Text by Patrick Bell.
For today, we have a variety of road trip photos that mostly feature campers, with a few boaters, and some that look like they were moving (what fun). Part of our ongoing series of posts featuring images before GPS, and crossovers tookover; when families and couples headed out with everything they needed tied to the roof, or hitched to the bumper. Let’s take a look at these roadtrip adventures of the past.
Blue seems to be the theme in our first image today, with a blue 1966 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan towing a camper trailer that also had some blue trim. And the lady’s dress appears to have been a blue print. The fender badge indicated the Bel Air had one of the two available Turbo-Fire 283 V8’s under the hood. The four barrel carbureted version made a one year reappearance after it was discontinued in 1962 when the 327’s were introduced. And it also had a 1968 issue Texas license plate. They were at a Texas state border roadside pull off.
A pair of travelers are shown here in what AI identifies as Badlands National Park in South Dakota, and that seems reasonable to me. On the left was a 1951 Buick Super Riviera Sedan from California with a camper trailer in tow. The script on the quarter panel indicated it had the optional Dynaflow Drive transmission. To the right was a 1953 Dodge Coronet 4 door sedan with the “sensational new Dodge Red Ram V8” that had 241 cubic inches and 140 horsepower. It had a 1955 Michigan license plate and a loaded rooftop carrier. The gentleman was making sure his load was secured, as it appeared he was heading into that ominous looking dark sky.
This 1953 Pontiac De Luxe or Custom Catalina (depending on interior trim) from California looked like it had been around the block a few times. There was at least one passenger along with the driver, and stuff in the backseat, on top, and in the trailer. Perhaps they were moving into the house on the right. The Pontiac had a sun visor, the Protection Group which included the Grille Guard and bumper corner Wing Guards, a water bag hanging from the hood ornament, and no wheel covers.
Here was a caravan of four Ford family tow rigs along with their camp trailers that were taking a break on a highway shoulder. Beginning on the left was a 1953 Mercury Monterey 8 passenger wagon with perhaps a California license plate. 1953 was the last year of the only engine Mercury had ever offered up to that point; the flathead V8 in 239 cubic inch size from 1939-1948, and 255 ci from 1949-1953. Next was a 1954 Ford Customline Fordor with the new 239 Y-block V8. The pickup was a 1953 Ford F-100 with a camper shell. I can’t make out the center grille emblem, which signified whether it was equipped with the new for 1952 overhead valve 215 ci six cylinder, or the last of the flathead V8’s. Bringing up the rear was a 1955 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan with a 272 Y-block V8.
And another view of the 1955 Fairlane Town Sedan in the previous image, along with the Sportcraft camper. Apparently they were heading to Mexico, and the license plate looks like a 1956 Ohio issue.
The canoe does not look big enough to hold four, so there may have been another rig in the party. I can’t tell if they were coming or going, but they seemed to be working hard on a wet day. The car was a 1955 Chevrolet Two-Ten 2 door sedan with an outside mirror and the standard hub caps.
A 1955 Buick Special 2 door Riviera was launching a boat in a marina identified by AI as Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Again, that seems reasonable to me. It also had the standard hub caps and a single color finish, and both were unusual on a Buick in that time period.
Another Ohio family had a Sportcraft camper along with a 1958 Ford Country Sedan tow rig. The Ford had been involved in a fender bender, and had a rooftop carrier along with its 1962 Ohio license plate.
The trim and hub caps give this one away as a 1960 Pontiac Laurentian Safari, a Canadian model that was not offered in the US in this mid level trim series. It was also available with a 261 Strato-Six, while the US models were V8 only. It had a full load inside as well as in the rooftop carrier, plus the boat also looked like it was full.
For the 1963 model year, the only full size wagon Mercury offered was the Colony Park with standard wood-grain paneling as seen above. Most other years they also offered a non wood-grain model called the Commuter. This one had a California license plate along with a bug shield and trailer towing mirrors, and was towing an Avion travel trailer.
Pop up campers are a good option for travelers, as they are a big step up from pitching a tent, but are easier to tow and fit the budget better than a standard camp trailer. The tow vehicle above was a 1968 Plymouth VIP 2 door Fast Top, Plymouth’s answer to the Ford LTD. It was equipped with one of the “Commando” (383 or 440 cubic inches) V8’s, a vinyl top, Sport Wheel Covers, and clamp on trailer mirrors. In the carport was a 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 with a 1960 Comet 4 door sedan behind it. In the driveway next door was a 1967 Chevrolet Caprice Custom Sedan.
