There seems to be an emerging genre of modified trucks that consists of single cab pickup with a camper shell and airbag suspension. This is at least the third rig I can recall seeing with this exact combination of features, and I’m completely OK with it. The truck shown here is a clean 1985 Dodge Ram 1500 that is said to remain its original paint and shows just under 60,000 original miles. The interior is in beautiful condition as is the space inside the camper shell attachment. It’s listed here on eBay with bids to $10,000 and the reserve unmet. The Dodge is located in Lakeland, FL.
When it comes to standing out, it becomes increasingly difficult to fashion a build in such a way that it hasn’t been done or seen before. If your path to profit is to tweak a vehicle so that the eyeball or curb appeal factor increases, you have to be careful to not alienate half of your potential audience because they don’t care for your style of modifications. Lowering a truck on airbag suspension is a risk, as there are likely numerous collectors who would have preferred to find this camper shell-equipped Dodge with low miles and its original suspension intact; a standard ride height would also make it more feasible that this 2WD pickup could occasionally venture off the beaten path.
One detail I take some issue with is calling this truck a Camper Special. I’ll gladly be proven wrong, but I didn’t find any evidence of Dodge marketing its pickups in this way. So, is this an actual special edition model, perhaps conceived by a dealership back in the day, or is the seller just using this common nomenclature as a way to reference any American pickup with a camper shell in the back? Regardless of his intent, the interior of the camper shell is absolutely spectacular, and we’d love to know where he found one this clean if it was indeed installed after the fact. If it is indeed a factory piece, thenT its condition speaks to how lovingly the prior owner maintained this Dodge.
The other reason it may very well be authentic is because of how clean the interior is. Usually, when we find one of these period-correct camping rigs, the vehicle itself has been kept around as a second or third option in the driveway and primarily reserved as a recreational/escape vehicle. Therefore, the body and interior remain in outstanding condition because it’s used fairly infrequently. With the original details in such a high state of preservation and the colors of the camper attachment seemingly perfectly matched with the body and interior of the pickup, this very well may have been a camper since the early days of this Dodge’s life.
Another in the seemingly long line of deceased grandpas trucks. Not sure why these Dodges were a hit with elderly men, probably because IH was no longer available, and would be a sunny day in the Badger, when pops would buy a Ford or Chevy. I can say without reservation, being retired, it’s entirely possible for trucks to be like this, if you have the gumption, that is. While being used for everyday use, it’s impossible to keep this clean. I read, Dodge did make a “Camper Special”, I think they all did, special HD components, not air ride, but stiffer suspension, but no evidence they had an actual camper, that surely was added later. It would be difficult to convince someone today, these were the best trucks to be had. Gramps knew a good truck.
Have issues with the suspension, well let me backup. Had a cap not too much different than the one on this truck, they are quite heavy as they are wood construction. The differential has been flipped , it’s now on top of the spring so travel is limited due to interference with the frame. So someone added some blatter helper to keep it from bottoming. Rubber floor mat , it’s a basic model with a V8 auto and air. To be honest probably another one of Dad’s trucks, he passed .Picked it up right and this is the end result after heavy detailing. Watch out it could hurt you in a heavy crosswind
I’m with all the above about keeping the ride height stock. Although maybe it was easier for Pop Pop to get in it lowered? Doubtful. I like the Grandpa vibe with the wide whitewalls and the bug shield straight from a J.C. Whitney catalog. The super clean condition both inside and out really caught my eye. Like Cadmanls mentioned, theres some weight with that cap but I’d leave it on there, its just a very authentic setup all the way around. I do believe you could get some sort of camper package on some half ton pickups like this in the 80’s. My Dad had bought a used ’86 Chevy. 305 SM465 4 speed. I remember it had more leaf spring in it from the factory than a normal half ton, we had a few in the family at the time and could compare them. I guess you’d call it a “Heavy Half”. Anyways, overall this is nice, very nice.
The more I think about it. I remember the man he bought it from told him it had a factory towing/camper package. It actually was 3/4 ton rated. ( I had to blow the cobwebs out of my brain to remember). I think it was all specified on the label in the glove box of memory serves me right.
Anyways back to this Dodge. The more I look at it, the more I appreciate its condition.
Hi Dave, actually, those are just “regular” whitewalls, “wide” whites took up the whole side. I don’t think this “cap” is as heavy as say a fully self contained camper. I like the bug deflector too, something that was absolutely necessary on a truck, in the Midwest. It’s missing some catchy name though, usually a fictitious woman’s name from long ago. My favorite was “Miss Behavin’,,
It’s kind of odd how Dodge went from the least attractive truck for buyers, to the most sold ever in just a few years. I wonder if the name change to RAM had anything to do with it,, :)
Big fan of any HD or Off Road packages offered from the factory. They usually provide good value. Dodges Sno-Fiter pkg comes to mind. Adding an auxiliary trans cooler, and an extra leaf or two will usually help anyone towing.
The dealer has it listed on their website for $21,900, reduced from $24,900. American trucks are big in Europe, a friend sold a 1956 Ford F100 to a dealer in England several years ago and found several places specializing in them. Florida makes for an easy shipping point, this dealer is marketing to their buyers as much as Americans.
Steve R
Although it’s difficult to make out these were already a RAM150. You can barely see it but the goat ornament is peaking from behind the bug shield. It wouldn’t be until 2010 for the brand change. This could be an SE as it wears a lot of trim for a base truck. Something special to us northerners is that even with air conditioning these still have the floor vent on the driver side. The guys who bought them knew that they were durable to the point of almost indescribable and were a lot less expensive than the other three makes.
Couldn’t reply directly to you Howard A, but a major reason Dodge is so popular now is their aggressive marketing, particularly to the NFR/Wrangler cowboy crowd. Every horse event had Dodge advertising. They sold the Cummins as the best hauling diesel, whether it is or not, and that crowd bought into it. Being pretty involved in that avocation, I saw Dodge trucks proliferate in only a few years, kind of out of nowhere, after the advertising push. Of course now, all the sidewalk cowboys want to identify as riders of the range, so you see plenty of Dodge trucks in suburbia. I don’t think the Ram name did it. Is Dodge any better than Chev/Ford/GMC? You far more knowledgeable mechanics than myself will have to opine on that one.
The Cummins diesel is what made Dodge/Ram so popular, nothing else. I was in need of a truck to replace a 79 K10 pulling a trailer and found a leftover ’18 Ram 2500 5.7 auto 4×4 reg cab 8’bed. It’s a beast but with 23k I’ve already had the ABS and AC crap out, no room in the cab and worst HVAC I’ve ever seen. Guess I’m stuck with it till I die as the new trucks are even worse.
Seems like a really ancient looking topper by 1985 standards. But I guess Capri still makes campers that look a lot like this. The lowering just seems cliché and unfortunate on such clean old truck.
Not a buyer here i don’t like the air ride suspension I’ve ridden in enough vehicles with it to know I don’t care for it so I would have to look into returning it to stock like a previous comment those wood framed canopies were heavy but going fishing for the weekend they were Ok to sleep in Dodge continued with that body just different grill until 93 nice truck overall
This Dodge is from the days of 300,000 mile drive train with a 10,000 mile body. That ended at about 1995 or so, when the body started to stay together. (Opinion gained from being a Dodge, Chrysler service manager for a few years. ) Not unusual back then to have to bolt inside door handles back on (or to have them break off before even the first oil change was due. Drivetrain, never an issue. If you remember back in the late ’80s,Dodge did a commercial where they dropped a 1/2 pickup from out of the picture to land in the center of the screen. Mopar service people told stories of how many times they had to shoot the commercial until parts stopped falling off the truck. First, one mirror then the other. Then door handles and light assemblies, etc. They almost gave up on the commercial. Unfortunately, customers kind of had the same experience.
Still has factory emissions equipment. Taking off emission equipment and tuning brand new cars and trucks helped put me thru college in 72 thru 74. This truck, using today’s testing standards would have about 135 horsepower and get about 10 miles per gallon, but I still like it very much. It took Detroit too long to make cars and trucks good again after 1971. My opinion, which has little value, is that Detroit did not start making good vehicles again until 1985 when they started putting electronic PORT fuel injection on their engines.
I hope that the USA does not again fall farther behind. EV’s are where the world is going. There were more than 17 million new EV cars sold worldwide in 2024, that is more than ONE MILLION more than the total new car and light vehicle sales in the USA in 2024. NASCAR has built and tested an EV Racecar.
Times change.
nice truck but this thing is laying on the ground like a drunk past closing time. looks good but that really should be addressed. those w/w are larger than normal but not the wide whites. dealer selling and high bid was 11k and no sale so the must be trying for a home run.
I had two ’85 D150’s. This is a basic trim. The next upgrade which if memory serves me, is the “Prospector Pkg”. That would have had carpet and a woodgrain dash. Seats were basic vinyl bench and the upgrade would have been a velour fabric, not this fabric shown. The body side moulding was an option. The interior photos aren’t showing for me today. Mine was $10,000 new. That was with A/C, 3spd overdrive stick, 318, AM-FM stereo, 8ft bed.
The D100 was the very basic model.