He loves it, she hates it: this 1971 Ford Country Sedan station wagon/Tote Motel camper combo is for sale – apparently in the name of family peace. It is listed on eBay with an asking price of $13,500 or best offer after changing hands just two months ago here for $8050; we’ll leave it to you to decide whether this is an attempted flip or really a sale intended to promote peace. The new owner can enjoy a few days’ worth of winter camping on the drive home from Golden, Colorado.
Underhood is a 400 cu. in. V8, good for about 260 hp. A three-speed automatic drives the rear wheels; braking is supplied by discs up front and drums in the rear. The seller notes a rebuilt carburetor and tune-up. It’s said to run and shift well. The previous listing indicates the tires are mismatched, but that the radiator is new. Though the engine bay is ratty, I appreciate that the factory air cleaner assembly is still in place, and other components appear to be original. The underside is scaly with surface rust, but the muffler looks new.
The interior could use a good cleaning. The carpets and other surfaces are worn. Cloth upholstery covers the front bench seat; the rear seats and door panels are vinyl. The camper has a pass-through into the station wagon cargo area. Power steering and a nonworking air conditioner round out the creature-comfort features.
The star of this show is the 400 lb fiberglass ToteMotel camper. ToteMotels were made in the 1960s by Fiberglass Fabricators, Inc. The roomy unit is six feet wide and 14′ long, with headroom inside at about 6’2″. This one is equipped with an ice box, sink, bed, and a two-burner cooktop. No word regarding whether any of these items work. The previous sale description notes that the 10-gallon water tank was removed. The interior of the camper is cracked in several places, and the trim is corroded. Lightweight though it may be, the wagon’s springs look like they’re screaming for mercy.
Surviving ToteMotels are few and far between. Here’s one sitting on a Studebaker Wagonaire; this unit was for sale years ago without an accompanying vehicle; here are another few examples. Not everyone’s garage will have the space for this bit of Americana, but where there’s a will, there’s a way! Are you tempted to bring this vintage pair home?
As big as that wagon is, I can’t imagine how unstable the whole thing is. No thanks, I’ll take a lump of coal!
The BFs blog cop is watching me again, but I agree, looks as safe as a golf outing in a thunderstorm. I bet a trooper may think so too, looks a little heavy on that rear axle. Bring it around back and bring in the paperwork( wifey yelling. I told you not to go in the scale) I bet it does great wheelies,, now, would that be anthracite or bituminous coal? :)
You know Santa gets his coal from West Virginia
I caught him sneakin round down in the mine
He’s loading up his sleigh and will soon be on his way
with a load of West Virginia #9
Good call Jim
Well Michelle. You summed up my first thought when I saw the opening photo, those rear springs most certainly are screaming for mercy. It looks as though if you go up a steep enough hill and plank the the throttle…… You’ll be popping a wheelie!!! But still. For a setup like this, the wagon is all there, the sheetmetal looks good and the interior looks good too. And the camper is basically complete too. ( wonder why the water tank was removed?) These are very interesting setups, but I’m thinking with all that weight hanging so far back that steering could be a bit sketchy especially in the rain. Cool find Michelle, and thank you for writing it up. I enjoyed it.
Love the wagon!
I love the strange and the weird. ….The rare and unusual .
This fits perfectly in those categories. I love it !
One of the beauties of Barn Finds is showing us “different” vehicles. This certainly fits the bill. I’m sure I’ve never seen one, even in pics. Surely the “when equipped” weight is more than 400 lbs.? Similar to other decades-old RV’s we see, both the camper unit and the car look used and aged.
Maybe this illustrates why campers like this found their natural home to be on 3/4 ton pickups.
From the Clark Griswold collection….
Ha! I’m thinking the Cousin Eddie collection! 😂
Good grief, can you say “helper springs”? That wagon is about to fracture carrying that monstrosity on the back. And though “light weight”, the camper is barely big enough to accommodate a small-stature couple and their pet hamster. I think the seller is either dreaming or spent too many unventilated nights in that RV.
Helper springs? More like Super Stock, if they make them that will fit it. They would level it just right.
In about 1965! A sales rep for that camper stopped at our Gregory SD ford dealership. My dad brought it home for the family to see!! 14 yr old me was in wonderment! What a great invention! I have only seen 3-4 in pictures since.
Needs air shocks 🤣
This is a classic case of the wife sends the husband to the store to buy milk and he comes home with this thing I can see why she doesn’t like it. The wagon itself might be a nice ride to cruise around. That thing attached to it needs to be dropped off in the back 40 and turned into a kids play house. Or drop it at a homeless encampment and let them use it for shelter.
You forgot the part where he stooped at the bar for 3 hours right after he left the house.
And made a dump run too.
looks and could be the 1 that just sold on B A T a couple months ago. how did that all work for you.
He does state that the wife hates it, and there are several pics of it sitting on a trailer. She probably said “Don’t you dare unload that thing!”.
The provided pictures are terrible. I just don’t understand how someone who truly wants to sell something would not at least put a bit of effort into it.
Yes I provided the link to the BAT auction in my article. See first paragraph.
