'79 Copper Canyon MX piggyback train trip

[SLOweather]

This has to be the place to post these pics of vintage iron.

I have been going through boxes of old picture from my parents in preparation for my mother's memorial service and reception. I ran across a packet of pic from this trip. In March '79, they went on a piggyback train RV trip theough the Copper Canyon. cars and trailers, and motorhomes were all loaded onto flatcars and wnet through the Copper canyon by rail. They took their 21' Travco, which had to be a little over 10 years old at the time.

As I recall, they were required to be entirely self sufficient for something like 7 days. The Travco had to carry all their water, food, propane, and gasoline, and the holding tank capacity (they had a blue water recirculating chemical toilet).

These are the best 2 pics of the bunch that I have found.
The first one is the back of the Travco looking forward.

I believe that thing that kinda looks like a solar panel in the rear window is one of those louvered metal "cool screens" to keep the sun out.

The second is looking back from the front of the moho.

These pics are especially poignant to me. This was 30 years ago, and while they were out of the country, I had a limited power of attorney to buy them a retirement home here in San Luis obispo. (That's another story...). Now, 30 years later, I'm getting ready to sell it.

 

[SeilerBird]

Great photos, thanks for sharing.
SLO is a great little town.

 

[malexander]

I wish they were still doing those trips. I told my wife several years ago, when they were still doing them, I wanted to do one when we could afford to. Well, looks like it'll never happen now.

 

[grashley]

Thanks for the pics.  I agree with Marshall on the topic.

Sorry about your mom.

 

[ArdraF]

SLOweather, first I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your mother.  We were fortunate to have mine until she was almost 95 and we still remember our many good times together.  I'm glad the Copper Canyon photos brought back some of your good memories.  Treasure them!

We were lucky to do the Copper Canyon piggyback train trip in the early 1980s.  It truly was the trip of a lifetime and we were so glad we did it.  Sadly, they cancelled it, apparently because of liability issues.  We have a bunch of photos in a box somewhere - no digital cameras back then!!  Let me tell you, we lived better in our little Class C motorhome than many of the local people we saw along the way, including a grandmother who lived in a cave with her grandchildren.  It was a neat and tidy home.  Each child had a bin in which they kept their belongings and they were beautifully behaved children.  Fabulous memories and some lifetime friendships started.

ArdraF

 

[SLOweather]

ArdraF and Grashley,

Thanks for the condolences. Mom made it to 95. Unfortunately, 2 1/5 weeks after my mother passed, we lost my wife's mother at 81, so things are doubly stressful and sad right now.

 

[SLOweather]

Well, no one caught my bad math. I realized that this trip was 40 years ago. 30 years ago, in '89 was another Mexico trip, a caravan in their Xplorer which they'd bought after giving us the Travco.


Here's the Xplorer with Dad cooking, in a park in Villa Corona, Jalisco. That little RV had everything, wet bath, full kitchen, generator, AC, and slept 4. It was the perfect size for them, short in stature, but at 6'4", a bit tight for me.

Dad ordered it special with a wall AC in the closet instead of a roof AC so it would fit in the garage.

Xplorers were made by the same guy and maybe company as the Travco.


That trip is when they were on the list to pick a yet-to-be constructed zero lot line condo here in SLO, and would be on the road and likely out of the country when their name came to the top. So they put their money down and gave me a power of attorney to pick the house for them, depending on which ones were still available.

I got the call, and looked at their itinerary, and sure enough, they were at the RV park in AZ for the last night before heading into MX the next day.

I tried calling the park several times and never got an answer. Finally, I just decided to let it ring and ring. It must have been about cocktail time. Anyway, after dozens of rings, finally a man answered.

Him "Hello?"

Me "Uh, is this SuchAndSuch RV Park?"

Him "Yeah, but I don't work here. We're having a meeting in the club room and I got tired of listening to the phone ring so I picked it up..."

Me "That's OK. You're my Dad and I need to talk with you about buying a house."

Him "Chris? Chris! Jean (my mom), JEAN It's Chris!"

That's right. My dad answered the phone that I let ring forever.

 

[ArdraF]

Chris, these sad things often happen right in a row.  My condolences also to your wife.  Losing both your mothers so close together must be very hard.  At least you have each other to lean on.  And, you obviously still have a sense of humor as your stories convey.  You have friends out here that you don't even know and we send wishes for strength and comfort at this most difficult of times.

ArdraF

 

[RVMommaTo6]

I'm so sorry for your loss, thanks for sharing your story.