Wendy's 1959 Shasta Travel Trailer

Cove Palisades State Park, Central Oregon on Lake Billy Chinook

2008-09-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

If you're a guy with a Dodge truck, a speedboat and you want to show off - this is the place to be. I on the other hand found a very nice, shady spot in the upper campground away from all the noise.

Electric Site #14

Harris Beach State Park, Oregon

2008-09-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

This campground is near the California border - near the town of Brookings. I arrived without a reservation, on a busy Friday night, but I lucked out and had a nice electric site with privacy hedges all around. It was fun to explore a different part of the Oregon Coast

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Cape Sebastian

Arch Rock

Camping near Crater Lake Natioanl Park, Oregon

2008-09-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

I took a week off to explore the area around Crater Lake and the Southern Oregon Coast. I spent the day slowly going around Crater Lake on the Rim Road. The sky was a little hazy due to the California wildfires.

I had reservations at Joseph Stewart Campground about 40 miles from Crater Lake. If I had known ahead of time that my spot was next to the playground I would have stayed elsewhere! The site was open and noisy.

Historic Crater Lake Lodge

Painting Question

2008-07-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

I have received many inquiries as to where I had my trailer painted. It's hard to reply when a comment has been left on this blog so if you have specific questions and would like an answer, leave an email address or email me at

wthesenga@hotmail.com

My trailer was painted at Jacks Auto Body in The Dalles, Oregon. It was recommended to me by a co-worker who had several vehicles painted by them. I could not have been happier with the care they took with my Shasta and I think the final result speaks for itself. The paint job cost me about $2200 without any body work done. They used high grade, high gloss automotive quality paint.

http://www.jacksbodyshop.net

Gorgeous camping on Mount Hood, Oregon

2008-06-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Timothy Lake has four campgrounds surrounding it. I had been to this one, Gone Creek Campground, last summer. I went up to Mount Hood seeking relief from the heat down in Hood River - what I found was a beautiful setting and great sites along the lake. Last summer it was crowded and noisy, this year, with the snow pack melting slower than normal - the campground was all but deserted - in fact, my first night there I was the only camper!

Back to Clyde Holiday State Park

2008-06-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Beautiful scenery near Mitchell, Oregon

This state park is near John Day, Oregon. I camped here before - very nice campground with large sites, well sheltered with mature trees, and hook-ups.

This is space #21

Craters Of The Moon

2008-06-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Craters Of The Moon National Monument is about 25 miles from Arco, Idaho. Famous for the nuclear testing that was done here.

It takes awhile to find this place, but it's worth it! Both of my brother's recommended it as a neat place to check out. Camp sites are right in the middle of the old lava flow. No wood fires allowed, but charcoal ones are. It's a pretty quiet campground, nice for a night, maybe two.

This is Space #18 - no hook-ups.

One of many surreal landscapes you find within this area.

First Camping Trip of 2008

2008-05-13T18:26:00.001-07:00

Here's my trailer with it's vintage striped awning attached.

Beautiful week at the Oregon Coast! Great weather, quiet campground, delicious seafood and I'm finally back in my trailer again!

Wind Farms

2007-08-17T01:43:00.000-07:00

On the drive down to the John Day area of Oregon, you pass by huge rolling hills of wheat and a few small towns. At one point I came over a hill and saw all these modern windmills. My little Shasta seemed tiny next to them.

Camping in John Day, Oregon

2007-08-17T01:10:00.000-07:00

After last week's disapointing drive to the coast, I decided to go to Eastern Oregon this week. The drive down through small towns and along the river was much more peaceful than the tourist highway to the coast.

The campground at Clyde Holiday Recreation Area was GREEN, GREEN, GREEN! Nice manicured lawns and HUGE sites. I felt like I had a huge back yard all to myself.

The shade was much appreciated after a long day exploring the fossil beds in nearby John Day.

COLD camping in Mt. Hood National Forest

2007-08-10T03:52:00.000-07:00

I drove back over Mt. Hood from my trip to the Coast. Checked out a few campgrounds along the way but decided to try and get a river side spot at Nottingham campground in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

This is a well-known (by the locals here) campground about 25 miles from Hood River. It doesn't have hook-ups or flush toilets, but it has a river that runs about 20 feet from the camp sites, beautiful trees, and white sand!

