Camping in the great outdoors has seldom appealed to me although I've enjoyed the experience in the few times I tried it, all of which happened when I was much younger and willing to put up with the inconveniences. Yet I've always been a restless soul, having resided in 113 homes or apartments during my lifetime. So it was no surprise when a few years ago a well-meaning associate suggested I should buy a mobile home and live in it, moving on whenever I was bored or the weather turned nasty.
For a brief time I actually gave the concept some semi-serious thought. As a Canadian I could live in the United States for just under six months a year, which would allow me to spend the winter in California, perhaps moving over to Arizona, New Mexico or Florida for a change of scene. Money wouldn't be a problem: As an active writer and automobile journalist "Have Computer, Will Travel" would be my motto. I'd attend all the great concours and classic car auctions and never worry about renting a room or the cost of eating out.
But I never made the commitment. Why? There were several reasons. For starters, I didn't fancy driving a vehicle the size of a large truck or bus. I could take a few lessons, of course, and as an experienced car guy could probably make the adjustments but a mobile home would not be suited to quick trips to the beach or the grocery store and the cost of fuel might be a deterrent. Nor did I fancy pulling a car, trailer-fashion, in order to have local transport wherever I settled. Motorcycle? Admire them, but no thanks.
How about a VW camper? Now that was more to my taste, having driven the fabled VW minibus many times in my Volkswagen days. Trouble is, the camper, especially the Westfalia, though brilliantly designed to include almost every convenience, lacked one that's very important to me. It doesn't have a 3-piece, or even 2-piece, washroom. And I'm a guy who dislikes public washrooms because of their lack of privacy. So after considering the idea I decided to stay put. Indeed, if I was to dwell in some sort of moveable home it was more likely to be a powerboat. (I did buy a 22' SeaRay, but it was too small for anything more than a weekend cruise.)
All the above came to mind when I received an e-mail attachment from Marque1 correspondent and good buddy, Nigel Matthews. By the time you read this he'll be in Arizona for the very first and long-overdue Arizona Biltmore Concours d'Elegance, where Nigel is chief judge for the Rolls-Royce and Bentley class, a pleasant assignment to say the least. When not at the Concours he'll be attending the various auctions on behalf of Hagerty Canada: Nigel is national director of sales and marketing.
The PPS file Nigel sent was a visual presentation of campers, trailers, mobile homes, and other extraordinary vehicles since the early days of the automobile. There being too many for one blog site I've included just a few to give you a taste, and maybe even a laugh. It is truly amazing how many ways man or woman has found to make life on the road possible, if not always comfortable. Seeing these vehicles almost, though not quite, made me wish I'd made that move.
Just a reminder: Marque1 offers three new blogs every week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Bookmark our home page and visit us regularly for the cars, the history, and the fun stuff.
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