Looking ready for a cross-country drive, this low-mileage 1969 Ford F-250 Camper Special in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma seeks a new owner. You can find it here on eBay where 12 bids have driven the market value North of $1,200. It will take more interest to meet the Reserve and give this trusty-looking work truck a new home.
My ’85 F250’s wheels and hub-caps were nearly identical a decade-and-a-half later. The two-tone treatment with white on top reflects heat, serving as “poor-man’s air conditioning.” Though I never see it anymore, when I moved to Virginia in 1997 it was still common to see cars and trucks with an owner-painted white roof for that reason. Like any good Camper Special this rig has dual tanks: one in the cab (recently replaced) and one underneath. Sixteen or 16.5 inch steel wheels give the 3/4 ton F250 a more purposeful look than the 15 inchers you see on most half-ton models.
This truck’s top-level Ranger Interior added wood trim, more chrome, fancier door panels, and more (thanks to lov2xlr8.no for some details).
The standard fleetside bed did not include those rectangular braces. Maybe our astute readers can comment on their purpose. The missing tailgate suggests this truck may have spent its life under the permanent burden of a bed-mounted camper. The Camper Special package added extended “Western Mirrors,” heavy duty battery and radiator, camper wiring harness, extra gauges, and more. Options included an interesting under-hood 2500W generator! Personally, I’d prefer the 390 cid V8 but this truck’s 360 should provide more than enough muscle to settle into a load. What’s your top bid for this honest-looking work truck?
Oh man, that’s a beauty, Todd! We had one of these brand new in ’69 in this exact same spec: Ranger Camper Special with a slightly-underpowered 360. Ours had the little tool box built into the passenger side of the box and factory AC, which dripped on our feet as we headed west in the summers, sitting on black vinyl seats.. ouch, literally. Yes, that’s me, the only one sitting down.. ha.
Sweet rig, Scotty. That’s the way to see America. I love the white T-shirt look, too; the same uniform my Step-Dad wore when not working at the steel mill. My high school girlfriend’s folks had a 454-powered C20 Trailering Special – my introduction to big block torque and… well I’ll stop there. ;)
Yeah, that 360 was a little underpowered for that super heavy Winnebago camper. Sadly, that t-shirt would probably still fit me, my shoulders haven’t grown up like the rest of me did.
Ladies and gentlemen,,,a little late, but meet the The Gilbertsons,,, and little Scotty, before the weight of the world crushed his fragile spirit. Our family did the same thing, only the old man had travel trailers. These slide in campers were very popular, so much so, Ford made this truck to handle it. (still say, it should have dual wheels in back. I’m sure Scotty has some memories of scary rides in cross winds, with the old man fighting the steering wheel to hang on)
Judging by past pickups like this featured, seems there should be another 0 at the end of the price, and probably will have one by next week. Better jump on this. Won’t get any better..
Hey Howard – I was hoping to hear from you on this one. What do you make of those boxy supports in the bed? I couldn’t find any evidence on the web of something like that being part of a bed camper install but I know this generation of F-series had some trouble with the bed sides “falling off,” at least in PA. Any ideas?
I’ll try ( BF’s computer hates me) That support covers up the auxilary fuel tank tube.
And those rectangle braces below the stake pocket holes, I think what you mean, is just for the stakes support.
The left front one was definitely for protection for the aux. fuel filler. The other ones were definitely for the stake pockets. I might add that the auxiliary fuel tank filler was lowered in ’70 and later, negating the need for the protective bracket.
That’s a real beaut. Love the color and matching steel wheels. Here’s my 1970. Mine too had a camper.I put a 390 out of a 66 Thunderbird,she runs great!
Mine has 98,000 miles,I installed a new quick ratio steering gear-box, new torque arm bushings,and removed the petrol tank from under the bed to put true duals along with headers,the original seat is in great shape,do need a dash pad. As you can see it has the “longarm”mirrors, also detailed the chrome moulding on the side painted the faux black with red pinstriping. My favorite trim package is the Sport Custom, along with the 69 grille.
In front of Devils Tower, WY
When I was young we had 1968 camper special with the 390 cid, helwig helper springs and 12 x 16.5 white spoke Jackman wheels . The truck was two tone white and a turquoise color. And when had a Amerigo 12 foot camper to match.
Wierd things is right, from what I am reading I should be seeing more in the photo. All I can see is someones head and up from there.
