1959 was the last year the Chevrolet Task Force trucks were in production, but not before a successful run that began in 1955 when it eventually replaced the tried-and-true Advance Design that dated all the way back to 1947, with these trucks also known as the First (1947-1955) and Second (1955-1959) Series respectively. The 1959 Chevy Apache pickup for sale here on Craigslist is of the 3/4 ton variety and also includes a camper custom built in ’59 for a Chevy truck, with the seller asking $25,000 for the pair. The duo is located in Fillmore, California if you’ve been in the market for a combo such as these.
Barn Finds would like to thank reader Lotar Ziesing for the tip here! Other than the seller telling us he’s owned the truck for 21 years, we don’t get a whole lot of additional information about it, other than the color is gray and the wood in the bed is in great shape. The body seems solid and the panels straight, with the white bumpers and lower side trim sort of giving the truck an all-business feel on the outside.
A 307 V8 can be found in the engine bay, and while there’s no word of where it came from or if it’s ever gotten a complete overhaul, the seller does say the heads have been rebuilt and the truck runs great, with an aluminum radiator helping to keep things cool under the hood. There’s no mention at all about the transmission, but it’s a manual with an on-the-tree shifter.
Even though the camper is said to have been built in 1959, one detail we do get is that it had never been used before being acquired by the seller 10 years ago, so it’s only had a decade of actual use and appears to be structurally sound both inside and out. There are plenty of windows all the way around plus a full-size door on the back, so easy entry and exit shouldn’t be a problem.
Taking a peek inside, the camper is fairly well equipped with accessories such as a stove, sink, and refrigerator. There’s also a table and sleeping quarters with a mattress in the over-the-cab section plus another window on top, so this one looks rather comfortable and doesn’t appear like it’s had a whole lot of occupancy inside. This seems like a fun combo, and while $25,000 isn’t exactly cheap maybe it’s in the ballpark for a combination of the two. What do you think?
I think I wanna take this to Yellowstone
Yosemite
Nice write up, but the entire 47-55 series isn’t referred to as the “first series, only the 55, and 55-59 series isn’t referred to as “second series”, only the 55. The “first series” and “second series” is used because there were two different body styles of trucks in 55. “First series” until the introduction of the new body style “second series in March of 1955.
This one makes me think of Steinbeck’s book Travels with Charlie. A great read that made me want to get a pickup and travel the country with my dog.
Yes, this truck and camper also reminded me of Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charley” – a great story :-)
Back in 78-79 my dad bought one like this from our neighbor, 3/4 ton 6 with 3 on the tree, it was a blast to drive for a 16 year old like myself back then. I do not remember what happened to that truck but I do know what happened to our neighbor, the reason he was selling the truck was he was having some trouble with the wife. They moved shortly after to Dearborn Mo and a few years later while in another argument I assume, she shot him dead. From what I remember of the guy, he seemed like a nice guy but I didn’t have to live with him.
I would love to have the truck , zero interest in the camper except maybe set it on a pontoon boat on a lake and rent it out on one of those websites that you rent house and stuff from
Didn’t clint eastwood drive around with a monkey in something like this?
I’m a diesel man.
That engine bay would look and smell awfully nice to me if it had a 6.5 diesel sitting in there with a six speed long legged manual overdrive hooked up behind it.
If you’re gonna go Diesel, go Cummins. 4BT or 6BT would make that engine compartment smell and look even better
Interesting setup, but rather have the truck and not the camper. Growing up on a farm, I had a friend who had a 57 Apache 3/4 ton with a 6 cyl. That thing was tough as nails and nearly indestructible for all sorts of farm jobs. I watched my friend take fence posts down and even pull a harrow with it. I bet he would have loved this camper setup.
We had a ’59 3/4 ton when I was young. Dad used it on the farm. Came with Omaha Standard livestock racks that he modified for a newer fleetside.
Maybe consider selling the camper seperately?