Vintage Station Wagon Living Article

[bobbert]

Thought I'd post a cool link to a web blog that makes mention of station wagon living/camping.<div>You can find the <a href="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/knitting_iris/2008/05/ford-treasury-o.html" target="_blank">blog here</a>.</div><div>Here's another article <a href="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/knitting_iris/2006/08/station_wagon_l.html" target="_blank">right here</a>.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/knitting_iris/images/2008/05/14/swl1_2.jpg"></div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/14/swl3.jpg"></div>

 

[bobbert]

<img src="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/14/stationwagonliving2030_2.jpg">

 

[bobbert]

<img src="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/knitting_iris/images/2008/05/14/swl4.jpg">

 

[bobbert]

<img src="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/stationwagon012_2.jpg">

 

[bobbert]

They sure don't make 'em like they used to eh'?

 

[bobbert]

<img src="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/stationwagon006.jpg">

 

[Les H]

Nice! You can find plans to make your own in 60's/70's back issues of popular mechanics magazines.

 

[lampliter]

Inspirational.<br>

 

[bobbert]

Funny that I found this, but Amazon has the actual book "Ford Treasury of Station Wagon Living" for sale, used, of course.<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ford-Treasury-Station-Wagon-Living/dp/B000GS6APU" target="_blank">Here's the link</a></div>

 

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Way cool!&nbsp; I remember sleeping in the back of a 78 Dodge Aspen station wagon and thinking about what a good camper it would make.&nbsp; Apparently the idea was thought of decades before.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Thanks for sharing... It makes us realize that this phenomena is nothing new.&nbsp; Fun stuff!</p>

 

[nitason]

<P>id like to have the car....its pretty cool</P>

 

[Cubey]

There is a second volume of "Station Wagon Living" which I have a copy of. They were put out by Ford and are basically small hardbound books of products from various companies (pretty outdated.. being from the 50s-60s after all) but they have lots of photos, info and recipes.<br><br>I tried station wagon living for a week (with a tent) in 2008 and it wasn't for me. It rained hard almost everyday and I got badly depressed and gave up after 6 nights.<br><br>

<br><br>

<br> <br>

 

[bobbert]

There is a second volume of "Station Wagon Living" which I have a copy of.&nbsp;<br>I tried station wagon living for a week (with a tent) in 2008 and it wasn't for me. It rained hard almost everyday and I got badly depressed and gave up after 6 nights.<br>

<div>hey-thanks for posting your copy of the book. Looking at the pic you provided, I'd like to have the Howco Chuck Wagon trailer!</div><div>Sorry that you got depressed after 6 nites- At least you've got vandwelling down pat though!</div>

 

[Cubey]

You're quite welcome. <br><br>I'm far from having vandwelling down. I slept in the conversion van I had once in a walmart parking lot is the closest thing. It wasn't converted for living though.<br>

 

[bobbert]

Wait a minute, aren't you from VanDwellers? Do you hail from the Cleveland area?

 

[Cubey]

Yes, I'm from VanDwellers but not from Cleveland. I am cubey2600 on the list.. if we're talking about the same thing. I am talking about the yahoo group.<br>

 

[bobbert]

Okay, sorry for the misunderstanding-thnx

 

[Seraphim]

<p>Neat thread - thanks for for the walk down memory lane lol.</p>

 

[Grizzly708]

<img src="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/stationwagon012_2.jpg">

I don't want to make it sound like they were everywhere in Michigan,  but you could see rooftop tents on wagons in many of the campgrounds in the upper peninsula.  You would see people sleeping in vans, pickup toppers, old International scouts, suburbans,  etc.
Good times .

 

[eDJ_]

Does this ever bring back memories of my Texas Grand Folks.  Granddad was set up like this when I was a kid and his old 59 Ford Wagon was his rig.   He had a small aluminum motor boat with a 5 hp Johnson outboard which he towed behind it so he could literally set up his own fishing camp anywhere along the "Red" (Red River). 

Only problem he had, and I remember him cussing them,  was the mice in the loft of his big garage that would chew on the tent canvas when it was stored.  He learned to mix cornmeal with concrete mortar and place bowls of it near the stored tent along with bowls of water.  Thus the mice would die of terminal constipation before they could do much damage to the tent. 

It was a few years before Vans as we know them today arrived on the scene. 

Before Vans there were these rigs which were called "Panel Truck's" (I believe) They were the delivery truck standard of small businesses such as Florist, Grocery Stores (which back then delivered grocery orders),  Auto Parts Stores, Newspaper Delivery (bundles to paperboys who delivered door to door),  Laundry & Dry Cleaners, and the like.   I've seen these fixed up with removable camping equipment as they were often used for a variety of jobs in those days.  As I remember those who did "full time" towed Airstream trailers with big Cadillac's or International Travelall's in groups or caravans.   (in those days Airstream trailers had numbers on the front and rear of them as I believe they were registered to the owner by that number)