along with a sign that stated TIME WELL WASTED (a slogan that’s true at all vintage trailer rallies). Kyle gives full credit to Allen for the West-Wood’s workmanship, but stated he and Lynn were able to add their personal touches to the interior and exterior decor prior to bringing it to the TCT rally at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
The Kinmans are long-time members of the Tin Can Tourists club, the Southern Vintage Campers group, and the Deep South Caravan group. They’ve named their 1954 West-Wood ‘Gladys’ in honor of Kyle’s grandmother. As for their 1972 Serro Scotty…well, it’s now up for sale. What a difference a year makes!
