Travel Queen Vintage TC Registry

WyoTravelQueen wrote:
I purchased a Travel Queen Truck Camper in 2013. In reviewing some of the posts and finding the pic of the brochure, mine appears to be model 107. I don't know the year and the owner had it for 10 years. I have pictures but can't seem to find how to post them to this site.

Take your photos and process them to 640 px wide (if horizontal) or 480 wide (if vertical). Save for web at 72 dpi.

Join Photobucket.com.

Upload your pictures to photobucket.

Then.....

In Photobucket click on "library" at the top of the page. Click on your photo in the small space directly below and to the right of the photo. It will turn blue. Control C (copy) the URL.

Return to the page on this site and click on "Reply to Topic". Place your cursor where you want the photo and paste.

Return and paste another photo or text.

It helps if you can use two screens to carry the image back and forth.

Lets see your Travel Queen.

Welcome WyoTravelQueen. I am on Wyoming as well. Casper. You? More later.

I purchased a Travel Queen Truck Camper in 2013. In reviewing some of the posts and finding the pic of the brochure, mine appears to be model 107. I don't know the year and the owner had it for 10 years. I have pictures but can't seem to find how to post them to this site.

BarnFindSilly , I should say so , that doesn't happen every day . It is yours to do as you wish but my vote is to keep it as original as possible . It is probably the most original and pristine Travel Queen in existence . Best of luck

The second post in this thread (1966 Travel Queen 10.5' model) is going to the landfill today.

I have removed the parts I want to keep, either for my resto-mod or to sell, and the rest is going bye-bye.

That camper began to smell as summer warmed up. The obvious mouse evidence became a major infestation and it just wasn't worth it to do more with it. I had planned to to a reverse engineer as I dismantled it, but not going to happen.

I'll list parts in future for sale on another post (minimal number of parts, mostly windows and drawers, etc.). Probably won't be long now and you'll start seeing some new threads for the resto-mod of the '68 (first post in this thread).

I would love to hear more knowledgeable people than me speak up here. I'll say these things.

I bet you have a '68 or '69 maybe later. I don't know WHAT year they stopped making these in TC form. I remember seeing someone post somewhere that he worked in the Riverside Travel Queen factory in the seventies and they weren't making truck campers then.

I agree, your data on the gas light indicates it is original equipment. I expect it is newer than mine (1968). Take a look at the light in my pictures if you haven't already.

Serial number indicating year - ALL GUESSWORK. I have already found holes in my theories. Maybe mine isn't even a 1968? Or the other isn't a '66? All word of mouth except that I have an Oregon title, but where did the info come from to place '68 on that title. So who knows.

Your camper is sooooo exceptional, it is MY OPINION, anything you do to it that isn't original will detract from it's desirability in both value and appeal to a potential collector. Especially anything that "can't be put back to original". Whether to "upgrade it to fit your desires" or to keep it all original is completely based on what you want to do with it as the proud owner. But, there will be those who take offense if you change it ;) LOL

Again, awesome find, and thoughtful posts and questions.

All good information. Thank You.

From the sales brochure, mine is a Model 112 10.6 Shower Special. The floor plan is exactly the same as what is seen on the brochure. With the sales brochure representing New Models for 1966, could it be mine is a 66? Everything is shaping up to this conclusion but I am still open to stay aware to other signs of the year which brings us back to the gas lamp.

I have the Coleman owners manual for the lamp. It came with all the other documents found in the drawer. The Coleman owner's manual still has the two cotton bulbs un-opened in the packet. The lamp shows no signs of use and the factory caution sticker is still on the glass shade. Also no signs in the wood just behind the fixture of anything previously installed which may be indicated by ware patterns or additional holes. Anything is possible but it looks original.

Something else interesting, which adds to the mystery is I just tonight opened the "Duo-Therm" instruction packet found with the paperwork. The manual represents the heater. The "packet" is a white envelope with white lettering that says Important Instructions - Must stay with unit - Owner read carefully. The documents inside say "Form DS=477 Printed in the USA 7/68". Other documents within the same packet say "effective 6/67" "Supersedes 4/66". Could it be this camper is a 1968? If so, this would somewhat discredit the theory on the ID number nameplate. Do we dare go there? :-)

Curious, would anyone know what this camper may be worth to a collector? Would it decrease the value if I pursue further updates?

Thanks again for the dialog. This is interesting and I am starting to think maybe this camper is one of the later ones built. Maybe a 68 or 69. What is the latest year this style is known to exist?

Okay I found my PM about the serial number maybe indicating year. It was to Rdunehew - not Bearsfanatic85. I'll post it here as others may find it helpful.

Rdunehew - I think your (rdunehew) camper is likely a 1964 or possibly a 1965.

