Here’s a rather evocative shot. This first-gen Chevy van was captured at Garner State Park, Texas, in 1972. Part of the US National Archives Documerica project. Image has been slightly color-corrected for this post.
Vintage Snapshot: Van Life in the Early ’70s
– Posted on September 6, 2023
Instantly reminded me of this shot of me in my ’68 Dodge A100:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/auto-biography/auto-biography-1968-dodge-a-100-van-the-dream-mobile/
Is that a factory sunroof or a custom one? Or is it a sunroof at all?
I imagine the chevy had a horsepower advantage over a VW bus, but for the true van life experience I’d have to go for a VW.
Looks like a crude DIY tinted sunroof.
As long as “going up hills” was an occasional endeavor. If you were just parking the van for extended periods, you’d be “ok”.
Mom?
LOL!
Comment of the day. 🙂
+1
I’m wondering about that sunroof(?) too. Some kind of canvas rollback contraption? It’s definitely not factory, but it looks more homebrew than aftermarket. Interesting.
I’m also curious about the protrusions at the rear corners of the roof. They almost look like air scoops for an early rear-mounted a/c system. Does anyone know that they are?
The sunroof looks like a piece of tinted Plexiglas (or such) attached with a frame and screws to the roof.
The two roof protrusions at the rear of the roof are unusual. Very unlikely to be an a/c, but remotely possible. More likely just vents.
She looks a bit like a 60s-era Cher.
And today, she’s known as “Grandmom.”
Looking towards the ocean pondering life. Or maybe just watching her boyfriend run towards the surf. (That may not be a beach at all).
That poor girl doesn’t look very happy, maybe she was tired of her boyfriend’s idea of van life? I was a h.s. junior in ’72.
“Mom” or “GranMom”, is a merchant. Selling clothing at a hip campground.
She may be a model as well, showing off her skimpier creations in the flesh.
Here’s Uncle Rico and his organgetastic van.
His Napoleon Dynamite character surely helped a little to rekindle the Van Life movement of the 2010s.
Nobody at Bingo would ever recognize her in this picture
Because poor Velma was struck blind when she lost her glasses again, she unknowingly groped her way into this van rather than the Magical Mystery Machine she was so desperately seeking.
That is the weirdest looking windshield set up I’ve ever seen.
In fact, the whole front end is weird.
Fun memories ! .
I mostly did the VW van thing, the Chevy van here was IMO a pretty good if crude truck .
Those rear vents look just like the bilge intake vents on sailboats at that time .
-Nate
Maybe it’s the passage of time but that flat screen does the van no favours visually
I remember taking the Eisenhower pass in a ‘70 camper. Sometime late ‘70’s. We were pretty lightly loaded, but 30-35MPH was about all we could manage on that long uphill climb.. All while everyone else just flew by us. Innocent 16 year old me was fascinated looking out the back window of the approaching cars. My recollection is that any subsequent trips, my parents chose another route.
To travel between SW Ontario and Nevada.