Upgraded Camping Methods

In 1966 my wife and I decided after tenting for nine years in the Pacific Northwest we needed to upgrade our camping methods. As a young family of five with a big dog we bought a used 1950 something, fifteen foot Shasta Trailer.

My wife thought she was in heaven even though we did not have a furnace, hot water heater, refrigerator, toilet, water pump, or a gray water holding tank, and only a small ice box. Our maiden three day camping trip was into the Cascade Mts. We went to a remote camp on a river with no amenities except for a well with a hand pump and an outdoor privy. The price was right, it was free.

A couple of miles from the camp site the right hand wheel bearing on the trailer failed. We managed to drag our palace on wheels squeaking and squalling slowly into camp. Now what?

With no idea of what type of bearing was required or where to find one on a holiday weekend, the problem was compounded by another small situation, (limited funds).
I remembered from previous hunting trips to the area seeing a junked abandoned car over a cliff further in the hills. With limited tools i was able to remove a front wheel bearing and grease from the Chrysler Corporation vehicle. To make a long story short, it fit the Shasta and was still there when we upgraded to a seventeen foot self contained trailer in 1968. Subsequently we are in our fifth class “A” motor home.

We have visited every continental state and every province in Canada except Labrador by motor coach. We went to Labrador by boat because they do not have much of a road system.

With over fifty years of marriage and thousands of miles RVing, we plan to continue until our final trip to the campground above.

Sorry we don’t have a picture of the Shasta trailer that had wings on the back, but lots of memories anyway. ~Happy Trails to all RVers.

Submitted by Edward Haines of Sammamish, WA as a part of the RV Centennial Celebration “Share Your Favorite RV Memory” contest.

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