Apache Stories!

Everybody has a good camping story. Some of you may even be inclined to share yours! Please submit your Apache (camping, restoring, memory, etc.) stories here. Send them to doug@apachepopups.com Thanks - enjoy!

PS - There are many more great short stories on the Apache Appreciation / Inspiration page too!!!

Just A Funny Story

In the early '80's my father gave me a small Apache solid state camper.  At the time I was in the Navy stationed in Newport, RI.  Almost every weekend my family and I would tow the Apache to a camp located on the Cape Cod canal where we would meet up with some friends from Ma that my wife knew from childhood.

One evening at the camp we were all sitting around under the awning enjoying the night sounds when a lady and two teenaged boys showed up with a popup across the road from our site.  After several attempts to back the camper into the site the lady finally got it set into place and they all proceeded to crank it up and secure the canvas.  As soon as that was done the lady opened the door and stepped inside, shortly after that both boys went inside and apparently both went to the rear of the camper.

Just then we heard a loud crash of pots and pans and loud screams from the lady. We looked over and the tongue of the camper was up in the air and the rear was down on the ground.  My friend and I ran over and grabbed the tongue and pulled it down and told them to get out.  After they got out we then set the leveling jacks and secured it for them. 

At the time it was not funny but after all the jacks were set and the mess cleaned up we all had a great laugh over it.  The lady had never set up the camper before by herself and did not know about the leveling jacks.  Her husband was in the Navy as well and was deployed at sea aboard ship and she wanted to take the boys out camping for the weekend.  We all had a great weekend together and the boys had a great time.  I was so glad that I could help out a fellow sailor's family while he was deployed in defense of our freedom.

By the way, I was just given my second Apache by my uncle.  It is a '76 Cimarron in great condition.  I have asked him several times over the past couple of years to sale it to me in that he has not had it open in over four years.  This summer when I was down there on vacation I stopped in to visit with him and the subject of the camper came up.  I asked him how much he wanted for it and he said, "I'll tell you what, if you want it, it's yours!"  He went inside the house and got the title and signed it over to me on the spot.  I'm thinking of having my daughter (she is an artist) paint a logo on one of the back corners and calling it the "Uncle Lee" ....or something like that....in his honor.

Keep on camping.....have fun!!!  Go Apache!!

YEOW!

Last & First

My family has camped for years....It was my father's passion.  We had an old "Nimrod" softtop that smelled of mildew and gym socks but my father was content, he was of course...camping.  I remember one stormy night, thundershower after thundershower, everything got soaked and Mom got serious.  I can still remember her telling Dad that he had better do something or this would be the last camping trip for her! 

The next day, while still camping, Dad removed all our belongings from the Nimrod and Mom hung it all to dry.  Dad hitched on to the tiny camper and drove away. Later that afternoon, Dad pulled up to the site and backed in a brand new 1972 Apache Yuma.  

I can remember a group of neighboring campers coming over to watch Dad set it up for the first time.  It was a pretty neat thing to see! Well, Mom and Dad retired in 1997 and no longer needed the camper, so he asked me if I wanted it or he would sell it to someone interested.  I showed him just where to park in my yard!

How I Got My Apache

Can you bear another..."How I got my Apache" story?  HA! Well, here goes...the short version...my great aunt, Laurna, who lives in Norwalk, CA had a popup trailer that she and her husband used for accommodations while they attended and showed their rabbits at rabbit shows. It was a 1973 Apache Mesa in really great condition!  Everything original!  My great uncle dies and she moves the trailer 400 miles to my grandparents home in Elderwood, CA. There it sits for years and years on the back forty, waiting for the right person to taker her away. Enter me... April, 30 year old who's tired of sleeping on the ground when she and her husband go camping.  After a little dickering with good ol' Aunt Laurna, we settle on a price...$1.00.  That was 2 years and many camping trips ago. 

The husband wasn't so sure that he was going to like the whole "trailer" thing, but on our very first trip after we weathered out a torrential rain storm in the Sequoia National Park, CA he quickly changed his tune. Our friends in a 1982 Starcraft with canvas sides...yuck!...thought they had the better trailer, but after 2 days of solid rain, our little trailer was just as snug as a bug in a rug.  The other couple battled drips galore and wasn't even close to being as insulated, sturdy or as cozy as ours!!  He marvels at how light it is to tow and what a great time can be had in "one of those hardsided little tent trailers."  HA!  That trip was the clincher!  The husband was sold!  He now adores our little '73 and is in the process of revamping the lift chain.  With the help of your site and of all those Apache'ers before us, we will keep that little bugger on the road for many years to come!!

Thank you for all your time and effort you've put into this remarkable site.  I know that my husband and I appreciate everything you do.  We are now regular visitors!! Thanks again! 
      Sincerely,
         April Gates
           Visalia, CA

My 1970 Apache Mesa III Find!

Me and my wife have been together for 8 years and married for 6. She wasn't much into camping when we met, but some coaxing and begging got her to go and eventually, whattya know, she started liking it. We tent camped up to last summer when we learned that our second child was coming. Our first was a girl, who is named Emily and is now four and loves camping. Tent camping was getting a little tiresome with packing up the truck unloading the truck and all that goes with tent camping, like the weather, in which we got caught in one time. It was a pretty strong thunderstorm. Emily was 1 at time - didn't seem to bother her, she slept right through it - mom and dad didn't. We decided to maybe move up to at a pop-up camper. We were not the richest people in the world. I searched and searched for the right one and at the right price. 

