Myrtle in the Media

It has been an exciting month for Myrtle! She was recently featured in a terrific article, complete with photos, on the website My Star Collector Car! Check out the interview and photos which were taken at her first car show.

Secondly, Myrtle's blog was featured as one of the top Calgary Lifestyle Blogs by the Calgary Herald!

Then and Now

I thought I'd post a few pictures comparing Myrtle's original condition to her condition now. In these photos you can see her back view and an interior ceiling view. In the back view photos you will see how much more vibrant her color is after washing and waxing. In the ceiling picture, where the ceiling tiles are missing you can note the new wiring that was in progress.

Myrtle as Muse

Myrtle's image has been turned into a lovely painting by the awesome Kate Schutz: Paint and Illustration. (She takes commissions as well!)

Check out the post here; Myrtle as Muse

Neat blog find

Check out this great site, Vol25 for details on an awesome restored 1976 Sportscoach. As you can see from the photos the restoration is amazing with such lovely style!(photos courtesy the Vol25 site). As well the Vol25 site has written up a little review of Myrtle which can be found here: Myrtle the Motorhome

Myrtle's first car show!

Myrtle made it to her first car show, which was just for vintage RV's. There were about 13 units at the show. It was mostly trailers; including a few airstreams and shastas. As well there were two vintage bus conversions. Myrtle was the only motorhome! Many people toured Myrtle and complimented her vintage interior. We are hopeful to attend some more car shows in the future.

Dodge Builds Tough Trucks Operator's Manual

I was lucky to be able to purchase this little gem book with a box of assorted Travco and Dodge truck documents. Some documents include items literature for the dometic fridge, brochures and manuals for the Onan generator (which Myrtle never had when I got her) and documents for the old Travco Motorcade Association. In the future, I plan on adding full PDF's of some of these resources.

A new Travco blogger

Check out Next Stop Lunch a blog about 1973 Travco 220! (photo from the blog)

Myrtle's Meanderings

We made our annual trip to Waterton Lakes National Park and enjoyed two very comfortable nights in Myrtle. She made the eight hour round trip with no concerns, but with many looks from passing motorists. We handed out more of her business cards that have her photo and blog address. No wonder the blog now has over 16, 000 views!

Mini-Myrtle

This is a 1969 Dodge Family Wagon with a 318 motor that is currently for sale on Ebay, item number 180688534791. I am not affiliated with it but I thought it looked neat and matches Myrtle! (Photo is from the Ebay ad).

Scenic shots

These photos were taken in Southern Alberta in the summer of 2010.

More exterior photos

These photos were taken in the summer of 2010 near Waterton National Park.

More interior shots

Here are a few more photos to show some of the interior features. The closet doors and shelves were completely rebuilt by my awesome father in law. We painted them blue inside for a little surprise and to see the contents more easily. In another photo you can see the orange couch across from the brown bench. The brown bench cushions are original but will eventually be replaced as the interior foam is quite degraded. The bench has storage underneath. The orange couch was a thrift store find that we installed right into Myrtle. It folds down to make and extra bed too! At the back of this photo you can see the vintage blue and white blanket covering the double bed. In the other photo you can see the kitchen, complete with vintage cookware. The lower drawers and the cabinets we rebuilt and the sliding up cabinet wood doors were replaced. We used the old damaged wood for patterns and keep the look the same as original.

23 Feet

A very interesting looking film! From the 23 Feet website: "23 Feet is film about a community of people who make the conscious choice to live simply to do what they love in the great outdoors. Three women set out across the west in their 23 foot, 1970 Airstream to search for the stories of people who have turned their backs on the creature comforts of society to live in school buses, vans, and other small spaces. From an inspiring campfire chat with legendary Yosemite climber Ron Kauk, to hearing the powerful story of a woman who changed her whole life for surfing, 23 Feet gives an intimate look at the ups and downs of dedicating your life to your outdoor passion."

23 Feet Trailer from Allie Bombach on Vimeo.

Ford Handi-Van

An interesting motorhome, Ford Handi-Van, I spotted the other day. It is quite wide and I wonder how it handles on the road.

Myrtle in the UK Independent Traveller Magazine!

Very exciting news that the terrific book, My Cool Campervan, which features Myrtle, has been reviewed in the May 28, 2011 edition of the Independent Traveller magazine. As you can see from the photo they feature Myrtle prominently! (To check out more photos from the book click on the Independent Traveller Magazine.)

Some cousins

I saw these two great old motor homes today. The first is the Empress Dodge and then the bright orange GMC.





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My Cool Campervan Book

I am very excited about the upcoming release of the "My Cool Campervan" Book, written by Jane Field-Lewis & Chris Haddon. The book is a follow up to "My Cool Caravan: An inspirational Guide to Retro Style Caravans."

In the photos you can see a sneak peek of the the new book, front and back cover. Do you notice anything special on the back cover? Take a good look at the bottom right corner.... Why yes it is a photo of the dashing Myrtle making her literary debut! I anxiously await the release of the book in May 2011 so I can see her in all her glory, among the pages of many magnificent specimens! If you would also like to order a book check out the amazon listing: My Cool Campervan

Travco Accessory: The Valmobile Folding Scooter

The photo was taken at the Barber Vintage Museum and was photographed by Chuck Schutz as found posted on his Flickr stream.

I first became aware of the Valmobile Folding Scooter when I saw it listed in a Travco Brochure of Optional Equipment.

Sadly Myrtle was not so lucky to come with a matching Valmobile! These scooters were often called suitcase scooters and were made in Japan in the 1950's and 1960's. You can read more about this little gem in this article: https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/motorcycles/item/valmobile-fold-away-scooter-1950. This flickr photo link shows the: Valmobile with Sidecar!