trailers

 My first experience with staying in a vacation trailer came the summer after we got married when my husband's uncle towed their small trailer up into the Cascades for us to spend a few nights. We enjoyed the experience. I'd slept in tents since I was a child but never a small trailer. I wish I had a photo of it and might but it'd be in Oregon if so.

 

In 1972, we had camped with our babies in tents but decided to get our own small trailer--an Aristocrat and about 15' maybe. It had no bathroom but did have a refrigerator, sink, table and enough beds for us and our toddlers. That trailer went with us camping around Oregon and to Arizona. With no air-conditioning, we had to rethink a few routes south-- like not heading straight to Tucson and instead to the Grand Canyon where it'd be cooler. Photo above was the Metolius in Oregon-- many happy days spent there.

We stopped using it as the kids grew too big for the beds and went back to tents as well as resorts-- but didn't give up on road trips to the Southwest. The times were memorable but then the kids grew up, found their own lives, and it was just us.

The first time we went out with our Astro Van for our camping was I think 1990. I loved the freedom of not pulling anything and being safe in a van with curtains I made and a cushy big back bed. If we didn't feel secure somewhere (and that did happen), we'd just drive off. The sad part was that van began having more and more problems with the 'improved' versions. When the last one locked up on steering, we needed something different and a lot safer.

That led to 2012 when we had a truck big enough to pull a bigger rig (as well as a trailer full of hay). It had a bathroom, bed, cooking ability, cabinetry, table, sofa and a good set up for us and our cats, which sometimes were 4 and other times just 2 depending on old age or illness taking some from us. 

We loved the Wildcat by Forest River, but along came a new need this year when we must spend months in a trailer for helping with the work on the Oregon farm (we meaning one of us). Although the windows were great in the Wildcat, it didn't have the kind of space we needed for living. For now, we have not sold the Wildcat as maybe the bigger trailer won't be a long time need. We will have more space for work and the rest, we're still sorting out. We've been buying some 'things' to make it feel more homey. We will see how that works out.