Vintage camper business takes off in Nashville
NASHVILLE - Mt. Juliet couple Ashley and Morgan Gliko turned a lot of heads when they first started traveling with their vintage-style Shasta Airflyte trailer.
The Glikos bought one for their 10-year anniversary, but they soon realized they weren’t the only ones with a love for vintage campers.
“It’s just like a classic car; people driving down the road would stop at gas stations, people would honk and wave. You can’t stop anywhere without somebody coming up and talking to you, reminiscing about when they were children,” Morgan Gliko said.
The overwhelming response — combined with demanding work schedules that made it hard to spend time as a family — prompted the Glikos to invest in two more canned ham-style retro trailers and start their own rental business.
“I quit my job three years ago. I missed my first son growing up, I was working 70 hours a week and decided I wasn’t going to do it anymore. This never really started out to be a business or anything to make money, but we got a huge response from it,” Morgan Gliko said. Their sons are now 2 and 5 years old.
The Flying Ham launched in September 2015 with 2015 Shasta Airflyte trailers, a limited reissue made to look exactly like the iconic 1961 Airflytes, including the Shasta wings on the sides, but with modern amenities.
The result is a cool, vintage-inspired look but with a bathroom, stainless steel appliances, LED lighting, heat/AC and Bluetooth speakers inside and out.
The campers cost about $13,000 when they were first released, but they have appreciated in value because of the rarity, Morgan Gliko said.
The Glikos also stock each camper with linen or sleeping bags, towels, pillows, cast iron cookware, utensils, cups, plates, bowls, a coffee maker with mugs, a TV and a record player with records.
Renters use the campers for camping, of course, but they’ve also been rented for weddings, a vintagethemed baby shower, photo shoots and a pre-concert trailer for stars including Charles Esten and Pam Tillis. One woman rented a camper to park in her driveway while her house was being renovated.
The Flying Ham’s rental fees are $170 a night for a 16-foot red or 16-foot sea foam green camper, and $185 a night for a 19-foot red camper. The 19-foot camper has larger sleeping arrangements.
Renters can book through Airbnb or directly on The Flying Ham’s website.