The perfect place to plant a recliner, grab a book and relax in the sun.

The days were hot and I dipped into the river to cool off. At night it got down to 42 degrees and I had to bundle up inside my little trailer.

Beach Camping

2007-08-10T02:53:00.000-07:00

Going to the Coast for a few days of quiet.

I started out for Fort Stevens State Park, but when I got there it was way too crowded, and noisy. I kept driving down the coast to places I had seen or stayed at before. Last time I was at Nehalem Bay campground, it was wet, cold and deserted. This time there were only 3 spots left! It's hard to find a camping spot on the Coast in August without a reservation. I finally decided to try a campgound near, but away from the Coast - Nehalem Falls Campground. I was rewarded with a quiet, beautiful, cool place. It continued to rain through the night, but it was peaceful.

This campground is in a huge stand of cedar trees, lots of lush green ferns and moss. It was wet and rainy so I didn't take the hike to see the falls for which the campground was named. I'm sure I'll be back though - so next time.

Camping with Lisa at Lower Falls

2007-07-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

Lisa and I went across the Columbia River to Washington State, into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. We camped at Lower Falls Campground - it was nice and quiet, barely anyone there except a lot of nats, flies and a few mosquitos.

Upper Falls of the Lewis River

Lisa along the 5 mile trek to the Middle and Upper Falls. The trail goes through beautiful old growth forests and follows the river bank. Wonderful trail, cool in the shade of all the trees.

Lisa getting the fire going at our campsite at Lower Falls Campground

My classic trailer in a classic campground!

Timothy Lake/Gone Creek Campground

2007-07-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Escaping the heat in the city for a night of quiet camping in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

Beachside Campground, June 18th-20th

2007-06-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Finally some good weather at the Oregon Coast. This is #78 at Beachside Campground. Lots of shade for sunny days.

This campground has water and electric hook-ups.

The next time I visit, I need to remember a hammock!

First Camping Trip of 2007

2007-03-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

March is here, the snow is gone from Hood River, and I was so anxious after seeing my trailer covered in my driveway all winter, to uncover, restock it and get out and CAMP! So Last weekend I went to the beautiful Oregon Coast for four nights of early spring - read "chilly!", camping. First stop was this campside at Nehalem Bay Campground. Not too many people in this huge campground so it was nice and peaceful, but rainy and cold.

Next, I drove further down the coast to the smaller Beachside Campground, just three miles south of Waldport, Oregon.

I really like this campground. It's small, is right on the beach, has great level spots to park, nice firepits and tables and very HOT showers!

My spot was situated so when I parked my trailer and opened the door all I saw was ocean. Beautiful and peaceful. And th elast few days of camping the sun came out and it was warm - in the 60's.

Wendy's Shasta

2006-08-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

Camping at Lost Lake

2006-08-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

It's been very HOT here in Oregon - I went camping mid-week, to escape the heat, at a very popular campground, Lost Lake in Dee, Oregon.

Summer Camping

2006-08-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

Just back from a great campsite in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State. MANY, many beautiful camping areas. I stayed at the Lower Falls Campground. Huge old growth forest, nice sites, good area to day-trip to Mt St. Helens. Each campsite has good tables and firepits. Lots of hiking trails all around the camp area.

Milo McIver Campground
Estacada, Oregon

WINGS!

2006-08-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Finally! My trailer has it's wings........

Painting the exterior.....

2006-08-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

I did very little with my trailer over the Winter, so by February, I was ready to get serious with the outside. I had to decide on a color scheme for the outside and find a body shop to do the job. I did virtually nothing in the way of prep work before the body shop took over. I did remove the drip caps, decal plates and outside weatherstripping from the windows. I did not remove the windows. I had the trailer painted a two-tone sandy tan and light green. I kept the original aluminum strip that divides the two colors - the body shop shined this up for me!

BEFORE........These pictures are from the day I brought my trailer home.

AFTER..........a brand new paint job! This is the day I got it back from the body shop. The wings and drip caps have yet to be put on.

