Chapter 14 The Low Country Low Down

We were so excited to attend our first big Trailer Rally, with a trailer, that is. After our experience with the mini tornado and shorted out running lights, we were ready for a positive and fun excursion!


I packed us to the gills for "The Groovy Beach Bash" on Tybee Island, GA. The journey would be two days there and two days back with lots of time to explore in between. It was very near to Savannah and Charleston, places we've never been. 




Talledega, AL was about half way there and then it was on to Tybee Island 🌴 




Looks peaceful doesn't it?

WRONG. 

After dodging what seemed like an inordinate amount of traffic in Atlanta, it appeared to be traveling with us....

 


Tybee Island is just outside of Savannah, GA. with access by one two lane road that was BUMPER TO BUMPER and barely moving. So much so, we crept into a gas station as we were running low. Gas stations are challenging enough when towing a trailer, let alone when all the spots are full with cars jockeying for position. For extra credit, add lines of questionable looking people out the door awaiting relief in the no doubt gilded, tufted, lavender scented environs of the gas station's toilets. 
Thank God we had our own bathroom in the trailer!
We found out, while filling up, the reason for the press of people was something called "Orange Crush" a Georgia college spring break thing. No doubt the cultural event of the season.

They didn't look like college kids to me......
 
More like the entire "Hood" showed up. It was Boom Shack-A-Lacka Town! What I'm sure is music to some people was blaring out of automobiles, vibrating so severely when they pulled along side, you feared your dental work would loosen! Whoever had a car, filled it with Hoochies and hit the road and they poured out when stopped for gas.

There was so very much I could not unsee! 

Traffic was at a snails pace so, I decided to use the station's attending hand held car wash to get the camper show ready and occupy time until traffic let up. It didn't. I had Dave stand guard ( so he could kill someone with kindness ) while I worked around the camper and just in case you think I'm exaggerating, later that night someone was shot dead on the beach and the event was cancelled. Classy. Nice. Might I have another canapé, please?

We could have walked to the campground faster. Backward.  During our protracted excursion down the tidal two lane, people urinated in broad daylight, were being frisked and cuffed by officers, and gasless cars were pushed to the shoulder. What in the Hell had we gotten into?!

The reputation of Savannah being New Orlean's older, wealthier, more cultured sister was wearing thin. 
The campground seemed like an oasis of peace by the time we arrived. Serious consideration was given to leaving right then and there. This was not what we signed up for. The folks in the office said none of the "spring breakers" were in the campground. Well, that was some comfort. And it all was supposed to be over that weekend. Okay. Turned out it was earlier when the bullets began flying.

We had arrived a weekend before the Trailer Rally and we had time to explore Old Savannah which is beyond lovely. We bought a DVD of the movie "Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil" and went sightseeing the next day. 




We took the Old Town Trolley Tour which was very worthwhile and visited the cemetery.... The famous "Bird Girl" is in a museum now.




Another day trip carried us to Beaufort, a lovely little town my friend Delena told me about, and we took in Charleston. 




We were the first campers at the rally and were told we helped everyone navigate because of our atomic light!





It all started with a get acquainted dinner at The Crab Shack. The kitsch and company were better than the food.




Then, participant open house, with so many great trailers....







That evening was a screening outdoors of "The Long, Long Trailer" replete with lawn chairs and pop corn. 

The next day was judging and the public open house! After all the packing, traveling, and dodging debauchery....... it poured rain.

And no one came.

Ahhhhhhhh.... all dressed up and no one to show!














  You can take the showgirl out of the show but you can't take the show out of the showgirl!

The rain finally let up and people began trickling in. Included in the touring public was the cast and crew of a film starring Tom Berenger but I missed getting a picture of him in our camper! We started taking down our display before the open house was over, apologizing the whole time, as we were between storms and the second round was proposed to be worse. 




A bunch of us dressed in vintage clothing for the awards presentation. 




WE WON IN TWO CATEGORIES! BEST 1960's AND PEOPLES CHOICE!




