Taking a trip on a familiar road

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- Craig Dorsey is putting the camp back in camper.

For the second year in a row, Dorsey, owner of Vintage Vacations, is

holding a summit of recreational vehicles and trailers dating back to the

1930s at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort.

For four days, owners of the 75 or so vintage trailers will show off

their favorite toys -- such as a 1936 Airstream Clipper, a 1947 West

Craft and a 1953 Silver Streak. And, today, for one day, the public is

welcome to come take a peek at what for vintage RV aficionados has become

a way of life.

“The people here all come from the same mold,” said Dorsey, whose

company restores vintage trailers. “We all like old cars, we all antique,

we all like vintage clothes. So we like to get together and boast about

our finds and show off the work we’ve done. We’re so proud of what we

have. And you can only show them off to your friends so often. So we

really like the public to be able to come and experience this.”

Dorsey has become such an expert in vintage recreational vehicles that

he can rattle off from memory a timeline of their rise to prominence in

the country.

“It’s really a page in history that’s been torn from the history

books,” he said.

In the 1920s, the Lincoln Highway opened up the American frontier to

auto travel, marking what would become a permanent change from the

nation’s dependence on railroads. RVs, an idea as old as the covered

wagon, naturally followed. By 1939, there were 2,600 registered

manufacturers of travel trailers.

“There’s not 2,600 of anything these days,” Dorsey marveled. “Now we

have what? Five car manufacturers?”

World War II brought RVing to a complete halt, but after the war, some

plants that had manufactured hardware for the military saw an easy

transition into a reemerging consumer trend.

The rest is history.

“These old trailers are amazing. You look at RVs today and inside

they’re all plastic. Back then, they were real wood and real fabric. They

deserve to be restored and remembered.”

FYI

WHAT: The Antique Travel Trailer Rally, an exhibit of more than 75

vintage recreational vehicles

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today

WHERE: Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport

Beach

COST: Free to attend; parking is $7

CALL: (800) 765-7661