Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
I found this beauty on http://theromanipeople.tumblr.com/. Sometimes there are some very nice images there but like much of Tumblr and Pinterest it seems to be stripped of all associated data. Anybody with any facts please feel free to pass them on to me.
I suspect this is early 20th century in Britain. I like the ubiquitous water can by the door and the nearly universal birdcage. Maybe I need an addition to my menagerie.
There’s a new edition to the fleet of designs coming from Peter Pavlowich at Casual Turtle Campers. The unique, curved roof lines really make his work stand out in the crowd and I’m glad to see it again in his newest model. For me, this design melds the aesthetics of the early motor caravans with modern tastes.
It’s a simple cabin design with a convertible table top bed setup that looks like it will work great for one or two people and answers all the basic needs of shelter on the go.
I heard from Peter (the owner and builder of Casual Turtle) last week and I think he can describe it best:
“Hey George-I thought I’d pass along a few shots of a recent build. This one was for a gentleman here in Colorado – the model I call the Terrapin. We went with a pretty full interior arrangement on this one. He opted for no painted surfaces (which I usually do), so we incorporated several different species on the cabin’s interior – oak, birch, cedar, and beetle-killed ponderosa pine – so it wasn’t a one-tone wood overload. It weighed in at 1,300 lbs, max headroom around 5’9″, and it goes down the highway just great.”
It’s compact, lightweight, and is filled with windows to enjoy the great outdoors in any weather. It would be great to see this after the new owner settles in, decorates it to his personal taste, and gives it a “lived-in” look after a few thousand miles.
“Casual Turtle Campers was founded on the belief that wood is good, small can be comfortable, and that there is still room for simplicity in this increasingly complex world. “
I enjoy the simplicity of this design. It reminds me a bit of the “canned ham” campers of the 1950s and is not overly complicated by cabinetry and appliances. The wood exterior fits in with the natural world in a way that shiny, white aluminum could never do, making it seem more at home in the woods than in the RV park. This would make a perfect base camp for hunting, fishing, or just gazing at the mountains.
Here’s a little about Peter and his company from his web page:
“The idea for Casual Turtle Campers was conceived by Peter Pavlowich in the summer of 2010. On a road trip to Colorado, he noticed an abundance of truck campers but a profound lack of variety or style. As a Wood Construction and Design graduate from the University of Idaho, he believed he could design and build a simple and attractive alternative to the big, heavy, white boxes that he seemed to see everywhere. Over the next few years, Peter slowly and methodically brought together ideas and drew up plans for what would eventually become the designs for Casual Turtle Campers.
He very happily lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife, Lindsey, and their dog/shop foreman, Moxie. We love when people stop by – just get in touch!”
Have a look at this and his other work by clicking the link below. Tell him I sent you! It’s not really worth anything but tell him anyway. GTC.
“I had to go alone…a kind of casual turtle carrying his house on his back.” -John Steinbeck, from Travels With Charley.
That’s the idea at least. I have been diligently working to re-write the Vardo building pages in such a way as to make them a little more instructive. The benefit of hindsight has allowed me to address issues that seem to be common questions. I kept the comments in place (I hope) as they provide a lot of information and discussion from over the years. Over the next few days I intend to keep adding photos. Please feel free to comment, question, or point out any obvious typos or other errors.
Click the preview image to go the the first page of the re-write. More pages will be published as I get the images and text in place. Also I would deeply appreciate it if readers could share this in appropriate media with links back to the blog.
Cheers! ~GTC
I discovered this cabinet card on http://joshuafountain.tumblr.com/.
Wedding? Circus? Festival? It certainly is some sort of novelty. Maybe some kitschy ideas to spice up my own ride.
I’m not sure when the word “glamping” entered out lexicon but it is a craze that enterprising hostlers are hoping on world-wide it seems. This luxurious little wagon is for rent in Pembrokeshire near Norwich in England.
I don’t know anything about these other than they look classy and would be a nice place to spend a few days out of the ordinary. The setup appears to cater to somebody wanting to “rough it” a tiny bit but still have the creature comforts.
Have a look at their other “Glamperous” opportunities if you have a pocket full of pound and are looking for an interesting accommodation in England sometime. Of course, I’m mostly into these to explore design options and to seek innovations for my own work and I won’t attempt to replicate their website but here is another option available in the Dorset countryside.
There is obviously a demand for this sort of thing and I’m happy that there are reasonable alternatives to chain motels for a getaway.
I’m not advertising for them but you can see more interesting opportunities on their website by clicking the logo. 
Some of you Teardrop aficionados out there have undoubtedly seen photos of Dave Moult’s spectacular build. The best write-up I’ve come across is from the Living in a Shoebox blog. This is not Mr. Moult’s first build and it clearly shows. This one has a retro-futuristic Steampunk theme and uses a lot of copper and recycled wood to create a real eye-catching look. The gizmos and do-dads are not merely for show and that’s something I can truly appreciate.
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris.
Mr. Moult has created something that is not only useful, but beautiful and interesting with this camper; and his tow-rig isn’t too shabby either. The trailer comes in at about 400 kilos loaded (just under a thousand pounds) so it will not be a chore to tow for most vehicles.
I think the genius here is in the details like the copper tubing for both water and conduit. Like most of the finer teardrops, he uses the outside of the trailer for many functions. (If you aren’t familiar with this design, I think the best way to describe them is a large outside kitchen area and a box to sleep in). Don’t worry, this nifty sink folds away for travel. The kitchen proper holds many amenities including running water, lots of storage and surfaces, and even a propane refrigerator (the mechanism and vent are exposed on the starboard side of the camper adding to the Steampunk look).
The interior is well lighted from the dormer-ended mollycroft and portholes on three sides. Supplemental lighting is in the form of well-placed LEDs; there’s even a small chandelier in the sleeping compartment. I think they travel in style; in the words of George Washington Sears, “not roughing it but smoothing it.”
Finally, a great and whimsical illusion adds to the interior ambiance with the use of library wallpaper.
More photos of Mr. Moult’s projects can be found on his Facebook page and HERE.
A little something for Wagon Wednesday. A simple bow-top accommodation. Very little of the wagon is seen in the image but we can rest assured that it was painted green at one time. Hedley picked up some fine details here including bolts, boards, the tarp attachment, and a very nice little driving lamp.
Last in Market, Ralph Hedley 1885. Hedley really captured life in rural northern Britain.
Just why the hell not?
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 