My 54 Westerner Paint Job

[mobiltec]

Just got my 54 Westerner back from the paint shop. I need to mount the propane tank and the brows, then putty tape and mont the running lights. Needs hubcaps too.

[Gone Kayaking]

sweet!! Is that the one you had the camping picture of not long ago before? It's interesting to see how all of these canned hams were different from the next.

[boandsusan]

Holy sh--, I mean COW. Oh wow it gorgeous!!!!!! What color is that? Is it a cinnaberry Red?

['59PinkDeluxe]

mobiltec.... so beautiful! It is a sight:)

[universalexports]

that is B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u--l,,, do you you know if they fixed or worked out any dents/dings and how they fixed them, that's sure one great paint job.

[murryconst]

Nice!!!

[dazredford]

Beautiful!! We've been trying to find the original paint scheme for our westerner. Is this it? Ours is also a '54

[mobiltec]

Apr 28, 2013 19:48:43 GMT -5 dazredford said:

Beautiful!! We've been trying to find the original paint scheme for our westerner. Is this it? Ours is also a '54

Yes this is pretty much the 54 version although the corners on the wings were rounded before.

Yes this is the Westerner you see in my camping photos with my late dog Tabby. The one that I took up to the central coast for a month. I really hate to get rid of it but it's going. I need to get my Kenny going and I have no room for this. Also, it just reminds me of Tabby too much and it's bitter sweet to use. So I'm letting her go. Out with the old and in with the, um old new. LOL...

The color was custom mixed to match a cooler the new owner has.

I put new skin on the front and the painter took about 3/4 of the dings and dents out in other places. Still has a few. Not really sure why but it was a hell of a good price. Maybe that's why.

[harrison429]

Wow, that is gorgeous! Lucky new owners

[paigenmarc]

Oh, wow! B-E-A UTIFUL!!

Attachments:

[Harriet 1400]

Nice!

[mobiltec]

I wish she would have let me polish the windows but I really didn't have the time for that anyways. Maybe later.

[vikx]

Magnificent Mobile!!! Fun to see.

[mobiltec]

Apr 30, 2013 2:54:11 GMT -5 vikx said:

Magnificent Mobile!!! Fun to see.

The Westerner is finished as far as my part is concerned. She's been in my family for 6 years. Tabby and I have had a lot of good times with her. Camped all over the mountains and deserts. And many of my good friends who came from out of town to visit have stayed in this trailer once or twice. Lot's of good memories but it's time for her to go. Tomorrow morning her new owner will pick her up and begin her own memories with the 54 Westerner.

Here she is ready to be hooked up.














Out with the old and in with the...... um............. kinda new?

[vikx]

Love that RED!!!

[mobiltec]

A little history...

Where I found it in Ballarat, California. A living ghost town in the Panamint Valley near the border of Death Valley.





Here we are later in the day after getting a new set of tires and bearings in. We also got the lights working so she's ready to tow. That's me on the right leaning against my 61 Lil Loafer. At the same time that I was picking up the Westerner, I was delivering the 61 Lil Loafer to someone about 30 miles away who had been bugging me to buy this trailer for two years. I finally sold it to him. I made $1.78 on it....




All ready to take home.




Here's a photo taken at the other place this trailer was kept at times, just down the road from Ballarat in a little place called Indian Ranch. Miners floated back and forth between the two places. You can date the photo by the cars.




Found these complete news papers in the trailer along with a lot of other artifacts from the early 70s. Charles Manson and his girls frequented Ballarat to mine the pockets of the miners. While the girls were busy making a living.... Charlie would sit in this trailer with the owner talking and drinking beers or sodas. What ever was colder at the time. Obviously the owner of the trailer found out in November of 1970 who was sitting across the table from him during those hot days in Ballarat.






And here we are, 5 years later, Tabby and I camping for a month long job on the central coast of California.

[nomad]

Looks great! The new owner is very fortunate to get it. My dad taught at Glendale High when I was a kid and we would go up to Death Valley and Ryolite to camp back in the 50's. Was Indian Ranch the place up at the top that had the miners museum with what was left of a twenty mule team ,still in the traces ,in the sand ? This had to be 56 to 59 so it might be long gone.

[mobiltec]

May 12, 2013 17:20:35 GMT -5 nomad said:

Looks great! The new owner is very fortunate to get it. My dad taught at Glendale High when I was a kid and we would go up to Death Valley and Ryolite to camp back in the 50's. Was Indian Ranch the place up at the top that had the miners museum with what was left of a twenty mule team ,still in the traces ,in the sand ? This had to be 56 to 59 so it might be long gone.

No.. Indian Ranch is a very small piece of reservation land in the Panamint Mountains about 5 or 6 miles north of Ballarat in the Panamint Valley. But I know where you are talking about and if you go through the videos on my website and my exploring pages you will see these places. Check out my exploring pages at www.cannedhamtrailers.com/exploringpages.htm

[nomad]

Enjoyed your exploring pics. Its exactly the same as I remember, the only thing changed in fifty years is me,lol. Have fun in Colorado

[mobiltec]

Thanks Nomad I plan to. It's a working vacation...

[bigbill]

Colorado is a great state, just make sure you don't get busy and forget the vacation part. Hope you find a new camping pardner, a friend of ours just got a three month old chocolate lab that is crossed with a unknown, its coat is like velvet, just beautiful and seems to have a great personality.

[mobiltec]

May 15, 2013 20:22:53 GMT -5 bigbill said:

Colorado is a great state, just make sure you don't get busy and forget the vacation part. Hope you find a new camping pardner, a friend of ours just got a three month old chocolate lab that is crossed with a unknown, its coat is like velvet, just beautiful and seems to have a great personality.

Been to Colorado once back in 88. The little town of Telluride. From what I hear it's not so little anymore. But I can't wait and I will be sure to have a little fun time put aside from the work.

[dazredford]

Apr 28, 2013 23:13:59 GMT -5 mobiltec said:

Apr 28, 2013 19:48:43 GMT -5 dazredford said:

Beautiful!! We've been trying to find the original paint scheme for our westerner. Is this it? Ours is also a '54

Yes this is pretty much the 54 version although the corners on the wings were rounded before.

Yes this is the Westerner you see in my camping photos with my late dog Tabby. The one that I took up to the central coast for a month. I really hate to get rid of it but it's going. I need to get my Kenny going and I have no room for this. Also, it just reminds me of Tabby too much and it's bitter sweet to use. So I'm letting her go. Out with the old and in with the, um old new. LOL...

The color was custom mixed to match a cooler the new owner has.

I put new skin on the front and the painter took about 3/4 of the dings and dents out in other places. Still has a few. Not really sure why but it was a hell of a good price. Maybe that's why.

Very, very nice! I am jealous. I love the stoves and icebox and the extra seating area, and.... Thanks for sharing. Do you mind telling me who make your decals? We are currently looking for the Hehr window seals (VTS out). We have replaced the birch, replaced the insulation, put down VCT flooring, reframed, working on skin now and windows soon. So much fun.

[mobiltec]

The Westerner decals I will have to look up. Just too tired now but if you will do me a favor and email me I will remember to do it tomorrow and get you the link. It might even be on my website for all I know LOL... It's 10:20 and I just stopped working an hour ago.

email is [e-mail]

Larry