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Simple Tips For Resealing

A Vintage Camper

I came across a 1971 Duchess back in May 2019 while working down a private county road.

On a whim, and with my heart beating with anticipation, I asked the homeowner (Dean) the history and his plans for it. He said he had purchased it from where it had been sitting for several years in the town of Sonoma, CA.

He had bought new tires for it and towed it to his country property in Occidental where it sat for another12 years as a storage container.

He had intended to fix it up some day. When I met him he was in his mid 70’s.

I asked Dean if he was interested in selling.  –  The deal was made for $1000 and my Streamline story begins.

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Biography:

My blue-collar background has changed over the years, depending on my interests. It started off in my teen years rebuilding cars, engines, motorcycles, and riding dirt biles. In high school taking all of the shop classes I could, from auto shop, Agricultural shop (tractors), electrical shop, arc-gas welding, and 6 months at various machine shops for “On The Job Training”

After graduation in 74 I worked for several small spec house contractors where I would start by cleaning out the freshly dug foundation, build the forms, bend the re-bar, pour the concrete, mud sills, sub-floor, walls, etc. Great learning experience! 

But I could see my 130 pound build would not take being a carpenter for long term. So after 4 years I changed jobs to be a machine operator in the town of Sonoma. I trained on turret lathes and various other equipment making iron, brass, and SS water pumps for the wine industry. 

In 1981 I was hired at the Hewlett-Packard Valley Site Machine shop in Santa Rosa where I spent the next 20 years developing various skills, from running CNC lathes, 8’ tall wet belt sanders, industrial buffing/sanding machines with 2” spindles & 8” wide sanding belts. Then on into tool design and CAD drafting.

When the layoffs came in 2003 I was ready for another change, one that was more artistic. I decided to become a professional photographer, one that specialized in architecture, interiors & landscapes for the real estate business. in the beginning of 2006 I went all out and purchased a 98 Ford van with a cherry picker (man lift) that would take me up 35 feet in the air and get those unique aerial shots that no-one else could get (before drones).

Needless to say that van quickly shot me to fame in the real estate and architectural community LOL

Which brings me to where this encounter with the 1971 Streamline began. On a photo assignment.

I was ready for this camper, but at the same time I was intimidated by the vision I had in mind. Could I turn it into an SELF CONTAINED OFF ROAD BOONDOCKING CAMPER???

Time would tell. May 30 2019, I’m ready to begin….

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