With summer officially over in this hemisphere, or at least, over the hump and on its way toward winter, that doesn’t mean that camping season is done. It’s time to get serious about heading out on the road in search of the best camping spots. This 1969 Ford F-350 and Champion Camper can be found listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Wayland, Michigan, and they’re asking $19,950. Here is the original listing, and thanks to T.J. for the tip!
I can’t find another instance of a Champion chassis-mount camper being shown here on Barn Finds, but there have been a few other brands. The seller refers to this one as a “230”, which I’m assuming relates to its stated 23-foot length, and says there were only four of them built, with this one being the lone example in restored, operating condition.
Being “restored”, this rig isn’t a survivor in the truest sense of the term, but it appears to be mostly restored back to mostly original spec with a period feel and look, rather than having been updated with “modern” (i.e., materials that will look dated in a few years) fixtures and finishes.
This one is interesting in being more than a standard chassis mount camper, as there is no cab on the 1969 Ford F-350, just the front clip. It’s a super interesting look, with the extreme angle on the front windows for the driver and front passenger. The truck appears to have a few nicks here and there, but overall, everything looks really nice inside and out.
New and modern flooring is clearly in place now, over whatever the original flooring would have been. I’m assuming some sort of sheet vinyl, maybe in a Flintstones rocks-like theme, as a lot of flooring from the ’60s and ’70s seemed to be. The interior of the camper is beautiful, big, bright, and almost perfect. A rear dinette is my personal favorite camper or motorhome floor plan, as you can see out of the rear windows, unlike some rear bathroom models. Speaking of bathrooms, this Champion has a small version of that necessary space.
The truck is powered by a Ford 360-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had just over 200 horsepower. We had the same engine in our 1969 Ford F-250, which seemed underpowered to haul our Winnebago pickup camper. I can’t imagine this huge chassis mount camper/motorhome with dual rear wheels being pulled by a 360. It looks super clean, with an aluminum radiator, a very nice upgrade. One thing that isn’t nice is that the seller says there’s no power steering in this truck, uuuuf. It’s said to run great and this is one huge camping rig. Have any of you seen a similar camper to this Champion?
Great find. Personally if I had restored it it would have power steering, and probably a 4 speed automatic for highway economy.
Wow , never saw one of these, has enough power, looks comfortable. Looks like you would be driving a boat with this windows, weird but cool.
This is a really cool motorhome. But I don’t understand why they went and spent the extra money on an automatic transmission, but yet it had manual steering? On something this size especially. The front windows are very unique, I like it. I’m impressed that they fixed it up and yet kept the original stove. The rear dinette layout is nice too. To find any kind of RV in this nice a condition is a real treat. Nice find Scotty!!!
Where’s Howard? he was looking for an RV!
Who’m ever built this with no p/s obviously didn’t drive it. Now is it me but with the windscreen mounted that way how do you keep it defrosted on a cool or even cold morning
eh, the no power steering isn’t so bad. My ’63 Galaxy didn’t have it. It was just about 20 turns lock to lock is all
I’m telling you folks, be careful what you say to this guy. He knows full well I’m kicking around the idea of a RV of some kind. Let me just say this about that. You don’t buy an RV in the summer, like buying a snowblower in December. June is when you buy snowblowers, and after Labor Day, the prices from unsold RVs over the summer, are practically given away. The other thing, I’ve found, there is a direct correlation between what is spent and general condition There are no less than 8 billion RVs for sale, ranging from $1,000 for something the raccoons already left, to some pretty nice ones in the $5grand range. This is pretty nice too, but way out of line from what I’ve been looking at. Heck, you can get a barely used Sprinter type for about the same money. The 360 is a good motor, but being as aerodynamic as a Jeep, you’ll be fighting this all the way. Probably feel like kicking the dog by the time you get there. No P/S? Now that’s downright foolishness in a rig like this.
Two points on this one: Only one way to get in and out of this rig is the right side door. In an accident where you could wind up tipped over on the right side or t-boned you don’t have a way out of this situation. Nobody had any thought about aerodynamics or stability when designing that windshield. Lousy gas mileage and must be a bear to keep on the road with any sort of frontal wind blowing.
Theres a reason there were only 4 made… lol.
This beast is hard on the eyes. But, could be someone’s treasure!
This whole post confuses me.
This is the perfect rig for someone to purchase and park in the back 40 for when the Mother Inlaw comes to visit.
Is Scotty writing from ‘down under’? Summer is almost gone?
Thought the same thing.
