Last weekend we took our ’66 Globe Trotter camping for the first time in nearly three years. Discovered a few problems with it, the biggest was that our A frame jack seized up. Also, discovered a couple of minor leaks.

So, this week I’ve been addressing those issues. The leaks had me up on the roof. One source was a vent pipe that needed caulking. Then, as long as I was up there, I added some caulk to a vent and cleaned out the air conditioner. The fiberglass shroud on the A/C will need replacing soon. Woodpeckers have damaged it. They’ve actually pounded holes through it. For now, I patched them up with aluminum tape.

The jack hasn’t been resolved yet. I bought a new one, but it’s a poor fit and will be returned. The old one I finally managed to remove (it was such a tight fit that I initially thought it was welded). I’m going to take it apart today to see if it can be salvaged.

The rally was fun. It was held at the Starlite Classic Campground, about four miles north of the Royal Gorge and fifteen minutes west of Canon City, Colorado.

The campground was abandoned for years until the new owners purchased it just last year. They are creating a Rocky Mountain Mid-Century Modern version similar to the Shady Dell in Bisbee, Arizona. They’ve accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, and have a very respectable collection of vintage trailers available for rent, with a bunch more waiting for restoration.

Just a few of the vintage trailers available.

The rally participants were mostly Airstreams though. I was hoping for more alternate brands. Still, Allen and Barb Dice’s 1959 Flamingo was a hit in pink. Only fifteen and a half feet in length it can sleep up to six.

Of the Airstreams in the group, the star was Rob & Shari Davis’s 1956 Safari. It won VAC Best of Show at last year’s WBCCI International Rally in Gilette, Wyoming. They also hosted the rally and did a great job – thanks you guys!

Dice's 1959 FlamingoThe Flamingo's dinette is pretty in pink.

The rear of the Flamingo's interior. Notice the fold down overhead bunk.

The Davis's 1956 Safari and Chevy Suburban

Luke Bernander's TCT hood ornament. The slide in camper is an Avion of course, despite the Airstream label.

Being so close to the Royal Gorge we had to take a field trip there. Both Patrice and I have walked across the bridge when we were kids, but neither of us had ever  been down in the canyon itself. So, with five other friends we took a train ride from Canon City through the gorge. It was a bit pricey, but since it was our one and only time, it was well worth the cost.

 

The Royal Gorge sports the world’s highest suspension bridge and spans the Arkansas River at a height of 1053 feet.

The train we rode dated from the Fifties. It was a leisurely trip, and I doubt the train ever exceeded 25 mph.

The Royal Gorge bridge from "down under."

A shot of the dome cars from an open air flat car.

A Spartan Manor awaiting restoration. In background, clouds shroud the snow covered Sangre De Christo mountains.