Vintage Caravan Magazine Issue 37 | Page 31

Feature Trailer TEARDROP traveller WORDS LISA MORA PHOTOS TOM & SARAH DIETRICH & MARY CORRINGTON Tom and Sarah Dietrich live in Eugene, Oregon where Tom has been restoring antique steam and gas engines for thirty-eight years. During this time he has undertaken several custom vehicle restorations. “Spending years in that community of people has fostered an appreciation for antiques as well as road travel”, Tom explains. “My wife’s hobbies include several different art forms and she has helped in the more artistic aspects of our restorations. She especially enjoys the design forms of the 1920s to 50s era pieces”. Tom had been working on their 1939 Chevrolet hot rod truck complete with two Oldsmobile Toronado engines and transaxles, tilt front end, and a lift bed exposing dual nitrous systems in the hope of taking it on a classic Route 66 road trip when it was done. Tom’s wife Sarah tells us that all he really wanted to do was spend a night or two in the Wigwam hotel in southern California, so they weren’t really looking for a vintage trailer per se. Then one day, while taking a Sunday drive, Tom’s good buddy Bill Cummings spotted the classic telltale lines of a teardrop in a field in nearby vintagetrailermagazine | 29