My dad happen to be retired but still doing some part time work at this little RV dealership. He calls me one day and says get down here now. I jump in the truck head down there. I get there and before he shows it to me he tells me little about it. This older couple comes in to have a taillight fixed, starts looking at new popups, and buys one that day. He continues to tell me that its a 1970. I'm thinking this is going to be a real wing dinger. We looked at it, and it turns out to be a 1970 Apache. After looking at pictures over the internet, I believe it is the Mesa III. Every thing worked to the sink, furnace, and stove. Every thing was original, down to the curtains and cushions for the benches and beds. It was clean and in excellent shape. 

The couple trading it in were gonna take it camping that weekend and this was a Friday, like I said they just stopped in for a new taillight. My next question was how much? The owner of the RV dealership said since my dad worked there he would sell it to me for $200.00. I said I'd take it, but as always gotta let the wife see it. She liked it, so homeward bound we were with our 1970 Apache popup, in which we pull with a 4 cylinder Ford Ranger, which was another reason for going small. It has been a wonderful camper and our 2nd child, Ethan, who was born last December is going to get to enjoy it before long. 

All the camping we have done, we have never seen these types of campers. The setup with the hardsides all around except for the netting around beds is a setup I really like. We get people all the time staring at it and always get people asking us what kind of camper it is. Most people wouldn't have looked twice at it but we did and it became our families treasure chest with the memories and fun times we have put in it and what we are still to put in it.  I'm glad to see others enjoy their Apache's as well as we do.

God bless everyone and happy camping!!!!!  Kurt,Dawn,Emily and Ethan

Birth of Apache

My name is Patrick Bergin and I am one of the first two people to ever sleep in an Apache camp trailer.

I lived across the street from Gene Vesely who founded the company.  At the time Gene as a local building contractor in Lapeer, Mich.  He wanted to take his family on a camping trip, but the only trailer available at the time was the Hi-Lite which only had one wheel.  Gene decided to build a plywood trailer with a standard, two wheel axle which he could tow behind his 55 Chevy wagon.  He had a local canvas maker sew up a tent for it and brought it back to his house.  As a joke one of his friends (Bill Phifer I believe) tacked an old license for his dog "Apache" to the back of the trailer, hence the name.

It befell Gene's son Roger and me to test the new contraption out, so one summer evening in Gene's back yard, Roger and I bravely faced the suburban Michigan elements and spent the night in the trailer in spite of the almost constant harassment by Rogers two sisters Cathy and Marsha.  The next morning our overnight test session was declared an unqualified success and the rest, as they say, is history.

I haven't seen any of the Vesely family in years, Gene and his ex wife have long since passed on and I have no idea where Rog' is now, but the Apache Camp Trailer provided many a family with a wonderful way to experience the outdoors and also provided scores of jobs for our community.  - Patrick

My Apache Find

My wife has been suggesting the camping idea for years. I will be the first to say that she is the outdoors person. She applied the pressure by the purchasing of a tent, accessories, and by making the reservations for a week for us 2 and 3 children. With this in concrete, I went and purchased a local Trading post to see what the chances would be to purchase a POP UP reasonably cheap. Well, at the middle of the summer, my find was 2 each, The add that we went to look at read this, POP UP CAMPER, needs some work, $ 500.00. We took off and took a look, it was already set up, as we walked up on it, IT HAD HARD SIDES, what is this thing we thought, I have never seen one of these things. The person listing this goofed on his ad, I came to look at a POP UP, not a contained camper. Well needless to say, this camper needed a TON OF TLC and more time that I had to get ready for our week looking at living in a tent. As we went home I thought lets try the internet and typed in APACHE CAMPERS,  I found this to be a blessing in finding. These campers are supposed to be this way, Off and scanning through the website, we noticed a PARTS / SALE listing, I am from the Chesapeake, Virginia area and knew that my search was useless due to the scanning was all over the United States. While scrolling I found a listing that read APACHE CAMPER, NEW WINDOWS, GEAR BOXES, AWNING,  COVERS, NEEDS CLEANING. The listing read in Va. I could not believe it, E-mailed the sellers, but noticed that they posted the add approx. 2 weeks earlier, I knew it was sold. My LUCKY day, my E-mail came back, they still had it as they posted it and left for vacation, and the BEST PART, they are located 10 minutes from my house. Off we went to see if this was a dream come true, especially with the FIND from the first APACHE we looked at.  It was DIRTY GEM, it was stored in the back yard, it had been in the family and the couple had gone to a contained camper, DIRTY yes, but all that is dirty can be cleaned, we came to a very much agreeable price, and off we went with our find. (As we spoke with our new friends, a person contacted them and planned to make a trip from Florida to purchase it) Once home we found THAT EVERYTHING WORKED, (Gear boxes need timing) My wife has taken off on a vengeance with the making of curtains from my mother, scrubbing, new floor covering, etc. We made it to our week trip with few problems, as we toured the camp ground, you would not believe the comments we received on, WHAT KIND OF CAMPER IS THAT, we were much more than happy to tell our story and our find, I can not express my gratitude to your website and the appreciation to the sellers who used your site to post it.

Chuck & Dawn & Kids

New Camper

Thought you might like to hear from a new Apache owner. I am 46 and started riding mountain bike few years ago. I don't compete just enjoy the ride. I do like to ride good trails. Last year decided to "camp" for four days at state park that has thirteen miles of trails about forty miles from "home" [grand rapids ,mi]. bought 10x18 ft tent, and basic camping gear [folding lounge chairs,13 in tv/vcr,120/12volt converter, inflatable couch,10x10 canopy,12 volt lights for under canopy and in tent, and inflatable mattress]. As you can guess I don't think camping means roughing it. Everything was great and low and behold turns out my wife [Diana]  love's "camping Dan style". Only two problems 1.I wound up with so much gear that Ranger pickup was'nt up to hauling all of it, so had to take wife's Thunderbird also. 2.With all the comforts of home with it took almost four hours to set up. This year I told Diana I'm not going unless I have camper [bluffing!!!].

