The next day we started East through the rest of South Dakota, stopping for lunch in Sioux Falls, SD. It wasn't until I got back home that I found out that a childhood friend lives in Sioux Falls, I thought that she was in Montana. We continued East through Minnesota. Somewhere along the way we came to the realization that people in the Midwest collect old fire trucks as yard ornaments.

We set out to find Wisconsin but we didn't have a planned route. I drove truck cross country for a few years and have traveled the interstate highway system... while it will get you there, we wanted to see the real America and set out on back roads North out of Denver to see things we had never seen. The first day we made it to Mt. Rushmore.

Next came the task of getting the beast home... oh, did I mention that the trailer was 1408 miles from my door in the small town of Brillion, WI? Because I put the cart before the horse, I do not yet have a vehicle of sufficient size and power to pull the trailer. I talked my dad into driving out from California to help with the task of getting the trailer home. Besides, I needed someone to pack the wheel bearings with new grease... you wouldn't expect me to do that would you?

I flew into Denver International Airport and met my dad there.

Here are some more of the pics that were listed on eBay where I found the trailer.

Back in 2007 I happened upon a Spartan Manor for sale on eBay and I instantly knew I wanted one. The one for sale was way above my price range as it had been fully restored. I did a few Google searches and found that there was a whole underground world of vintage trailer nuts who search vintage trailers out and bring them back to life. Many are nothing more then a heap of garbage, but with the will, desire and means they are brought back to life. Some are restored to near as original condition as possible, while others are complete custom fabrications with all the conveniences of the 21st Century. Many of the restorations fall in between then and now, a mix of all things great.

My search started... I checked Craigslist and Ebay regularly and kept my eye on a few websites that re-sell Spartans. Because I am well aware of my skill set, I was certain that I could not take on a garbage heap as my first restoration project. I needed and wanted something that was well taken care of and not something left in the woods to rot for 50+ years, something used for target practice or something that had been the victim of a less then skillful restoration in the 1970's and then left to rot. I saw trailers here and there, many had been painted inside, had toilets added, even saw one with a sliding glass door installed in the side of it.

And then... on June 2nd 2009 I found it... the one that I wanted... She was on eBay and no one had bid on it yet. It was perfect, no paint, no sliding glass door, no 1970's remodel... this is the one that I have been waiting for. It had original appliances, bed, couch, table and chair! I shot off an email to the seller and we struck a deal. They took it off eBay and we did a private party sale. They got their reserve price and I got the trailer that I wanted.

This is going to be my spot on the WWW to allow those of you interested, to follow the progress of my 1947 Spartan Manor #3284 restoration project.