Just Finding Our Way: How Small is Too Small?

After writing the previous Celebrating Dad post, I was putting away the photos when I started looking at some of the other old pictures. Trucks were always a part of Dad's business, be it farming, agricultural trucking, or moving household goods. Hidden in the background of one of those pictures was my introduction to compact recreational vehicles.

Our First RV

Dad built the canopy on his 1954 International half ton, long bed pickup from plywood with a layer of fiberglass for weather proofing. While we owned a military surplus wall tent, and I faintly remember him setting it up once, I don't recall us ever camping in a tent. I do remember, however, camping in the pickup.

Dad set it up with boards across the truck at the top of the bed rails creating a 4' x 6' shelf where three of us would sleep when we weren't fussing about who poked whom. There was an additional shelf at the front of the canopy above the windows where my youngest brother would sleep. Mom & Dad slept on the bottom between the wheel wells.

I don't remember how we got to where we camped - must have been in the back of the pickup. I only remember one or two trips in the pickup - something tells me it was pretty high stress for parents who thought a vacation suggested a chance to get some extra sleep. Amazing what they would do to make sure we were introduced to camping and outdoor skills.

In honor of Father's Day and my Dad, here's some of the other early Dad & truck photos.