If you were looking for plenty of acreage under the roof of a vehicle back in the late 1950s, you had two choices: Chevrolet’s Suburban or International’s Travelall. Most of Detroit was busy aiming development dollars at chrome-laden cars, not plain-Jane people-movers. Yet both models enjoyed long runs – the Suburban one of the longest in history. Here on craigslist is a 1965 Travelall D1100 4×4, in project condition, for $4800. It is parked in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and it hasn’t been driven in about three years after doing daily duty for more than a decade. Apologies to our tipster – I accidentally deleted the listing before I saw who sent it in! But thanks!
IH’s engines were heavy, long-lasting, low-revving lumps, notorious for their horrific gas mileage. This one is the 304 cu. in. V8, good for about 190 gross hp – and scads of torque. Our seller doesn’t say how many miles his truck has covered, but swapping to a 345 might make sense. The 345 will yield slightly more horsepower and enjoys a solid reputation among Binder fans. A three-on-the-tree manual handles gear changes. Warn locking hubs require a trip outside to finish selecting 4WD. International Harvester sold the Travelall as a “station wagon” but boasted about its truck frame. The D1100 is a half-ton chassis and can haul at least 3500 lbs.
This Travelall was originally owned by a geology professor who used it in the field; it was purchased without a rear seat, to leave more space for hauling. The interior has seen better days, but its condition matches the exterior with surface rust throughout. The bench seat upholstery is torn on a seam; the windshield has a couple of chips, and the flat glass is cracked. The rear corner windows are in good shape. Despite its fundamentally truckish nature, the Travelall could be optioned with a few convenience features, including an underdash heater and an AM radio.
The tailgate is showing a proclivity to rust, and is that a hunk of bondo out of the rear center? It still wears its Oregon plates, but the seller indicates the title is clean. Travelalls have lagged the booming vintage SUV market, though prices have still drifted up. Nice resto-modded Travelalls will sell in the $50k neighborhood, give or take ten grand. Non-running projects can be had for less than our seller wants for his example, so pitching a lower bid might win the day here.
A “Travel-ALL”? A hefty claim, but then, there were no interstates to speak of, so I suppose. Whenever I see this model Travelall, I flash back to Milwaukee police dept. used these 2WDs as ambulances before paramedics. Images of that back tail gate( possibly barn doors) and cops hauling away our buddies dad still creep me out. After a quick stop at Winchells, it was off to the hospital. Survival was iffy, at best.
This truck? Good heavens, now I realize they generally led a rough life. People didn’t buy 4WDs then for Walmart runs, they had a specific purpose, usually tough going. It looks rough, the bungie cord battery hold down a nice touch,,not sure about the blue color of the motor, all IH V8s were red, have to get the Big Guns out for that( Geo) and as with all my posts, I can just imagine what someone showing up in a new truck, would think of this? Nothing made today could possibly prepare them for what lie ahead. How did the folks that drove these ever survive? It’s a great find,,,for what it is.
This one looks to be in decent shape, but as with all C-series IH trucks, you’ve got to check the cowl vents carefully. The area under the cowl collected leaves and dirt and eventually rotted away, allowing rain to drip into the cab and dissolve the front floor pans. If the rear glass is good, that’s a bonus—it’s unobtanium (~$1500 a side, if you can find one). New windshields are available, they’re the same glass in Loadstars. The rear benches aren’t impossible to find, but you’ll have to do some driving to get one. This truck has a larger “arctic” heater under the dash—good for Vermont.
Having owned both a 304 and a 345, the gas mileage is no worse than my ’89 Jeep Cherokee was, and you’re not going to notice a huge difference between the two—they’re not made for speed. A 304 is plenty big to move this truck around (the 304 in my ’63 has more than enough power). You’d be better off converting the manual steering to power. And this one needs a dual master cylinder, like mine (that’s next on my list).