Notice the little nubs that point down on both sides of the front camper wall, near the front corners where jacks or tie-downs mount? Your nubs seem smaller than the larger nubs I've seen on pictures of two or three other 1964's. See an example on the Durango, Colorado Craigslist ad posted earlier in this thread. The nubs are missing altogether in the few 1966 pics I've seen, and on my 1966 camper.

The sales brochure I posted elsewhere has artwork and photographs showing these nubs, as well as clearance light configuration of three on the back wall, and four on the front wall. My 1966 and 1968 have five (modern configuration) clearance lights both on the front and on the rear. The sales brochure has a date November 26, 1965 stamped on the bottom of the back page (you can't see it in the scanned image). The artwork drawn and pictures taken prior to 11/1965 would have been 1964 or 1965 models, even if the ad is for model year 1966, as it's late in 1965 date implies.

You have a wiring diagram dated 1/14/1964. I assume you found it in your camper when you bought it. It is likely an original document to your camper with such a date. If so, it could have been placed in both 1964 or 1965 model year campers.

I haven't seen or heard of any older Travel Queens than 1964. 1968 is the latest I've seen. I know Travel Queen got more into Class C and eventually Class A motorhomes in the 70's. Not sure exactly when they dropped their TC line. I am only a few weeks into this new Travel Queen interest.

There may also be a hint in the serial numbers. I don't know how they came up with the numbers but with such a short number I suspect one digit deals with model or calendar year. If so, what is the pattern? Here's what I know.

Your serial number 5114
Another w/nubs & fewer clearance lights is 6660
My 1968 (8') serial number 7874
My 1966 (10.5') serial number 8676

There is no proof other than word of mouth on any of these years, so each of the stated years may be wrong. Usually one digit will show the factory where it was made, and the other numbers may be the unit number that year.

If the second digit is model year, yours would be a 1961. If the first digit is model or calendar year, yours would be a 1965 and my 1966 may indeed be a later 1968 or 1969 model, whereas my '68 could have been produced in 1967 for 1968 model year. In such a case the first digit may be a factory designator and the last two digits the unit number. Would they have made fewer than 100 units per factory? Maybe.

But if the first digit is the year, would they have made almost 1000 units per year? So hard to say but more to think about. Did they even make these things as early as 1961?

If the first digit is year, the second could deal with model number and the last two unit number. We need more serial numbers to guess any better I suppose.

End of PM.

Now as I relook at it, the first digit may well be a factory designator, the second digit a year, and the last two digits a unit number at that factory that year. BarnFindSilly - what is your serial number? 6616. So perhaps factory 6, year 66, 16th unit.

And, I noticed in looking at your pictures again you have the five clearance light configuration, perhaps indicating a 1966 or later.

Check out this link for a path to my Travel Queen Brochure, dated 11/1965 on the back (but not visible in the scan).

1965 Travel Queen Brochure

Again, hard to say, but a close look at your pictures and the brochure indicate you have a Model NO. 111 10' Front Side Dinette Special.

Compare the picture of your outside propane tank compartment to my "rough condition 1966" picture (2nd post in this thread). Mine may well be a later or different version of what the brochure calls a model 112 10.5' Front Side Dinette Deluxe Shower model (the left side configuration is different). But the point is the additional 6" is visible in front of the propane compartment, and the additional camper body depth behind the truck is added to hide the black/gray water tank. Mine has a toilet and shower. I suspect yours has a closet for a wardrobe or portable toilet, and no black/gray water holding tank.

Incidentally, the overall length of these units are longer than the model number length indications, by almost a foot. Beware of that anomaly.

Barnfind, I agree with 67avion. A detailed story about the find and purchase would be a great thread to start. Titled something like "How I came into my Vintage Truck Camper".

With what you say on the Coleman gas light, it is probable that it is original, as you say. I only indicate it's a replacement because it looks like a newer style than mine, and I have a 1966 and a 1968. Although it is difficult to say for certainty that the years are correct. From what I have seen so far, I feel Travel Queen truck campers were discontinued in the 70's. I have only seen for sale or owned, as old as 1964, and as new as 1968. But who knows. This is a recent discussion for the Internet apparently. That is why your find and documents are so important to the subject. I have been posting pictures and info on this thread about my own and about Craigslist ads I have come across. It seems Travel Queen went into Class A and C motor homes in the seventies.

I sent Bearsfanatic a PM describing my opinions about telling what year the truck camper is by using the serial number. Let me cut and paste that info next...

Well, maybe I was dreaming. Can't find it. As I recall my research your 66 might mean 1966 model year but let me redo my research thought process and I'll try and get that posted back here.

That is simply sensational Barnfind. I don't know if you are interested in telling the whole story of the find, but I think it might be helpful to others that are searching for vintage campers.