- 1 hour ago
The 1961 Holiday House 17T stands out as one of the coolest vintage camper restorations ever made, and this full tour shows exactly why. Patrick Botticelli takes a deep dive through the frame-off restored travel trailer, from its forward-slanted panoramic front window and polished aluminum body to the brand-new chassis underneath.
Inside, the retro RV blends 1960s Americana style with modern off-grid comfort: a convertible dinette, center galley with three-burner gas cooktop, 3-way Dometic refrigerator, ducted rooftop air conditioning, and a full wet bath with a porcelain toilet. You also get holding tanks, a 12V water pump, LED tail lights, a wireless backup camera, and plenty of thoughtful storage throughout.
This is a great watch for fans of vintage camper tours, retro trailer restorations, Airstream-style design, and classic RV renovation ideas. It also works well for anyone researching lightweight towable campers, self-contained travel trailers, or mid-century modern RV interiors.
SEO: ideal for vintage camper tour searches, 1961 Holiday House RV, retro travel trailer restoration, classic camper walkthrough, and mid-century modern trailer interior content. If you enjoy old-school RV design, polished aluminum campers, and detailed restoration tours, this vintage travel trailer walkthrough delivers exactly that.
Inside, the retro RV blends 1960s Americana style with modern off-grid comfort: a convertible dinette, center galley with three-burner gas cooktop, 3-way Dometic refrigerator, ducted rooftop air conditioning, and a full wet bath with a porcelain toilet. You also get holding tanks, a 12V water pump, LED tail lights, a wireless backup camera, and plenty of thoughtful storage throughout.
This is a great watch for fans of vintage camper tours, retro trailer restorations, Airstream-style design, and classic RV renovation ideas. It also works well for anyone researching lightweight towable campers, self-contained travel trailers, or mid-century modern RV interiors.
SEO: ideal for vintage camper tour searches, 1961 Holiday House RV, retro travel trailer restoration, classic camper walkthrough, and mid-century modern trailer interior content. If you enjoy old-school RV design, polished aluminum campers, and detailed restoration tours, this vintage travel trailer walkthrough delivers exactly that.
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TravelTranscript
00:00Welcome back to the show. This is Patrick with New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel.
00:05On today's episode, we're going to take a deep dive tour in 1961 Holiday House 17 foot.
00:12Now this trailer is really cool. One of the coolest things about it is this front panoramic window.
00:20I mean, nothing like going camping and setting up for camp and be able to take advantage of your view.
00:25Another thing about this trailer, it has this bright aluminum, polished aluminum finish on the outside, which makes it really
00:32stand out.
00:33I mean, it's almost as cool as an Airstream Bambi trailer that was built the same year. You guys know
00:39which one I'm talking about.
00:41So let's go through the details. This one's actually on sale on Facebook Marketplace in Bridgewater, New Jersey.
00:47I'll tell you some more details at the end of the video.
00:49So 17 foot, 3,000 pound dry weight capacity. So that's what it weighs before you put anything in it.
00:56It's got a 20 gallon freshwater tank, has a gray waist tank, and it has a black waist tank, so
01:01it's fully self-contained.
01:03It's got a brand new chassis underneath it. So it's got this C-channel frame here painted to match the
01:11stripes on the body.
01:12It's got a full-size spare tire. These are 225-75 R15 load range D tires.
01:20Two 30 pound propane tanks. They're aluminum. They have gauges on them and a regulator that you can switch from
01:26left to right.
01:27Has a manual hitch jack up front, seven-way wiring harness, safety chain, so it's all ready to go.
01:32But this chassis was replaced, so it was a frame-off restoration when they did it.
01:38They did a new axle system and new holding tanks for gray and black tank.
01:43But if you come up here, you can take a closer look if you want to zoom right in.
01:48This is like a plexiglass window that's curved to give you that view out the side.
01:54So when you're sitting at the dinette, you can look straight, you can look to your right, you can look
01:57right behind you and you get the view.
01:59Up front here, it has a hair window, so you get your picture window up top, and then it has
02:04these crank-out windows here in the bottom.
02:06And these are all glass windows.
02:09The frames are all aluminum built in.
02:12But one of the coolest things, remember all the 1960s vehicles have those, like, thins in the back?
02:17Well, check this out.
02:18This front area comes out like this, and the aluminum actually curves down and goes back in, and then it
02:25curves back.
02:26And if you look at the window line, a lot of the RVs from back then, like that Winnebago I
02:32covered recently, has that forward slanted windshield.
02:35Well, check this out.
02:36This slamps forward, and you've got that eyebrow over the front picture window there, and that separates, and you've got
02:43the flat roof up top.
02:45Come around this side, and I promise you, the inside is awesome.
02:50It's beautiful inside.
02:51It's got the little badging here from back in the day that met all the standards for the travel trailer
02:56comforts in the USA.
02:58It's got a gas water heater on board with electronic ignition inside.
03:04The stripe that goes down the whole entire side is painted to match everything.
03:09I think it really makes it stand out.
03:11I think there was different colors they had back then.
