Aristocrat Mainliner & a Tin Can Tourist from Sean Michael on Vimeo.

Since this was a vintage show, each car predated the year 1976. There was a nice variety of cars on hand, ranging from an immaculate 1949 MG roadster to a 1960 Corvette to a pair of beautiful 1950s VW Beetles. There were several vintage pickup trucks that looked as if they just rolled off the showroom floor. Amongst all of the shiny mechanical gear, there was one standout vehicle. Yes, we spied a lovely vintage CAMPER resting alongside all of the cars and trucks.

Naturally, my curiosity was piqued. Who brings a camper to a car show? I had to find out. It turns out that Alex, the owner of the 1965 Aristocrat Mainliner, is a kindred spirit in more ways than one. She graciously hosted an open house of sorts, answering questions about her camper. A member of the Tin Can Tourists vintage camping club, she brought the camper to the car show just for fun.

She has owned the camper for about three years, she said. It is in pristine original condition, and for a camper that’s almost FIFTY years old this is no small feat. She bought the camper via eBay from its owners in Salt Lake City; I suspect that dry Utah desert air (along with decades of conscientious ownership) had something to do with preserving the Aristocrat over the years.

If I had to choose one word to describe Alex’s vintage camper, it would be “original.” For the most part, the camper is obviously in its original form. Alex explained that she carefully sought an unmolested example of the brand. In those places where her camper required some restoration and upgrading (for example, the curtains) she made careful period-appropriate selections.

The interior displays a decorator’s touch, with a variety of playful art. One painting celebrates “Hoppy,” the nickname Alex chose for her Aristocrat camper. “That’s the nickname,” Alex explained, “because she just hops along as we travel down the highway.”

Note that Alex’s camper is not a museum piece or a garage queen. She enjoys the Aristocrat in the manner originally intended: CAMPING! She has taken it to Tin Can Tourist rallies. “Hoppy” is a means of exploring the region, meeting people, and getting more out of life.

After speaking with Alex for a bit, we discovered that we share several common interests. In addition to enthusiasm for vintage vehicles and camping, we both are passionate about video. (Making quality video is kind of like making blood sausage, but a few of us sickos actually enjoy the process.) Alex has done a lot of work with television, while Kristy and I have had a few brief interludes with HGTV and the Travel Channel.

“I wasn’t sure about bringing this camper to a vintage car show,” Alex said, “but you never know who you’re going to meet.”

Indeed. That’s the spirit that makes events like vintage car shows and camping rallies tick. It all goes back to that phrase adopted by the Porsche Club: IT’S THE PEOPLE.

Sure, Kristy and I are Airstream enthusiasts. We’re also RV enthusiasts, vintage camping enthusiasts, car enthusiasts, and motorcycle enthusiasts. It’s more about mindset than it is the product or lifestyle in question. We’re enthusiasts of cool people and the fun activities they pursue.

From the guy who lovingly restored his workhorse 1970 Chevy pickup truck (winning the “best paint” award in the process) to Alex and her fantastic 1965 Aristocrat Mainliner – it’s always rewarding to meet kindred spirits.

Special thanks to Alex Alexander for sharing “Hoppy” with the rest of us.

Selling books out of the trunk of a car - LITERALLY!

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An artist, Michael works from the road. He hasn’t always pursued this lifestyle. He was once fully engaged in the New York rat race, plugging away at commercial art for an advertising firm. He was racking up a collection of all the material possessions we’re taught to desire.

“I had the house… the car … the boat. Heck, I even had a motorcycle,” he said.

But one day, he decided that his relentless pursuit of stuff wasn’t delivering satisfaction. So he hit the reset button on his career. He rebooted his life.

He sold everything, traded his cubicle for an Airstream, and hit the road. Ten years later, the “Artstream” is still going strong.

Liberated from most material possessions and their collective financial weight, he was free to create the art he wanted to create. He started creating it in places he wanted to visit. He’s spent the last decade exploring North America.

The New Yorker who had never experienced the American West now professes a love of the desert. Like many full-timers, he’s technically a resident of South Dakota – - simply because that state has the most favorable tax and residency regulations. He’s constantly on the go, exploring what lies beyond the next horizon.

He’s become a favorite on the Airstream scene. A few years ago he started creating art inspired by the iconic silver trailers. It has been well received. Order artwork from Michael (CampstreamUSA.com), and he’ll create it in his Airstream . He’ll even customize it to your wishes. Then he’ll drop it in the mailbox, wherever he may be.

We all have vastly different and equally valid reasons for camping. The full-time lifestyle appeals to a select few RV owners whose wanderlust is not satisfied by the occasional trip or two weeks of vacation. For these people, the journey truly is the destination. The “trip” is their lifestyle, as career seamlessly dovetails with travel.

“This life is not for everyone,” Michael concedes.

But for one artist, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

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“How did this happen,” you ask? (And yes, I can hear you snickering.)

It was easy! On an Airstream there are two door locks. One of these is a deadbolt-style lock. We use it on a daily basis.

The second lock is a sliding door lock that allows you to EXIT the camper, but prevents you from getting back inside! It puts your Airstream door into hotel door mode, if you know what I mean. This lock we call “THE FORBIDDEN LOCK.” Quite frankly, I don’t think this lock serves much purpose, other than to lock unwitting campers out of their rig. I mean, you’ve already got the deadbolt for security purposes. The forbidden lock is just kind of cruel. It just lies there, like a spider, just waiting to pounce.

So we never (intentionally) use the forbidden lock. But somehow, the other day we must’ve managed to accidentally bump the sliding lever that engages the lock. Voila! Soon enough, we found ourselves locked outside our Airstream. It was about 8 o’clock at night, the sun was setting, and I SWEAR we heard some wolves howling in the distance. And if you’re wondering why we didn’t capture this episode on film, it’s because EVERYTHING WE NEEDED WAS LOCKED INSIDE OUR RV. Our spare keys, our cameras, and our emergency phone numbers were all inside the rig. Using our cell phones, we called FIVE local locksmiths — noone bothered to answer the phone. Yes, we were in a proverbial pickle.

Little did we realize that being LOCKED OUT OF OUR RV would blossom into a wonderful experience. After searching in vain for spare keys, we glumly trudged to the campground clubhouse, prepared to spend the night on a sofa. But lo and behold, the members of the Siglo de Oro (“Century of Gold”) RV Club were having a rally.

To make a long story short, once we announced our problem to the club, they quickly “rallied” to our aid. We made some new friends who quickly put us at ease. It seems that just about everyone gets locked out of their rig, sooner or later. “If you RV long enough,” one said, “EVERYTHING will eventually happen to you.” Phone calls were made. One person managed to secure the late night services of a locksmith! Soon, we were back inside our Airstream. I must say that the interior of a 25-foot travel trailer never felt so grand.

The next day, we visited with club members at their luncheon. We really had a FANTASTIC time meeting these folks. The RV lifestyle really attracts a down-to-earth crowd of “top quality people.” Frankly, I was inspired by this happy group. They get together simply because they enjoy getting together. Their meetings are filled with laughter, love, and fellowship.

After we left the rally, I turned to my wife. “You know,” I said, “If we hadn’t been locked out of our RV, we never would’ve met those great people.”

Here’s the strange thing about the whole experience. You might ask me, “Sean, suppose you could go back in time and CHOOSE whether or not to lock yourself out of your RV? What would you do?”

The answer is easy. I’d lock myself out all over again. Every time.

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