So last couple weeks been looking in paper and asking around. Not much luck everything I called on was sold. Finally got up early Saturday to check paper. Found ad for 1970 Apache camper $595,call after 5pm. Well figured it meant weekdays so waited until 10:00am and called. Man I talked to said was in pretty good shape and had plastic walls front and back. This was the first time it hit me that Apache was those campers I used to see back in early 70s that had walls !! We agreed on a time for me to come see it in about three hours. I jumped in Di's t-bird and went on a search for campers that I had heard about or maybe get lucky and run into something. Mostly I couldn't just sit and wait for three hours as the more I thought about those Apache campers I say years ago the more I really wanted walls!!!!! I really didn't want to buy the first thing I looked at, so I drove around looking for two hours. Didn't find one camper for sale. 

Well I finally gave up and showed up at the guys house 1/2 hour early. We went out to his pole barn [walking past his newer Jayco]. As soon as I say it I knew I was buying it!!!!  It's a 1970 Mesa III, pretty good shape outside, canvas will be replaced by next year but for this year I'll patch it up somehow [I love to fix things]. I've had it less than 48 hours and its almost gutted. I didn't mention that it will never be the same as my plans are not to restore but to remodel. I have removed the "kitchen" , half the dinette and the table permanently will replace door side seat from dinette .Except I used bottom half of "kitchen" under seat to get doors for access under seat. Looks like potty should fit behind big doors, rest for storage. Next will be to make walls in bottom of camper . Then build cabinet over other wheel well. Remove avocado countertop on cabinet behind door and small cabinet next to seat. This will be replaced with wooden top made from table. Then will carpet floor and walls up to bunk slide with low pile carpet. this will then give me what I want which is a living room feel to it. I do all cooking outside on tailgate of pickup which will be under canopy. Inside I will use a small lamp for light, also have two inflatable chairs and tv/vcr for living room. I love my bike and my wife loves to hike but at night we want to go "home" and relax just don't want to drive 50 miles to get there. This much will be ready in 3 weeks for first long weekend. After that will be looking into a/c before it gets too hot. Need that to relax in during midday heat will hike/bike early/late.  

Well this is getting long but can't help myself just need to tell someone about my new weekend retreat on wheels. Oh yeah I got the camper for $550 and he threw in a 100 foot cord, wheel chocks, a 4ftx6ft outdoor carpet for under [canopy came with], electric heater, and odds and ends. Also has two very good tires on it and a brand new spare. I have been taking pictures and will be glad to share!! I have digital camera and scanner so can send pictures of it as it [must find name for her !!] progresses. I work second shift and will be working on her before work and checking Apache site for info and help as needed at night. I must stop now sleep is needed even when you get old but I'm like little kid with new toy too excited to sleep! Just one more thing as you can tell from screen name I am proud granpa to 2year old baby girl. Already got plans to have them over for a stay. It will work well for now as son/daughter-in-law will sleep in other end bunk and grand girl will have her own pint size bunk. By time she out grows it will have kids convinced to get own "weekend home". enough for now!"   granpadn@aol

Lucky Fun

My father had recently purchased a large fifth wheel trailer and wanted my wife and I to start going camping. He found a '70 mesa at an RV dealership (I don't know how it got there) for $400. It still had a license
plate on it from 1970! We opened it up at the dealer and it was unreal. This was the first time I had seen anything like this and I was hooked! My wife and I cleaned it and went camping the next weekend and it performed flawlessly. I plan to install an A/C unit this spring and build a bigger cabinet. This is the most fun I have ever had camping!  

A Little More Work

It all started back in the spring of 1995. My wife and I had been married about a year at the time and I decided to take her on her FIRST ever camping ( tent ) trip ! I live in Florida, and had tent camped some over the years and had been to Anastasia campground in St. Augustine, Fla. Next to the beach and the old Spanish Fort, great site ! 

We set up camp in a 2 room tent ( borrowed from my oldest brother ) and settled in for our first camping adventure together. Well, about the middle of the night a BIG raccoon visited and caused quite a stir, as you can imagine !! Well, it got better, a typical Fla downpour set in and EVERYTHING got drenched !! It rained all weekend long. We had to stand side by side just to cook, one to hold the umbrella and one to work the grill !!! Not a problem for newlyweds !!! Needless to say, my wife decided she would have nothing to do with camping from then on.

A few years went by and we had a son. I brought up the idea of how much fun it was to camp as a kid ( the few times I got to ) and that our new son would surely enjoy it !!! My wife piped up that it would have to be an ALL GUY adventure !!! The only way she'd camp again was in a condo on the beach !!!! We actually had a lot of fun ribbing one another about the whole thing and reminiscing her first trip. Well, wanting to keep it a family thing, I suggested we go look at some pop-ups at a local RV place to cut a compromise between a tent and a condo, a slight one !! As many of you already know, $6k - $11k for any new Coleman. We decided that before we dropped that much coin on a new idea, we'd better ease into it and see how we like it.

I called my father-in-law in Tenn. and told him to keep an eye out for a good deal while I looked locally. About a month later, he calls up and says " I bought you a pop-up camper today !! Excited but apprehensively, I ask what he found. He starts off by telling me its about 20-30 years old and I think to myself ' man !! now I'm gonna feel obligated to pay him for some old junker ! '. I was actually kind of bummed about it and he promised I didn't have to buy it and that he could sell it quick out where they live in the country.

