Some of my all-time favorite features here on Barn Finds have been on oddball RVs like this rare 1970 Camelot Cruiser. Reader Larry B is offering this one, which has seen just 34k miles, two previous owners, and is the very first one built. The exterior needs a good detailing but should clean up nicely. The real jewel here is the interior, which looks great and is in really nice shape. It’s as ’70s as you would expect, but that’s what makes this truck and trailer combo so cool! If you’d love to give this rare Cruiser a new home, be sure to take a closer look via the link below.
What Makes It Special? It’s a unique and very rare vehicle. One of 3 ever produced and it’s covered just 34,700 original miles. This is the first one built and is the prototype. The other 2 are in private collections. The living quarters is like going back to the past and is one of a kind with its loud colors of yellow, avocado, red tiles, etc.
Body Condition: The body is super straight and rock solid, but it could use some elbow grease and wax to shine it up a bit
Mechanical Condition: It is in very good running condition and is powered by the FT 391 gas engine.
So technically, Fotki where Larry has it listed is a photo sharing site, but you can find his contact information there as well as additional photos. This thing is so cool, that we had to include some of the photos it in the ad as well. The interior in this thing is unreal and really is a flashback to a time when mixing yellow, red and green upholstery was stylish. You’re going to need a lot of space to store this rig, but think how cool it will be to have! You could drive across the country in it and never see another one on the road.
You really need to take a closer look at this combo, even if you aren’t in the market for a one of a kind RV! It’s just a really interesting and cool piece of transportation history. If you’d like to know a bit more about the history, you can read Jeff’s post about one of the other Camelot Cruiser here.
Seller’s Listing: Here on Fotki
- Asking Price: $39,500
- Location: Taylor, MO
- Mileage: 34,700
- Title Status: Clean
List your car here on Barn Finds for only $50!
I thought RR of Gas Monkey fame bought a lot of three. I guess not. These look like converted glorified luxury horse trailers to me.
Gas Monkey bought 2 of them and then re-sold them. The one that they didn’t buy is in a private collection
Do you know who owns any of these vans? We are setting up a Car Show and last year it made an appearance and was a big hit for us! Unfortunately I don’t have any of the guys contact information and we would love to have it back!
Two of them and managed to sucker a person into buying both for $50K I think. On eBay he had one for sale and couldn’t break $13.5K when he listed them there.
Thats not true. They both went to 2 different individuals. I know this for a fact as I know who bought the other blue one!!!
actually he bought two of them, this one was one of the two since he sold both of them about six months before that episode aired
My first thought was “Oooh, I want!”.
My second thought was that I cannot think of how I would a) hide this from my better half or more importantly b) justify the purchase when she inevitably found it and asked me “what the h*** is that thing behind the barn”.
Better to just leave this in the “Unrealized Dreams” pile.
If you want to travel, this definitely is the way to go!
No,,it isn’t,,I’ve driven C series Fords and there’s better ways to travel, trust me. Getting around in this would be a hassle coupled to a bother.
Amen to that brother! You better have a strong left knee and leg cuz you gotta double clutch every gear both up and down on these old Fords… …it’ll get ya there, but you’ll be limping for a few days if you have to drive it very far!
Is there an Infinite thumbs up?
This is the worst of all worlds.
That cab would SUUUUUUUCK to drive.
Mileage would be, can you have negative mileage?
No one can legally ride in the back, and if you did, you would dearly wish you hadn’t.
There is a reason people with real money buy a Prevost.
I think this would be great for an outdoor restaurant/bar.
Have it painted up nice on the outside, keep the interior just exactly as it is, and park it next to the wine and cheese patio.
It will be a sure fire hit. 70’s retro is in.
Please, just don’t drive it.
A bother – like a bother – in – law ?
So would you have to have a CDL to drive this, I’m guessing yes. I’ll take a mini motor home with a car trailer.
No, this is registered as an RV, so no CDL is required
If it’s got air brakes, you need a commercial license, and if it doesn’t , it should ! Also just the length , I would think you at least have a class B if not a class A license…. but , I could be wrong… I let mine lapse the minute I retired from the Fire Department , no more air brakes, tank vehicle , or Haz Mat endorsement ( or motorcycle too ! )
This unit does have air brakes, you can see the parking brake valve to the left of the steering wheel. And with that trailer, I don’t know how else the brakes would work. Some states do and some don’t require endorsement. Probably wise to get it.
That could turn out to be very dangerous.
I think here in NJ it would fall under “articulated vehichle”, so it’s cdl license.
All you need is a 70’s porn soundtrack playing in the background. Cool pad.
and kidneys of steel!
Buy it. Transport to Palm Springs California. Become an AirB&B Host. Count money you are making hand over fist.
Brilliant idea! No doubt you’d make your investment back very quickly.