We are now at the Nisutlin Bay Bridge on the Alaska Highway at Teslin, Yukon, Canada. I crossed this bridge a few times in my early years, the last was in 1977 when I was driving my 1954 Chevrolet Advance Design 3600 pickup. On the ground was a 1971 International Travelall Custom with a simulated vinyl top and roof rack, along with aftermarket wagon style wheels. It was set up for towing and traveling with a long travel trailer. The truck on the bridge was too blurry to ID, and had an odd looking camper shell.
A pair of rigs were taking a rest in a heavily forested area. The first one was a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville 4 door Vista hardtop with possibly a Washington state license plate and towing what appeared to have been an Airstream travel trailer. The numbers on the front of the trailer indicate they were members of the Wally Byam Caravan Club. Following behind was a 1963 Ford Fairlane 500 4 door sedan with a smaller camp trailer.
And we saved the most unusual for last. A 1972 Pontiac Firebird Hardtop Coupe was not known as a tow car for anything larger than a personal watercraft. Granted, the camp trailer was small, but the Firebird’s tail sure was dragging. It was equipped with a Cordova vinyl top, Rally II wheels, and those trailer mirrors really jazzed it up. The license plate may have been an Illinois issue, and the pickup across the road with a cabover camper had the look of a 1960’s Dodge D series.
Thanks for touring with us and have a great day!
Note: If you wish to see your vintage photos featured at Curbside Classic, send them to us at [email protected].
The maroon `55 Buick Super HT was interesting to see in that it has the standard ‘moon’ hubcaps I like so much! Buick’s moons were very much alike `55 to about `62-`63 and always looked best with a set of whitewalls.
Judging by the squared off motor cowling under the cover that boat behind the ’60 Pontiac wagon had a ’58 to ’60 Evinrude Lark on it (vintage outboards are another personal hobby as well).
Also admire that BOL ’55 Buick, very unusual to see. Folks buying Buicks typically seemed to prefer a more upscale version, but there were smart shoppers around too. ’55 was a banner year for Buick sales but it led to poor quality control that sullied Buick’s reputation for years.
Mine was not a camping/trailering family during these years, but the photos are great fun, and I enjoy seeing good old 2WD vehicles doing the tow work, even if tail-dragging a bit. Braver than me!
The “heavily forested area” looks to be the redwoods of Northern California. A familiar sight.
Is the trailer in the 1st. photo a “Scotty” ? .
These pictures are nice and remind me of traveling and camping (never wit a trailer or camper) from the 50’s through the 60’s .
The mist shrouded forests particularly remind me as forests are typically quiet and in the early mornings like this were wonderful to go walking in before anyone else woke up =8-) .
-Nate
From the movie ‘Panic in the Year Zero’; best combination of car and trailer for surviving the Apocalypse 🙂
No graffiti on those freight cars in the 1st pic, same as my railfan slides from the ’70s.
The Texas landscape sure was awe inspiring back in the day. Are those bullet holes in that monument?
Well, they’re made of granite. Given the double track and flat landscape, I wonder if that’s where US 84 crosses the NM-TX border near Clovis. US 84 and the Santa Fe (now BNSF) “Coleman Cutoff” pretty much shadow each other all the way to Coleman, 300-some-odd miles to the Southeast, and are nearly as straight as the land is flat.
Did a search and not all are made of Granite. Many were made of Texas Cordova shellstone, a type of limestone. Shell impressions might be why this looks like it has been pockmarked by bullets.
Wow, I remember those water bags tied to the front of the hood in order to keep the water cool!
Lots of good times in the old canned ham campers.
The 58 Ford with the accident damage reminds me of an incident one of my uncles had with his 1969 Galaxie. They had been on vacation, towing a pop up camper and got into a large accident on a 4 lane highway. The car was moderately damaged but the camper trailer completely came apart and sprayed its contents all over the highway. I saw photos of it when I was about 8, it was scary to look at the aftermath. Luckily everyone was OK.
Liking that ’66 Impala in the lead photo.
The popup camper being towed by the ’68 Plymouth looks exactly like a ’69 Starcraft camper we had when I was very young (early 80s).
We had a 19′ Fireball trailer. My dad always painted the stripe to match the car. He also had the canvas desert water bag to hang in front of the radiator for going through the Mojave desert.
Couple of years ago I was heading south on the nys thruway in the northbound was a Porsche panamera wagon towing a camper trailer on its way to upstate, probably lake George area.. Was a neat site not often seen..!!
The picture with the four cars and trailers I find interesting. It appears they placed them in order of how fast they could travel, with the slowest being first in line. I would think that old flathead up front would be going very slow compared to the newest Y block taking up the rear. Smart move!
The truck on the bridge is almost certainly a 1961-65 Dodge.