He gave me a name (no model - seems to be the case for this one in particular !!), measurements and other details about its features. I got on the net and started my usual research as when buying most stuff. Nothing was turning up, when all of a sudden I stumble onto an "Apache Campers" web site !! Well, many hours later, and SOLELY because of the site, I SMILE and realize I now have a POTENTIAL classic on my hands, well on my father-in-laws hands all the way (730 miles !) up in the backwoods of Tenn. Well, seems like it to being that I live on the Space Coast of Fla. !!

I ask him to PLEASE send me some pics so I can try to confirm which Apache it is via the web site. I get some pics and they pretty much indicate I have a MESA III. I ask for a VIN and one is not to be found.

Now, to get it home...
About two months later my wife and I are expecting our second son and it is decided he will bring it down for me when they visit. I start to get excited anticipating its arrival !! Hey !! I'm about to get my own APACHE camper - a classic !!!

The baby is born and  my camper is on the way !! He pulls in the driveway after 11 hours and ....... NO CAMPER !!!! He had a wiring harness problem the morning of the trip, blowing fuses, and decided it would not be safe to transport without lights. Now, I join my newborn baby in crying !! HA !! HA !!!

Now, it will have to wait 'till Christmas on our annual trip to visit them in Tenn.

I continue to converse with people through the site and read the ENTIRE site. By this point I feel like I already have my camper !!! The site is a well executed and thought out one I might say !!!

Anyway, we make it to Tenn. this past Christmas (2000) and there it is... covered on top with snow !! O.K. lets get it in the garage and open it up. Turns out I can see faded markings where a name tag once hung : MESA III. I confirm it with 'Ole Elmer and determine its a 1970, a yr older than my wife !!!! I mention she needs to respect camping from now on since its an elder !!! HA !! HA !! ( not a stitch of paperwork exists w/ the camper ) The parts manual on this site helped to point out the yr. via a pic of the gearbox . Elmer mails me a new VIN ID plate and it is slowly becoming MINE !! My father-in-law knocks a $100 off his purchase price ( $500 ) as an extra present and the deal is done.

The night before we leave, an inch of snow falls. No big deal, well the conditions before, during and after that 1" leave the roads as smooth as glass and of course pure ICE !!! Fortunately, I lived in the BIG state of Alaska while serving in the USAF back in the '80's and driving on icy roads was just like a trip to the store for bread !!!! Plus, this time I'm driving a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan with a new hitch just waiting to be used !! We decide if we can make it to the main roads a number of miles away, they will most likely be salted and good for travel. 10-15 miles an hour, an hour later, having watched my father-in-law ( they were coming BACK down with us due to a death in the family ) spin off the road once and fishtail numerous times, we make it to the main roads and my van and camper... not a slip !!! Ole Alaskan skill ( ABS !!! ) 720 miles later the family and I arrive safely and now, where do I put it ? !!

 Previous planning for outside wouldn't prove easy to work on. Well, the wife's van HAS to stay in the garage, so the mint '91 5.0 must come out !!! I tell this to express my fondness of my new Apache !! Well, here I am, two weeks into starting to go over it ( cleaning, tightening, tweaking and assessing problems ) and all is well. The one piece I MUST replace is the aluminum channel that runs the length of the door side walls ( on top ) that makes the two wall pieces "one", its broke. 'Ole Elmer doesn't have one so I am going to try the guys in Canada. Any ideas would also be greatly appreciated by fellow Apachians !!

The story is over, for now, hope some enjoy it as much as I have having lived it !!!!

God Bless !!!
Keep up the good site !! Maybe it will change more minds !!!

Thanks for you time, Douglas

Home in Georgia

Several years ago we were privileged to purchase a 1975 Ramada Apache camper.  At that time we had no idea how fortunate we were.  We were just buying a "camper".  We made a decision to sell it after several years of family camping adventures.  The family had grown up and we thought there
would be more room in a larger camper.  This did not prove to be true. When the beds were all out we did not have enough room to turn around. We routinely had six of us camping together.    We sold that Apache in 1990.  The kids have all grown up and now it is just the two of us. Believe it or not we were fortunate enough to buy the same camper back again this year at a bargain price.  The camper was not in the mint condition on our 2nd acquisition as it was on our 1st.  We are now in the process of restoring to original condition as near as is possible.  We are looking forward to next spring when we can again enjoy camping in this engineering marvel.   The seller had also informed us of the Apache
web site and we love it !  It's good to be a part of such a dedicated group.  We live in Dahlonega Georgia and recently read a message from another Apache owner just a few miles down the road in Dawsonville, Georgia.  We would like to hear from them or anyone else in this area. Our E-mail address is:   mizeplace@juno.com.   THANKS. 
The Mizes

May I see inside?

I have enjoyed camping since I was a Boy Scout.  After I married, as a young man with a family of  three daughters, like many, I found that camping was a way to have the family together and have fun all at the same time, on a small
budget.

We tent camped but that was not well accepted by the "women" in the family. Later, I found an old Model T Ford 16 " wheel axle, and began to build my own "pop up" camper .  Got steel channel iron for the frame, four sheets of special plywood, sections of 1/2" conduit AND made the snap-together cover with (one piece, top/sides) and two separate ends cover.  (These were made in 1960 from a piece of the official ground cover tarp used at the Cincinnati Reds Ball Park.)

As we would camp in those years, often I would see a new Apache, go visit the owners and ask "May I see inside?"   Many times I thought, "If I could just own one, how great it would be."

Four campers later, during the past 10 years, we have a small, hard top, 10' Shasta, with open porta-potty, pull down bunk, stove and sink. The three older kids have been married for 20 years or more and our fourth daughter just was married this summer.  We haven't gone out camping too much in recent times.  But, Camp sites stilled "call" to me. 