Did you click on the photo? It brings up the full picture.
LOL! Thanks Howard. A great photo it is.
When I first saw the pic, all I could think of was that my mother in law took that picture for them.Then I clicked on it.
Did it again, I give up,,
That was the way to see the country back in ’69 (and maybe a little later). We went between a trailer and a camper, depending on what mood Dad was in. Back in ’69 our entire family ventured to the Black Hills with a travel trailer, pulled behind the ’68 Chrysler. We saw the Devil’s Tower and Mt. Rushmore, and just about every tourist trap imaginable. In the summer of ’71 the folks and the younger kids did it again, this time in the ’71 Ford F250 Camper Special, with a 9-foot slide in camper, which was a load, and like Howard says, should’ve had duals. I preferred the camper to the trailer although it was rather top-heavy. Dad had it on three wheels just outside of Pocatello, ID, in a crosswind. My sister and I were in the camper at the time.
Those bright west coast mirrors (Ford called them: “Longarm”) were an option from Ford. I don’t know about ’69 but later years, they came standard with the Camper Special package. I had two Ford pickups (’73 and a ’75 4×4) with them. On the ranch we used stock and flatbed trailers a lot. Those longarm mirrors earned their place although a Hertz Rent-a-truck clipped mine (plus caved in my right front fender) at the truck stop in Shelby. The yellow paint all over the mirror arm led the highway patrol to the culprit.
Nice find Todd, looks like a straight old truck. I wonder if it is truly 48K original miles with all the items that needed replacement, to include the recovered seat, missing headliner, worn out glove box, no mat/carpet… seems a low mile truck that obviously hasn’t been used as a work truck would not normally need all those things… whether 48K or 148K, still an honest looking vehicle. Thanks for posting!
I think he is a bit optimistic….I live here and it is listed for $9000.
https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/d/1969-ford-250-camper-special/6592767907.html
Nice, very nice. I too, would prefer a 390. The 360 was strictly a truck engine that was only rated at 215 gross HP, likely for low end grunt. If I remember correctly, these babies had split rims, anyone remember those? They had to be done by hand with brute force, no machine involved.
Mitch’s Texaco, Chicago. 1969. Did tons of split rim tire repairs. Dangerous things. One landed on my foot, couldn’t walk for 2 days, one guy got 8 stitches in his chin when his jumped. If you’ve done one you know what I mean.
Here’s a picture of my ’68 F250 Camper Special.
It had a 360.Wish it had a 390 instead.I sold it years ago,as
I had nowhere to store it inside in the rainy Winters.
Do you guys ever read the ads? He said it had a camper shell in it all it’s life!
I have had two of this model era of Ford trucks. A 1969 and a 1967 that I still have. As pointed out by one of the posters the rectangle supports are for two purposes, first the stake pockets and second to help support the top bed rail. I have never seen a 1967-1972 that did not have these pockets reinforcements from the factory. These were standard and not an option. The other triangular box on the front is as posted by another poster for protection of the auxiliary fuel tank filler tube. I would love to have it if had a place to store it out of the weather and there was no rust on it. But like said it is priced kind of high by one of the previous posters. Cool truck.
Hello David. On the rectangular braces. I did some more searching and you are right on the money. I am used to seeing the 73-up bed with what looks like a single stamping on the inside. Thanks!
Those boxes would seem to make a good support for a raised deck platform under a bed cap.
I had a 1973 F250 Camper special ,390 auto no PS. The 16.5 s were great while carring my 11.5 Coachman camper ,worthless in wet or snow without the camper on . Poor mans A/C was open floor vents wing vents and the back slider window ,worked rather well, was a great truck served me for 9 years . My brother had the F350 super camper special with the long wheel base and a spare tire in the side of the box , his had the 360 PS,At Pb and factory air , kinda under powered with a camper on it ,so he pulled the 360 and put a 460 in it , super truck after that move . Try buying 16.5 tires now very hard to find and expensive . loved those trucks and campers .
“…Try buying 16.5 tires now…”
16.5 inchers R notorious round here 4 bein crap.
I wouldn’t wanna buy…
This is a picture of my Dad and Mom’s camper that they used for a couple of years before buying a Airstream bumper pull, Dad kept this one and used it whenever he went hunting or on a fishing trip, that way he said Mom would not *itch at him about the fish smell in the Air Stream.