The mythical, and much desired, travel trailer has suddenly joined our little family. Like Mist Cottage, it is tiny, old, and in need of tender loving care. We call our new addition Iris.
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We bought Iris yesterday. She is a 1977, Triple E, 14 foot (hitch to tailgate), fibreglass trailer. She has the original tiny refrigerator, a two burner propane stove, a small sink with a hand pump, and an propane heater; we don’t know if any of these appliances and amenities actually work. She is in reasonable shape for her age, with some rust on the metal components, and a few sags and wrinkles here and there, but she is roadworthy. We hope to bring her home next weekend. We had to drive quite a distance to have a look at her, it took us all day to drive there and back home again.
I have been looking at trailers ever since my 1971 Airstream Argosy was destroyed by a falling tree. I was heartbroken at the loss. We did not replace the Argosy. Until now, Attila had no time off in the summer months, not even weekends, so that camping was not a possibility. Until Tank we did not have a vehicle that would tow a trailer. Now that Attila has weekends free, and Tank is sitting in the driveway up for an adventure, camping is a possibility. And, the big bonus, this year we get a one week vacation in the summer months!
We have to laugh at ourselves, that as soon as we find ourselves in a position to pay our bills comfortably, we add a new one to the roster. Humans!
Worldly Distractions
Weather
3°C
Date: 5:00 AM EST Sunday 28 February 2016
Condition: Not observed
Pressure: 100.8 kPa
Tendency: rising
Temperature: 2.7°C
Dewpoint: -0.3°C
Humidity: 81%
Wind: WSW 13 km/h
Quote
“That’s who you really like. The people you can think out loud in front of.”
John Green
Hello there dear reader.
Congratulations on your find and welcome, Iris. We look forward to hearing of your adventures.
I know about that funding thing, but it’s also economical to strike when opportunity arises. That’s why we do all that high-tech juggling, isn’t it?
Thanks Wendy! You are correct about striking when the opportunity arises. After looking at these trailers for years, we felt really lucky to have found Iris, at a price point we could reach. Yep, it is why we do all that high-tech juggling!
Just to expand on your observation about striking when opportunity arises Wendy, I just read on a forum that someone else traveled to Canada from New York State, to buy the exact model and year trailer that we just bought. He said that he missed buying the trailer by one day. I think that might be the trailer we just bought! There are only a few of them for sale in Ontario, and this one was the only one in really good condition. We were told other people were thinking about buying it, and that the owner wouldn’t sell it for anything under his asking price, despite slightly lower offers, so we offered the ull price. If we had hesitated, I think we we would have lost it.
Best of luck with Iris and may you have many great adventures together. 🙂
Thank you Eileen! I am really looking forward to this summer 🙂
I hope you and Attila have the flexibility to be able to pick a warm and rain free week this summer so you can truly enjoy your holiday. I used to trailer a lot when the kids were small, but hated rainy conditions!
I always thought a camper was out of my price-reach till a friend offered his for $500. I thought it was a great price, because I had the money to write a cheque immediately. Since then, I have never used the camper for camping. It is parked in a shady spot in the farmyard, and in the summer I go there to sit alone, sometimes fiddle with my scrapbooks, write in my journal, or even just lie on the bed and listen to the birds. I love it as a little sanctuary. Glad you’ve found yours.
Diane, the company where Attila works slows down in the summer for two weeks, we will be assigned one of those weeks. We can apply for one week or the other, but Attila hasn’t had time to obtain the forms to make the application. We have our fingers crossed about the weather! We can however, choose the nicer weekends to camp for a few days at a time, which will be a novelty.
Kate, your camper retreat sounds wonderful, and the price was certainly right! We paid a lot more for our Iris, and were lucky to get her at that price. There is a lot of competition here in Ontario for older, well built travel trailers. The person who almost got Iris before we bought her traveled from the State of New York to have a look at her. There are a lot more available older trailers in Manitoba and all points west.
What a wonderful retreat! Cozy. I don’t think Iris will get that kind of use, because she will be resting in the front driveway, with the door facing the neighbour’s yard, not an appealing retreat!
I have my fingers crossed that camping hasn’t changed too much since Attila and I were last able to get away… 20 or so years ago now! I enjoyed camping in Provincial Parks, and had a seasonal site for a few summers when I was a single Mom, where I could take the girls away from the city in the summers. Loved it.
I adore your Iris. It will be so much fun for you both. Congrats.
We are delighted with Iris Bex! It is almost as much fun thinking about camping as it will be actually going camping.