The end was very near when this 1975 International Harvester Travelall came out, it would be the last model year that they would be in production. I grew up seeing these I-H trucks and it’s hard to believe that they’ve been gone for over four decades now. But we’re in luck, this gem is listed on eBay with a current bid price of just $4,840 – of course, the reserve isn’t met at that price. It’s located in Seattle, Washington.
I promise not to use the word patina in regards to this great looking Travelall, but I can’t guarantee not using the word iconic. THERE, I said it, whew, that felt good to get it out of my system. It could just be me and my memories of this era, but I have always been enamored with the fourth-generation Travelalls, and 1975 was the last year for these, ahem, iconic haulers. Wind-tunnel-tested-for-extra-MPG they may not be, but they sure are unique.
This example looks great, doesn’t it? I don’t see any glaring flaws in the exterior after looking at the photos. Luckily, the seller appears to be an honest person and they say that there are “Some small areas of rust near wheel wells, front of hood, and on bottom of tailgate, paint starting to bubble in these areas. Has been repainted at some point but do not know when”. NADA is at $14,700 for an average retail value for a 1975 Travelall. This one has a long way to go on the auction, but it could end up being a good buy if it sells for a few thousand under that price even with rust repairs being needed.
The interior also looks great other than some staining on the front seat. The back seat looks great and there is no question that a person would wear almost any hat of their choice and still have enough headroom in this truck. There are no photos of the rear cargo area but I could probably fit an oddball car or two in the back of this thing. Well, maybe not quite a whole car, but I have never owned a vehicle with this much interior volume.
This is International’s 392 cubic-inch V8 and the seller doesn’t give any indication of how it runs but they say that they have lots “of receipts for maintenance work done over the past 15 years and lots of original paperwork from our purchase”. They also say that the “underside is wet from oil leaks but does not drip”. This is a rear-wheel-drive Travelall so it may be best suited for non-snowy climates and I imagine it would be a great trailer-hauler. Have any of you owned a fourth-generation International Travelall?
I remember seeing more of the third generation when I was growing up. This one reminds me of a 1974 Scout a former employer of mine had way back. All he did was complain of the poor gas mileage it got.
Scotty – I’m old enough to remember ALL of the “civilian” variations of these and the Scouts too. This one looks pristine compared to the ones here in Chicagoland that became rust-buckets long before the powertrains wore out. They have mostly passed from my memory unless I see the rare restored survivor during the Summer. I worked in the steel mills as a youth, so more used to seeing the Semi’s back then. Is that 392 V8 their own manufacture ? One of the many things I no longer recall…. p.s. odd that it has Cali plates.
Yep……..392 is there own engine derived from the 266-304-345 block. Also the parent engine for the 196 slant 4. This is a very Citified Travelall that would have been a popular tow vehicle in its day. Nothing would outpull a 392. Most have positraction axles so even being a 2 wheel drive, they worked well on boat ramps and other slippery surfaces. They are so large inside that they can be tough to heat in very cold weather. I remember pheasant hunting around Christmas time when with the heater turned as high as possible, we had to scrape the inside of the windshield so we could see the road……and the Travelall was new.
Thanks Dave ! You’re a “font”. LOL about the windshield scraping. Only car I ever owned with that issue was my ’65 Beetle. Yep, 6 volt. When it was sub or near zero here in Chicago I’d have to wear my Army issue Arctic mittens, which I loved so much I purchased. (Still have ’em). Anyway, had a heavy-duty scraper for outside and a small heavy-duty one kept in glove box. Memories !
They had the same issue with the AC; I put a clear plastic sheet behind the seat so there wouldn’t be so much area to cool. Worked somewhat.
My first wife’s brother had one of these and I thought it was the ugliest thing on the road, I liked the looks of the Scouts of this era but not the travelalls, they just looked like a farmers wagon which her family was farmers but her brother lived in the city where I grew up.