My wife doesn't like community showers and public toilets.  However, with a little persuasion, she agreed that we would take a 4-5 week trip to the west coast next spring, camping on the way to and from a 10 day condominium stay at Grand Canyon, AZ and Pagosa, CO, all total, about 4900 mile trip. 

We had to get a different trailer because our Shasta was too small for such a long stay.  We had a problem though, I would have a towing problem with anything too big and my wife did not want to be a small space for that long of time; she did not want a pop-up and she hadn't changed her attitude about public showers and toilets.  I searched but was having a hard time finding something that would meet our mechanical and "emotional" needs.

Two weeks ago I saw an ad in our paper for an "Apache hard side Pop-Up".  I said to my self, "Now is my chance."  I told my wife I was going to look at a camper; the last thing she said before I left was, "No pop-ups!"  I went to see it.  It was a beautiful 1973 Ramada.  I called my wife and asked if she would look at it.  She asked "Is it a pop-up?", and I said,  "Not exactly". She reluctantly agreed to look at it, and I drove home to get her.  When she saw it, she was impressed with the spaciousness of the inside, a 6'+ ceiling and its 21 feet end to end, (twice as long as the living space of our Shasta).  After some duress she hesitantly agreed to the purchase.  AND,  now some 35 years after I saw my first Apache,  I am an Apache owner.

Got it 10 days ago. It is in very good condition; the previous owner already had both gear boxes reworked and new curtains made.  He included a small electric fridge, a 10' canopy and a 6000 BTU air conditioner with special window holder.  He was asking $1000.00.  I got him to throw in a class 2 trailer hitch, tongue and 2" ball, AND to pay to have it installed on my 6 cyl. Dodge Grand Caravan as well. (With our latest car purchase, we were going to have to buy a new hitch set up in order to pull any type trailer.)

I remembered that I had heard Apache went out of business.  So I started to look for information about Apaches on the Web.  That's when I came across this terrific web site.  I started looking  up ideas and asking questions.  (I may have been somewhat of a pest, but learned a lot and really appreciate how everyone in the Apache community wants to help each other.)

Well, as you can guess, my wife still doesn't care much for community showers and public toilets, and after seeing the floor plan of the "Roamer" I decided I try to make life a little nicer for her on our up-coming trip.  So I got started working right away.  I decided on the space across from the kitchen galley as the area to use.  This is somewhat similar to the plan in the early 70's "Roamer", except I wanted to put a short bench and a  shower between the door and the "pot". 

Last week I started on our "private bathroom".  I removed the long bed boards, and moved the support forward to the wheel well.  Using 4 two-section tent poles, I had around, I fashioned the corner posts, tied the posts together at the top with a removal light metal strap and then cut a king-size bed sheet with an appropriate design, to cover the area's two sides and front.  "Frosted" contact paper on the rear side windows took care of privacy on the back side and still lets in lots of light.

I had a sheet metal man form a 7" high rectangular pan for the shower base, used a lavatory 2" drain assembly in the bottom for the drain and cut a 2-1/4" hole in the floor.  Sealed the edges of the floor to prevent any swelling caused by dampness.  I purchased a 2.5 gal electric hot water heater at a Lowes Store, ($119), and installed it under the sink by cutting the shelf.  I bought enough high pressure washing machine hose to reach under the trailer, from the cabinet under the sink, (right side of trailer), to a hand held shower head, now on the left side of the trailer.  For ease and versatility, I used regular garden hose fittings.  The rigging of a shower curtain with magnets fastened to the bottom edge which "stick" to the metal pan, restricts the water spray.

One doesn't have to remove the shower base to use the porta-potty that faces front and has its back to the side of the rear bed-end, but, it provides more room to shower if the porta-potty is lifted out into the aisle when taking a shower.  For those interested, complete pictures and guide-lines for these retrofit procedures will be submitted to Doug for the Apache Web Page, by mid November, 2000.

The total cost to me for the modification was about $225; but I already had a few items on hand.  It was well worth it to be able to make my wife more comfortable when we camp, and now we both can enjoy APACHE ownership.  Again, I want to say how much I appreciate this site and all my "new Apache friends" out there who have helped me with so many important answers. 

After our trip west, we'll be camping around the mid-west, in and around Indiana.  I hope you run into us.  (I usually set up a U.S. flag pole with a small white fence and two duck decoys at the base, after all we are Hunters).  Anyone who is interested in our "private bath", can come by, and ask, (as I so often did many years ago), "May I see inside?"  You certainly will be welcome.

Good Camping. --  May God bless you as you enjoy the wonders of His creation.

Norm Hunter

A Visit With Ole' Elmer

Imagine sitting down and talking with a favorite uncle; this is what it was like meeting Ole' Elmer for the first time. With a thin voice and a huge laugh and smile to match, my wife and I felt at ease talking for what became 5hrs. Although this was a slow day, the phone did ring periodically which helped me to gather my questions together. Ole' Elmer is quite a character. He broke his hip last year then broke his foot this year trying to protect his hip during a fall. He laughs about it, but that is his nature.

Apache Sales Corp. is housed in a small office /warehouse building shared with another business. What shocked me was there weren't any old camper’s, just parts that look new. Some of the parts are in fact new. They own some of the original dies and are having new parts made. I purchased some myself. They even have the camper names in new plastic. They look good.

Ole' Elmer started working for Apache in 1964 at the sum of 85cents/ hr. The owner was stubborn and refused to pay what the workers considered a good wage so they formed a union and finally got some concessions in wage. The union at its height had 700 workers. There were 30 women whose sole job was sewing canvas tops and awnings. In 1979 some of the camping trailer division parts and equipment were sold to disperse a $100,000 debt. The popup division was separate from the non-popup and RV division. They were in separate factories in different cities, so the RV and flat-side campers are distant cousins even though they are no longer are made by Apache. The name is licensed to another RV manufacturer.

