Bethany Traveling TeePee

[Todd Wilson]

This is my first post on here and I seem to have a dinosaur compared to some of the pop-ups I have seen on here. But I do have a rather neat story to tell.

Back around 1960-1962 (family cant all decide on an exact date) my grand parents bought a Bethany Traveling TeePee brand new. They took my mom and uncle all over the USA camping. In the 1970's my parents got the old TeePee and as a Kid I got to go camping to many places in it.  About 1984 it got sold due to a divorce and that was the end of the TeePee.

Recently I have been wanting to do some camping again and started thinking about the old TeePee again. My dad was the one who sold the TeePee and has since passed on. I started trying to remember who he sold it to as it was an old family friend. Sure enough I remembered who it was and looked them up. They still had it and it was tucked away in a storage unit. A deal was worked and I got the TeePee back making it owned by 3 generations of family. It was like opening a time capsule as I had not been in it since about 1980 as a kid. My grandpa had built a wood box with special places inside to hold dishes and cooking stuff. It was there along with all the pots and pans and cooking stuff. I even found an old ballcap I used to wear as a kid when camping still stored away! Overall it appears to be good shape for its age. The canvas seems to still be good except for a small tear that I hope can get patched. It needs a good cleaning and the pink paint buffed and shined up. Also the frame areas need to be repainted. I am wanting to keep it as original as possible but it needs to be protected from rust. The underneath looks to be in great shape with solid floors.


A few questions I have are how many were built and how many are left. Looking for history of the company that I have since learned is no longer around. I have a serial # and was wondering where I could determine the exact year of the TeePee using the #. What can I use to clean the canvas and perhaps put a treatment on it to help protect and waterproof it.

More pictures can been seen here.........

http://www.chargerfever.com/teepee/index.html

Thanks!

Todd

[SpeakEasy]

Wow! What a story. Thanks for sharing it and thanks for the pics.

It goes to show you what an impact camping can have on a family.

[ForestCreature]

Very cool story! (and camper too)  It should be a fun project to restore it.
  Maybe Bear Creek Canvas can give you an idea of the year.  http://www.bearcreekcanvas.com/
 
  By the way welcome to the board.  

[gardenmomof2]

Wow what a great story. I think it is great you found the old one and plan to still use it. What wonderful memories it has and many more and just around the corner.

[brainpause]

What a cool story! The ball cap part put a lump in my throat.

Larry

[tlhdoc]

That is really cool.  I hope you have many new happy camping times in the trailer.

[sully349]

Great story and a great old pop up!! What a great rehab job that would be!! Try this link for canvas...I saw replacement canvas specifically for the Bethany Tee Pee towards the bottom of the page.  Enjoy!! http://www.snapfastener.com/popuppri.htm

[Johnowolf]

That is VERY cool!

If it's true canvas for the tenting, the easiest repair may be to just hand stitch it with waxed thread ... old tent canvas (especially the old Army-type tent canvas) is pretty forgiving and keeps out water no problem. Worst case is stitch it with waxed thread then put a seal tape over it.
 
One of the most awesome stories I've heard recently. Makes me wish I could find the old canvas Army tent and camping box our family used to camp with back in the 60's and 70's.

[Todd Wilson]

That is VERY cool!

If it's true canvas for the tenting, the easiest repair may be to just hand stitch it with waxed thread ... old tent canvas (especially the old Army-type tent canvas) is pretty forgiving and keeps out water no problem. Worst case is stitch it with waxed thread then put a seal tape over it.
 
One of the most awesome stories I've heard recently. Makes me wish I could find the old canvas Army tent and camping box our family used to camp with back in the 60's and 70's.

There is a piece of canvas in the teepee not being used. I wonder where I could find some wax thread at and hand stitch it myself.

There is not anything I need to do to the old canvas as far as treating it to be water proof?


Todd

[Johnowolf]

With most canvas, as long as you don't TOUCH it while it's raining, you won't have a problem. We learned early on that if you touch the canvas while it's wet, that will cause it to start leaking wherever you touch it.

Same was true for our '83 Coleman Jamestown's canvas. As long as we didn't touch it during the rain, never had a problem with leaking ... but when DD ran her hand across it, it started to leak (she just had to test it, because she didn't believe me LOL).

[4campinfoxes]

I can attest to the canvas/rain item.  Growing up my family camped in an old pop-up and to this day when it rains while camping I tend to shrink into a smaller ball to keep from touching the canvas!  I was the youngest & smallest so I usually ended up on the bunk end.  I don't recall my parents doing anything to the canvas to water-proof it, just staying away from it when it rained.

Enjoy, that's a great story!  My grandfather made a similar box for my parents, it fit the dishes, pots & pans, all that stuff and would sit on a table just outside the PU, near the door.

Sharon

[Todd Wilson]

Got a card in the mail today from my Grandma. She sent me 4 pictures of various trips with the TeePee in about 1965.  Wyoming,Nebraska and California. In the one picture you see the stickers on the back of the door. Most of those stickers have not done well over time but some of them are still there. I want to preserve this part of it if I can.









These are all pictures of my grandparents and mom and uncle in the TeePee! This treasure keeps getting better since I found it!


Todd

[wojo]

What a great story!     The personal history that you have will make restoring it a labor of love.  Very cool!  

[Fuzzymike]

Super cool.  I work for the Illinois Tollway and a saw someone towing one of those the other day.  So wierd to see it then this post.  Glad you got the trailer back.  I love the old trailers. :tent:

[Todd Wilson]

Worked on the old TeePee this weekend Had to get it some new wheels and tires. Got out the buffer and got the old pink paint to shine again. Has a reflection now!  Welded some new safety chains to it and and working out the wiring bugs for the rear lights.  Took it for a test drive down the highway today and it pulled straight as an arrow. Next week it goes to the canvas shop for repairs. Then a good clean inside and it should be ready for camping again!





I had to get it some new hip white spoke wheels as I could not find another old style rim that could accept a hubcap. If anyone knows where I can get an old style rim and a new set of chrome moon hubcaps for it please let me know!


Todd