The two of us took our trophies and beat it back to the camper with lightening on our heels. We hunkered down for the storm by sitting on the floor of the camper and talking about going to the club house versus dying in the trailer. We chose dying in the trailer. Oh, and watched Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil!  It blew and blew, poured rain, thundered, and we sprung a leak. One small steady stream out of the rear window drapery cornice. 

Puzzling. 

The storm passed and the next morning I went searching for the source of the leak and found it in a puttyless screw hole in the brow over the window.  At least it was fixable! Oh, and one of our awnings was found about 100 yards from our trailer
.
The great thing about Trailer Rallys are the people, I think I found my tribe!  Vintage Trailerites are self starting project people who love all things retro. They're a good natured bunch who like to have fun. A special shout out to Kim Hoke who organized this event. She's my kinda gal! There's a whole lot of work that goes into making sure other folks have a good time! We met a lot of people we are still friends with!




We headed home with the glow of victory in our smiles.

But, we were dog tired. 

I suppose what happened next was inevitable.....

Our arrival in Talledega, AL half way home was met by twilight and a trailer park Yokel who had no sense of boundaries or propriety. There I was tired and trying to get level and hook up but this guy kept circling with a beer in one hand and a lifetime of conversation in the other. He wanted to "take a peek" with me holding a sewer hose. Keep in mind, he never offered to help.

Then he wanted his "Momma" to come look. 

I'd had enough. 

"I'm sorry, we have been driving all day and all I want to do is sleep, please leave us alone." You would have thought I shot the man. He left, never to be seen again.

Whatever

Rally's are tiring affairs. Fun, but tiring. You have to organize, pack, transport, setup, clean, participate, tear down, organize, repack, transport, unpack, clean, and plan for the next one. There's at least a weekend of activity before you go and another when you return. 

You do not want to encounter me on the way back when I'm exhausted. You don't.

I posted this situation online that night and received a hot pile of criticism. "Why don't you buy a white box if you want to be left alone?!", was my personal favorite. Ahhhhh, the kindness of online strangers. Having a cute camper is like having a cute dog. People sometimes can't help themselves. I happen to have a cute dog, too. So, I'm used to the attention. 

But. 

People shouldn't help themselves to her when she's in my purse. She'll bite. 

Safely home and feeling very much on a roll, I planned our next trip. Our 30th Wedding Anniversary was coming up and we would travel to Niagara Falls!

Chapter 13 The Second Acquisition

Almost immediately upon our return from Los Angeles, I was searching eBay and found a Boles Aero Montecito for sale in Paris, TX not far from our home in Little Rock.

When it didn't sell, I contacted the owner. I also contacted what was supposed to be a reputable restoration shop for advice. The shop owner and I had a lengthy conversation about the pros and cons of either a Yellowstone or this Boles Aero. He was very helpful and we exchanged many texts at odd hours and he was immediately helpful and friendly.  This was wonderful, I thought, my perception would change over to time.....

After much consideration of all the information I had acquired, we decided to pursue the purchase of the Boles Aero primarily due to it's aluminum framing which would have not deteriorated and the overall weight of the trailer would be considerably less... Unfortunately, the price was not. It was $ 9,200.00 for it's original untouched deteriorate condition. It was all there. Every cabinet handle, hinge, both click clack sofas, and the body was straight with only three small dings and one broken pane of glass. It even had the original mattresses. 

But. And aren't buts always too big?

It was all water damaged or dry rotted and not a single panel of wood wasn't adversely touched by the hands of time. 

I began texting with the owner. He was absolutely not coming down on the price. I thought it was too high but I have now come to realize we were looking at a rare quality trailer. Not that it dawned on him. He knew Airstreams from tarting them up with tin ceiling panels and barn wood. He must have realized this was going to be a big project and just wanted his money back out of it. 

