I’ve never been to California and I’ve never camped in a trailer.
I’ve got to change.
Indeed, Foaper girlinsilver’s photo above inspires me to go out there and explore the unknown. Yesterday, when this photo was sold for the second time (this time to a NYC agency), we at Foap got the idea of finding out more about the person who had taken it.
Behind an amazing photo there is an amazing person.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Foaper girlinsilver, or Meredith Klassen, her real name in the real world.
Meredith, this trailer photo is really gorgeous. Congrats for this great shot! Could you tell us where this photo is taken? And at what time of the year was it taken?
Wow, thanks. It’s so neat to be recognized internationally by the Foap community! I took this photo of our 1967 Airstream Safari travel trailer at Lake Casitas Campground in Ojai, CA. on a May afternoon with my old Canon G9. The small town of Ojai, CA is about 40 minutes from my hometown of Santa Barbara, CA. My family and I love to camp there.
From your photos on Foap we guess that you love to go camping. Have you done this for a long time? When did you camp for the first time?
Yes, we do like to camp. It’s kind of our default family fun activity. Our love of camping was cultivated after my husband, Jack, and I had kids about 10 years ago. It was a great way to get the family out of the house, and way for me to feed my relentless wanderlust. My husband is not hearty when it comes to standard tent camping so, even though we had never towed a travel trailer before, we settled on the idea of purchasing one.
We looked at lots of trailers but they were either out of our budget, or too stuffy. We are a bit quirky and artsy, so the curvy silver Airstream was the perfect choice for us. We bought this 50 year old trailer in pretty rough shape in 2006, and spent several years learning about it and fixing it up. We have named her “Audrey.” Our first camping trip in Audrey was to a campground in Paso Robles, CA. in the summer of 2006. It was 110°F(43°C ) one day and we were so glad we had air conditioning inside our trailer!
How is the life inside a trailer? How many people can live there? How long can you be in the road?
Camping in the trailer is super fun. We are a family of four and we fit in it perfect. It has a big couch that folds into a bed for my husband and I, and two dinette seats at the dining table that fold into beds for the kids. The trailer has everything we need – a stove, oven, refrigerator, bathroom (with a tiny shower too!), a microwave, stereo, iPod dock, air conditioning, heater, and two sinks. The only thing it doesn’t have is a television, and that is on purpose. We go camping to get away from the computers and televisions!
A person could live full time in this trailer if they wanted to, but our family usually just takes it out for long weekend trips, between 3 and 5 days.
How do you feel knowing that this great photo is being used by marketing agencies promoting camping life?
It’s so cool to think that my photo may be inspiring others to unplug and seek adventures like ours! And, as an amateur photographer with no formal training, it is a huge honor to receive the thumbs up from the Foap community. I am the daughter of a university art professor who taught photography and printmaking his whole life. My love of photography grew from following him around. He would be so proud!
Finally, what are your plans for this summer and what would you say to someone, like me, who has been thinking about getting a trailer but isn’t really sure?
Our summer began in early June with an annual weekend camping trip with a big group of friends. We have two more trips planned before the kids go back to school too. Audrey will be a busy trailer this summer!
If you’re curious about camping in a travel trailer – rent one for a weekend and try it out! Renting travel trailers is becoming much more common and popular. If you are ready to buy, and you are looking for a vintage Airstream trailer, my best advice is to do your homework. Make sure it is checked out by someone who is knowledgeable before you put money down. Vintage Airstreams are beautiful creatures, but they can cost a pretty (shiny) penny to repair to roadworthiness.
Check out Meredith’s beautiful photos here.
