The Brinkmobiles; a hotel on wheels

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the infamous (at least in my world) Brinkmobiles, are located in Tucson, Arizona, the very place we are currently visiting! The Brinkmobiles are two turquoise 1966 Travcos, who started their lives with their current owners as mobile studios travelling to film festivals an other fun locations.

I immediately contacted the owners, Danny and Mary-Ann, who graciously allowed me to visit these beautiful motorhomes. It was terrific to tour these machines and compare the similarities and differences to Myrtle. Travcos are known for their customization to the initial purchasers' requests, so each are a little different. The exterior of both units are very similar to Myrtle. However, Myrtle has the rather uncommon second backdoor. Much like Myrtle, the interiors have been updated while maintaining the original vintage charm. Both have kitchens with original varnished wood and retro light fixtures. The travcos are always well laid out and both of these boast a roomy rear bed and lots of storage.

The Brinkmobiles now function as well appointed motorhome hotels and are rented out through their website; Bed in the Barrio. From the website; Available as motel rooms on wheels, but parked in a private back yard in the historic barrio El Hoyo (meaning the hole), our vintage RV's make the perfect getaway!. On the edge of tiny downtown Tucson, Arizona, one block south of theTucson convention center, and just west of Barrio Historico. Charming, convenient, and comfortable, two separate units are available! There is a romantically cozy full size bed in the rear and an extra bed can be made on the couch in the front. They have a kitchen which includes dishes, stove, sink, and fridge. Bathroom is small but efficient with handheld shower and toilet. Wi-fi available. Heat with thermostat and air-conditioning, both of which work great.

If you are interested in trying out a vintage recreational vehicle, or just looking for an unique, centrally located place to stay in Tucson, make sure to check out these Travcos! Danny and Mary-Ann were delightful travco tour guides and I'd if didn't already have my very own Myrtle I'd certainly be booking a stay in one of their Brinkmobiles!

(Photos courtesy of/property of Brinkmobile.)
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Travco art

These beautiful Travcos inspire all sorts of art! This lovely print was created by Jessica of the blog Vol25 blog. It is available for purchase from the Vol25 etsy store. Jessica has this to say about the print; "where ever we are together" is a perfect reminder. :) Home can be a Queen Anne Tower house, or a motorhome... it really doesnt matter... "Wherever we are together, that is home." Watermark/logo shown on image will NOT be on the image you received. Each and every piece of VOL25 art is printed on textured canvas. VOL25 artwork is reproduced with highly archival pigment based ink. I already have one on order for Myrtle!

Jessica also previously did a great blog article on Myrtle. In fact she said Myrtle was part of her inspiration for this sweet print.

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Building a little friend for Myrtle

I first became aware of the Valmobile Folding Scooter when I saw it listed in a Travco Brochure of Optional Equipment. If you'd like to learn more about them, I previously wrote a longer blog entry about these little gems. You can see a photo here:

Since I am not likely to find a Valmobile any time soon I have decided to build a bicycle in homage to the Valmobile, for Myrtle. I plan to use design elements from both vehicles as inspiration for my bicycle design. This week I started the bike frame building course via Bohemian Bicycles, along with my husband. Dave Bohm, the artisan and mastermind behind Bohemian Bicycles builds amazing custom bicycle frames as well as providing courses on his craft. My husband was the one initially drawn to the course as he has a keen interest in bicycles (and rebuilding motor homes) as well as heaps of mechanical and design skills. Since I am also smitten with bicycles, and willing to learn some new skills, I decided to take the course with him! Check out Bohemian Bicycles on Facebook

I am looking forward to learning the engineering behind bicycle mechanics, choosing component parts, and of course welding and fabrication! Truth be told I've had a not so secret interest in welding ever since watching one of my favorite eighties movies Flashdance. (I own the movie on DVD, and the soundtrack on cd, cassette tape and vinyl.) It's my Flashdance moment with hopefully more welding and less dancing in a leotard. Check back for future updates on my progress and for now check out a Flashdance trailer;

The Valmobile photo was used with permission and was photographed by Chuck Schutz as found posted on his Flickr stream.

Roof vent replacement deja vu

Awhile ago we replaced Myrtle's front roof vent when it was shattered by hail. We replaced it with a regular plastic crank vent from a RV supply store. In case it ever happened again we also ordered a galvanized metal vent from Vintage Trailer Supply.
Well as you can see from the photo, it happened again. Now Myrtle has a new metal roof vent just in time for tonight's hail storm.
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Myrtle as Muse, again!

You may have remembered that Myrtle was previously the subject of a lovely painting by the amazing painter, Kate Schutz.

Now Myrtle has been illustrated by the talented Fred Greiner and featured on his blog Van Full of Monkeys. Fred's other illustration work can be seen on his main website: http://www.fredgreiner.com/


Photo copyright Fred Greiner, used with permission. Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredgreiner/7449633862/
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Biolite Campstove - Camping Innovation!

I was very excited to hear about the Biolite Campstove, and I have already preordered one. From the manufacturers website; "The BioLite CampStove, designed for outdoor adventure and emergency preparedness, makes cooking on wood as clean, safe and easy as petroleum fuels while powering electronics off-grid. Using BioLite's patent-pending thermoelectric technology, BioLite Stoves convert heat to electricity that powers a fan to make the fire ultra-efficient. Extra electricity can be used to charge small electronics like mobile phones and LED lights."

I am super excited about this development for both camping and disaster preparedness. If that wasn't neat enough they also manufacture a larger version called the Biolite Homestove for use in countries where people are cooking over open fires. From their website; "The Need: Half the planet cooks on smoky open fires, causing nearly 2 million premature deaths each year and contributing to climate change. Using our patent-pending technology, BioLite has created a low-cost biomass cookstove that, by converting waste heat into electricity, reduces smoke emissions by up to 95% while simultaneously providing users with the capability to charge mobile phones and LED lights.



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Myrtle featured on Inspired Camping

Did you know Myrtle has a fabulous solar power system? The system runs all her house lights, appliances, computer equipment and even an electric blanket.

Check out the system details and photos in her featured article on Inspired Camping



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