RED HOUSE — A Chautauqua County couple can’t go camping anywhere without people coming up and asking questions about their camper.
Larry and Linda Howard of Stockton have an Amish-made shed attached to a trailer for a compact camper — complete with porch and an awning to ward off the occasional rain. They often draw a crowd wherever they go.
The Howards used to have a truck-camper when their kids were growing up. They were camping in Alaska in 2006 when they saw their first homemade shed on wheels. It was built of plywood and not very pretty to look at, but it gave Larry an idea.
Back in Stockton, he visited an Amish neighbor and asked him if he could build a camper shed that would fit on the back of a trailer used to haul cars. The neighbor agreed to build a custom shed to fit the trailer.
Larry designed the camper and the Amish neighbor built the shell to fit on the trailer. “We finished the inside,” Linda said. Besides a bed and table, it has an air conditioner, microwave, convection oven, portable toilet and a sink.
When they first brought the wooden house-like camper to the Red House Area Campground campers lined up to talk to the Howards about the camper. It took literally hours for them to unpack.
At any one time, the Red House Area Campground has a wide variety and shapes of campers, trailers, RVs and tents, but nothing like the Howard’s camper. It’s a unique eye-catcher and head-turner.
“We’ve had people from all over the world stop and ask about it,” Larry said as he and his wife sat in their camp chairs drinking coffee on the day before the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of Fall. “We’ve met a lot of people.”
The Howards enjoy camping and continue to make regular Spring and Fall visits to Allegany State Park. They also camp near Warren, Pa., and as far east as Letchworth State Park. The story is the same wherever they go: “Tell us about your camper.”
One day a couple of years ago, Larry Googled “homemade campers” on his computer and the Howards’ Amish shed on a trailer was the first image. They couldn’t believe it. It was posted online by a woman from Colorado who they never met.
After a four-day stay, they plan to leave on Friday, two days after the beginning of Fall. Tuesday night’s meal was a boiled dinner including ham, potatoes and vegetables. Their camping menu is set before leaving home, Linda said with a smile.
For many years, they camped with other couples, sharing meals and fellowship and campfires. They mostly camp alone these days.
The couple have five grown children and seem to relish the quiet time they get to spend camping by themselves.
Linda is a bear collector. There are several carvings and sculptures of bears around the campsite. One item is a set of hand-made chimes they hang from a corner of the porch. It has a painting of a bear on it, given to them by John Fellows, affectionately known as Jumbo, who frequented the camping area. He also painted another set of chimes that hangs from the other side of the porch. It represents their camper. Jumbo also made a mailbox with Camp Mail on It for the Howards.
He never took any money for the chimes or the mailbox, but they invited him over for a meal, Linda said.
Larry has some mementoes of his own around the campsite of the time he spent in the Marines including a small Marine flag and a hefty carved stone with two flags.
At night, they join other campers and get in their pickup truck to drive around looking for bears. During the day, when they are not relaxing at their camper, they might take a hike on one of the many park trails. They used to kayak and bicycle in the park.
On a rainy day after staying dry and drinking their coffee under the awning across the side of the camper, the Howards like to head to Perkins in Olean where they offer veterans a discount.
Thankfully, the Howards like to talk about their unique camper and make new friends. Technically, Larry points out, it’s not a camper. It’s an Amish shed on a trailer.
