Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Vintage Caravan Style Book Review and Giveaway

For years, it was my dream to open up shop in a vintage camper. I had dreams of finding the perfect hidden gem on Craigslist, magically having a car that could tow it, magically having all the skill in the world to rehab it, then magically opening up shop and living a bohemian-vintage-shop-owner lifestyle with not a care in the world!

Well… that was definitely a big dream! I would still love to have a camper, but now my dreams are of taking our future family on adventures. Since it's just the 2 of us and we don't have the ability to travel right now, I can dream and drool over Lisa Mora's new book Vintage Caravan Style (available May 31 on Amazon.com) and imagine a future in which we're a bohemian family on the road. (Ok, so we both love security too much to do that…but it's fun to imagine!)


Vintage Caravan Style details "buying, restoring, decorating, and styling the small spaces of your dreams." Each chapter breaks down what you need to know and do in order to make the vintage camper of your dreams come true Along with the great information, the photos are incredible and will have your 50s-and-60s-loving-heart soaring. From the opening pages, you are transported to a magical land of campers and old pick-up trucks. As you flip through this book, beautiful teal campers, vibrant red trailers, and every color in between fill the pages and your heart!


Lisa describes the historical importance of caravans as a form of travel and later in time, as a means of adventure. She captures the allure that campers have on us - the dream of a simpler life full of beauty and exploration. Along with the whimsical, Lisa gives practical tips on finding and bringing home a camper - and even includes "before" photos that will boggle your mind. I'm so in awe of people who have a vision and the know-how to turn a falling apart trailer into something beautiful and useful! She addresses specific problems and how to approach obstacles such as water damage and wheel issues.


Every page is full of amazing photos of campers - a huge assortment of caravans ranging in style - each with its own unique flavor. It's amazing to see the transformations of these vintage trailers into cozy & comfy spaces.


As the editor of Vintage Caravan Magazine, Lisa is incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of campers - not only refurbishing, but the practical matters of taking a trip with your trailer. This book is such a great resource for anyone who wants to take on the camper lifestyle - or anyone who dreams of being a caravan'er! Even if you never imagined having a life on the road, the charming photos of vintage styling are sure to please.


See more about the book from other bloggers - click here to see the full schedule of the Vintage Caravan Style bloghop!

If you'd like to win your very own copy of Vintage Caravan Style, leave a comment on this post saying what you'd do with a vintage camper if you had one! The contest will end Monday, April 21st at noon central time. The winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

EDIT: The contest is now closed and Rae was randomly selected (via random.org) as the winner! Congrats, Rae!

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12 comments:

  1. Holy crap, those photos are wonderful! I've been wanting a vintt camper for a while too. We live close to the mountains do camping would be first. But I also have family all over the country. It'd be great tohave one for visiting them and junking along the way!

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  2. I'd love to have a vintage camper to use for camping trips with my family. They have such style potential!!

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  3. Thank you for the lovely review Jamie and I am glad you liked my book!

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  4. I do have a 12' vintage camper. It is a 1969 Wildcat that I have fixed up. I am so hooked that I am looking for another one. This time with a bathroom in it.

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  5. travis and i have talked so much about having a camper! we would rehab it and use it to go camping. i love the idea of families packing up and living in theirs one a cross country journey, but i love my stuff too much! haha!

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  6. Those are so cute! I don't like to go camping but I'd gladly put one in my yard, decorate it cute and use it for my "personal space".

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  7. I would decorate it and probably just hang out in it in my yard.

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  8. My closest friends live in Oregon, South Carolina, and Michigan. And my family lives in Chicago and San Diego. I want to have a trailer so that I can can travel across the US to visit everyone in the summertime. And OBVIOUSLY it would need to be vintage/homemade and adorable like these!

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  9. We currently have a tent trailer that we bought new 11 years ago, when our kids were 5 and 7. We've taken it up to Alaska, out to the Badlands, down to the Grand Canyon, and once it spent the night in Vegas. It was perfect until the kids started to grow tall. The table that folded down to a bed was too short for such long legs. So we tore out all the cabinets, the table, left just the shell and rebuilt it so it can sleep 6 full size people comfortably, 8 if you really like each other. This inspired us to dream of retirement, an old camper that we rehab-ed, a dog or two, and the open road!

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  10. I caught "traileritis" a few years ago and bought my own little "canned ham" to revamp last fall (no official name yet, but I pick her up next week!) I will be hitting the road this summer as I take my vintage etsy store, the Swanky Safari, "on the road" to vintage markets and such. I also plan to chronicle my hi-adventures on my blog later this year.
    Love Lisa's magazine and can't wait to read the new book!

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  11. Oh this is so neat for a giveaway. Please add me in for a chance. It is my dream to have one of these glampers someday. I will just drool over the pages. I would love one for my yard. Thanks for the chance.
    Kris

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  12. Oh damn I want one of these vintage trailers badly for a pop-up shop!

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