Shoot it’s just started, here in Wisconsin, and 90° + heat for the last 4 days!!!
Ha! I was just thinking that it’s over the hump now, June 21st, and it’s all downhill from here until another six months of cold, snow, ice, freezing fingers and toes, etc. Not that that I’m a glass-is-half-empty person (cough).
The 360 is both a gas hog and VERY under powered for this size rig. Both a 390, 427, and 428 will bolt right in. My choice would be the 428, because it has great low speed torque, is cheaper than a 427. I had a ’75 F-250 with a 360 2-V, and it struggled with a 9 1/2′ slide in camper. It also got about 8 MPG. I changed out the 360 for a 428 4-V, went I got a 30′ 5th wheel and went to 13 MPG. It would pull the 5th wheel very nicely.
Power brakes but no power steering??? It’s possible. I drove my 20′ long Cadillac Fleetwood with no power steering when it went out and this is only 3′ longer but wow it was difficult.
So where is this bathroom? I see the dinette, kitchen and assume the over the driver is the double bed but where is the bath?
I’d love to get something like this.
When I was around 12 my parents got a teardrop trailer. Then replaced that with an 18′ Shasta trailer. Hubby and I has an 18′ trailer. And the way things are going with rent and housing, this is a good alternative.
Just for the record, inoperative P/S is harder to turn than regular manual steering. My old Peterbilt had manual steering, and the only way to turn the steering wheel was to be moving. I can understand no P/B, but P/S was the greatest invention since the automatic transmission, and I shan’t do without either these days, if given a choice.
A Guy around here had a similar camper to this windshield and all on a Dodge500, it sat for years and then just went away !
For an old rv its really nice looking. You can tell by the way it sits most of the weight is on the rear so its probably not so bad without p/s. This rv and comments shows how spoiled we really are. I think it cool.
if ur gunna chuck it use the 12v & alison combo.
This is in the ball prk for purchase due to the hood. Not
lookin to do the standard class C (van) as to motor position.
The can is probably ina can & the shower ina bag…
Nice inside too~
“With summer officially over in this hemisphere, or at least, over the hump and on its way toward winter,”
SAY WHAT?
Here in WI we just survived mid 90s with severe humidity. Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. Summer is NOT over. Summer is June, July and August. Arrgg, we still have the 2 hottest months of summer coming.
Otherwise, great writeup on a horrible rig that should really only be in a museum.
Ha, you’re right, of course, rallye. I was being a meatball about how “summer is over” after June 21st, because it starts the downhill march toward winter after then. I’m in northern MN, so we get lots of cold temps and snow compared to hot temps and green grass.
The last place I was stationed was Fort Irwin in the Mohave.
I’ve shoveled snow here in May.
I remember the Fall vintage race weekend in September that people went to Fleet Farm to buy gloves when they saw snowflakes and shivered.
I like four seasons!
They’re all kinda different here now… compared to 60-70 years ago.
Let’s all move to the desert. You don’t get any green grass unless you import it but plenty of heat with very little humidity. Rains only a few days the entire year.
And winters you just need a jacket. Snow? What’s that? Oh is that the white stuff that barely covers anything then melts away in a couple of hours?
Baltimore hit 100° yesterday and today. And the humidity is murder!
Angel, Where are you located?
I’ll give you a call when we’re going to have good snow. You can come and I’ll show you how much fun sideways at speed is with RWD and 4 good snow tires.
Ha ha! Thank you, Rally. I just might take you up on your offer. I was born and raised in NJ. Have lived all over the United States. I’ve lived in Maine as recently as 2008. Snow 6 feet deep. Winter from October to May. I’ve lived in Florida in the 1970s. Nice weather but humid.
I’ve lived in southern California also in the 1970s, the mountains of Colorado in the 1980s, back to NJ in the 1990s.
Moved to Baltimore, MD in 2009, then to Las Vegas, NV in 2015. Love the desert. Love the heat with no humidity. 350 days of sunshine. Summer from February to December. I’m currently back in Baltimore but hope to either go south or back out west in about a year.
I can’t envision how bad the aerodynamics of this motorhome is. And that 360 boat anchor engine to boot. You would need a vacation from your vacation after driving this thing around. Particularly out west here in the wind and up and down the mountains. I moved from the Chicago area after 2 weeks of -80 wind chill. In Northern Nevada now where IF I want to see snow, I can usually just look at the tops of the mountains. I’ve snowskied in the .morning and been out on the motorcycle with a light jacket in the afternoon. Pretty hard to beat that for fun on one day!