Scamp Ad 1975 spurs retrospection about a Casita

[working on it]

Lately, several matters have come up that have made me think a lot about the past. One for-instance is my remembrances about my dalliance with CB radio in the '70s. I was looking for a price quote for the Cobra 29 CB I bought in 1975, and kept until I sold it and the car I had installed it in (1973 VW Superbeetle), to a friend at work, in 1977 (or 1978 ??). I found an article in a November 1975 issue of Popular Mechanics (a Google Books online search) that showed it listed as costing $200. I remembered all the special equipment I used in my VW, trying to out-do all my friends, one of whom got his CB stuff at a discount (he was an installer for a mobile electronics store). I remember spending upward of $350 on everything, not to mention replacement antennae (mine were always getting broken or stolen (typical Dallas apartment life in the 70's). In today's dollars, that's about $1600. While I had the PM pulled up, I read some articles and all the advertisements. One was particularly interesting to me, and brought back a memory from a few years later. I found a Scamp Trailer "build-it-yourself" ad from '75

scamp 1975 pop mech.GIF (109.93 KiB) Viewed 175 times

I don't remember seeing that ad, though I used to read PM regularly in the 60-70-80's period. But, it reminded me that my Dad was nearing retirement in '83, when we had a joint venture going (one of several, lost money on all) trying to start a pecan plantation(?) on 100 acres he shared with his long-time co-worker and friend. I was the "caretaker" or the 1000 or so trees we had planted, because I had more time to drive the 150 mile round-trip every other day to tend them (water, wrap, etc.). He would haul in the water in his heavy-duty pickup on Saturdays (our pond/tank was semi-dry, with tons of cottonmouths in it), since he hadn't drilled a well yet. I was getting little or no sleep sometimes that fall and winter, and told my Dad that I was going to quit going down there for awhile. He countered by saying that he would buy a trailer for me to stay in, since he was planning to travel when he retired, and could use it himself, later. He said he had checked out the Casita trailer, which was built nearby in Rice. I saw them every time I drove down I-45, and was agreeable to that. Nothing ever came of that; I never got to inspect any Casita, much less stay in one. My Dad abruptly retired; he and his friend couldn't agree on something or other, and sold the land, trees, tractors, and all without telling me or compensating me for my efforts. I would've liked a Casita (or a TTT), but I would have to wait 30 years and build my own. Shame the 1975 Scamp ad was no longer valid at that time!