Well, there goes the neighborhood. First one old trailer moves in on Thursday afternoon, then another, and another, and another, untill by Saturday, 30 or so vintage campers crowded onto the Gilmore Museums display grounds. Property values, thought to have hit rock bottom in Michigan, plummeted even further as more and more of the rolling relics of the TCT moved in.
Kim and I rolled in Thursday afternoon, and set up camp as close as we could get to the electric board. The museum had some dying Ash trees removed recently, and the crews accidentally dug up the power cable while grinding the stumps, but they had it fixed in time for the Happy Campers arrival, although the “No A/C use please” rule is still in effect.
By Saturday morning, roughly 30 campers rolled in to park on the nicely shaded grounds, put the awnings out, kick back, relax and show off their rigs. The museum reports the biggest attendance day EVER, despite the 90+ degree temps, the crowds really seemed to enjoy trailers, campers and vintage motor coaches on display.
Kim and I had planned on staying Saturday night as well, but the threat of strong storms sent us back home, 2 1/2 miles away. By the time we got both awnings down, we decided we might as well just go home. Of course, then it didn’t storm at all.
We met lots of new folks, and had hundreds of people go through the Spartan and Tini-Home. We were honored to have been chosen “Best In Show”, and the ’51 Pontiac wagon received a “Top 50” honor as well. My personal favorite rig wasn’t a camper at all, but a ’64 Country Squire wagon pulling a mid 60’s Sanger flat bottom powered by an Ed Pink prepped, 6.71 blown, nitrous’d Ford Cammer. I’d like to ski behind that!
Our next outing will be the “Relix Riot” at the Gilmore in two weeks. Since the ’36 didn’t sell, we’ll still have a “traditional hot rod” to take…
Enjoy the pictures, and hopefully we’ll see you there next year!
If we missed anybody, my apologies. It’s a busy weekend, and I was awfully busy setting under the awning in front of a fan drinking Vodka & Tonics. Seriously, I did try to say hello to everybody that pulled in, and managed to only severely piss-off one guy, who had an admittedly very bad day, breaking down on the way there, and being too far from the elec. board to plug-in by the time he got there. Hey, you can’t please everybody.
Cool McCool's Garage 
Do you think that boat could get a fat guy like me outta the water. Sure was cool.
love the serro scotty’s 🙂 I see the siding you used for your little camper has some ‘wave’ to it now – does it expand in the heat maybe?
Yes, the Tini-Home is pretty “wavy” in the heat. It’s drum-head tight when it’s below 60. No wonder they have warranty issues with the stuff on RV’s, I don’t know how I’d have been able to glue the Filon to the Luan underneath and have it not separate, the expansion rates are so wildly dissilmilar. Smooth aluminum would do the same thing, although not quite as bad. Doesn’t bother me, and if it does down the road, I’ll pull the windows, take the stuff off and sheet it with aluminum as originally planned. For now, I’m happy with the “no maintainance” finish.
ahhh, that’s why they use corrugated aluminum then! Makes sense!
[…] Cool McCool took in the Tin Can Tourists show at the Gilmore last weekend and came back with several photos of some interesting […]
[…] Cool McCool took in the Tin Can Tourists show at the Gilmore last weekend and came back with several photos of some interesting […]