The owner was very obstinate about cash only. Not meeting at a bank. Only his house. No cashiers check, no wire transfer, no PayPal, no money order, no check. *no green stamps, poker chips, gift cards, wampum, or Twinkies* my red flag was flying in a red wind, backwards and upside down!!! 

BUT I WANTED THE TRAILER.....

I was not driving to Texas to what gps had mapped as a road with a loop outside of town. He wanted us to come to his house with ten grand in a bag? Really? Down some road I've never been before to deal with a stranger after declining a professional meeting at a bank? I had read one too many stories how people were murdered in Craigslist scams. Just two weeks earlier an elderly couple wanting to buy a motorhome were killed.  I envisioned some drugged out beer soaked redneck hell, wife beater shirt wearing , vehicles on blocks for years, Yahoo junk hoarders, where we were going to be robbed and die! 

BUT I WANTED THE TRAILER.....

Yes, I wanted the trailer but the point was to somehow live to enjoy it. 

Texting has it's limitations and I became so spooked, I called it all off.  The next day the man called me after his wife gave him a talking to about texting verses a conversation. He explained he wanted cash because he had paid cash buying it from a young man from Wyoming. The trailer was given to this young man as part of his severance pay when a horse ranch where he worked was sold by the elderly widowed owner. The camper was in a barn for a very long time, which explained the condition of it. He pulled it to Paris, Texas where he was from and did the only damage the trailer ever received, two vertical creases on each side of the front window caused by turning the panel truck he was driving too far right then too far left and a rear corner dent from backing up bumping a concrete pole. It was indeed, a barn find. The young man couldn't find work so he sold it to the guy we were dealing with. 

We agreed to come see it but I said we weren't bringing the cash. We wanted to check it out first. He said we needed to be prepared to buy it, first come first served, no deposit, no holding it. 

Who was this guy?! I would find out of course, but at the time it fed my paranoia. We thought about it for a while and I devised a plan.......

*THIS IS A VALUABLE TRANSACTION TACTIC YOU MAY USE YOURSELF*

A day and time was agreed upon to see the trailer and we traveled to Paris, TX in early January. He texted me a copy of the Title for the trailer or we never would have gone. 

But we did not go directly to the seller's house. I had phoned ahead and we arrived early. I had not called the seller. I had called the Sheriff's office. I arranged for what's called a civil standby. An officer will come with you to a transaction to keep you safe but you can't make an appointment, you call when you're ready and we had. Directions were given to us on how to find the station. 

Vintage trailer restoration will take you to a lot of places some you thought you would never go to, and meet people you never thought you would acquaint yourself with, or endure situations you would not have chosen to deal with. The visions of exploring nature's wonders, fun with friends and family, rally's, and impromptu road trips are what keep you going during a renovation.

And every so often reality hits you.....

We found ourselves anticipating the Sheriff's return to the station sitting in the jail waiting area. Yep, there we were, ensconced in the romantic ambience of fluorescent lighting, cinder block walls, and dead silence. Our stock straight backs and frequent side eyes 👀 were interrupted by a visitor. Buzzed in and shuffling up to the bulletproof algae green glass, was a haggered woman in a bandanna who spoke through the small slotted circle, "What's he in fer dis time?" A tinny, far off metallic voice drolled, "Drugs, Ma'am."  She sighed heavily, "How longs he been in herr?"  Pause .... tinny far off voice again, "Three days, Ma'am." "I guess I'll see 'em", she breathed, exasperated. Tinny voice, "An officer will buzz you in at the door to your right."

BUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!

She slowly ambled through and almost took our eyes with her as we had fixed them on her person until the door shut her from view. 

It was a long uncomfortable 45 minutes until the Sheriff arrived. 

I explained to him the odd nature of the exchanges with the seller, that we indeed had the cash necessary to purchase it on the spot if we decided, and we wanted him to run the plates to see if it was stolen and to call in the title to verify it's authenticity. 

He agreed and understood our concern. 

It didn't help our mood that the Sheriff's office was in the bad part of town. We got in the truck and followed him through Paris and out the other side. The neighborhood had improved....