The reason for the confusion as to what model /year camper people own is very simple, all parts were made in house! In a never ending attempt to make the perfect camper, if one model had a better selling feature he would make some in other sizes. The car industry did this with the ½ year models so why not him.

The first camper the owner made was for his family the next were for friends and family. Soon he started making wooden boxed chiefs at an old cement plant in 1956. Then they started making campers for SEARS (TED WILLIAMS). This ended due to a difference between what Sears wanted to pay and what the owner was willing to sell them at. Thus Apache was born as an entity.

From the flames of the 1979 dispersal sale, 7 dealers got together and purchased the then new parts and formed the Apache sales corp. and Old Elmer had a job talking about the campers he loved.

Several ideas were born that day as we sat and talked but it is too soon to say. Keep glued to the Apache web site.

TIME LINE (These are approximate dates and models.)

Chief- ?-1956 wood box /57-59+ metal box and built for SEARS (a couple companies built them)
Raven- 1955-73 as a vinyl travel cover ,74+ clam shell cover
Eagle- 1957-73 as a vinyl travel cover ,74+ clam shell cover. The Eagle turned sideways in 1974 with the 600 and 800 series (like the Buffalo.)
Silver Eagle 1965
Golden Eagle 1974

GENERAL COLOR CODE FOR HARD SIDES AND SOME SOFT TOPS

71-Olive green, 72-Rust, 73-Tan, 74-Dark green, 75-Apple green, 76-78-Gold,orange, 79-86-Beige

Paul Drescher

Our Sweet Pumpkin 

Hello! I'm sitting here at my computer as the bright (and rarely seen) Northwest sunshine lights up the out of doors. I was actually surfing the web, trying to find pieces to use in repairing my family's Apache or trying to find out what a new camper would cost. I don't know the year, yet, on our Apache, but I do know that it still gets lots of compliments and we get those "where-do-you-buy-those" questions. I do know that it is a pumpkin orange and white hardside and a real treasure. As a child in the 70's, I remember spending weeks every summer living in the Apache. We'd roll into a campsite, pop up the trailer (it was always a challenge to see who could last the longest cranking it up), and be ready for dinner.  It was used for many years, even for a trip from Seattle to the East Coast in '76 for the bicentennial. My favorite story has to do with the color of paint on the outside. Once, while we were camping somewhere in Canada, we encountered bears in the campground. It was too late to move the trailer, so my parents opted to stay. Being a small child, I was terrified that the bears would get us. My dad calmly told me that no bear would dare come near our trailer because our trailer had special "bear-proof" paint. I slept well knowing that no bear could come near our pumpkin orange trailer. Bet you didn't know Apache had that option, did ya?

Our little pumpkin is in need of some work now. It's gone from my parents to me (they switched to a cumbersome, heavy trailer that has to be towed by a HUGE van). The only trouble is that all those summers of camping have taken their toll. The hinges are cracked, a few pieces have broken, and there's a leak on one of the ends. I was debating with myself whether to fix it up or get something new. After reading your site and seeing the pictures, I'm convinced that we're keeping the Apache and fixing her up. I look forward to telling my girls about the special bear-proof paint and seeing them try to crank 'er up. Wish me luck!   Michelle Bartelheimer  -  Snohomish, WA

Our Success Story

I wanted to share with you and the rest of the Apache world our very own story. I have many fond memories of camping as a child in the 70's and can recall many times seeing these wonderful creations of engineering expertise in several campgrounds across the country. Unfortunately my wife did not share in my love for camping and I thought all hope was lost. We have two beautiful daughters that I desperately wanted to introduce to this valuable family experience but I received unfavorable reviews from my wife when tent camping became the topic of discussion. 

As luck would have it, I was recently transferred from Tampa, FL (Hometown) to Alpharetta, GA . We currently live in Dawsonville, GA and have complete access to Lake Lanier.  My parents recently visited us and brought along their new 5th wheel to camp on the Lake in a Army Corps of Engineers Park. Needless to say, my wife and kids spent more time at the campground than at our home. You can imagine where my mind was all day at work while they enjoyed the great North Georgia countryside. As soon as my parents departed my wife started searching for a camper to call home. We found absolute frustration with the craftsmanship and prices associated with new Pop Up campers and started to become discouraged. I then happened across an Apache add in the local paper and immediately recalled how impressed I was as a child with these beauties. 

This is where the story gets good. I happened across the rvtraderonline.com website and found a true diamond in the rough. A gentlemen in West Palm Beach had just taken in a 1972 Ramada from an elderly couple toward the purchase of a new RV. Well it took about 5 minutes to decide that we would not let this slip through our fingers. I called and grabbed it with only seeing an exterior photo. I noticed that this perfect Apache had the original awnings for all of the windows and was in immaculate condition. I spoke with salesman to ensure complete equipment soundness and asked if he could forward interior pictures for us. This may be hard to believe but the interior is all original and in perfect condition. We were absolutely astonished at the overall condition and how well this gem was cared for over the years. I plan to send you all the photos as soon as we pick it up next week and hope to share many stories and memories with the Apache family.

Thank you for providing this wonderful forum for Apache owners and I look forward to speaking with many of you in the future. I am sure I will have many questions once I get my hands on our baby. We love it so much and we haven't even stepped foot in it yet. Oh by the way, to date they have received over 40 calls for our Apache and they have to break the news that she is already taken to each prospective buyer.

Thanks Again,

Chad, Heidi, and the girls

The Ultimate Rehab

I was so delighted to stumble across your website! When I was a kid, we camped in all kinds of
things, from leaky army surplus tents to a huge motor home. But the one camping unit we all
agreed was the most fun and roomy was our Jayco folding tent trailer. We loved that thing and
my father drove it all around the country. I remember seeing the Apache hard-sided campers at
the time and being pretty impressed at how nice they were in comparison to our canvas model.
And as a kid, it was really fascinating to watch them go up - so ingenious!