03:13Maybe it had a turquoise and a red and a blue, but I really like this blue a lot.
03:18Jalousy window.
03:19Check this out.
03:20You're in the kitchen area.
03:21You could crank that window out, get plenty of ventilation, and it has a nice insect screen behind it.
03:26Over here, we have the vent for a cooktop.
03:29It has a cooktop ventilation.
03:31And then there is the newer style rims and tires.
03:34And, of course, it's got an axle with leaf springs.
03:38The modernized tanks also include a city water connection that you're going to use an external water pressure regulator for.
03:45And it has a high-pressure black tank flush built into it.
03:49And it doesn't have built-in stabilizer jacks.
03:52You actually use those old-school aluminum stabilizer jacks, and you crank them up from underneath.
03:56That takes the bounce out of your walk.
03:58You can sort of level a little bit.
04:00In the bathroom, it's got privacy jalousy windows here.
04:04And then it has the original running lights.
04:07Those are super, super cool.
04:0830-amp shore power connection here, and they adapted it to a regular household 20-amp.
04:14It does have rooftop air conditioning and most likely has an electric heat strip built in.
04:22Modern LED taillights to keep it safe.
04:24You don't want to get rear-ended when you're out there camping.
04:27And this back window kicks all the way out.
04:29It gives you plenty of ventilation on the inside.
04:32License plate bracket, the original old-school bracket with light inside, and they added a wireless backup camera.
04:39Look how thick this rear bumper is.
04:41And if you come all the way in, you can see underneath the trailer, it has the tanks.
04:46And the tanks have sensors on them, so you can see how much capacity you have on your gray-waist
04:51tank.
04:52And then over here is the black-waist tank.
04:55Oh, actually over there, I'm sorry.
04:56Right over there.
04:57And then the discharge is a normal Valterra discharge system that you could use on a modern RV.
05:04In the rear bumper, this cap comes off, and you could slide in your waste hose storage tube.
05:10And then up top, there's an awning rail.
05:13You could slide in a regular-style piped awning and set it up with stakes.
05:20And you could sit underneath your dining area outside and get some shade.
05:24One of the interesting things about this trailer and the trailers of this era, including my 1961 Bambi, how it
05:30was built originally,
05:31it has an aluminum or galvanized tank that you could pressurize.
05:36So you would take this cap off, fill it up with water, and inside there's a valve, just like on
05:45your bicycle,
05:46that you could use a hand pump, and you could prime the system and get water pressure.
05:51And then they had an optional air compressor you could have for the trailer that would pressurize that tank,
05:57and then it would kick on when the pressure dropped, but it would give you water pressure in your plumbing
06:02inside.
06:02This has been changed out, and it still has an aluminum tank, but it has a 12-volt demand pump.
06:09Outside outlet over here, and then it has original Dometic vents here for the propane refrigerator.
06:16This one's been switched out to a three-way fridge, so it runs on gas, electric, and 12-volt.
06:23The unobtainium Bargman lock that, you know, if you're into restoring older trailers,
06:29these things online on eBay are like $500, $600.
06:32But this one works, it's intact, it's fully lockable, got privacy jalousy glass window on the entrance door.
06:40And if you look up here, look at that cool vintage porch light.
06:47And let's not miss this really cool restored holiday house medallion there.
06:53It's got the wheels for the trailer and that forward slant right in their badging.
06:58Entrance step to get in, and when you walk inside, welcome to the space.
07:05Check this thing out.
07:07First thing you're going to do is look up at this beautiful ceiling.
07:11All this paneling in the ceiling really makes it look very open.
07:15Instead of like a wallpaper or fuzzy carpet material, it's got this veneer.
07:20But let's not miss this front panoramic window.
07:24Man, like I said, when we're outside, you can sit right here, and I can see out here.
07:29I can look behind me.
07:31I can look out this way, and you've got a full view.
07:33It's not just a little rectangle window in the front.
07:36And it's got a full curtain track that goes all the way around.
07:40You've got two lights over the dining area.
07:43And then you have these like storage compartments.
07:46Check this out.
07:47This one lifts up.
07:48They go all the way down.
07:50There's another one over here.
07:51Another one back over here.
07:53Because this dinette is offset.
07:55It's a little bit further away from the wall.
07:57So you have room for the storage.
08:00They reupholstered and redid all the cushions and the reversibles.
08:03So you have this style look.
08:06You can flip this one over and have that look too.
08:08Or you have the really cool retro pattern.
08:12And then this lifts up.
08:14And it gives you access to a regular RV battery there and storage underneath.
08:19And it's got some extra legs in there.
08:21What are those legs for?
08:23Well, this dining table folds down.
08:25And there's some boards.
08:27There's a board in the back.
08:28And there's one in the closet that assemble.
08:31And then you can make this into a bed.
08:32So you can not only sit four people here.
08:35But in the trailer, you could sleep three to four people.
08:39So this folds down for two kids.
08:41Or two adults if the kids want to sleep in the back.
08:43And then this table in transport folds down and sits into that recess in the front wall.
08:49You could use it just to open up the space or for transport.
