Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

1 of 100? 1978 Dodge Dreamer RV Hauler

It’s no mystery that I’m a huge fan of unusual (oddball?) vehicles, the weirder and more obscure the better. If they’re even barely usable, even better! Well, maybe not that part, but I would have no real use for this 1978 Dodge Dreamer former RV tow vehicle – yet I still want it. The seller has it listed here on eBay in beautiful, dry, warm El Paso, Texas, one of my favorite cities. They have a $5,000 buy-it-now price listed or you can make an offer.

This thing is just plain cool no matter how the next owner uses it. I would personally use it as a motorcycle hauler, I could easily fit three or four of my weirdo little bikes in the back where a fifth-wheel coupling for hauling a big fifth-wheel trailer or a trailer hitch would have been in a past life. Here is a full view of the bed/box with storage on each side (cut off in the photo on the left side). The seller has included a magazine cover shot showing it pulling a fifth-wheel trailer and dozens of other good photos. Nice job, seller!

In case you’re wondering, yes, those big smoked-glass side doors open! The seller says that only 100 of them were built and it was featured on Counting Cars if I’m reading that correctly? How did I miss that episode? Was this a full-sized van that was modified or a van chassis like on a Class-C motorhome without the motorhome on the back, and then a low custom bed was installed? It appears to be the latter, according to a couple of online stories about the Dreamer. Jeff showed us a similar van a few years ago here, and Josh showed us a really strange custom last summer here.

The interior is a little rugged but it might be a fun project if a person had a nice big garage or pole building to work on it. The back seat area looks good with similar wear to the front. I’d want to convert it into a sleeping area, although I’m pretty sure that it’s nicer and more comfortable back there than my ’74 Dodge van was and I slept in that many times. I don’t know if I’d want to be camping out with a few little motorcycles out in the open in the back, even if they’re strapped down.

The seller shows a ton of photos, even underside photos, and the last ones in their long list of images will show the dings, dents, and cracks. The engine is a monster 440 cubic-inch V8 with around 200 horsepower. It runs and drives “pretty good” but there’s a bit of smoke upon starting it that goes away shortly. I know that feeling. Have any of you seen a Dodge Dreamer? How would you use this unique hauler?

Comments

  1. Avatar Sam Shive

    I’ve always wondered about the GM tail lights.

    Like 9
  2. Avatar Sandra

    wow so lovely

    Like 3
  3. Avatar Michael Hogg

    Because I am a Mopar fan from the way back era, I would use this behemoth to lug around the Mopar salvage units I could find in fields, behind barns, or, languishing in the thickets of Texas. Personally, I like what I see here, they are so few and far between.

    Like 4
  4. Avatar AZVanman

    I love the “oddball” vehicles, too, Scotty! My guess would be that it’s a U-Haul-type spec 1 ton chassis-cab with the fabricators cab extension and one-bed-fits-all, hence the GM taillights. The company I worked for never did this level of conversion, but we got darned close. Cool, in its day.

    Like 7
  5. Avatar nlpnt

    Never mind the taillights, I wonder how hard to replace those one-year-only front sidemarkers are. They used the red rear ones for well over a decade but 1978 was a transition year for Dodge vans with the new dash and rear body but the old nose.

    Like 5
  6. Avatar chrlsful

    Love these (like the AMX too many decades later) as for every automotive Q there is an Application made. These? good interstate (or other ) haulin.

    Followed the ford recently (10, 15 yrs now) but have not seen the dodge much. Even enjoy the manufacturers’ history/movement. Ideal? a 5th wheel (the co that makes ‘the invisible’). Ford has 3 configurations (windows/dors, etc) not sure of the dodge BUT as 1 it sure elicits my usual comment on them “12v and allison”.

    All the fords seem to have horrible wiring (good luck on this one)’n a few – problems @ the glass/metal interface on the roof.

    Best of Luck to seller/buyer~

    Like 5
  7. Avatar James

    I have the Ford version of this E350 back seat can seat four or fold down into a bed. I pulled the 460 out and put in a Cummins 5.9 love the truck and the best thing about it I can work on it.

    Like 8
  8. Avatar Steve Clinton

    I’m in a real quandary, pickup or van?

    Like 1
  9. Avatar RDRNR

    Have always liked these (for some odd reason) as well. Another unique vehicle to add to the wish list

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Danny V. Johnson

    I’ve been involved with sport car and performance rally racing my who life. If that were to made mechanically sound and reliable, it would be a perfect race car hauler. On the other hand, 200 HP from a 440 CID engine doesn’t sound right, to me. With a four barrel carburetor, it should be 255 net horsepower and 360 ft lbs torque, for that model and year. Where did the 55 HP go?

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

    Awesome looking RV hauler. I’ve seen a few of these back in the day. Given its condition and rarity, I’d pay around the $5,000 asking price. I’d then install a diesel engine and compatible auto gearbox to make it run reliably.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Claudio

    Wow, 3 miles to a gallon pulling a heavy rv must be REAL fun !
    With the price of gas now !?
    But , still i like it
    A modern engine and trans swap like others have done would be great for this beauty…
    Not for me cause i have never liked dodge /Chrysler/chryco/mopar stuff but this is a gem

    Like 1
  13. Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

    Auction update: this one ended up with no sale.

    Like 1
  14. Avatar Rock

    I used mine as race car hauler for several years. Did a Cummins swap eventually and ended up trading it off when I quit racing. I would buy another in a heart beat

    Like 1

Leave a Reply to chrlsful Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.