Hi All, Thought I would introduce myself. I am wanting to get back into camping so I am looking for information as to which route to take. I am not a serious camper, more of a car camper type. That being said do I buy a station wagon and go camping or do I buy a station wagon and a period camper to be pulled by said car. I am already familiar with antique cars as I have a Model A. So now it comes down to the details, parts, availability etc. So I will be asking questions Thanks, Mike
This is a no-brainer. You do this. Station wagons are cool, but it's no fun to sleep in the back of one and basically be living in it. Wagons can be spacious, but not THAT spacious. Pulling a vintage trailer with one, though, would be both way more practical and very cool.
Thanks for the thanks for the welcome. I did not plan to sleep in it but since it is just me that is at least feasable. I am here to learn where to get parts and narrow down the makes and models. Thanks again and I hope I can eventually contribute something. Mike
Well, this wasn't clear from your post. You said: "do I buy a station wagon and go camping or do I buy a station wagon and a period camper" which I took to mean that you were either going to camp in the station wagon or camp in the period camper. You didn't make any mention of tents or sleeping out under the stars or anything like that for the first option, just that you were going to buy a station wagon and then go camping with or without a camper. Since people sometimes DO sleep in station wagons, I took that as your meaning.
Welcome Mike. I would agree that a station wagon/trailer combo would be the way to go (and as stated previously, be very cool) As to your question about parts availability I assume you are referring to aftermarket/reproduction parts? I would say first you need to decide on an era of car you are interested in. That will help narrow things down. Make and model are obviously going to play a role in available parts as well as interchangeability across the manufacturer, etc. In general the wagons are the same as the other cars of the same year in it's model lineup from the back of the front doors forward. Beyond that it's a crap shoot. Going rearward, most of the items will be wagon specific. There will be items shared with the sedans, but even then parts (like rear doors occasionally) can be different. I hope this has been helpful.
OrthmannJ's advice is excellent. I think the best thing you can do is buy a station wagon that is already in as good a shape as you can afford as it is much cheaper to buy an already good-condition, good-running car that needs little than it is to buy a cheaper one that needs more work and have to spend money to fix it up. This is essentially a cardinal rule in the old car hobby. You should buy as good a condition wagon as your budget allows. There are good '80s and '90s wagons appearing on craigslist and ebay all the time, and several members of this site more or less monitor those wagon-for-sale sites and post what they find here. If you just check back to this forum regularly and click on "new posts," you'll very quickly see what these people post and can probably find a decent wagon quickly. Mechanical parts for these cars are readily available and likely will be for years to come, so if you can find something that is already OK body, frame, and trim-wise, you'll be in good shape.
Sorry about the post. Sometimes my thoughts don't translate well to the written word. I would more interested in the earlier wagons. Probably from 70 or so back. If I get a vintage trailer one has to have the vintage car to toe with right.
aboard. As you are learning these guys know their stuff and are ready and willing to help where they can. I agree with there comments. Once you have made your car decision it will be easier to help you with your other questions. I am curious, what was given you the camping bug if your not much of a camper? There are definitely some very nice wagon/camper combo out there. I hope you find the one that matches your desire. Hope you enjoy our little corner of the web and all the forums available. Goodluck
I have not gone camping in years but saw this at this years Gatsby picnic. I thought 'oh yeah.....time to start thinking about it again.' That and I am a car guy plus I have always loved the look of the Olds Vista Cruiser's roof line. Mike
Welcome to the world of RV'ing and old wagons. The first things to do is look at station wagons of the style and type you personally like. Any large wagon such as a Buick or Olds Vista Cruiser can handle at least a 21' camper if set up correct. Don't worry about what we like. Also don't be afraid to toss an air matress, a cooler, picnic basket, in your new old station wagon and hit the road. There are still cheap motels and small parks for camping under the stars or falling snow. My wife and I have traveled on an old Harley with a one man pup tent, slept in other tents of all sizes, RV's and rental cabins. Alone with the bears in the woods or bumper to bumper in a Wal-Mart lot can be exciting. Admittedly we feel safer with bears than some of those people of Wal-Mart! But most won't bite if you are friendly. This wagon should be in decent mechanical shape and capable of pulling and stopping the camper of your choice. You will either buy or build such a wagon, add proper hitch, large radiator, trany cooler, and mirrors to see the trailer behind you. With older station wagons updating with newer drive train and disc brakes is the safest way to do it. Since you are begining with a dream I'd possibly even find the RV first, then a wagon that matches the era. To me, a 50's wagon looks great with 40's to 50's trailers and a mid 70's wagon looks nice with a 60's to 70's camper. However even back when none of this mattered people pulled any year RV, even new ones, with whatever station wagon they owned. Keeping it period correct now days just looks Kool. Keep in mind when locating that nice looking station wagon or camper on gregslist, an old RV, like the vehicle, is hiding way more than you may see on the outside. Updated wiring, tires and wheels, furnace, range, and bathroom may need a total restoration or upgrade. You are in luck since older RV's and tow rigs are more popular than ever. One of your next moves should be to check out and maybe join Tin-Can-Tourists with tips and vendors restoring and repairing classic campers of every style.
