1962 Trade Winds spends quarter-century in a barn

[John Madill]

I've had my eye out for some time for a vintage pop-up camper.  Spotted an ad
in the local shopper classifieds for a 1962 Trade Winds.  I couldn't get the $350 out of my pocket fast  enough.  The fellow had recently bought it at an auction.  It has a 1982 license plate on it.  Appears to have been used for 20 years then put in a pole barn for a loooong time.

What is amazing is that it is complete and unmolested.  Nothing is missing and nothing is added.  It  appears the tongue may have been painted but not sure.  Canvas seems original with no tears or repairs.

What I really like is the door.  A lot of soft-top pop-ups of this era had a zippered entrance but this one has a wooden screen door.

The decals are in place and read Trade Winds Camper, Manawa Wisconsin.

While the canvas-replacement sites list Trade Winds as a manufacturer I can't find any thing about them on the internet.  

Anyone familiar with them?  Would appreciate any info.  thank you!

[AustinBoston]

Sounds like a real find.  Hope you enjoy it, and keep it with tender loving care.

It is a little surprising that a camper stored in a pole barn that long doesn't have rodent damage.

Austin

[Trailman]

That is a very nice find, looking forward to seeing more photos.
I like those style of campers with the bunks right and left.
Here is a 64 Tradewinds advert that was for sale on ebay, it shows a camper similar to yours in the lower left corner, note the different tail lights on the 64 compared to the round ones on your 62.
I didn't buy this particular advert but copied the photo as it had the manufacturer address on it, always neat to know where these pieces of tent trailer history were made.

[Funrover]

AWSOME FIND... Can you post more pics please!!!!

[John Madill]

Here are a few photos of my new vintage camper.

I don't want to do too much to it.  I am planning on painting the interior which still has the original paint.  I went to Lowe's and got samples so i can match it.  It is sort of a light sage green.  Then it was spattered with a few different colors but i don't plan on spattering treatment.

I only want to paint things that were originally painted like the interior, the wheels, door, bumper and tongue.  anything else will just be cleaned and polished.  Except some  hardware  that is steel and now rusted.  that  will probably be sanded  and painted silver.

The floor has some woodgrain linoleum that probably wasn't original.  I'll have to peel that back and see what lies beneath.

[Funrover]

I love it...but those pics are hard to see!!

[Yankee-in-Texas]

It looks great!  Back in the 60's and early 70's we had a Tradewinds Tahiti.  That is what yours looks like.  It was a great little pop-up.  I would like to find one myself to take the grandkids camping.  They are getting to the age that they want to go camping.

About the manufacturer, I believe they closed after the owner passed away.  I believe I saw that somewhere on the internet while doing some research.

Good luck with the purchase, I am so jealous.

[AustinBoston]

About the manufacturer, I believe they closed after the owner passed away.  I believe I saw that somewhere on the internet while doing some research.

http://www.transasiaexpedition.com/tae/sponsors.cfm

This link is about an expedition across Asia, and mentions using a Trade Winds Camper.  It says "In Stephens' past motor trip around the world, he used a Trade Winds Camper but the company was sold when the owner, Carl Dretzke, passed away."

If you click on the thumbnail with the caption "Stephens picking up his Trade Winds Camper" you get an OK shot of the camper, presumably with the owner of Trade Winds at the time.

http://www.transasiaexpedition.com/tae/

At the bottom of the page is a clickable thumbnail with a Trade Winds camper in Russia.  In the middle of the page is a shot of the camper in Iraq.

I think this site is worth exploring (even though it looks like parts are still under construction).  Looks like someone took a Trade Winds camper on quite an expedition!

Austin

[jimvernon1]

My parents rented one just like that in 1968 and took my brother and I camping when I was 2 years old.  The next year, he bought it and we camped in New Hamphire every year until they bought a travel trailer in the early 1980's.  Ours did not have a storm door, the tent zippered and had a screen.  I have never seen another Trade Winds like it.  If I locate any pictures, I will try to post.

[searchman]

I've had my eye out for some time for a vintage pop-up camper.  Spotted an ad
in the local shopper classifieds for a 1962 Trade Winds.  I couldn't get the $350 out of my pocket fast  enough.  The fellow had recently bought it at an auction.  It has a 1982 license plate on it.  Appears to have been used for 20 years then put in a pole barn for a loooong time.

