pics of truck campers

[factorystock]

More vintage campers.

[jocko]

that ochre K20 is just about perfect. Happen to know the camper mfgr?

[Steeveedee]

I just bought a new camper shell, and had it installed in February. My truck is a Custom Camper. I wish I had seen some of these older bigger camper shells when we went to get ours. We might have gone even bigger. My wife can stand up in the new one, but a couple more feet off the back would have been the real deal, if I had thought of it! Bad enough that we are pushing enough wind to only get 7 MPG, now while pulling a 26' travel trailer. Guess I shouldn't complain, but I'm used to taking a station wagon and a bunch of sleeping bags and tents.

ETA- yes, the window frames and the roof are different colors. I stripped and painted the roof while the shell was off, and have yet to go back after the window frames. The roof got painted some white that was brighter/whiter than the off-white that was original.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by jocko

that ochre K20 is just about perfect. Happen to know the camper mfgr?

Security is the mfgr. The medium gold metallic job ( '70 only?) ain't too shabby either.

[jocko]

Thanks, I've heard of them but haven't seen many. That's screen saver motivational material! Yes, all three of those trucks are pretty sweet!

[Greg58]

I snapped some pics of my neighbors camper.

[Greg58]

He had the restored C-20 and recently added the camper, went to Colorado to pic it up from the elderly original owners.

[jocko]

Bringing this thread back to the top. Lotsa nice campers out there. Want to tour the country someday, you know, once we can leave our houses again - but seriously, that is the plan. The last pic is a Mitchell Little Sioux, my all time favorite camper, except for maybe a nice Alaskan, El Dorado, or Security or Del Rey or... I let one slip thru my fingers once, and have regretted it ever since. Someday...

[richards72chevy]

Lots of nice trucks in this thread.

[factorystock]

Traveling lighter and shorter would be the way to go. IMO, a camper about 8-9' long puts the center of gravity in about the right place, anything longer upsets the balance. This size looks good to me, this C 20 must have the heavy duty leaf spring option, weight of camper doesn't appear to even bending the springs.

[HO455]

A 1965 Avion and a 1969 Mann. Both posted in the craigslist finds thread this week.

[factorystock]

Hugger orange? Seen with the only 16" rims available in this era, the 2 piece 16" rim.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Traveling lighter and shorter would be the way to go. IMO, a camper about 8-9' long puts the center of gravity in about the right place, anything longer upsets the balance. This size looks good to me, this C 20 must have the heavy duty leaf spring option, weight of camper doesn't appear to even bending the springs.

I'll have to disagree on that. I never felt the 10' Huntsman on my truck. All it did is settle the truck about an inch and made it ride better. If anything the camper improved the center of balance.

Does the camper have to be "on" the truck for this camper thread? I guess the OP isn't around to answer, so... Enjoy!



I was just given a 33' 5th wheel camper, much like this one, from our trucks' era

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by special-K

I'll have to disagree on that.

Should have said weight distribution, instead of center of gravity, sorry my bad. Studied this subject in depth. The industry finally came to the rescue with a 1 ton pickup with a 140" wheelbase, the Ford "Super Camper Special" with a 460 under the hood.

[special-K]

I never studied it, I experienced it in depth in real life. Only Ford built that truck, not the industry, and only for a short while. No weight distribution issues with the 10' camper on my '71 C/20. It rode better with the camper and family (2 kids) than without. The water tank sits across the front, which offsets a lot of tail end weight. The truck with camper was a very well balanced unit. It cornered flat as empty, too. I did have 9.75" wheels on the rear. We traveled and camped in that rig from '88 to '04 all over the place. The longest trip was Maryland to the southwest in '89. We took it to the North Rim of Grand Canyon, up and back down the switchbacks. Also went over Rocky Mt National Park, more switchbacks. That truck/camper combination was ideal.

Fixing a meal on the way up to Taos by way of Vegas, NM on the roadside

[Steeveedee]

This is all pretty interesting. I was OK with the new camper shell (which does not overhang the rear bumper though it does go all the way to the front of the cab, which the old one did not) until I replaced the Michelin tires with Firestone Trans-force tires. I still get some over steer, even with 10 PSI higher pressure in the rear tires. I'll be adding a rear stabilizer bar sometime soon. It's a Custom Camper Longhorn, so it is plenty heavy duty and has rear leaf springs, but I'm sensitive to over steer after driving like a lunatic on twisty roads as a kid. Not in a truck, though. My goal would be that the wife could drive it with dead neutral handling characteristics, were something to happen to me and she had to drive it. I guess I shouldn't worry too much, she usually drives far enough below the speed limit that people passing us are giving us dirty looks, and handling really wouldn't be an issue.

