1 of 137! 1963 Roustabout TriVan Three-Wheeler

Here’s one I bet a few of you haven’t seen or heard of before: a TriVan. Yes, this little truck has a single wheel in the rear, with the thought that it would be easier to handle and maneuver that way. It may or may not have worked as well as the designers thought, since only 137 of them were sold. This 1963 Roustabout TriVan three-wheeled truck is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Le Roy, Illinois, and the seller is asking $8,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Zappenduster for the tip!

I wish I knew where this pole building was in Le Roy, IL, I’ve been to and through there a hundred times in the last couple of decades as I crisscrossed around the country. Oddly enough, a quick internet search uncovered “Cramer’s Exxon” as now being the Le Roy Travel Plaza, currently selling Shell fuel products instead of Exxon/Mobil. It’s still there! I would love to see this l’il rig in person, even if I’m not a buyer at the seller’s $8,000 asking price. Speaking of that, this truck would have been $1,500 new in 1963.

They are rare, I haven’t seen one in person, or not that I remember. There’s a TriVan at the fantastic Lane Museum just east of Nashville, my favorite auto museum on the planet. I’ve been there several times, even in the “basement,” where not many folks have been. I don’t remember seeing one there. One three-wheeled truck I do remember seeing there is one that Jeff Lane snagged out from under me (not bitter) about a decade ago.

I wrote about a similar-era 1962 Walker Power Truck here on Barn Finds in August of 2016, and I was the high bidder. The next thing I knew, someone had hit the “buy-it-now” button, and I found out that Jeff Lane had nabbed it! I used that tidbit of info to talk my way into the Lane Museum’s basement, and I got to meet Jeff several years ago. That was a highlight of my automotive life for sure. Actually, the Power Truck doesn’t have a single wheel in the back as with the TriVan, but it’s the same principle. A single wheel or two wheels paired together in the rear was thought to be a better way to maneuver these things around. I can’t imagine it being really stable with that configuration and any kind of load in the bed.

The Roustabout Company was from Frackville, Pennsylvania, and was brought to life by Harry Payne, the gentleman credited with bringing the Jeep to the military. One reason for the reported failure of the TriVan is a big government contract that never came through. I’m guessing the unusual chassis and low power were other reasons. Production was estimated at 1,000 units a month, but when the USPS, the military, and International Harvester pulled their orders, that was the end.

The seller doesn’t show us the interior at all, which is unfortunate, but here’s a photo of one that was on Bring a Trailer in 2021 that was bid up to $16,350 but didn’t sell. I know, right? The engine is a 62-cu.in., two-cylinder Kohler four-stroke with 32 horsepower. The engine is mounted behind the cab, and a three-speed manual transmission sourced from the Ford Falcon sends power to the single rear wheel. This example needs a full restoration, but you will absolutely have the only one at the next Cars & Coffee. Have any of you heard of the TriVan?