This weekend saw another successful Vintage Camper Jamboree for the Shore Hills Campground and RV Park. This was the campground’s second year hosting participants from all over.

I met Paula Reny-Warford, campground host, at the parking lot on the inside of the campground. She pulled up in a golf cart, introduced herself, and told me to hop in. “Most of the campers are ’50s and ’60s restoration projects,” said Reny-Warford as we passed multiple campsites. “The thing is, most of them are still in the process of being restored. It’s not the type of thing that’s ever finished a hundred percent, which is part of the reason why the owners take it so seriously.”

One man came from New Brunswick to show off his 1965 Airstream. He said the inside was renovated specifically to look like the interior of a 1920s’ sailboat; the kitchen table was customized from an art-deco sewing table, which matches the original Kitchen Aid stove. He said he even painted the refrigerator to match.

Outside of the camper was a retrofitted flat screen television. There were fishing poles fashioned to the outside opposite the awning and a 1958 Pontiac Indian hood ornament leading the way from the top.

As we continued touring the campground, Reny-Warford stopped at another campsite and quickly asked the owner of the 1960s-era Ace camper, “Hey, where was your camper made?” Alfred, Maine, the man said.

Passing a dozen or so campsites, we pulled by a fully restored 1956 Ford pickup truck. I was hardly done admiring the vehicle before we hit the end of that particular road where we found another fully restored Ford car from about the same era.

“I want to bring you over to Stephanie’s camper,” said Reny-Warford as she turned the golf cart around. “Hers is probably one of the best restorations here.” The 15-foot 1964 Shasta immediately popped right out — bright pink and white against its bluer neighbors.

“Okay, I’ve got a wild story for you,” said Stephanie Towle as she shook my hand and introduced herself as the owner of the 1964 Shasta. She beckoned a man over who introduced himself as Roger from Bradley. “Believe it or not,” said Towle, “Roger is the original owner of this little camper.”

Towle explained that she and her husband happened to be driving by Roger’s house last July when she spotted the camper and stopped to ask if she could look at it.

“I told her that she could look at it, but that it wasn’t for sale,” Roger bellowed. Towle insisted on making Roger an offer, which she said he thought about for a bit before making a counter offer. Towle said, “When I tried to meet him in the middle ...”

“I told her I’d turn it into a flat bed!” finished Roger.

After coming to an agreement, Towle said it took 11 straight months of gutting, refurbishing, and replacing parts which came from all over the United States. “The awning was custom made and it came from Oregon. The decals came from Arkansas, the wings from Connecticut, and the Shasta emblem from Tennessee,” said Towle, naming just a few of the parts. When asked when the camper was finished, she asked, “What’s today? Saturday? We picked it up from the auto body shop on Thursday, just in the nick of time for this weekend’s jamboree.”

There were about 20 participants last year to this year’s 36. Reny-Warford said, “We have the entire campground completely booked for next year’s jamboree — except for two spots.” She was able to point them out from the golf cart as we made our way back to the parking lot. “The Vintage Camper Jamboree is catching like wildfire, mostly by word of mouth. We already can’t wait for next year.”

After my guide left me at the parking lot, I happened to catch a camper donning a wild straw hat with flamingo lights strung around the brim. He was preparing for the crazy hat contest later that evening. “It’s definitely his style,” another camper hollered. I made my short journey to the top of the hill passing a handful of Airstreams, a converted Blue Bus, and other chic campers and their occupants having a great time. I regret that I let my wife talk me out of buying the Airstream I found last summer— it would have been a good time.