08:53But this leaf here in the middle comes out.
08:57And you can make the table even smaller if you want.
09:01And then they decorated it with some cool stuff too.
09:03So this is imported from Germany.
09:06It's like a whole bar set that's in a little suitcase.
09:11And then, of course, it has the stereo system.
09:14Star 99.1.
09:16Throughout.
09:17A little vintage style.
09:18Not bad.
09:19And then this even lifts up.
09:21And then there's a bulk storage under here.
09:23You can get to the back of the water heater.
09:25It's got a water heater bypass valve built into it.
09:28So when you winterize the trailer, it's easy to do.
09:32And we have a center galley kitchen.
09:34What I like about this kitchen is these curved cabinets.
09:39So it's got that curvature here.
09:41It's got adjustable shelves.
09:42Everything is well thought out.
09:44This trailer was in restoration for a long time.
09:49And then stored in a barn for the last five or six years.
09:52So it's been preserved even after it's been restored.
09:55There's your Jalously window.
09:56You got a light here.
09:58I don't know if there's a Humphreys brand light.
10:00But this is one of those propane lights with a mantle.
10:03So if you don't have battery capacity, you still have light on board.
10:07It's got a removable sink cover.
10:11Stainless steel sink.
10:12Modern style faucet.
10:14Electrical outlet.
10:16GFCI outlet.
10:18Lights.
10:18Ooh, that's the light switch for these lights over here.
10:21Look at that.
10:22And you got a nice bright light over here.
10:24And then it also is modernized with electronic ignition for the water heater.
10:28Water pump switch.
10:30And you can test your tank levels and your battery capacity from there.
10:34Three burner gas cooktop with ventilation.
10:40And gas oven.
10:42Why not, right?
10:43All these drawers lift up.
10:46And that undoes them.
10:50And then you also have a cut board right here.
10:54Reminds me a lot of the drawers in my Airstream Bambi.
10:57Which I painstakingly took a couple hours each drawer to rebuild.
11:02And there's a lot of drawers in it.
11:03So it took quite a while.
11:05Very unique thing about this trailer.
11:07Not only does it have air conditioning.
11:10But this air conditioning also should have electric heat strip built into it.
11:14But they modernized the roof system and added duct work.
11:17So you have duct work here, here, there, and there.
11:20So it makes it a lot quieter than just all the air dumping out in one spot.
11:25Over here underneath the fridge has the battery charger.
11:29Fuses and breakers.
11:32Three cubic foot gas, electric, and battery refrigerator.
11:36Just turn it on here.
11:38And then it will search on auto to see if we're plugged into electric.
11:41Which we are.
11:42I could shut it off electric and manually run it on gas if I wanted to.
11:46And if the gas is turned on, that check light will stay off.
11:52If the check light comes in, that means it misfired on gas.
11:54Or I could manually run it on DC 12 volt if I want.
11:59That's for when you're driving down the highway.
12:01You can also change your temperature setting here.
12:03You can reverse the door.
12:04It has a little freezer compartment up top.
12:07And this trailer was never used after it was restored.
12:10So everything's like brand new.
12:12Really cool laminate up top over here.
12:14Electrical outlet.
12:15Little ProScan TV that's on a swivel.
12:17And then the interior walls are all aluminum.
12:21Looks just like an Airstream travel trailer.
12:23I'm not sure what it would have had brand new.
12:25But I think it looks super, super cool.
12:28A nice, I would call this a single bed here in the back.
12:31And this bed lifts up and it gains you access to, you can see the original wheel well there.
12:39You got a vinyl flooring throughout the whole entire trailer.
12:42Low point drain.
12:4320 gallon freshwater tank.
12:44There's a little valve there you can pressurize the tank.
12:47And then in this back corner here, that's your 12 volt water pump.
12:55And then this roof locker was added here in the back to give you storage.
13:03Nice light there.
13:05Here's that rear window that kicks all the way open.
13:09But look at that.
13:13Really cool.
13:14Get a lot of ventilation.
13:15There's your filler board for the front dining table.
13:19And it's got a full cedar lined wardrobe on board.
13:22And the little box there in the back is the wheel well.
13:25And then over here is the wet bath.
13:28So, I'm five feet nine.
13:30If you have an idea, there's plenty of headroom above.
13:33There's plenty of headroom in the trailer.
13:35It's got a regular porcelain style toilet there.
13:38Plenty of room for the toilet.
13:40Here's your privacy window here in the bathroom.
13:43Shower wand comes off the wall.
13:44It's also fully adjustable for your height.
13:47Shower diverter.
13:48Soap dispenser over here.
13:50And a shower curtain.
13:52That protects the door from getting wet.
13:55If you want a full back to front view.
13:58Look at this.
13:59Awesome view.
14:01So, if you want to check out this trailer.
14:02Look up on Facebook Marketplace in Bridgewater, New Jersey.
14:06It's $45,000 US dollars.
14:08I'll put a link in the description.
14:10So, you guys could check it out.
14:11And thanks for joining me for the tour today.
14:13Of the 1961 Holiday House 17.
14:16I'll see you in the next one.