Is it a truck camper?

[Inventive1]

I have seen two 3/4 or 1 ton trucks from back in the 1970's that were used for camping. These trucks did NOT have a conventional pick-up truck bed. Instead of a pick-up bed, there was a camper mounted on the back of the truck. I would guess the camper may have been permanently mounted. The campers looked to be around 8 feet wide. They were the same width from top to bottom, so I'm positive these were not conventional slide in truck campers. The one truck's camper was probably 12 feet long.

I wish the camera would have been in the car so I could have taken a picture. That would have made identification easier!

Is a camper like this considered a truck camper? If these are not considered truck campers, what would they be called? Were there companies building campers like this, or were these home built? I'd like more information on these campers, but have no idea where to begin looking. Any advice will be appreciated.

[btggraphix]

Surprised nobody posted Clattertruck's retrospective which included quite a number of chassis-mounts

retrospective

Awesome read - one of my all-time favorites.

[jefe_4x4]

Only if you have a truck camper do you have any slide-in specificity. To the unwashed, a camper can be any kind of 'camping' vehicle, whether it be a pop-top tent trailer with wheel barrow sized wheels, or a chassis mount 'camper' as shown above.
If others are puzzled by our Truck Camper designation, which they are; to wit the pop-top camper folks who chime in anytime the term camper is used by us, assuming it's what they have, then so be it. That's why I'm up for a new term for the off road version of the truck camper...you guessed it: XTC.
regards, as always, jefe

[RobertRyan]

Tiger4X4RV wrote:
Around here they were called chassis mounts. Later on they morphed into small class C's such as Sunrader and the early Dolphins on Toyota chassis. We Tiger owners consider our vehicles to be Class C's, but I always say that mine is a TC at heart and that's why I hang out here on the TC forum

Quite Common in Australia.

[rehoppe]

Probably closer to a 'C' than anything else.

But Who Cares: If you've got one of these in nice shape. It's a winner!

Most were built on 2WD chassis. IIRC

[Tiger4x4RV]

Around here they were called chassis mounts. Later on they morphed into small class C's such as Sunrader and the early Dolphins on Toyota chassis. We Tiger owners consider our vehicles to be Class C's, but I always say that mine is a TC at heart and that's why I hang out here on the TC forum.

[Mountain_Jack]

I remember in 1976, Camino Camper Center in Santa Clara, CA sold some of these campers mounted on a truck chassis. One I looked at was selling for $16,000.

[dbbls]

Another popular name for these was "mini-home"

[brirene]

My parents had a Sunrader, which was mounted on a 5 speed Toyota truck. Surprisingly roomy, and great gas mileage. Wish I still had it!

[WrongWayRandall]

Ok, those are ~wicked~ cool looking...

- R

[spacedoutbob]

I also remembered them being called Chassis Mounts. They used to be much more common when I got my first camper in 1975. There was a Roll-A-Long Chassis Mounted motorhome down the street from our Service Station in Alameda. I always wanted one of those.

Bob in Calif.

[Just_Jeff]

Try this thread:

http://forums.woodalls.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25690493/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1

I want one of these on an F-550. But I don't quite need an Earthroamer.

[AnEv942]

I always refered to them as chassis mounts.

mid 60 Dodge, dont know (cant read) camper

My folks had a 64 Ford 1 1/2 ton with a Caveman camper, simular to this.

Think this is a '68 Ford 1 ton/Caveman


Caveman on a 65 Chevy-
Interior http://www.persh.org/pickup/JoesMotorhome.htm
what I remember dads camper looking like inside.

[skipnchar]

For me "truck campers" imply that they slide in, not that they are built onto the truck.

[romore]

We called them camper coaches, they led to the class c. They were normally built on a 1 ton cab and chassis because the frames were straight rails unlike a pickup. Popular Mechanics and others published plans for them or they could be custom made. I thought they were cool.:B