Well, time passed and I grew up and kept on camping, but mostly backpacking and tent camping.
That is, until our son was born nine months ago, when we started looking for something more
comfortable for a baby. We looked at new tent trailers and weren't that impressed, especially
considering the high prices being charged. Then we started looking at used campers, but the
ones that were reasonably priced all seemed to have canvas that was rotten beyond repair and
weren't worth fixing up. Then we found it! A 1974 Apache Royal. My husband had never even
seen a hard-sided camper before and was intrigued. I was delighted! I'd always thought these
were so neat as a kid and now here was my chance to own my very own Apache. Six hundred
dollars and some haggling later, we drove it home.

The camper was in pretty good shape considering its age. The gears had been replaced by the
last owner, and the unit popped up smoothly. The last owner had also replaced the dinette
table, which had "disintegrated". Two of the windows had been replaced, but badly, and the
third main window was yellowed with age. The curtains were all gone, but the foam upholstery
was in good shape though the covers were somewhat faded. The floor had a large red stain in it
and was chipped up badly, as was the counter top and kitchen fold-down unit. There was also a
25 year accumulation of dirt and grime to be removed before we could get to the real
renovations.

First I sewed new covers for all the bolsters and nice new curtains for all the windows and the
bunks. The cushions are covered in a chocolate/hunter green plaid and the curtains are beige
with tiebacks made from the plaid material. Then my husband replaced the counter tops on both
the storage cabinet and kitchen unit with almond formica. My husband used a large oak butcher
block cutting board to replace the original fold-down section of counter that was past repair.
We covered the worn flooring with new high quality vinyl tiles in a light oak parquet. I
painted all the scratched up faux-walnut metal panelling, refrigerator, and cabinet doors with
heavy duty enamel in Mexican Sand. I painted the aluminum window frames and the band of
aluminum around the inside of the camper box to match.

My husband replaced the water/sewer fittings and the fill tube on the water tank. He also
replaced the old hand pump faucet with a new one and an electric pump which will run on 12V.
We painted the nicked up greenish three burner stove with a special high temperature paint that
resembles cast iron and came out looking quite sharp. My husband rewired and labelled the
tangled mess of electrical connections and added an accessory port for our cell phone, halogen
overhead lights, AC/DC fluorescents, and an AC/DC invertor. Also a compact stereo system. He
also added a radiant propane heater and repaired and resealed the ventilating fan. I finished
up the inside by adding hand-pieced quilts and shams to the beds in hunter/cream/cranberry and
hunter green pillows with tiny loons embroidered on them on the beds and the gaucho sofa.

On the outside, my husband replaced the yellowed windows with new Lexan. We also replaced the
worn out door latch. He painted the undercarriage with black enamel and I painted the entire
outside of the camper with ultra pure white high gloss enamel. Some might say it was sacrilege
to change the original colors but it looks like a million bucks and sorry, but I wasn't crazy
about Avocado Green even when it was fashionable. We did keep the colors somewhat in period
and didn't go in for the pastels that seem to be the fad in new trailers. Our newly
refurbished Apache is at least as comfortable and attractive as new models costing thousands
more and is much more secure and weatherproof in wind and rain than the soft-sided models.
Ours was a very thorough renovation but it was worth it. We do have some minor things left to
fix, but hey, you gotta save something to do in the spring when you're anxious for camping
season to start!

Ellen Lanterman

Our Perfect Apache Mesa

My mom and dad bought an Apache Mesa brand new in 1976, I was 11 years old and we loved it! My mom didn't like to cook in it, and didn't use the ice box, only to store dry goods. Everytime we went camping in the Jemez Mountains and in Colorado, everyone loved it at the campgrounds. When my Dad died in 1983 my mom didn't want anything to do with camping, and I was in college, so she sold it to a friend of the family for $1000.00. It was in PERFECT condition. I sure wish I would have talked to her into keeping it.

I got married and we found a 1986 HUGE Apache trailer for $1800. The inside was immaculate, and looked like it was top of the line. The people had bought it brand new. But it was smashed in on one corner on the door side, and the corners of the beds were cracked and had small holes in them. However, I do wish we would have bought that and fixed it up. I see Apaches all over Albuquerque, but not for sale, just sitting in peoples yards or in storage yards. Wish we would get on now, the new tent pop ups are so expensive. If anyone here in New Mexico wants to sell their Apache please e mail me. Thanks for your site!

Matthew and Annette Torres

The Ramada that got away...

I purchased a new 1979 Apache Ramada after seeing one at an RV site earlier that year. I swear it was the most beautiful pop-up I had ever laid my eyes on. It had a light tan box trimmed in maroon stripping with the Apache logo. I fell in love with this beautiful piece of steel, ABS, and aluminum.... man it was big too. I got lots of looks on the road and at many campsites. When I picked it up at the Houston dealership I only owned a 1977 Chevy "Luv" pickup! Hey...the trailer was larger than the truck! My wife and I decided on a vacation to Mass. to visit friends there....would you believe we pulled that Ramada with that 1800cc. tiny 4 cylinder engine??!!..and back. We really got stares in New York city on the way back (look at those dumb Texans)!!!! Ha. We had a ball.