Remember, how I said your trailer would take you places you thought you'd never wind up?

The seller's McMansion was located in a gated golf course community!

??!!!!!??????!!!!!????

We followed the officer through the gate, rounded the corner, and there was the trailer by a three car garage on a circular drive. Definitely NOT what I had expected!
The Sheriff ran the plates, not stolen. Found the serial number and matched it to the title and called Wyoming to check it. It was valid. 

Was this ever a relief!

We thanked the officer 👮 and he left. 

All of this really shook the seller. He nervously commented on " his neighbors seeing the prowler in the drive " along with constantly chattering about the trailer and hovering while we checked it out oddly trying to sell us on it. It didn't take long to find out he owned a vehicle dealership in town, his brother recently died, and isn't it great the trailer had it's original sofas?
Here is how it looked that day. And yes, these pictures made it look better than it really was:




We gave it a close inspection. Original stove, refrigerator, sink, without a scratch on them or parts missing. Original click clack sofas. All the original light fixtures were accounted for. No pad locks on the doors. It was so untouched, the trailer brakes even had a hookup for linking to your car's hydraulic braking system. 

It did not have a bathroom and I crawled under the trailer to see if holding tanks could be made to fit. Now, I'm a girly girl, hair, make up, the whole nine. But I will crawl under, over, and through something I want to buy much to surprise of those who are selling. 

It seemed like it would work. I would end up arguing that point with three different men in two different shops about the feasibility of installing a privy. Maybe by two and no by one. Yes, we have one now, but the gauntlet I had to negotiate to have the distinction of never using gas station facilities again, was earned. 






It was a gut job. We knew it. I had purchased an original brochure for the 1954 Boles Aero line on eBay and there were three floor plans available. One with a bathroom! We had the wide door placement but not the bath. I wanted the other kitchen layout and bed configuration. One more closet and add upper cabinets. What we knew by this time, we were going to buy it. 

I went outside to negotiate the price. Nothin' doin'. Not budging not an inch. 

Okay...... I had one card left to play. 

I pointed out to the seller he said it was towable but I had been under the trailer and found both tires were old and had concentric cracks exposing steel belts on the inside 1/3 where rubber met the road. It might have made it to where it was but we weren't towing it home on those. The guy must have sensed our pulling away, being a salesman, smelling it like a trail of a wounded moose, blurted out, "I work with a tire shop here in town! I'll replace the tires with new if you'll buy the trailer!" 

I should think so. At least it was something. 

This was 11:45am on a Saturday. He called. The shop agreed to stay late even though they closed at noon as I'm sure the seller had some pull with them since his business involved vehicles. The guy towed it to the tire shop and we followed. We had not paid him yet. 
Once the new tires were on, we did.

These pictures were taken shortly after:




Oh, and Dave died.




It looks sunny in the pictures. Clear blue lovely brisk skies. There had been one sleet storm the week before and another one coming so off for home we drove. The trailer towed beautifully and straight as an arrow all the way back. We detoured before arriving home, going to Camping World to buy a cover to prevent leaks from the coming weather. 

We arrived home having reminisced all the way about towing Sprocket over The Continental Divide in a blizzard and not doing anything like it again with this trailer. I was peppered with sleet while putting on  the cover....




The next morning's photographs!

By spring, we had moved it to the rear yard beginning to get acquainted with our new project. We had the luxury of time with this one. No rushing. The idea was to be absolutely certain of each decision, thoroughly research every modern upgrade, and arrive at a design theme. 
I can only imagine what our neighbors thought about a trailer that looked like WWII surplus in the back yard but I was ready for dissidents as I had called the city to see if it was allowed. "As long as no one's living in it", they said. "What?! This is Arkansas, ain't it?!", I joked.




Later, we would take time with this trailer, but for now, there was a rally to plan for, a big one! By the time Forsythia gave way to Roses, we would be on our way to Georgia!