We're Zinnia and Maxen, two New Mexican natives currently living in Texas. We both grew up with a deep appreciation for construction and creativity and continually encourage our entrepreneurial spirits by learning and "doing it ourselves." We've been living in the city of Austin for approximately five years and have been entertaining the idea of moving back to our enchanting high desert home of New Mexico. We've been super excited to transition into a more minimal and independent lifestyle plus we're very dedicated to reducing our environmental impact. We've been researching a myriad of tiny homes, mobile homes, yurts and campers, weighing the pros and cons of each. We both have a fascination and love for craftsmanship of the past, when everything was made to last instead of being expendable only to buy the next, new thing. We’re not ones to shy away from a project that requires work and TLC, as long as the foundation is solid we can always use that as a base to instill our own style and design elements.
We’re both actively nurturing opportunities that allow us to be more location and financially independent and decided that whatever style of home we inevitably chose, we wanted it to be mobile. We spent months researching different campers and fell in love with Spartan Trailers. They have a fascinating history, I’ll divulge details in another post soon, and are crafted with incredible attention to detail and quality. After deciding we wanted a Spartan we began looking into various models, sizes, years and pricing. Most of what we found was either super far away, in terrible condition or insanely priced. We knew the right one would appear when the time was right and patiently kept searching. Let me note here that Maxen has a sixth sense and serious dedication for finding ridiculously good deals. He would check various sales platforms daily and one fateful day in May he came across an incredible deal on craigslist for a Spartan Imperial Mansion. It was located in Gordonville, Texas approximately four and a half hours from our home in Austin. The post included photos and a detailed description of known damages. We called immediately to make sure it was still available and, most importantly, to check that it was not a scam. Upon speaking to the current owner, she explained that they had been demolishing a house on a property she had recently purchased and noticed the panoramic window of a camper peaking out. They carefully proceeded with the demolition to uncover the beautiful camper carefully protected inside. She didn’t know much about Spartan campers but knew it was a gem and wanted it to go to a good home. Due to the nature of it’s discovery it had been protected from the elements for over 60 years, a rare occurrence for old campers. However, because it had been built into a home, it’s previous owners had cut several holes into the skin to allow passage through various doorways as well as removing the tongue. We knew this would be a challenge but couldn’t know to what extent until we went to see it. We decided to drive down there the following week to take a look.
The exterior was in rough shape. The holes that had been cut into the skin… well, they were not skillfully done to say the least. The axles were potentially compromised, though we couldn’t be sure until we tried to move it, the frame looked rusty but still intact, several windows were missing and there were clay wasp nests littering the exterior walls. The interior was also questionable but undeniably beautiful featuring original elements such as light fixtures and well-preserved golden birch paneling. I was hesitant to purchase, feeling that the cons could outweigh the pros but Maxen was excited and determined. I agreed to the purchase and we signed all the necessary paperwork, had it notarized and handed over the money (I’ll divulge all the exciting financial details in another post soon). After we finalized our deal, the owner asked us to have the camper out by the first week of June, approximately three weeks from the date of purchase, which we agreed to.
Unbeknownst to us, the lack of tongue and potentially compromised drivetrain would be our biggest roadblock in moving the camper. Details about that adventure next. Stay tuned and thanks for following our journey!
Cheers,
Z
