Hello! I am new to the "World of Barth. My wife and I had been considering buying a used motorhome and while traveling through the town of Mojave, in SoCal we saw our first Barth, a 20 footer and fell in love. The owner told my us of this website and now we are on a quest for a barth of our own. Our focus is on the shorter models under 27ft but might consider "the right coach" even if it is longer. Any leads would be appreciated we are located in Sacramento. We hope to learn as much as a can about these unique coaches from this forum. Thanks, Carl

Carl, that was me your wife talked to. Welcome to the obsession.

I hope I do not cause offense to anyone; this is a love story.

First let us share a few moments in Mojave California.

Just a bit further into the desert north of Lancaster, a town I have never heard people refer to as a garden spot, is a wide spot in the road, called the town of Mojave. Mojave is the intersection of several roads, the last chance for gas on the way to go skiing and is further blessed with an active rail yard next to the road. The wind is often (hell it always blows) blowing, in the winter it cold enough that even the brass monkeys are inside. (A word to the sailors--- yes I know what a brass monkey is and the image in not literally correct. Live with it.) In the summer people have been know to die from dehydration if they forget to take water when walking from their cars to pay for gas at one of the many gas stations. Death Valley has nothing on this place.

On a motor cycle trip to Burning Man (www.burningman.com) several years ago whilst gassing up in Mojave (gasoline and some of the local fine dining) my friend Bob found himself standing next to his bike holding on as the ground shook from the traffic, covered in a fine dust comprised of diesel smoke, tire compounded blown off the road and what ever can be found in the rail yard. Wistfully or more likely woefully smiling he remarked in a loud voice to be heard over the rumble of the endless line of trucks interspaced with wide-eyed minivan drivers and the roar of the two trains passing through town, that if God wanted to give the earth a lower GI this is where God would start. Bob was a little more graphic but a literal rendition will add nothing to the story.

Now I read on my favorite web site “my wife and I while traveling through Mojave, saw our first Barth and fell in love”. Clearly if you can fall in love in Mojave this is the answer to “why should I buy a Barth?”

Then another lightning bolt, Bill H and the folks in Costly Mesa are not the only people in California that have a Barth, cool. There are Barth people in Camarillo but for those of you not from this part of the woods, know that Camarillo is famous for being the home of the state mental institution before the state moved the people out of there and into cardboard boxes in downtown Los Angeles. So there are all sorts of local jokes about Camarillo implying none too delicately that the person in question probably lives … you know where.

So we have Camarillo meets I fell in love in Mojave. Is this great literature filled with refined symbolism and elegant humor or what?

And yes a 20-foot Barth was the first one I saw and I fell in love too.

Thanks Dave, good web site filled with helpful information, good people and my God it’s the great American novel to boot.




[This message has been edited by timnlana (edited May 14, 2004).]

I absolutely love the prose. And, may I say "I resemble that". Having grown up in Oxnard, CA and every year going on Boy Scout camping trips and having to pass through Mohave and Lancaster I know exactly what you mean. You have the Santa Ana winds blowing and 95+ deg at midnight and of course in those days none of our friends cars had air conditioning. We would cruise in big Ford station wagons at 70 mph with no seat belts and all windows wide open and the driver kicking down a Falstaff. I recall sometimes going to sleep with my mouth open. After waking up I could hardly breathe until I became hydrated. Where did they find that term "the good 'ol days" anyway. The only cool thing is that we would stop in Lancaster at a A&W and get a quart of root beer in one of those pyramid paper things for 25 cents.

When our kids were growing up and my daughter would get into a punk thing, or a goth thing we were sensitive and allowed the kids to spread their wings. My dad used to say, "either quit that crap or we'll drive out to Camarillo and drop you off".

Such memories...

Hueneme High School class of '66

[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited May 14, 2004).]

Greetings!
I have a 25ft 1972 Barth that I love, but must sell. You may see it at:
http://home.socal.rr.com/davideck/barth/barth.htm
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

quote:

Originally posted by Carl:
Hello! I am new to the "World of Barth. My wife and I had been considering buying a used motorhome and while traveling through the town of Mojave, in SoCal we saw our first Barth, a 20 footer and fell in love. The owner told my us of this website and now we are on a quest for a barth of our own. Our focus is on the shorter models under 27ft but might consider "the right coach" even if it is longer. Any leads would be appreciated we are located in Sacramento. We hope to learn as much as a can about these unique coaches from this forum. Thanks, Carl

timnlana----------great post!

Reminded me of my enduro days and all the 6 AM sunday breakfasts there. Mohave is indeed a town that only exists for people to drive through.

At least Rosamond has a Foster Freeze.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you for your kind responses. My wife, Lana, said, “Wow I’m getting goose bumps” as she read your reminisces and “look Bill stops at my Foster Freeze”.

Dave:
I do miss the A and W.

University High, warmly encouraged to leave after some sophomoric political activities, class of 1968 Palisades high.

We drank Olympia beer when times were good and Brew 102 when money was an issue. Looking back my taste in beer was to say the least unsophisticated.


Bill:

Mojave has sure changed over the past few years, the cookie cutter chain restaurants have replaced the local restaurants, I do miss Reno’s Café when it had a local true Wild West flavor. I clearly recall riding the bikes into town after a day of squirting dirt, each of us with a side arm, cloth bandanas over our faces as dust guards, well chipped bell helmets with football face guards screwed on the front for those inevitable face plants and being cheerfully served brown meat in local sauce at Reno’s Cafe. I do not think I could ride into Mickey Dees similarly attired today and enjoy the same reception.


P.S. SX13, Nice 25 footer!


[This message has been edited by timnlana (edited May 15, 2004).]

Was Reno's the first restaraunt on the right as you drove in from the South? Can't remember the name. I remember the chicken fried steak was awful good after a long hot enduro. We used to hang out there to let the Sunday night traffic back in to L A settle.

Yeah, I have patronized the Foster Freeze in Rosamond since the sixties when I was a Willow Springs habitué. We still go there a few times a year to see the vintage races. Vintage racer types really admire a Barth.

quote:

Originally posted by timnlana:
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you for your kind responses. My wife, Lana, said, “Wow I’m getting goose bumps” as she read your reminisces and “look Bill stops at my Foster Freeze”.

Dave:
I do miss the A and W.

University High, warmly encouraged to leave after some sophomoric political activities, class of 1968 Palisades high.

We drank Olympia beer when times were good and Brew 102 when money was an issue. Looking back my taste in beer was to say the least unsophisticated.


Bill:

Mojave has sure changed over the past few years, the cookie cutter chain restaurants have replaced the local restaurants, I do miss Reno’s Café when it had a local true Wild West flavor. I clearly recall riding the bikes into town after a day of squirting dirt, each of us with a side arm, cloth bandanas over our faces as dust guards, well chipped bell helmets with football face guards screwed on the front for those inevitable face plants and being cheerfully served brown meat in local sauce at Reno’s Cafe. I do not think I could ride into Mickey Dees similarly attired today and enjoy the same reception.


P.S. SX13, Nice 25 footer!


[This message has been edited by timnlana (edited May 15, 2004).]

Greetings again!

Thank you! I'm kind of proud of it. We're in Quincy, CA about 2 1/2 to 3 hours outside of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevadas.