Sometimes a vehicle comes through the door here at Barn Finds and it makes us daydream, or it does for me anyway, about what it would be like to totally change my whole lifestyle and become a professional tourist. This 1954 International R-120 camper is one of those vehicles for me. This rugged retro camper is listed on eBay with no reserve and less than a day left and the current bid price is just over $3,100! It’s located in Dousman, Wisconsin.
I grew up reading camping magazines and we had a pickup camper so this kind of camping is in my blood. Tent lovers usually look down their noses at hard-sided camping but it’s all about what a person grew up with. I have always dreamed about just selling everything (or, almost everything) and hitting the road in an old rig like this, sort of a Zen and the Art of International-Harvester Camping thing.
It’s hard to beat an old green pickup, especially an old green International. The seller says that “paint is non-professional job but okay 4/10. Original color. Some minor rust surface rust but fairly solid. Lots of minor dents, farm truck. Front bumper bent in a bit.” Hey, if it was in mint condition it wouldn’t be $3,100 right now. As long as it works great that’s all I would ask. A tent camper is sort of the best of both worlds, it’s up off of the ground so critters, crawling and growling ones, won’t get to you as easily and yet it has fabric sides to appease the militant tent lovers of the world. Wait, who cares what they think?!
There really isn’t a photo of the cab portion which is a bit unusual since they provided a rare engine photo, but it’s an old truck, we can’t expect it to be too luxurious. They say that the “interior needs panels on doors, can buy them on ebay” and that the “glass is cracked on doors/windshield”. Ok, it’s starting to add up here.. The back looks good, though.
There’s the engine and it looks like this one has been modified for a bit of driving ease and/or reliability. But, those red hoses! Sorry, I can’t help it, I hate those things. The seller says that this is the 240 cubic-inch Silver Diamond inline-six and it has had a “tune up with new plugs, wires, distributor cap, timing done”. Also, it has a new alternator, starter, rebuilt fuel pump with electric boost, LED brake lights, a rebuilt carb and a new battery. The drive shaft needs to be balanced and it’ll need brakes in the near future so as always it’s both good and bad news. What are your thoughts on this cool cornbinder camper?
Dousman! Doh! So tempting and so close. Why is this at $3150 with 11 hours to go and a rusty Bronco sell for 20 K? Man, if I had the room my paddle would be waving like a mad man. Stay behind me Satin. Thanks Scotty, great story and I would be surprised if Howard has not seen this rig. I bet he has been through there a 1000 times.
Nope, haven’t seen this one, Dousman is in the S. Central part of the state. I highly doubt this truck is from Wis. They simply didn’t look like this. Not the original color either, judging by the under hood shot. If it was a Badger truck, it wasn’t used much. Most of these led a rough life. I had a ’53 very similar, only a 110 half ton. It was a good truck, would go 55( not much more, tho) Aside from the funky air cleaner, replacing the pesky “oil bath” one, (I did the same thing only not as funky) it looks original. This a great deal, and won’t be here long.
So funny pickups have come a long way from those days. Yes Howard, 55 MPH seems to be all any truck would accomplish. They were built for one thing and one thing only, working hard.
Never seen one set up with a camper but growing up where I did (farm) there were a number of farmers with IH pickups with stock racks on them for hauling cattle, grain etc. I did drive a few of them, they were ‘trucks’! No frilly anything, bust your buns springs under them when on a bumpy gravel road. Put a couple of cows or some hogs in back and though it wouldn’t do it fast, you’d get them to the sale barn in time for the days sale.
Pure and simple – they were work trucks, and work they did.
I kind of like it. No place for it but still like it.
Scotty , what is it about red heater hoses ?
Ha, sorry about that, bob! I need to get that out of my craw (as nobody from Minnesota ever said until now).
Nothing personal Scotty, just curious as I have seen you make that comment before . I’m in Missouri (sometimes known as misery) and have had things irritate my craw at times . The color of heater hoses has never been one of them.LOL
Red heater hoses stand out on a #2 restoration as incorrect. Can’t see the problem here.
What’s craw? I want to know how many I have, And if I want them.
It’s a fair piece away by road, but it’s not far as the “craw” flies.
Red hoses and deep cleaning. Just Scotty things!
Ha!
Oh, so tempting, if it wasn’t for the lack of covered parking, I could be interested in the ‘Binder.
It would be the perfect machine for taking my 50cc bikes to out-of-town shows, eh, Scotty?
That it would, Beatnik Bedouin, but I think you’d need to still haul a trailer behind for the other dozen that you couldn’t cram into the back of the camper.
Hey, I don’t mind red heater hoses. They’re a lot better than nylons with chewing gum. It’s interesting that when the L-series was in its prime it was as common as a hooker in Las Vegas but the R-series didn’t seem to get as much exposure. When I was a kid, L-120 and 130 pickups were fiercely competing for highest volume but when the R came out, Binder’s popularity began to wane. They began to rebound with the S-series and then the A & B series brought IH back. Maybe it was the uniqueness of the western plains but the R-series biggest showing was the larger trucks like the 160.
The only thing I would consider about red heater hoses, would be their age. Been a while since I’ve seen new red ones. I agree, the R pickup didn’t have near the following. One possible reason, these mostly were farmers trucks, and farmers didn’t buy many trucks, and their L series (and possibly K series) trucks were probably still doing the job. The most famous R series, I feel, was the 190.( and all it’s variations)
Had a KB5 as a teenager and man was
that a great old truck! It did pretty much
everything I asked it to do without complaint. Granted, it was heavy and
slow, but it sure was durable and hard to
kill. Used it to haul band equipment ’til
I bought my ’60 El Camino. Sold it to my
uncle who drove it as a winter vehicle
until he passed away in 1976. Love this
truck but maybe not for camping. Would
make a great work truck even today. I
could put my disabled BILs to work hauling scrap metal. I’m sure the truck
could handle it just fine…my BILs, not
so sure.
Well, certainly you’ll have the only one around if you buy it.
It’s funny how ideas come around from time to time. The fold out tent trailer sides are something your seeing on new smaller holiday trailers. As for the truck if you want a truck for cruising down the road to get to the camp ground your not going to like this as it is. Your going to want a more modern chassie and drive line so you can get there in relative comfort and better speeds. Cumins diesel and overdrive trans. Basically a body swap onto a dodge chassie. Could be two or four wheel drive. I personally like the slide out tent sides makes more room inside. I’ve seen rigs where a tent trailer has it toung and axle removed and then mounted onto a truck box. Works good for back country camping.
That’s true, for traveling any distance, but you needn’t go that far. Perhaps just a gearing switch, as I can testify, the SD 220 will hum along forever. It’s just, as a farm truck, they had to cover all bases, geared low enough, that it still worked at “farm” speeds, yet might be needed for the highway, this 3/4 ton probably has like 4:56 rears, and today, just to run on the road, you could go as high as 2:90 something, or an aftermarket O/D. The 220 had plenty of low end grunt. I think these in-line 6 IH motors were the best motors made.
Ended: May 31, 2018 , 8:54PM
Winning bid:US $5,766.66
[ 22 bids ]
I was high bidder till the last 2 sec anyways. I love this truck but somewhat relieved to no coordinate another retrieval…
I’d probably want something a little newer, so I didn’t have to spend any longer in East Bumf__k, Maine than I wanted to.
This is the end of the line. There is no, “Next Find.” Back to the listings.