Brena and Queenie - vintage glamping in style
Meet Brena Bailey and her 1953 King Travel Trailer, Queenie. Brena is famous for her Southern hospitality (and Plantation Punch) at Glampouts and loves entertaining under Queenie's shabby chic canopy with Queenie as the backdrop. Brena is a transplant from Natchitoches, Louisiana and calls San Mateo, California her home now. Happily retired from her career as the San Mateo County Film Commissioner, she lives with her English husband of 47 years and their two year old border collie, Tucker.
Brena glamps as often as possible and is an active member of Sisters On The Fly, Tow Girlz, Lemon Drop Divas, The Doodlebugs, Cali Girl Glampers and Sassy Sisters of the Sierras. Brena has had a blast hosting the annual Tow Girlz "Festival of Fun" Glampout held at the fun, vintage Clearlake Campground for the last five years.
At “Festival of Fun” Brena hosts the formal "Dinner On The Dock" which is great fun for everyone. Just imagine a long line of tables draped with white linen and set with mis-matched vintage china, white linen napkins, vintage silverware, flowers and candles. The beautiful Clear Lake Campground on Cache Creek is the backdrop for this fun, themed dress up evening with lots of adult beverage options for all the gals!
Brena bought Queenie with a close girlfriend from an ad on CraigsList (both gals’ husbands said “Don't buy it!” - so they did). They happily and successfully shared Queenie for six years.
When the ladies purchased Queenie, Brena says that the guy that sold her was as slimy as they come and reports that he was a horrible little man. It seemed that he was just flipping her.
“He lied like a dog on just about everything.”
As she was a "King" brand trailer, they decided on the spot, that 'he' was a ‘she,' and named her “Queenie.”
Queenie still has the original Dixie stove with four working burners, oven and broiler. The stove was like brand new when Brena got her. They think the King may have been used as a hunters camp, as no one had ever used the oven, at all. It made for very easy cleaning. Also still in good working order are the original ice box, and a propane light over the dinette. Plus she still has her original burgundy Formica counter tops, table top, and flooring, as well as all her original wood interior.
Queenie has some wood discoloration around the roof vent and the rear bedroom windows but, touch wood (ha ha) Brena has slept in her in some pretty good storms and has never experienced any leaking at all. She has been around for 67 years, so we all expect a few wrinkles and life damage, right? 🙂 She is what she is and that is why Brena loves her so!
Once Brena got Queenie home, she replaced the water tank, as it was original and pretty yucky; added support for the new mattress; and repaired the door handle. Otherwise, Queenie had everything originally from when she was built and all in good shape, except for the back right rear and side had some rot. Only recently did Brena have the rot replaced. Luckily, she was able to keep all of the original skin in the process.
Brena owns Queenie outright now, and has enjoyed changing all her soft furnishings, while fortunately not having to do much to her totally-original interior and exterior.
Out of the six years Brena and her friend shared Queenie, there were only had a couple of times that they both wanted to use her. It was a wonderful partnership. After all, they had been friends for over 30 years, so they knew how to share really well.
The ladies did a couple of Trailer Rallies together with Queenie when they first got her, and Brena’s friend took her family camping from time to time. The friend no longer has the time to camp, so she sold Queenie to Brena. They are both thrilled with the arrangement. And they are very, very dear friends, still.
On occasion Brena invites a friend and makes the dinette into a very comfortable bed. She said she loves to bring along girlfriends to glamp with her. She usually doesn’t bring Tucker, as glamping is her ME time and she doesn’t like to have anyone or anything to take care of when she is glamping. She also likes to fish and the young dog is a distraction. Brena said she will consider bringing him on some trips in the future.
When she parks Queenie in front of her house to pack and unpack for trips, Tucker loves to go in with her. Brena suspects that Tucker thinks it is his “dog house” and says she will share it with him if they ever get to go camping together!
I asked Brena if her husband likes to camp with her. “To make a long marriage work,” she replied, “one has to have one's own hobbies. I have Queenie and my Phillip has a 1966 Sunbeam Alpine English sports car, which he has had since 1977. He says about Queenie and I quote, ‘It's like lipstick on a pig’... everyone has an opinion, right? We agree to disagree! Ha Ha Ha... He rarely camps with me!” Brena has the right idea!
Here’s wishing Brena and Queenie lots of StressLess Camping!
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