Memory lane with an old RV.

[Lakota Wolf]

The greatest thing about getting a project RV,, isnt just to take something thats unique or different and re-do or rebuild.

It goes deeper then that. A lot of us here on GORV's, are the Baby boomer generation, (some older,, some younger). But our age group grew up wayyyyy before computers and color TV's especially flat screens.

During our younger years,, we watched Dad go to work, Mom stay home and hold the fort down and raise the kids. (excluding single moms and dads etc)  We got to see several generations of cars and trucks change shape and style.. We saw beefy huge monsterous winnies rumbling down the road, with the rack on the back loaded with bicycles with the handle grip streamers and the playing cards clothes pinned on the spokes, and the baskets on the front. Even saw the Shwinn racer with the banana seat and center shifter and hand brakes.

We would be sitting in the back of the old country squire station wagon looking out the back window,, wondering where these people in these big motor homes was going? Some of us were fortunate enough for our family to have one of those, while others made due with the old tent and sleeping bags under the stars on the dirt. We called that Family time,,, Dad got vacation,, packed up the family and headed to someplace new to us and unload the car and head off into the woods near a lake or river or some other *special place. We would all sit around a camp fire laughing at Dads lame jokes, and we burn our marshmallows, or eat the chocolate before making a smore.

I enjoyed these times since I was a Navy brat and we wouldnt get to spend time with dad for several months at a time while he was deployed overseas. He would get leave time, and I guess he tried his best to keep a father/son bond with his 4 boys by taking us camping.

Us boys were in the boy scouts, so we was always prepared to *rough it. Spending quiet time dropping a line in the water and hoping to catch dinner,, and if not,, Mom always made beans and weenies,, just in case. Now fast forward,,, we grew up,,, left the nest,, made lives for ourselves, made our own families,, and still relished *traditions that Dad set into us. We would drag  family out to someplace new and make memories. For some,, it was still the tent and sleeping bags and a camp fire,, others was with a motor home or a trailer that Dad got dirt cheap,, He would drag it home,, clean it all up spiffy, and drag the family out to a bonifide RV park or campground.. It was the coolest thing to camp inside a small house.. Us boys thought of it as a club house on wheels. We was the Sh**.. And again we fast forward.. We wind down from the grinding wheels of work,  pushing retirement and yet refuse to let old age plop us down in a rocking chair on a front porch yelling at kids to stay out of your begonias..We take our drives into town to get groceries etc and see an old trailer sitting along side a house with a for sale sign on it,,, and about that time,, the memories flood through your eyes of the great time you had in the younger years. Realizing your letting the old days slip away as only a faint mist of memories. You stop, and inquire about that old trailer and seal a deal and buy it and drag it home.. You look at the hunk of junk you just dragged home and double doubt yourself as to why you bought it.

Your to damn old to be taking on a project like this. Your friends will laugh at you, because your not on the golf course like they are every saturday, hitting the ball, just to chase it and hit it again.You grab your garage stool and set it out next to the old trailer and contemplate what you just did.. You dropped your hard earned savings for a rusted old pile of junk on wheels. You stare at it for awhile, and faintly remember the OLDEN days when you was no bigger then grasshopper and taking road trips and family time etc. You get up and say to yourself. By golly,, Im going to fix this ole girl up and make her shine like the first day off the assembly line. She will be the slickest thing you ever saw rolling down the road,, and I will look mighty fine in that ole state park up the road, parked right along side them rich folks in their big huge bus looking rolling houses. Now being older,,, You know that things built back in the day was built to last,(more or less), or built with a lot more quality. And growing up, having to *figure things out,, because the internet wasnt there to look anything and everything up with step by step instructions.. We grew up in a trial and error generation,, which by the way did include singed eye brows and busted knuckles, So you start tearing into your project, determined to bring the ole gal back to her glory,, and the best part is,,,, It keeps you busy,, your mind occupied,, there is no more time to sit around and grow old. Your on a mission.. Through elbow grease, sweat and hard work, You bring this old rolling rust bucket back to life. And about this time, You feel young again. You tote it down to the ole camp ground,, set up camp and remenince a simple time. If your fortunate, you can take your grand children out and show them how we used to do things back in the olden olden days, before Xbox,playstation,netflix and social media and texting. Before technology robbed us of a simple life...

Now I have nothing against the internet,,, its great,, its loaded with info to help us along,, But remember,,, Never forget the simple back to basics vacations.. spending time with family and friends and laugh and joke around a camp fire,,, get to know each other all over again..

And admit it... You can spot a 57 Chevy in a parking lot full of cars.

Now this memory also includes the women who get into their projects,

Young or Old,,, its a passion that just runs through our veins.

[Daniel Long]

Amen. That is the most detailed and well-written explanation of  what it means to be a vintage RV'er, Old School, or what else you would like to describe yourself. I grew up with B&W tv, just 4 channels (does one UHF channel count???) and only later got into the VCR/ computer part of things. My Dad never owed anyone anything and life was just fine for us kids. Thanks Lakota!