By Dennis DeNoi
Do you remember how you first got involved in camping? I think it is safe to say that most likely a family member introduced many campers, RV’ers and travelers to this wonderful outdoor lifestyle. It would also be fairly safe to say that a lot of campers have transitioned from backpacking and tent camping to the more comfortable trailer and RV camping.
For six-year-old Kaia Echternkamp of Southern California this assumption could not be truer. In fact, Kaia has been camping with both sets of her grandparents from the time she was an infant. In our case, my wife Cheryl and I, better known as Meme and Papa, have been lifelong campers and are now full-time RV’ers in that we live, travel and freelance write in our vintage motorhome.
Kaia took to the RV lifestyle right off and can’t wait to have a sleepover. Or better yet, go camping with her grandparents every chance she gets, especially during holidays and on her breaks from school. It was her love for camping, adventure and working with me on our vintage motorhome that eventually led to young Kaia assisting in the restoration and modification of her very own mini-car and teardrop trailer at the age of three.
Kaia’s life changing adventure started when Cheryl and I found a broken down and orphaned metal child’s carousel car at an antique auto swap meet. The unique little car turned out to be a 1955 Austin J40 pedal car that was made of off-cut metal from Austin A40 automobiles. The idea was to have Kaia assist in the transformation of the J40 from a non-working toy to a fully functioning mini-car that she could drive. She could also compete against grownups and their full-size hot rods in classic car shows.
However, as lifelong RV’ers who grew up camping and RV’ing with our parents, we felt that Kaia could not have her first car without a matching camping trailer and that’s where the adventure got more complicated. Although a suitable little vehicle existed, we could not find an appropriate vintage mini-travel trailer to restore and the pressure was on to resolve the problem while Kaia could still fit in it. In a strange twist of fate, the trail to finding Kaia a vintage travel trailer led us right back to the same antique auto swap meet where we found her Austin J40. During one of our visits to the quarterly auto swap meet, we saw a mint condition turquoise and white vintage “Canned Ham” travel trailer. When we approached the eye catching vintage trailer, we met its owner, Chris Burkhardt.
As it turns out, Chris Burkhardt not only owned the vintage trailer, but also restored it. Without a vintage trailer to restore, we asked Chris if he could fabricate a mini-teardrop trailer from scratch. We wanted it to be “vintage” looking, fully functional and able to be pulled behind Kaia’s Austin J40. Chris and his brother Sean listened to our vision and assured us that they had the knowledge and skills to build our one of a kind mini-teardrop trailer and that they were definitely the ones to bring this dream to life.
As with the J40’s restoration, Kaia was included in, and took part in, almost every stage of the creation of her prized teardrop trailer. And as she had with camping, Kaia showed a love of tools and mechanics from a very early age. She demonstrated that as she wanted to assist me as I maintained our classic 1983 Apollo Sceptre diesel pusher motor coach (see www.ApolloSceptreMotorhomes.com to learn more). She also worked with her other grandfather, Kris Echternkamp, in his shop, Kamp’s Custom Carpentry Inc. in Glendora, California. Her woodworking skills, combined with her knowledge of hand and power tools, proved valuable and she felt right at home in both the auto and trailer shops as she pitched in to help build her dream car and matching trailer.
As Chris and Sean went about working their magic, they embraced Kaia’s participation and gave her run of the shop, albeit with a keen eye on her safety. The Canned Ham Man’s challenge was to ensure the little teardrop was the same size and scale of the J40, appear true to the style and construction of a 60 year old homemade teardrop trailer and it had to have running water, a working cook surface and a real refrigerator.
Like the Austin J40, the task of stuffing all of the working components into such a confined space required more time and money than makes sense, but the final outcome has been well worth it. The Canned Ham brothers outdid themselves and they created a one of a kind, mini-teardrop trailer that is the envy of kids of all ages.
Although Kaia’s Colorado Red Austin J40 has been finished for about six months and has been raking in trophies and National recognition, her special teardrop trailer was only recently completed and had its big debut at the renowned Benedict Castle Concours Car Show (www.CrossroadsCarShows.com) in Riverside, California where Kaia and her little car and remarkable mini-teardrop received special recognition. The little duo was the only vehicle displayed at the $100 a plate fundraiser gala dinner the night before the show. They were featured in the event booklet and selected to be included in the Meguiar’s Corral of Excellence.
This whole project started out as a chance encounter with an orphaned little car that was only going to be a drivable car that would allow Kaia to learn real driving skills while playing. However, it has turned out to be so much more. Throughout the three-year long construction phase and the time spent at various car and travel trailer shows exhibiting her accomplishments, Kaia has been exposed to countless real life experiences far beyond her young age that will better suit her for the many challenges she will face in adulthood. For Cheryl and I, it is the countless hours of quality time and the priceless memories we shared with Kaia that justifies the excessive expenses and makes this whole adventure worthwhile for us. Since I mentioned cost, I know you are curious. The estimated total cost of the J40, teardrop trailer and a cargo trailer to house and transport them exceeds $20,000; or as we like to think, “priceless.”
We hope Kaia’s story has caused you to revisit your RV’ing roots and inspired you to look for more ways to share your love of vintage RVs with future generations. We can’t thank the Canned Ham Man enough for building us a special trailer and making our dreams come true. We look forward to attending a vintage travel trailer show near you, touring each other’s prized vintage trailers and exchanging campfire stories.
This article was originally published in issue 19 of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine in 2015.
