It’s almost time for what has lovingly been described as a “redneck parade of homes.”
An open house at this weekend’s Tin Can Tourists vintage trailer rally in Kaysville will allow the public a rare opportunity to peek inside a couple dozen restored travel trailers from the 1950s, ‘60s and beyond.
The open house runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Cherry Hill, 1325 S. Main St., Kaysville. Admission is free.
Tin Can Tourists is a national club for all makes and models of vintage trailers and motor coaches. Tharen Blue, a member of the local chapter of Tin Can Tourists, said her brother-in-law coined the perfect description for these informal open houses.
“I invited my brother-in-law to come up to Cherry Hill,” Blue recalls. “And when I explained what it was, he said, ‘Oh, a parade of homes, but like a redneck parade of homes?’”
Blue said the local organization usually attracts between 25 and 30 trailers to the annual rally. It used to be held at Crystal Hot Springs in Honeyville, but last year’s event was moved to Cherry Hill.
Blue says her trailer is a 16-foot 1966 Fireball. The event attracts all sort of makes and models.
“We have Fireballs and Aristocrats,” Blue said. “And Shastas — they call them the classic canned ham, because of their shape. There will also be some Airstreams there.”
The open house is a part of a larger rally that is not open to the public. Members of Tin Can Tourists regularly get together to camp, hang out, and hold potluck dinners in what they refer to as “glamping,” or “glamour camping.”
“It’s a time to rally our trailers in one place,” Blue said. “They hold rallies like this all over the United States, mostly during the summer months.”
Blue said the Tin Can Tourists organization has been around since the early 1900s. She estimates this will be the fourth or fifth year for this particular rally. Members of the group enjoy showing off their trailers to others.
“That’s the pitch to the public,” Blue said. “If they want to do this, this is a chance to take a peek in everybody’s trailers. Usually, you see the ladies’ eyes light up when they see these trailers.”
