The big reveal! Riva's interior {By Kelly}
We worked our butts off so we could attend the 2nd Annual Vintage Trailer Rally at Wickham Park Campground in Melbourne, Fla., April 4-7, 2013. It was a stretch, but Justin installed the laminate flooring, we painted most of the interior walls and ceiling, replaced/sealed several of the windows, replaced a few vents, put the cabinetry back together and installed the new countertop, thanks to our friend Mike.
We were sleep deprived and achy from all the work we had done to Riva to be able to camp overnight in our vintage Airstream. While we didn’t have plumbing, we had electricity, the window shaker A/C, and a roof over our heads – a luxury for us, since we were accustomed to tent camping.
We made the 90-minute drive north to Melbourne with Riva in tow without incident. We had just pulled on to the last road that would lead us to Wickham Park when we saw a gas station and decided to stop for some supplies. The driveway was at an awkwardly steep incline from the road and Riva’s underbelly came dangerously close to the ground. An old drainpipe met its demise and was scraped off. Luckily, we didn’t need it anymore, as it was a remnant from the previous owner’s more permanent septic system. [Sigh of relief!]
We winded our way through the campground to the area in the back where the vintage campers were set up. Many shiny aluminum beauties, plus brightly painted trailers of other makes and models. We parked in our site next to a cute turquoise Runabout. We were a few sites down from our friends, Jean and Suzy, and their gleaming Overlander.
Despite our sandy campsite, Justin managed to back in between our neighbors and the hookups like a pro. We started to set up, as the sun was quickly setting. We got plugged in, walked the dogs, met the neighbors and quickly started to assemble our futon so we would have a place to sleep. The giant futon box and mattress was taking up a lot of space and assembly was a must. I think our fellow campers thought we were a bit rude to be holed up in our camper, but they brought us an amazing dinner of mussels and pasta. Now this is glamping! It took us a couple tries with our Swedish Ikea instructions, but we finally figured it out and collapsed on our new couch/bed in triumph and exhaustion.
After a few minutes, we got our second wind and went out to meet the other vintage trailer enthusiasts. We enjoyed cocktails and good times, then bedded down for the night. There was a nice chill in the air, so A/C wasn’t necessary. Yay!
Justin’s mother, Polly, created some beautiful curtains with the fabric I purchased. They had the tabs attached and were ready to hang. I spent the next morning cleaning up, making the bed and hanging curtains. They really tied the place together! Justin helped me affix the pulls to the kitchen cabinets and drawers.
We enjoyed a nice continental breakfast hosted by the Trailer Company, then toured the other vintage trailers. It’s always neat to see how each trailer has a unique personality and décor.
We had a wedding to attend that evening near Patrick Airforce Base, so we headed to my grandmother’s house in Eau Gallie just a short drive away to freshen up. [Riva is still without plumbing and a real shower certainly beats the campground showers!] Grama was puppy-sitting the dogs while we were away. We had a great evening with Justin’s family. Congratulations, Adam and Vanessa! Then we returned to the campground. It was pretty late and nearly everyone was tucked away into their tiny trailers.
The next morning, my mom, dad, grandmother and my mom’s friends joined us for an open house. We toasted to The Riveted Roost’s maiden voyage with champagne, then showed them the other vintage trailers.
It was a wonderful trip and we’re so grateful to Jason, the owner of The Trailer Company, for hosting this wonderful event. We can’t wait for the next one!
Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
We worked our butts off so we could attend the 2nd Annual Vintage Trailer Rally at Wickham Park Campground in Melbourne, Fla., April 4-7, 2013. It was a stretch, but Justin installed the laminate flooring, we painted most of the interior walls and ceiling, replaced/sealed several of the windows, replaced a few vents, put the cabinetry back together and installed the new countertop, thanks to our friend Mike.
We were sleep deprived and achy from all the work we had done to Riva to be able to camp overnight in our vintage Airstream. While we didn’t have plumbing, we had electricity, the window shaker A/C, and a roof over our heads – a luxury for us, since we were accustomed to tent camping.
We made the 90-minute drive north to Melbourne with Riva in tow without incident. We had just pulled on to the last road that would lead us to Wickham Park when we saw a gas station and decided to stop for some supplies. The driveway was at an awkwardly steep incline from the road and Riva’s underbelly came dangerously close to the ground. An old drainpipe met its demise and was scraped off. Luckily, we didn’t need it anymore, as it was a remnant from the previous owner’s more permanent septic system. [Sigh of relief!]
We winded our way through the campground to the area in the back where the vintage campers were set up. Many shiny aluminum beauties, plus brightly painted trailers of other makes and models. We parked in our site next to a cute turquoise Runabout. We were a few sites down from our friends, Jean and Suzy, and their gleaming Overlander.
Despite our sandy campsite, Justin managed to back in between our neighbors and the hookups like a pro. We started to set up, as the sun was quickly setting. We got plugged in, walked the dogs, met the neighbors and quickly started to assemble our futon so we would have a place to sleep. The giant futon box and mattress was taking up a lot of space and assembly was a must. I think our fellow campers thought we were a bit rude to be holed up in our camper, but they brought us an amazing dinner of mussels and pasta. Now this is glamping! It took us a couple tries with our Swedish Ikea instructions, but we finally figured it out and collapsed on our new couch/bed in triumph and exhaustion.
After a few minutes, we got our second wind and went out to meet the other vintage trailer enthusiasts. We enjoyed cocktails and good times, then bedded down for the night. There was a nice chill in the air, so A/C wasn’t necessary. Yay!
Justin’s mother, Polly, created some beautiful curtains with the fabric I purchased. They had the tabs attached and were ready to hang. I spent the next morning cleaning up, making the bed and hanging curtains. They really tied the place together! Justin helped me affix the pulls to the kitchen cabinets and drawers.
We enjoyed a nice continental breakfast hosted by the Trailer Company, then toured the other vintage trailers. It’s always neat to see how each trailer has a unique personality and décor.
We had a wedding to attend that evening near Patrick Airforce Base, so we headed to my grandmother’s house in Eau Gallie just a short drive away to freshen up. [Riva is still without plumbing and a real shower certainly beats the campground showers!] Grama was puppy-sitting the dogs while we were away. We had a great evening with Justin’s family. Congratulations, Adam and Vanessa! Then we returned to the campground. It was pretty late and nearly everyone was tucked away into their tiny trailers.
The next morning, my mom, dad, grandmother and my mom’s friends joined us for an open house. We toasted to The Riveted Roost’s maiden voyage with champagne, then showed them the other vintage trailers.
It was a wonderful trip and we’re so grateful to Jason, the owner of The Trailer Company, for hosting this wonderful event. We can’t wait for the next one!
Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
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