The Apache I owned was a real treasure. I was so proud of it and even kept it in the garage when storing it (for years). Now the sad part of this story... my wife talked me into selling that beautiful creature to our
mailman and we bought a 21' Nomad trailer. Bad mistake! As of this writing I own a Coleman (yuk-i-poo), but looking for a 79' or newer Ramada to get my hands on. Any of you Apache owners feel free to give me a shout...love to hear from you, Clayton in Houston...... see ya

Memories

My brothers and I would share your enthusiasm but not for the same model.  We had an Apache soft-top, I can't remember the name of the model.  It had nothing inside but a big canvas room attached on the side for extra space. The beauty of this trailer, in my father's opinion, was that there was no limit to what could be strapped on top.  We took all our bikes and lawn chairs.  In the sixties, nothing was built for saving space or weight.  That trailer just kept getting taller and taller with each thing my mother had to have.  There wasn't any Rubbermaid either.

However, the story I remember best occurred one summer when my father had been posted to the other side of the country on a Canadian Armed Forces base.  We (the rest of the family) weren't going with him.  My mother valiantly tried to make the summer fun for the kids and was very proud to be able to tow the trailer and set it up with our help.  She didn't need to have her husband do it for her.  This particular weekend was not ideal.  The children had each contracted some bug which had us heaving into pails.  The weather turned ugly and we were confined to the trailer because of the pouring rain.  The canvas was saturated and the roof of the awning was starting to give way.  It is now very late on Friday night.  Through our misery we could hear a car approach the camp site.  We were startled to hear a man singing out the lyrics "Wouldn't it be nice to have a man about the house?"  Now my mom is a liberated as any woman could be in 1970.  I never saw anyone so glad to see her husband arrive...my father had surprised us with a visit for the weekend.  When he had arrived at our home and discovered us gone, he borrowed a car from a neighbor to come to the park where he knew we camped regularly. He was a welcome sight.  This has nothing to do with Apache in particular but it does strike that nostalgic chord to see others have fond memories of those trailers too.  I have also grown and am now introducing the nomadic summer life to my son.  We are enjoying every s'more and boney fish caught and I've even learned how to bait my own hook.  Thanks for letting me share this memory.

Colleen Gander

Apache Commitment

I just saw your web site as I was looking for parts for my MESA. I enjoyed your story because I have had a similar experience. The first pop-up I traveled in was a canvas loaner from a neighbor when I was a kid. The next year my Dad bought an Apache Ramada which we used for about 6 years before they moved on to a Motor home. I really liked that camper and we traveled throughout Florida where we lived, the northeast and even the southwest over the years we owned it. I remember one of the first modifications he made was to install an air conditioner in the front panel on the tongue followed quickly by a rack connected to the slide outs which allowed us to carry canoes and even a 14 ft. fiberglass skiff.

Apache solid state campers are the best campers bar none. They were ahead of the rest and nothing has come since to challenge their status. They were quality built and one of the best engineered designs around. What I do not understand is why other companies haven't figured out the advantages the solid state campers have.

I bought my Mesa from my brother about 10 years ago. We used it for a few years and then following Hurricane Andrew we lent it to a former neighbor to use while their house was being repaired. The camper was set up and used for 14 months before it was returned to us. Needless to say, it bore the wear & tear of everyday use and constant exposure. Last year I began a massive rebuild because there is still nothing on the market that can touch it. The roof had a crack, the vent leaked water, the cushions were shot, the sink leaked, the inside wood panels had rotted from small water leaks, the windows were brittle and cracked.  The end window panels were sagging and leaked as well.

About 11 months later, the camper almost looks like new. Unfortunately I was not able to keep the original theme in the drapes, etc. but it still looks great and renewed. All of the wood paneling (including the ceiling) was replaced with a lighter whitewashed finish which made the whole inside brighter. That included the ceiling, the inside ends, and all of the cabinet doors and faces (including the seating area). The ceiling crack was repaired by removing the top and fiberglassing the inside. When the top was replaced, it was reinsulated to keep the inside cool. A new ceiling fan unit replaced the old one and overhead lights were placed above the sink, above the table, and just above the entrance. The unit did have an air conditioner installed I decided that when I replaced that front end to reinforce the inside of the front shell with a fiberglass reinforced frame. When the A/C was replaced I used some boat molding around the edge of the fiberglass and then silicone caulk it to the A/C. I also had to replace the sink faucet and since the internal water tank was cracked, I cut it down so that it was just a tray to hold the hose and all electrical cords.  All new external travel lights were installed.  The bearings were removed, inspected, and repacked as well as replacing the bearing seals. The floor had quite a few nicks & cracks so we decided to put a new one on top of the old. While the frames & cabinets were out I cleaned the old floor with Acetone and used the best Armstrong's floor tiles I could find. They really made a difference.

Now comes the last part. To really restore this, there are quite a few of the seals and gaskets which I need to replace. Mainly, they are:
     1. The seals on the side panels at the end slide outs.
     2. The seal on the ends beneath the slide outs.
     3. The pieces above the end windows.
     4. The pieces connected to the roof which seal the fold out ends at the roof.
     5.  The "Apache" lettering for both sides (otherwise I'll create a some kind of Apace sign to go there)

I'm not sure if there are other missing pieces since I don't have any guide to tell me otherwise.  Following our first shakedown campout this weekend I plan to add a 12v socket for our Electric Coleman Cooler, and any other 12v accessory. My kids thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and their looking forward to more. I was watching my son do some of the chores that I had when I was a kid (like putting in the poles under the slide-outs).

I was told that some others have added 2 - 12v batteries to the trailer tongue for remote locations but I'm not sure that the extra weight there is a good idea .  I'll follow some of the links you provided but any direct assistance would be appreciated.

John Hampp

If you're in the mood for another story, check out  How this web site came about. There are also numerous short stories on the Apache Appreciation / Inspiration page. Or, how about sharing one of your own?

~~~ Hosting provided by www.hosttec.net ~~~