This would have been a nice upgrade fromo my ’68 Dodge A100 van. It only had a bed, a couple of windows and…a cooler. But this ambitious motor home has all the comforts the big guys, as well as a long rear overhang. And a slant six, most likely, although the 318 V8 was available. I’m assuming it has a rear entry too, just like my Chinook did and my Promaster.
Googling this came up with nothing, so presumably not many were made. But it’s not the only motor home based on the A100.
The Balboa was not as rare, and I remember seeing a few back in the day. This used the longer A108 body as its basis.
Globetrotter?
Funny, it doesn’t look anything like Meadowlark Lemon or Curly Neal…
Cue in “Sweet Georgia Brown” whistling music.
I think the folks who created and designed this vehicle were older than Boomers, so they weren’t familiar with the Harlem team.
They actually were. My parents were born in 1925, one year before Wiki says the Globetrotters were founded. We watched the Globetrotters whenever they were on Wide World of Sports during the early ’60s, when Dad was in his mid-30s.
I see there was an Airstream “Globetrotter” back then–perhaps that complicated things. I wasn’t able to find anything like today’s Dodge in the 1960s newspapers, but it’s not a design I ever remember seeing….
I’d also like to talk about the vehicle.
I believe the popularity of vanning sparked the interest in turning these popular consumer vans into campers like this. I recall seeing these types of vehicles since the Model T, but having a 1960s style consumer van is another thing. I was as though it was not just a camper, but it could also be a daily vehicle as well. My neighbor’s Westphalian was a straight up VW used daily, but with the camper setup inside and of course, the famous pop-top. My uncle had one as well.
It could perhaps be the spark? The VW popularity/Westphalian that brings domestic versions during this era?
I was always envious of these since I loved to travel and camp since I was a kid, but never had one. Perhaps that is what I need to do after I retire? Hmmm.
Interestingly, there seems to be a resurgence in the whole ‘campervan’ mobile lifestyle, which may be directly linked to the skyrocketing price of home-ownership. A perfunctory google search comes up with myriad conversion companies and instructions for a DIY campervan based on a Promaster, Transit, or Sprinter.
This seems to have led three of the biggest RV manufacturers (Thor, Winnebago, and Pleasure-Way) to come out with their own self-contained, completely outfitted (some fully-equipped with HVAC, small refrigerator, microwave, kitchen set, and internal shower and toilet) RVs based on the smallest commercial cargo vans that will still fit into a standard-sized parking spot.
In fact, the sky’s really the limit if someone has the funds for a truly go-anywhere RV, Earthroamer’s cheapest, the F-550-based LTi, while more like a Class C RV and not technically a campervan, ‘starts’ at a cool $695k.
Another contributing factor of the phenomenon (at least prior to the pandemic) was a work income based on moving from workplace-to-workplace. I vaguely recall there being a whole sub-culture of people who went from Amazon distribution center to distribution center based on the availability of work, almost like a return to migrant farm workers during The Depression.
The most dramatic change in the modern campervan market is the availability, straight from the factory, of vans in which a person can stand up. Before the Sprinter came to the US in 2001, outfitting a van into a stand up camper pretty much required outside help and some quantity of Fiberglas/fiberglass. It opened a whole new world of DIY campers.
I still don’t know how those Xplorer camper vans based on 1970s Dodge vans had stand-up room from lowering the floor for a center aisle. Was the driveshaft moved to one side?
The one real design flaw I see is the use of jalousie windows up above the windshield. I owned a place that had them, after a while there are too many problems getting them to seal properly.
Oh, yes, the windows. I imagine the front-facing ones rattle, bang, and whistle at highway speeds. If they are made of house-type window glass, sticks and stones will break their bones.
I remember how VW camper vans used jalousie windows on the sides up until 1980, even though they had fallen out of favor for residential use by that time. What is their appeal, other than aesthetics?
“What is their appeal, other than aesthetics?”
Two thoughts:
1) The shorter panes don’t extend very far from the body, reducing the likelihood the driver will smash them into fixed objects or other vehicles.
2) When open the smaller panes catch less air with the vehicle in motion, reducing stress on the mounting points.
Work from home, equates with work from wherever. If you are able to telecommute, you can travel freely and still earn your living. This sure provides a great deal of freedom, since you don’t have to rush home after a three day weekend to go back to work.
Back when I was young, I traveled by motorcycle, slept in a tent, and ate at fast food places or diners. Bathrooms were pretty easy to find in gas stations and other businesses. Showers and more were available in KOA campgrounds. Now as an old person I prefer to travel in comfort and stay in nice accommodations.
Then, there’s the ambulance conversion culture. Those who do it like the control they have over the conversion — they can cherry-pick appliances and such based on their own needs, budget and life-style, and can avoid dealing with cheap, custom fiberglass panels that are impossible to replace. Ford E450 conversions will accommodate a 6-footer, are built like aluminum bank vaults, and are very rectangular inside, offering a house-like feeling without a lot of reconfiguring between day and night. Commercially made RVs can be frustrating to maintain because purchasers don’t always realize each bell and whistle has a separate warranty from the individual manufacturer, not the RV producer.
jalousie windows suck, I’ve always hated them, my house had them installed in 1965 along with central HVAC .
I have replace many of them .
I look at the fiberglass campers and wonder : do they hold up better / longer than the usual wood / tin siding ones ? .
I looked at ‘ vanlife.com ‘ for a while, it’s interesting but not my thing .
-Nate
The ‘”lead in pic” had me thinking “toon car”. The “color pic” has me thinking it even more! I remember “vans” of the 60’s being “noisy”. Bet this one was.. Only speculation and long , long ago, memories though.
Here’s another.
Corey Cruiser.
I owned this several, many, years back.
I own a Chinook now but I still like this one a lot.