
Shiny Shacks is a small business with no desire to be big.
Our Story is a simple one...
Boy meets girl, they buy an Airstream, and begin a life of adventure.

A very long time ago we purchased our first vintage trailer. It was a 1961 Streamline 28', it was too big. So we bought a 1963 Streamline 24', it was too rough. So we bought a 1953 Airstream Flying Cloud, it was perfect! A quick 5 week restoration which included replacing 50% of the sub floor got us to our first vintage trailer rally in August of 2007.
We were hooked! We joined the Tin Can Tourists, The Rollin' Oldies Vintage Trailer Club, and The Wally Byam Caravan Club International. We attend on average 15 rallies a year From California to Canada. We have met so many great and incredible people, seen trailers that simply astound, and traveled roads we never would have seen if not for this hobby. I know that this vagabond lifestyle is not for everyone but if you have an once of wanderlust in you I can not fathom a better way to satisfy it.
From the very beginning I was absorbed by these vintage trailers. I began seeking them out, I drug them out of the mud and pulled them out of blackberry bushes. I would bring them home and breathe new life into them. I have not kept count but close to 200 old trailers have passed through my hands over the years.
I often say nothing on a vintage trailer is "off the shelf' or "out of the box" . The challenge of locating vintage parts and pieces or figuring out how to recreate them has kept my mind fresh.


As I began learning about and working on vintage trailers I developed a bit of a reputation. Pretty much I was a trailer nerd. Although my interest is in all vintage trailers I have a particular affinity for the "aluminum sisters" (Airstream, Curtis Wright, Silver Streak, and Streamline). As a history buff the circumstances and events that brought both rise and fall to these manufacturers was of particular interest to me. My reputation as the guy that knows Airstreams soon had people bringing their trailers to me for repair, remodeling, and restoration.
When our daughter Hannah returned from college in Florida she brought Jon Knowles (her fiancée) with her. Jon was intrigued by the work I was doing. His father had made quite a name for himself in the Florida Hot Rod community and Jon wanted to do the same here in the Pacific Northwest with trailers. So we formalized the business and named it Shiny Shacks (all credit to Susan for coming up with the name). Jon's apprenticeship with me led to more and more work rolling in. So much so that we eventually hired Hannah on as well.
The three of us made for a good fit and the trailers we produced speak for themselves. I was the guy with the knowledge and contacts. Jon was honing his skills with every new project and had developed a fair grasp of trailer construction. Hannah bought a touch of style to each project.
We were a perfect team...
In the spring of 2018 I was notified by Marion County Code Enforcement that I was out of compliance with the zoning code for my property. I could no longer employ Hannah & Jon in my trailer repair and restoration business. I will not belabor the issue here with all of the details, catch me sometime around the camp fire and I will regale you fully over a rum and coke.
In order to bring the business into compliance Hannah and Jon have formed a new business, Wayward Trailers, and relocated to a nearby facility. They are operating under the name Wayward Trailers here in Salem
If you have read this far I applaud you and hope to see you sometime at a rally.