[richards72chevy]

Originally Posted by special-K

I never studied it, I experienced it in depth in real life. Only Ford built that truck, not the industry, and only for a short while. No weight distribution issues with the 10' camper on my '71 C/20. It rode better with the camper and family (2 kids) than without. The water tank sits across the front, which offsets a lot of tail end weight. The truck with camper was a very well balanced unit. It cornered flat as empty, too. I did have 9.75" wheels on the rear. We traveled and camped in that rig from '88 to '04 all over the place. The longest trip was Maryland to the southwest in '89. We took it to the North Rim of Grand Canyon, up and back down the switchbacks. Also went over Rocky Mt National Park, more switchbacks. That truck/camper combination was ideal.

Fixing a meal on the way up to Taos by way of Vegas, NM on the roadside

What motor/transmission was in that?Did you ever experienced much lugging down going up any of the grades?I was going to put a camper on my 72 but it's a lowered half ton long bed.I plan on getting a pre 72 Chevy/GMC 3/4 or 1 ton eventually and putting a camper on it or even getting a c30 motorhome.I will probably just be mostly going to our local camp area but I'm sick of setting up a tent.Plus you get more amenities at the RV hookups.

[GerhardH]

Tegernsee Germany

Truck drives like a modern car. Perfect.

[special-K]

One more word on weight dustribution with the 10' campers I had another thought on. With all the focus on the added 2' out behind the bed moving the weight off center, aren't we forgetting the added 4' forward of the bed to help counter that? What we are calling a 10' camper is actually a 14 footer. And again, the farthest forward on the bed floor slammed up to the cab is the water cross tank that puts it's weight on the front suspension. One remaining factor is simply how you load the camper, same as any cargo loaded in any truck with regards to weight distribution. The same cargo loaded in different ways can result in big differences. Many camper rigs mount the spare tire off the front bumper. I didn't on mine, just saying many factors involved not taken into account on that piece of paper

Originally Posted by richards72chevy

What motor/transmission was in that?Did you ever experienced much lugging down going up any of the grades?I was going to put a camper on my 72 but it's a lowered half ton long bed.I plan on getting a pre 72 Chevy/GMC 3/4 or 1 ton eventually and putting a camper on it or even getting a c30 motorhome.I will probably just be mostly going to our local camp area but I'm sick of setting up a tent.Plus you get more amenities at the RV hookups.

That one had a 350/TH350 and big radiator. It hauled that camper like nothing was there. On long trips on interstates my favorite part, other than scenery, was running it out on the merge ramp after pulling off for food, gas, rest stop and hearing the dual pipes sing through the pass-through with rear side glass cranked out a bit. That truck was very happy with that camper on top

Originally Posted by GerhardH

Tegernsee Germany

Truck drives like a modern car. Perfect.

Love it and want one. That is the reason I got out of my '71 camper truck shown above. I want one for my '72 K2500. The reason for the switch are no overhang for I can tow and low profile for carrying kayaks on top as well as camp out in the wilds where 4ed will get me there and tree limbs over the trail will be less of an issue

Now for my favorite factory camper model ever, "Camper Cruiser"!

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by special-K

That one had a 350/TH350 and big radiator. That truck was very happy with that camper on top

Now for my favorite factory camper model ever, "Camper Cruiser"!

Just curious, did that one have leaf spring or coil spring rear? That '67 is beautiful, low factory production numbers and very well preserved, a time capsule, with what appears to me, Terrace Blue paint, a GMC only color.

[special-K]

It had leaf rear. I would never want coil springs to haul a camper, personally. I always assumed the leaf springs were a requirement for the Z81, but have learned in recent years coil springs were possible. I don't think I have ever seen one with coil rear. One fine Camper Cruiser, ey? I need a drool pan

I really like these slide-top camper/canopies

[special-K]

Alaskan on 133" C/30 SRW

[special-K]

nice frame-mount Open Road

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by special-K

nice frame-mount Open Road

I like it, a base model Custom Camper C 30. I'm assuming a C 30 chassis mount camper would have been ordered with the 4.10 ratio. Would like to see the SPID on that one!

[factorystock]

Those mirrors aren't going to cut it! Agian, both seen with period 16" 2 piece rims.