The body shop also applied new reproduction "Shasta Trailers" decals. I bought these on eBay and was very happy with the quality. I was able to choose the color of the decals so I had them match the dark gray color of the trailer tongue, step and bumper were painted.

Updated Interior

2006-08-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

The interior of my Shasta has almost been completed. I've decided not to replace the stove/oven - I prefer cooking outside the trailer - so I'm making that space into an extra seat, with the Porta-Potty hidden in a false front door under it.

After many rain storms this Spring I have noticed no leaks around the windows or vents - so all the hard work replacing the water-damaged wood and repairing the seals around the windows has paid off!

I connected the water line through the new pressure valve my Dad installed - works great! He also added a new piece of hose to connect to a gray water container.

New Floor

2006-08-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

I was unable to find the old-style linoleum that I had in mind, so I opted for a semi-permanent solution - industrial style cartpet tiles. After cleaning the floor and sealing the hole where the propane floor heater had been, it was an easy job to apply the carpet tiles. I was immediately happy with the results. It's surprisingly snug and cozy inside now.

New Cushions and Blinds

2005-10-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Finally the inside is taking shape. The new cushions have been installed - they are a rich textured blue with beige piping around the edges. New 2" metal blinds with a soft green tape have been placed on all the windows except the one above the sink and the large front window - these windows will have curtains. I picked a light colored shade instead of a wood shade so that they would be noticed and not blend in with the birch walls. Once the outside is painted the blinds will look even better. It is starting to look more like the vision I had when I bought it - little by little! The narrow tires were replaced by a wider tread with shiny new chrome rims and hubcaps. This change makes the trailer ride so much smoother - a big improvement.

Painting the Icebox

2005-10-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

I absolutely hate the burnt brown color of the original appliances. The first thing I wanted to do was rip out the stove and fridge. The stove came out easily and the space that remains is going to be for additional seating and underneath will be a porta pottie. When it came to the fridge though, I decided to keep it. It's actually an ice box and was in good shape. At some point the previous owner replaced the insulation around the icebox and secured it back into it's place with some newer wood trim. We took the trim off and had planned to remove the whole icebox to paint it. This plan hit a snag when we discovered that the width of the appliance was wider than the door! But my determined Dad, carefully removed part of the door trim and we gently coaxed the icebox through the door. I took the front off, sanded the interior and exterior, then applied three coats of a beige appliance paint. The drainage line in the icebox was replaced and a new inside silicone cauking around the seams made it water tight again. Before putting it back into it's place, new insulation, the same as we used in the side of the trailer, was put around the icebox. I love how the fridge looks now!

Repairing the Screen Door

2005-10-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

One of the things I loved about this trailer was that the original screen door was intact. But it needed a little TLC. I took the door off, took it apart, sanded the pieces, replaced the screens and then stained the whole door again. I think it turned out great. Everytime I open the trailer door and see that screen door, it makes me smile! The wood at the bottom of the door was rotted so we cut it off at the rot and will replace it with a piece of birch to match. Right now it has a temporary piece of plywood in place. I also sanded the outside door's wood and gave it a fresh coat of stain.

Getting rid of the Propane Line

2005-10-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

I've decided to not use propane in my Shasta for the time being. So the old propane line wa pulled out when we redid the water system. And it's a good thing we never hooked the line up! Take a look at the break in the line.

Replacing the Front Window

2005-10-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

One of the front glass panes was broken when I bought my Shasta. To transport my trailer back home, we taped red duct tape to the shattered glass to keep it intact until it could be repaired back at home. I lived with that ugly duct tape on my trailer for so long I almost didn't "see" it anymore after awhile. But this summer, in the warm weather we tackled the job of replacing the pane of glass. To do this we had to remove the entire front window because the pane of glass slides in from the side versus going in straight forward. But to my surprise the window came out easily, and it gave me the opportunity to inspect the seal and replace the screws with new stainless steel ones. The rain gutter came off first, then the window screws were removed and the window gently bent forward and lifted out. The pane of glass came out easily, and cost only $7.00 to replace. While the window was out I cleaned up the built up grime and scrubbed the screen. The new glass slid in easily and since the sticky seal was still in great shape we put the window back in and fastened the new screws. It looks amazing and is water tight.

