Vintage Truck of the Day: GMC Brigadier With Extra Large Sleeper
– Posted on March 26, 2021
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I guess if the trailer is attached, one climbs in through the window. Unless the picture is misleading, there doesn’t seem to be enough room for the trailer to pivot for sharp turns.
Is that a pickup utility body under the camper top?
How does one get into the camper top?
How can the frame of tractor unit be so long, and with no apparent axle behind the cab?
How does it handle turns? Perhaps it is a trick of perspective, but it seems that the trailer is very close to the camper top, and would hit it on turns.
Such a mess, yet creative and cool.
It wouldn’t be more awkward to handle than modern tractors with long highroof sleepers.
The part that looks like a utility body probably is the floor that slides in between the wheelwells in a pickup bed.
This camper probably fits an 8 foot pickup bed. 8 foot add-on sleeper units aren’t unusual for owner ops or as perks for drivers who are expected to stay out and also present a top image for their company.
Yeah, that’s a utility box. Don’t know whether the camper slid in intact.
Wow. Yes, that appears to be a light truck service body under the camper, and the clearance between said camper and the front of the trailer looks awfully tight. The rig brings to mind the ‘dromedary’ tractors used on the West Coast back in the 50’s and 60’s, a long wheelbase tractor with a cargo body behind the cab. I wonder if that GMC Brigadier started life as an auto transporter.
I wondered about a car carrier pedigree too.
Horn is located for maximum roof clearance.
Not sure if clearance lamps are located cab top?
But… It doesn’t seem to show narrowed fenders or other evidence of a removed headrack.
How about that paint scheme? Sure seems familiar. Was that some old regulated long haul carrier’s livery?
Permanently parked?
Maybe it doesn’t actually pull the trailer, maybe he just backed up to it for the picture.
The color scheme on the camper top really says “early 1970s”:
This would have to be early 70’s. By the the late 70’s this truck would have had rust holes that you could pass a watermelon through.
I was curious where this picture was taken, and it appears to have been in Northern New Jersey, which wouldn’t have been my first guess. Looks like it’s a service station at the intersection of Route 206 & Mountain View Rd. in Hillsborough Twp.
If I’m correct (not 100% sure about that), the service station building itself is still there (as Gulf station now). Given Poindexter’s earlier NJ-related pictures, it’s been quite a Jersey day here at CC.
I bet the truck started out as a long wheel base box or flat bed, then was later converted to a tractor with the plate all the way rear. The trailer looks to be a lighter furniture or chip variety.
My guess as to the living space access is not just from the door located in the center back panel, but also thru a door between the front seats and the camper’s interior. I’ve also seen these slightly longer campers with a side door located all the way at the back of the camper, right side.
A removed back window and a boot to make a pass through to the camper wasn’t unheard of back in the day.
something is definitely off with the location of the 5th wheel. This rig couldn’t turn at all! I think the trailer might be on a dolly and the tractor is backed up to it? look at where the duals meet up they are 9n different plains.
Nice, combining holidays with your job.
It is my assumption that this Brigadier was purchased used. Certainly eclectic. I have only this one picture of me behind the wheel of the trucks that I would drive for demonstration or having sold. This one was one that I sold to Metro North Commuter Railroad.
Was that “crew cab” a factory option?
The rear axle looks like a lowered tag axle as it appears to have smaller tires than the axle in front of it.
If it were well made and weren’t embarrassing, this would be a nice long haul tractor. I’d trade the unneeded overhead bunk for a standup walkthrough cab. Dinette, lots of storage, maybe a wet bath, probably a rear door–sweet.
Conrad Twitty called. Wants his pompadour rig back now!
What an abomination! Of course if it’s Detroit powered then all is forgiven.
Definitely a weird one.
I realize this post is old, but they actually made a GMC Brigadier as a Motor Home. This one has a Cummins with a ETN 10 speed. Runs amazing, we pull a 40 foot goose neck that was built for hauling a race car. Tractor has air brakes but trailer is set up with electric.
We bought it to haul mountain climbing gear to Mt Rainier where we took disabled vets up the mountain. Drove over White Pass in WA from MT to get to Ashford WA base camp for Camp Patriot.
Who’s “they”? Certainly not GMC. This is clearly a custom unit.