She’s a beauty, Clark!!
But don’t get too attached. We’re taking her with us when we leave next month!
400 pounds my butt..just the shell maybe but you finish adding the stove and all the rest must be close to a.thousand the car was never designed for that brakes and suspension. To quote Bud Lindeman ” that thing must handle like a Wells Fargo stagecoach ” but it is an interesting piece of memerobilia of the era
It’s just me, but gosh, get rid of that camper, and drive the wagon. Put some new springs in it and have another good old wagon. That thing looks ridiculous hanging off the back of that wagon. But the wagon alone ought to be pretty good. Looks pretty clean and rust free. I’d have to cut that price in half or more.
I’m with the ‘dump the camper’ crowd, and associated cost.
Sweet wagon that looks like it could provide service for a while!
The camper AND the wagon are gold here. All it needs is some airbags and thats no problem.
If you look at the pics on ebay, there’s already shocks with coil-over helper springs on it. I know the 9″ is tough but it’s not really a heavy load/cargo carrying type axle. In reality this should have a full-floater Dana 60 or equivalent.
Then the pieces would be in place for an even worse abomination…maybe we’d see the first-ever wagon with duallies?
Looks like it would get about 10 gallons per mile.
Poor Stationwagon!
My wife hates station wagons I love them! She wants a camper. Compromise!
If a flat tire should happen, accessing the spare, jack and tire iron will be an effort. If a rear tire goes flat, the bumper jack will be of no use.
I’m sure the neighbors love looking at this monstrosity.
Needs large training wheels with the strength of outriggers. Probably wouldn’t hurt to limit speed on turns to around 20 MPH and straight line top speed to about 45. Even with those things, I’d recommend frequent inspections of all components; say around every 75 miles.
Back in the 60’s and 70’s, we used to put mattresses in the backs of our Econoline vans or 56 Bel Air wagons for Van Nuys cruise night, because we suffered from a terminal case of the Friskies. You aren’t NEVER getting laid in that thing!
Child of the seventies here. Anybody remember this one (see link below)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiEIToOWr64
“Chevy Van” by Sammy Johns!
Keep the wagon, lose the camper! A good restoration candidate, I’d consider ditching the 400 in favor of a 460 big block, but some interior work and buffing out the oxidized paint would go a long way to helping this diamond in the rough sparkle! GLWTS!
Yup, keep the wagon and sell off the trinket using that money to hop up the motor and stiffen up the running gear.
Those 400s don’t get much respect but can really shine with a modest investment.
If you ditch the camper the wagons rear axle would scream in relief not to mention the brakes!As already stated keep the wagon and put that camper in some homeless camp.
Hope they have some heavy ply truck tires on the back. smh
“You think you hate it now, wait until you drive it!”
Just get a camp trailer. Probably much safer to tow.
Buy it & on the way home stop at the local junkyard & drop off the camper! Have never seen a rig like this; whose brilliant idea was this monstrously???
i would drop this camper hat in the back yard and either make a shed or clubhouse for the kids out of it. then fix the suspension damage from carrying that ugly thing around did and enjoy the wagon. the wagon is cool the camper is not
Although this would surely be an appreciated museum exhibit of “life in the ’70’s”, it is ultimately an answer to a question no one asked :)
Although this is a thourghly enjoyable candidate for a exhibit of “Life in the 70’s”, it is now as it was when it was built- an answer to a question no one asked :)
It just looks wrong from the beginning. And speaking of a flat tire. (I can see accessing the spare as normal, but then draging it out through the camper. But the bumper jack issue us very valid.). How does it attach to the wagon without permanent anchors somewhere? Wind resistance, weight and looks, would never find me even trying to test drive one of these. On the back of a 3/4 ton pickup it might work just fine. (With more “bed space”)
Dirty Mike and the Boys would have a field day with this thing
Love It!
On the positive side, just think how easy it is to steer! You can use your pinky finger.
I think it’s a fix and flip Michelle. He certainly has a taste for unusual vehicles though. I clicked on his username on BAT and he’s bought five other vehicles in the past two years including a ’67 Chevy G20 Sport Van with a hippie theme, a Mini Van, two Metropolitans and a ’74 Honda CB750.
Maybe if you could keep from dragging the rear bumper on every little stone in the road.
May I suggest, the unfortunate buyer seperate these ill conveied twins? One can always use the wagon and install the camper far away in the back yard as an overnighter for unwanted guests, such as annoying in-laws.
Looks like a doublewide portolet! Must be a blast on a windy day, crossing a suspension bridge. Eeeeeeessssshhhh1
Particularly with the rear suspension bottomed out already! And rear front steering control!
There is about a 1956 Lincoln converted to a Ranchero (by a company) with a camper on the back at a local ranch here, The car is not in too bad of shape, but the camper is rough. I’ve got pictures somewhere in my computer.
You’re not going to need power steering.
Until the front wheels make firm contact with the ground…
The car is absolutely great. The camper, not so much. Seller’s best bet would be to sell just the camper to a collector of RV oddities and then sell the car by itself or maybe just keep it. Car is very sellable by itself, as are most full-size wagons of the era.