Had a blue version of this machine in the 70’s; we called it Big Blue (creative, huh?) It could haul almost anything. I bought it after a drunk illegal driving a stolen old Ford pickup ran a stop light and broadsided me in Phoenix while I was driving a Fiat 124 sedan… Lucky to be here. Overreaction, perhaps, but it felt safe. It had the 392 and got 12 mpg whether it was idling at a stop light, around town or driving up the grade to Flagstaff on I-17; amazingly consistent. Good memories.
As a current owner of two similar Travelalls, I can tell you the rust problems can be deadly, especially in the cowl and bottom corners of the windshield. No patch panels available for most areas, so be prepared to make your own or pay a fabricator to do so. Two wheel drive front suspension and steering components are all but impossible to find, and they are sphincter-tightening expensive when they do turn up. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is some little, inexpensive project.
That’s excellent insider info, txchief. Thanks for sharing those things to watch for on these Travelalls.
Swap in a suspension clip from a crown vic… if it needs it.
These have got a lot of class. Binder really tried to keep their light trucks going but the buying public wasn’t there. However, there are enough enthusiasts around that the marque will be around for years to come I am sure.
There’s a collector who hunted around for some time to find the Travelall that his dad used when he was a blockman for International. Interesting enough he found it less than 50 miles away. A little rusty but restorable. He bought it and brought it home for a full resto, and now has a lot of fun with it.
The old man had one of these for a short spell to pull our campers. He hated the truck, it pulled our trailers terribly, always hard starting and wreaked of gas. In all fairness to IH, it was probably the old man’s maintenance( if any) and he got rid of it, and went with Suburbans that took his abuse better. In my opinion, the Suburban was a much better truck.
Already sold at $5,300. Owning many of these I can attest to the IH having much heavier duty chassis components, a heavy duty industrial engine literally made to propel school buses, dump trucks, etc. The Chevy Suburban can’t compare. One reason IH had to give up on light vehicles, it cost them 30% more to manufacture their vehicle over a Chevy or Ford.
Duaney – I trust your ” 30% more to manufacture” statistic. Stands to reason when a company is a much smaller manufacturer and their primary business is big rigs and other heavy duty equip. I clearly remember when Chevy was the number 1 car maker in the world and all of the parts companies scrambled to get their business. Same goes for the GMC versions of “trucks”, when they actually used much heavier-duty frames, suspension bits and even nuts/bolts. BTW, I’m NOT a GM guy, just read all this info as a “car guy” or “motorhead”. I’ve really appreciated all the info and views about the Travelalls. Thanks guys !
Some would say, but it’s just an offbrand Suburban. No this is a TRUCK!
4×4 with some meaty tires, the square ones could look pretty good along with yhe 70 panel jobs
My parents had a 74 Travelall from new, sold it around 1995. Grenobile Green, captains chairs, third row seat and wood paneling side. Here it is in pristine condition before it was sold.
John – it IS pristine ! Did it always “live” in such a nice climate (palm trees gave me a clue) ?
nice……..
We had one back in the day. Purchased a 3 yr old lightly used from Pollard in Elmhurst ILL. They were very well engineered and built tanks. No fear of the Chicago area traffic. As a lifetime GM employee, IH did it right. We would vacation up to BWCA in Minnesota. The seats were like your livingroom couch at home putting 3 adults across. The back filled with camping gear and dragging a boat that you never felt with the 392 and plenty of brakes if you needed them. We would spend time driving the up and down streets of Duluth. Being a “shade tree mechanic” I was amazed at how much thought went into the build. Most everything was accessible to repair or replace. The only negative I can remember was you NEEDED the front and rear fuel tanks that you switched on the fly. We’ve owned Tahoe’s and Suburban’s and presently an Escalade. I still miss my IH Travelall !
My parents had a 1975 Custom in Portland OR… Every factory option with Towing Package.. Dark Red with white vinyl inserts.. and Factory Captains Chairs…. I acquired it from them in the mid 80’s.. I just remember how ALL the windows would fog up when it rained.. … then let it go for almost nothing in 1993… =(
Here’s a pic of the captains chairs in Tan…. I’ve never seen them on any other one.. They must have been a rare option… Mine had a BLACK interior….
We had the same color combination. Tan upholstery and brown carpet.