When it comes to vintage travel accessories like an old-school camper trailer, the sky is the limit in terms of how period-correct you can make it or customize it to match the sweet vintage pickup that pulls it. The hard part is starting in on the project, as so many of these trailers have been neglected for many years after becoming cheap campground accessories that didn’t hold much value to the third or fourth owners. This 1952 Southland Runabout has escaped this fate entirely, as it has somewhat incredibly been in the care of longterm owners who clearly loved adventuring in it. Find the Southland Runabout By Mathison Aircraft here on eBay with bids to $7,900 and no reserve.

Vintage campers have become quite popular with the influencer crowd, especially those who purport to know a thing or two about living life at the high end. It’s largely superficial, as almost anyone looks ten times better wearing a $500 parka and drinking a warm adult beverage in the toasty confines of their travel trailer towed behind a fully-restored Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Do any of these so-called influencers actually live life on the road, accepting all of the various hurdles that come with living in a mobile home-away-from-home? Perhaps, but I’d still rather hear from someone like the seller of this Southland who has owned it for 22 years and is just the second owner. Look at that interior – it’s beautiful, and the listing notes that it comes with the original cabinets, wood interior, original electric refrigerator (it still works!), and propane stove.

I can’t believe that old-school fridge still keeps beers cold – how wild is that? The seller states that the trailer can sleep four, and it looks quite comfortable inside. There are fold-down tables and two twin beds, and there’s also the option to convert the twin beds into a roomy double. The Southland doesn’t have all the comforts of home on-board as it doesn’t have a toilet, shower, or space heater, but it at least comes with a propane light that the seller contends provides sufficient warmth. Other features include an awning, 15 amp exterior electrical outlet, a ten-gallon tank for kitchen wastewater, and a hammock above the rear beds suitable for a small child. The trailer has been previously repainted, and the seller says it still shows well despite having some years on it.

The Honda Odyssey seen here isn’t included, but the seller isn’t opposed to working out a deal for it if you need a tow rig. To me, when you buy a vehicle like this, you’re also buying the history behind it as no one really wants to inhabit something used as a drug den or a chicken coop. I buy a lot of risky vehicles and accept the fact that there’s going to be some ugliness I uncover; however, I very rarely spend more than a few hours at a time in them. If I’m buying a camper trailer or a camping apparatus of any kind, I want one that has been used for making memories and taking incredible vacations where you see everything you can’t see from an airplane window. This Southland Runabout looks like the kind of trailer you want to buy, and from the seller you want to buy from.