Water Tank/Water Line Repair

2005-10-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

The original metal water tank was not water tight. It had corroded around the in/outlets and looked to have been repaired at some point with lead - so I opted to have the whole thing replaced with a new plastic tank and all new fittings. The lines from the tank to the sink, and the grey water line from the sink to the outside was replaced. This was relatively easy with the help of my Dad and the local RV store who helped us get all the right finishing fittings. The tank is located in the original area beneath one of the dinettes. New support wood was placed before putting the dinette cushions back in. The front of the dinette cushion was fitted with hinges so you can easily lift up the cushion and access the water tank and electrical system if need be.

New Water Line

2005-10-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Instead of using the water tank all the time, I wanted the option of hooking up to an outside hose, right to my sink. So a hole (yikes!) was cut into the side of the trailer and a new pressure regulated outlet put in. I think it turned out well, you don't notice it much and it works great. I now have a fully functioning water system, and back up tank.

Before, During, After

2005-08-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

This is what the Shasta looked like when I picked it up.....

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Front inside with the dinettes removed and water damage more visable......

The new walls before I stained them.

Many THANKS to my great Dad for all the hard work!!!

Birch repair continued the next day.......

2005-08-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here's my Dad putting up new wood after I've cut and placed the new insulation.

New birch wall before the window was cut out.

Birch repair

2005-08-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

So my dad was nice enough to tackle the job of taking out the old paneling, repairing/replacing any rotten support wood, then installing new insulation and new birch paneling. He removed the old metal water tank and we deconstructed the dinette bases. The left side on was in pretty bad shape and will need to be rebuilt.

I was amazed how little made up the walls of the trailer! We did not "peel" back the aluminum skin of the trailer; instead all the wall repair work was done from the inside.

Beginning the inside repair..........

2005-08-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

With the dinette cushions removed, and being redone at the upholster, we could begin to see the extent of the water damage.

The ugly brown stove/oven and upper vent were removed. The propane floor heater was removed and the resulting hole in the floor was temporarily patched with a piece of wood and plastic, to limit moisture entering the trailer until I decide what type of new flooring I'd like to have.

"Before" pictures

2005-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of the Shasta before I did anything to it. I hate the brown color of the refridgerator - a detail that will be addressed later on. I think the curtains surrounding the back windows were original - the color matched the dinettes, a nasty mustard yellow! The floor was in great shape, with the tiles all intact and not warped.

The Shasta's Winter home

2005-08-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Shasta spent the winter under cover up at my parents ranch. It had water damage around the front side and back center windows so I had to do some repairs before I could leave it out in the open.

I arrived home in the middle of the night - my neighbors must have wondered when they woke to the site of the Shasta in my driveway. But after a few short days parked at my house I moved it to it's winter home.

Picking up the Shasta

2005-07-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures of the Shasta on the day we picked it up in Chetek, Wisconsin. In preparation for the drive back to West Coast, the wheel bearings had been greased and new tires put on. I had working lights and because of the weight of the trailer, roughly 1600 lbs, I didn't need trailer brakes. My Toyota 4Runner pulled the trailer without any problems.

I liked this trailer because it had the key design elements I was looking for and it only needed minor renovation to make it functional again. I liked that it had a wood screen door, the original metal Shasta logo, the "S" magazine rack, and a birchwood interior that was in passable shape. And of course that wonderful "canned ham" shape. The aluminum exterior was in good shape also. Obviously it needed a new paint job, but I was looking forward to finding a new color scheme for it. There were a few negatives to the trailer - like it had a broken front window, no active propane line, questionable electrical wiring, and no wings.

Bringing the Shasta home to the Gorge

2005-06-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

Last year I found the trailer I had been searching for - an older model Shasta. I found it with the help of eBay - the only problem was it was located in Wisconsin - and I live in Oregon. After submitting the winning bid, I enlisted the help of my Dad, who drove with me to Chetek, Wisconsin to pick up my trailer and instruct me in a little "trailering 101".