A blog dedicated to our 1964 Dodge Travco motorhome, named Myrtle, and our camping adventures. The blog also chronicles the restoration process and offers resources and tips to other travco owners.
We came across this fabulous Calgary vintage company, Reclaimed Trading Company, specializing in reclaimed items, industrial vintage and assorted interesting antiques. In addition they had a nice collection of vintage trailers for sale. They also restore trailers. Check it out:
On Myrtle's last trip she was a little testy with starting so today we spent sometime investigating. We originally thought of her ballast resistors but then remembered we had upgraded her to a new electronic ignition. We picked up a new starter relay from Napa (part #SR4) and installed it. She starts up great!
This video walks you through the interior of Myrtle. You will notice that her windshields and side cab windows have been replaced. The original windows leaked a lot and the windshields were cracked. You can read about the replacement process here: New Glass. Myrtle did have her front cab seats but they were small, not well mounted and lacked shoulder belts. We put in new seats, that came from a wrecked modern motorhome, and had them recovered un funky gold and bronze vinyl. We also installed brand new seat belts, with shoulder belts.
Another new addition is the orange couch. Myrtle was missing her dinette and original couch when we got her. The couch was found at a second hand store and actually folds down into a bed. We built it in so it is not movable. The brown cushions are the original cushions from her original couch which we have place on the newly built wood bench (with storage inside).
The lower cabinets and drawers in the kitchen area were rebuilt (new drawers and new fronts on the cabinets). We painted the interiors blue in order to find things easier and it looks neat. The closet has new doors and the small cabinet area beside it was rebuilt with new shelves and doors. All the doors are outfitted in copper coloured vintage pulls (not original to Myrtle). Within the lower closet area, hidden from view, are Myrtle's two 6 volt, golf cart batteries, and her sine wave inverter, for her solar power system (2 panels on the roof). Luckily Myrtle has retained her lovely original light fixtures which now sport modern LED lightbulbs.
The bathroom remains untouched and original. The bed area used to have a small cabinet at the head with a sliding door. It was not needed so we removed it and but in a custom made mattress that fills the entire area. It's great to have some more leg room. Underneath the bed is a new water tank.
Through out Myrtle you will notice vintage decorations, linen and kitchenware. Her front curtains are vintage and were found in brand new condition. Her rear curtains are also vintage but were in a little ore worn condition when found. All curtains have been back with new protective materials and cut and sewn to size. Myrtle even has matching curtains to cover her cab area at night. Myrtle is also outfitted with a variety of vintage touches; white and blue starburst pattern dishes, Catherine Holm pots, a turquoise electric mixer, assorted canisters etc.
We spent a terrific 3 nights camping in the townsite of our favourite National Park: Waterton Lakes National Park. From our calculations Myrtle did about 9 miles per gallon. We intend to do some more major engine work on her at some point so we will see if that makes a difference on her MPG. She did well on the trip there and back, about 540 kms roundtrip.
We made two videos of her at the campground, one exterior and one interior. The exterior is below and shows off some details such as her replaced windshields, tires, and her freshly waxed, original, gelcoat, fibreglass.
We took Myrtle out on a short trip in Central Alberta, about 100 kms each way. We got off to a late start as we spent the morning replacing her broken exhaust manifold. We lucked out and found a replacement exhaust manifold a few years ago. At that time we replaced the other side which was broken, this year it was time for this side! The bolts were hard to remove and some had to be drilled out.
Once we got on the road we had a smooth ride and enjoyed our trip.
I had thought we'd lost the original photos of Myrtle as she appeared when we bought her, 5 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised to re-discover them today! As you can see from the photos we have done a lot to improve the interior. She now has new coach chairs (complete with new re-inforced floor underneath and shoulder/lap seat-belts), new flooring, a new (vintage) fold down couch, built a bench and kept the original couch cushions, new fronts to the cabinets/closets (and some interior portions rebuilt), new bed area with new custom built mattress, replaced portions of the wall panels (an re-stained all to match) and on and on. We have kept the kitchen table but we no longer use it, we have a small vintage stand alone table that we pull out when needed. We do plan on re-installing the mini-table that was above the 'dog house' (engine compartment), with some modifications to hold cups.
I thought I'd share a few photos of Myrtle's kitchen, including a before and during renovation shot. The one piece fibreglass counter top remains in good condition. The sink is original but we replaced the faucet. (We have also redone much of the plumbing system with fresh lines). She has her original Trav'ler stove and Dometic fridge. We have not hooked up either of these yet, but they appear to be in good condition.
The drawers and cabinets on her kitchen side were all rebuilt as the existing wood was crumbling. The walls that could be salvaged were stripped down, and all the old and new wood surfaces were stained to match. We opted to go with a darker stain than her original wood. We replaced the existing drawer hardware with vintage copper colored pulls. The interior of the drawers are painted a bright blue, which adds a little surprise, and makes it easier to see inside.
We have outfitted Myrtle's kitchen with vintage pots and pans, flatware, dishes, canisters and assorted other retro comforts.
