Barbie camper comes to life

When I was little, my cousin Leah and I were diehard Barbie players. So much so that we sort of became snobs about other friends' abilities to play. Each Christmas we'd get a new Barbie or Barbie accessory. It was probably sometime around 1978 that Santa brought us both the Barbie Travel Lodge Motor Coach RV. It was about three feet long, yellow with all the interior bunks and tables included. We played with those RVs a lot.

So last month, on my way home from the camp by way of Portland Street, my head almost swivelled off when I spied what looked like an avocado green version of the Barbie RV in the Forbes Used Car parking lot.

I couldn't get it out of my mind. The next day I went back to price the 1977 GMC Palm Beach. At $15,999, the dream of owning that camper died a quick death.

But it turns out the Palm Beach was a catalyst. For some reason I told my friend John Zareski the story about the camper I wasn't going to buy because of the price.

"Are you looking for a trailer?" he said. "Someone I met just yesterday asked me if I knew anyone looking for a trailer cheap."

When I asked what it looked like he told me it was one of those silver ones. We went to look at it that night and sealed the deal shortly after. The photo below is my first sighting of it.

John and Janice MacLeod lived in the Avion while building their home in Musquodoboit. Now that the home is finished, it was time to pass on the trailer. After playing the name game with John for a bit we figured out that he was my gym teacher in grade 7 at Caledonia Junior High.

They offered to sell the trailer and deliver it for what I would like to call the deal of a century.

I was so shocked and excited to find this trailer that I convinced myself that they would change their mind about selling it to me.

But they didn't. And now the Avion H-24 (for Holiday 24-foot) trailer is

mine and happily stationed on Big Lake.

Here are a couple of shots of the interior. Almost everything is original inside. The cushions were re-upholstered a few years ago and there are a couple of lights that are add-ons, but it's shocking how well-maintained it's been over the years.

The twin beds convert to a double, the dinette converts to a bed and the propane stove, according to Janice, "works like a dream."

I'm looking forward to cooking with it. I'm still in the process of getting new propane tanks and the water hooked up so we haven't spent the night yet. Though we have had a few lunches sitting at the dinette.

As Lindsay says, "Bird by bird."