Short trailer, long story, great ad (708)

Many long-form ads bore me these days, but this one tells a story instead of going on and on with tired hyperbole.

Self-Effacing Vintage Travel Trailer Seeking Demure Owner
Price $3,100.00
Address Calgary, AB T2Z 2B3, Canada
View map
For Sale By Owner
Year 1965
Colour White

The story of Ari is not one of servile existence at the hands of the many but rather a tale of reciprocity and deference. Much like the more links a chain has provides it the impression of more strength.

Ari's journey began with the magnanimous Kirk Douglas, the Hollywood star entering what was thought the twilight of his movie career in late mid-60s. He was Ari’s first. And quite a first he was for Ari, who later learned of his celebrity.

Kirk was fond of taking Ari up to the Rocky Mountains near the Montana-British Columbia border. He did so for many years. Kirk appreciated Ari’s rigid but lightweight frame that was made from airplane materials. He realized then how much gas he saved by pulling a trailer that weighed a mere 1,500 lbs dry. Few in the media knew but Kirk was also quite the culinarian. He utilized Ari’s dependable three-burner stove and quaint oven to the fullest. When the time came though as it inevitably would; Kirk begrudgingly sold Ari to a nomadic carpenter from Creston - a stereotypical Canadian at the time.

Despite his gruff appearance, the man treated Ari even better than Kirk had, which, of course, was surprising to Ari. He thought his first owner was the greatest in the whole wide world. Ari couldn't believe it when the man with such course hands and a venomous spit would treat him like a castle despite Ari’s compact size.

He stayed in the man's care until the mid-1970s til’ the Mountain Man - as Ari liked to call him - passed away during his final hunting expedition. Soon after, Ari's life took a depressingly strange turn. From living daily in the garden of Mother Nature, he soon found himself hidden in a world of impressionist tarp blue. Maybe around eastern Canada he thought? He was almost positive he was owned by a low-ranking bureaucrat in the PMO of Pierre Trudeau. After a while, Ari soon believed the blue he saw was the sky. And that he was a hawk soaring high above the land below.

Looking back, Ari considered himself lucky to leave the seemingly endless dream-state where he sat unused. While he longed for the scent of the forest and the immensity of the Rocky Mountains, Ari spent the next leg of his journey moving about the Canadian Shield and then into the Prairies. He changed owners four times but each time he left he felt a sense of gratitude. He remembered fondly each owner commenting about his ice-box and sink that kept the food cold and the dishes clean respectively.

Eventually he landed in Carmengay, Alberta, in 1987. Life was easy there he recalled. He traveled Southern Alberta sparingly but didn’t mind. His owner at the time kept him maintained and did a few upgrades here and there. Then in 1995 he found a family from Elkford, B.C, that he would spend the next 15 years with. The father gave Ari to his son after about 10 years and Ari was lucky to spend the next five watching the son’s family double.

Ari always knew one of his drawbacks was his limited size and this was the first time in his life where he was sold because the family outgrew what he was designed for. After much consternation, this bothered Ari because he knew he was the perfect fit for one or two people or a young family starting out.

His latest owners were just that. Even at his age, Ari told himself that the last three years of his life were so enjoyable that he hopes to find himself with a similar family who appreciate his aged appearance but regard his utility despite the conveniences that modern-day trailers provide.

These last owners certainly have. Ari was quite grateful to be retrofitted with a seven-pin wiring harness and having a 12-volt battery reconnected to power his interior lights. He was especially happy to have his single-tank hosing and connection replaced two years ago because he was tired of smelling propane.

As Ari looked back on his life, he is still proud after all these years that he hasn’t leaked any water. He knows he is a little banged up in spots - but seriously, who wouldn’t be after all the adventures he’s gone through? He thought to himself.

He knows his jack will have to be replaced, yet he smiled and thought that’s a small inconvenience for all he can offer to the next potential owner.

What pleased Ari the most was that he knew the best was yet to come. He considered himself a, “… a glass half-full type of trailer.” He knew he was clean and well-maintained. Heck, he reckoned he had been camping maybe a little over a half dozen times during this latest stint that even his bearings were still good for another year.

Ari also didn’t mind being repainted on the inside either and praised his previous owners before this current one for putting in a six-inch memory foam bench/mattress. Ari couldn’t believe how well people always slept inside of him! He really hopes the next owners can use the drop-down bunk since he can sleep two on the bench bed and knows a courageous toddler could easily fit in the bunk – two kids if they even wanted to!

Amidst his reflection, Ari determined that while he was sad to be leaving another special family yet again, he knew that a new adventure waited for him ahead.

The only question remaining for Ari was who would it be?

If you love the story make me a reasonable offer!

This post was written by: Gord McCord

Gord McCord, webmaster at You Suck at Kijiji, makes fun of funny things on Kijiji. Do not take him too seriously. Also do not take yourself too seriously. Follow him on Twitter