Photo by Abraham Vogt
Mark Bertal Jr. revamped this vintage camper into a mobile bar for The Wandering Sidecar Bar Co.
Mark Bertel Jr. is a third-generation craftsman who knows how to take pet projects and turn them into powerhouse statements. His specialty is building tiny homes and remodeling vintage campers and trailers for startup companies.
“I’ve been working in construction since I was young,” says the 26-year-old Bertel, who learned about the family business from his father, Mark Sr. “When I started my own business, I began with remodeling projects.” Bertel’s completed just a few camper remodels so far but says he’s drawn to the challenge. “It takes a lot of problem-solving and creativity, and I take the work to heart,” he says.
A current resident of Arkansas, the St. Louis native remains committed to his hometown. A tattoo of the Gateway Arch offers some proof, but so does one of Bertel’s most recent projects: the renovation of a 1969 Blazon camper for The Normal Brand, a St. Louis–based clothing company run by businessman Jimmy Sansone.
Photo by Logan Slusser
This 1969 Blazon camper was renovated for St. Louis–based clothing line The Normal Brand.
After a chance meeting through mutual friends at LouFest 2016, the pair decided to partner on a concept for the company’s first vintage trailer. After Sansone shared his design ideas, Bertel brought them to life. “I trusted his instincts,” says Sansone. “His natural aesthetic was a good fit for us.”
The result is a camper nicknamed Betsy Bear, a mobile pop-up that serves as a marketing tool for the company’s online business and a clothing boutique on wheels. Betsy Bear also offers the retailer the freedom to set up shop nearly anywhere on the open road.
“It’s really become integral to our business model,” says Sansone. “We do a lot of events with retailers, and having a great piece like this has given us another touchpoint to show people what our brand is all about.”
Bertel’s design reflects the style of the clothing line: timelessness with a rustic edge that captures the spirit of the great outdoors. The focal point of the camper is a custom retractable wood deck and sliding barn doors, which Bertel built by removing the passenger side of the 16-foot vehicle. He welded the barn doors to the frame of the camper, and designed a unique hinge system (a patent is pending) that allows the deck to fold against the side of the trailer when not in use. Inside, shelves and custom-made chests of drawers display the company’s shirts, caps, and other merchandise. The window trim, floors, deck, and doors have all been stained a deep brown.
In addition to The Normal Brand, Bertel has designed campers for Flights Coffee and Waffle Bar, a coffee truck based in Alton, Illinois; and for The Wandering Sidecar Bar Co., which offers two mobile bars: Ruthie, a 1960 Avalon, and Birdie, a 1967 horse box bar.
Photo by Logan Slusser
Bertel designed this camper for Flights Coffee.
“Sometimes you find these campers decaying in people’s yard,” says Bertel. “I like bringing new life to things that nobody else would be able to remake.”
Though other companies may remodel campers, none is focused on campers for the commercial market. “I think you’ll start to see more of this in the Midwest,” he says. “It’s already big on the East Coast.”
With this kind of inventiveness, don’t be surprised if you start seeing more vintage campers parked outside some of your favorite spots around town.
