Starling Travel

When New York was hit by Hurricane Sandy, the residents were without power. The people at Biolite set up a booth on the street, offering free phone charging, using their Biolite stoves.

Keeping my iPhone charged when we are boondocking is the biggest problem I have. Usually, we have to plug the phones into the car and keep the car running until the phones are charged. I hate to just sit there with my car running while I’m charging my phone, though. Using scraps of wood to charge my phone is another method that I could use to keep my phone charged.

Here is a video showing the Biolite stove:

The Biolite isn’t the only option as far as this is concerned, though. There is another charger called the Cup Charger that could be used. Compared to the Biolite, it charges a lot quicker.

My biggest problem is that either way, we have to monitor the phone charging process. If we hook them up to the car and leave it running, we have to watch the car while our phones charge. Of course, we can charge ALL our gadgets at once when we use the car. With the Biolite or the Cup Charger, we have to monitor a fire and keep it from burning out or out of control. Additionally, about 70% of the time, we camp in places where fire is restricted for fear of wildfires, so we wouldn’t even be able to USE the Biolite or Cup Charger in those spots.

It’s looking like our best option would be to hook up a good battery to our tent trailer and make sure it’s charged before we go out camping (and can be charged up again with the car). Then, we’d have enough juice to keep our gadgets charged and it’s a little less work than keeping a fire alive and raging.

Photo via: Oh, Just Brooklyn Survivalists Charging Cell Phones With Camp Stoves As The National Guard Rolls By: Gothamist

I saw this camper on eBay, but photos and descriptions don’t last long there, so I wanted to preserve it.

• Vintage Trailer 1963 Little Gem Canned Ham Camper 9 ft & like NEW in RVs & Campers | eBay Motors

It’s a 1963 Little Gem Bug and it’s as cute as one:

Here is the description from the eBay listing:

1963 Little Gem Vintage Canned Ham Camper/Trailer. This is a beautiful, vintage 1963 Little Gem Bugg canned ham camper/trailer! One of only 35 built in 1963 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is 9ft 6” long x 7 ft wide. Total of 11 ft long including the hitch ball, and is so easy to tow a 4cyl car could tow it. It has a clear Michigan title showing a weight of 995 pounds!

This awesome vintage camper/trailer underwent a complete frame off restoration/renovation which was completed in June 2012. It is in extremely beautiful condition! Too much has been done and replaced in the renovation to list it all & mention it, but here is some of it. It has all new ¼” Canadian Birch wood interior, all new inner frame structure and all new .030 white metal exterior. All inner structure is screwed together and glued. All new stainless screws on exterior. It is completely sealed and has no leaks whatsoever. The 5/8” floor is new with period correct 12”x12” Tarkett tiles. All of the 110v & 12v electrical wiring and plumbing is new. Has a 35amp fuse box with 10.ga wiring from 35amp campground connector. A 20 gal fresh water tank is inside and a city water hookup for the faucet. It has new stainless steel 2 burner propane stove and a new stainless steel 110v fridge. Also has the original equipment options of a propane gas heater and propane wall gas light and both work wonderful.

Every inch of woodwork with this camper is brand new, with a countertop for the kitchen area and a table top with classic period correct formica, closely matching the new floor tile. There is a full size bed area for a mattress and there is head room standing inside the trailer for a 6ft. person.

New 12v interior & exterior lights throughout, with a beautiful 12v porch light overlooking the jalousie tinted windowed entrance door. It tows beautifully with all new exterior electrical wiring & lights with L.E.D. turn signals and brake lights. Also has the 7 way trailer plug and automatically charges the new 12v deep cycle battery when it’s hooked up to tow vehicle. The 3 NANCO ST tires are brand new and has period correct new baby moon hubcaps. The exterior has the City water hookup, the 35amp plugin for 110v, a cable TV hookup and the water storage tank fill port.

We had planned to use this trailer to go to various vintage trailer rallies and car shows. It looks great behind any car especially a classic car! You will definitely get a lot of attention and thumbs up with this beauty. This is an amazingly professionally rebuilt VINTAGE Canned Ham camper/trailer renovated to a much higher level than anything new in 1963.

This is ready to roll to the camping site and to be enjoyed & admired at the next camper/ trailer rally or car show! It is offered for sale at only $8700.

The Little Gem Bug is very rare, but I did find a photo of another one on Flicker:

There are lots more pictures after the break… (Continue Reading…)