What is amazing is that it is complete and unmolested.  Nothing is missing and nothing is added.  It  appears the tongue may have been painted but not sure.  Canvas seems original with no tears or repairs.

What I really like is the door.  A lot of soft-top pop-ups of this era had a zippered entrance but this one has a wooden screen door.

The decals are in place and read Trade Winds Camper, Manawa Wisconsin.

While the canvas-replacement sites list Trade Winds as a manufacturer I can't find any thing about them on the internet.  

Anyone familiar with them?  Would appreciate any info.  thank you!

I worked for Trade Winds right out of high school as a welder. I probably built the frame for your camper. I also worked as a metal fabricator forming the parts for the main frame after the welding job. Trade Winds sold out to OMC before Carl Dretzke passed away.

[John Madill]

I worked for Trade Winds right out of high school as a welder. I probably built the frame for your camper. I also worked as a metal fabricator forming the parts for the main frame after the welding job. Trade Winds sold out to OMC before Carl Dretzke passed away.

Thanks for the response, i found it very interesting.  How big an  operation was Trade Winds?  are there a lot of them out there?

i'm planning to take it to a local RV shop that specializes in vintage RV's, mostly Avions, which were built here in southwest Michigan, and have them inspect the frame.  thought it couldn't  hurt  to have a pro take a look at it after almost half a century.

[RustyJunkMan]

Trade Winds was started in 1960 by Carl Dretzke and Don Craig in Manawa, WI. They were one of the first, and 2nd or 3rd largest tent camper builders along with Apache and Nimrod. In about 1965 Trade Winds started building Snow Mobiles under the name "Tiger" and Cheeta". Things went well for them untill a bad winter in 69 when they had so many Snow Mobiles they didn't know what to do. Along comes OMC with a fat pocket book and bought out the company. At that time anyone in the recreation business wanted to build campers. Coleman bought someone out, Starcraft Boats bought someone. I was friends of both Carl and Don and when OMC bought them out it was obvious to see at sometime they would go under. OMC (Eninrude, Johnson, Lawn Boy, Pioneer Chain Saws, Whatever) filed for bankruptcy in 2002 which was about 20 years latter than I though they would. Carl was a real promoter and had Trade Winds on "The Price is Right" and other TV shows. His sponsorship to the guy that went around the world ended with OMC and not Carls death. Carl passed in something like 1986-7. Had Carl and the boys continued in the camper business they would have been number one today. You bought a great piece of camper history and an excellent unit.

[rccs]

Trade Winds campers were built about 15 miles from where I live. The building is now owned by a company that makes windows and doors for houses.

[Andyauto]

Thanks for the response, i found it very interesting.  How big an  operation was Trade Winds?  are there a lot of them out there?

i'm planning to take it to a local RV shop that specializes in vintage RV's, mostly Avions, which were built here in southwest Michigan, and have them inspect the frame.  thought it couldn't  hurt  to have a pro take a look at it after almost half a century.

Liked your camper...My parents had a 1960 Trade Winds Voyager with the door in the rear like yours... Had a Stove and sink. Body was the more rounded style, like the continental models.
The rear door folded down to become the step, Have only seen two others like this.
I liked Trade Winds Campers so much that I bought two...a 1965 continental with a full factory add a room , and a 1969 Catalana.
Trade Winds were also built near where I live ...
Good luck with yours..happy Camping.
Andy

[John Madill]

thanks for that input Andy.

i'm anxious for some spring weather here in Michigan so i can open it up and resume tinkering.  i found some tail lights that match the old ones pretty well.

bought some canvas of a similar color to make a few repairs with.

i've thought about buying a replacement canvas but this one still has some service left so i'll use it for now to see how i like the unit.

absolutely nothing inside this camper.  just a 4x8' area with shelves on both sides.  trying to figure out what to use for a replacement floor.  

am scraping up the old linoleum.  i'd like something that won't rot or mildew.  i may just buy a 4x8' piece of wood paneling and cover it with epoxy and drop it inplace.