'25 Studebaker

In car-collector circles, a "barn find" is a vehicle that someone put away in storage, under cover and safe from the elements. Years later, some lucky enthusiast stumbles upon it, makes a deal with the owner (who may or may not know the true value of the piece), and then runs and tells all his buddies about his amazing "barn find" before restoring to to some resemblance of it's former beauty.

Steve didn't have to go too far to find his restoration project, and he didn't have to haggle with the owner much, either. Truth was, it was as close as his own family's barn in Ohio. The car, a 1925 Studebaker, belonged to his grandfather, who had it custom built as an early car-camper, so he could enjoy trips to Canada to fish.

In the early days of motor vehicles, it didn't take very long for owners to realize that they made a good base for what would eventually become the "motor home", or "RV". There are many early examples, from rickety old Model T's to custom made vehicles such as this one. "Car Camping" became a popular craze with city-bound residents, the automobile allowing them freedom to roam much farther from home than ever before, and when properly outfitted, allowed them to sleep off the ground in relative comfort, and with some of the "normal" amenities of modern life.

Steve has put together a page describing his grandfather's Studebaker, which he helped restore as a teen:

www.lastchancemarina.com/studebaker.htm

There are additional photos, as well as Studebaker literature, including old bus maintenance manuals in PDF format. Drop over and see some of the history that led to our small sub-set of the craft, house trucks and buses.