Thank you. Mustang Ranch area in Nevada is Option 2, but I don’t like cleaning and dusting all the time.
I have it now, here in Tulsa Ok. We plan on AirB&Bing it.
Matt,
I was selling this for a client and he ended screwing me out of my commision
Matt,
What is AirB&Bing? Email me at collectorcarsandparts@yahoo.com
By the way, I took all of the photos in this ad
It’s a treat to see a vintage RV that’s actually in great condition for a change. The faux-Mediterranean decor which was in vogue around this time does absolutely nothing for me, but it’s just cool that this exists.
I hope it has air suspension also, because as low as it sits it looks like it’s going to drag on every bump in the road. And are those glass window storage areas at the lower Corners in the rear? If so, why glass? I’m thinking the only way to travel in that is to have your driver drop it off where it needs to go and you fly in. That cab does not look like a place I want to spend many hours per day.
I believe the lower area behind the rear wheels is the actual bedroom, under the “living room”! I wouldn’t want to be in there if another vehicle rear-ended this thing!
The bedroom is actually in the middle of the trailer. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to be the person who rear ended this. Their vehicle would end up totaled for sure
Like I told 86, the C series Ford was a great truck, one of Fords longest running models, like 30 years, but certainly nothing I’d want to run down the road in. For a city rig, couldn’t be beat, but falls way short on comfort, and, what’s powering this rig, a V8 gas job? Ever tilt the cab on one of these? Good heavens, gonna be a slow, bumpy ride to Shangri-la, fo sho!
Give me a Wonderlodge !
I just happen to have a 1982 Bluebird Wonderlodge Motorhome for sale
Looks nice, but also way out of my price range I imagine.
Did Larry sell his 1982 Bluebird last year or is it still available ?
Any Camelots still up for sale ?
After looking at the interior I want to poke out my eyes. Gawd I hated the Seventies.
Agreed! I lived through the 70s — and the 60s, part of the 50s and everything since. I don’t need or want anything to take me back to the 70s!
You can ride in the back, providing the trailer is connected via a 5th wheel as is in this case and there must be an intercom for passengers to be able to communicate with the driver.
It would not take too much to develop those truck driver’s clutch leg muscles……. LOL. Been there, done that…….
Interesting use of a cab as the frontal area of the trailer, makes one wonder if it started life as a regular box truck.
The top front of the trailer is indeed another C series cab. On Google images, not all the Camelots had that. In this link, the 2nd one down has a different front, and the truck is a little better equipped with a sleeper and A/C. Even still, I’d rather have some big Cat motor to yank this barge down the road. Think a square box in the wind. Not too aerodynamic, which is where the Cat motor comes into play,,,
https://bangshift.com/bangshiftxl/these-two-camelot-cruiser-custom-trailer-homes-had-to-have-been-the-most-opulent-rigs-of-the-1970s/
There is already an intercom system in place. One on the dash of the truck and one in the trailer.
Drove one of these a couple of times in the oil field company I worked for. 534 Ford gas engine, maybe 4 m p g. They left a lot to be desired as far as a good road truck was concerned.
All I can vision is a satanic cult living in this and murdering people at truck stops. While the porn music is playing…………
Live in the Pacific Northwest, too, I see…
yep, ’70s thru’n thru.
Can’t save it w/my usual “cummins/alison swap-in”.
Well, that was like an instant trip back to my Grandma’s house. I can even smell that interior from here :)
I’ll keep my Travco 320 Travstar, thanks…
Got more comments than I thought it would. I don’t know if it has air brakes but it probably does. I believe that requires cdl. Sure is a lot of yellow in that one room, might make you go blind. Lol. Can you you imagine pulling this thing into a gated HOA community? You’d have so many complaints within an hour people might break out guns and force you out. Heh, heh, heh.
God bless America
Oh that yellow would make a hangover so much worse.
I could live with the yellow kitchen minus the turned wood posts …. throw in a Spanish Matador picture and I would feel like I was back in San Jose , CA in my Aunt and Grandmothers double wide Mobile Home ….all I need is a Black and White RCA TV with a “Clicker” remote and my 3 year old and I could watch Speed Racer and Big Time Wrestling and I would be 10 years old again !
Hey,friend,my screen name is bigdoc13. I was a corpsman in the navy. Where does yours come from?
Every ’70’s decorating cliche I can remember, all rolled into one single-wide…..I’m in love!
WOW THAT ONE SURE MADE A LONG TRIP FROM BEING FOR SALE IN FORNEY TX. TO Taylor, MO
Yes, it was very long indeed
These Ford cabovers will definitely give you a workout. I was in a volunteer fire dept. years ago, and we had one of these. I hated driving that thing!
I have a C700 right now. Same engine, air brakes, 5 speed transmission and 2 speed rear diff. What a brute! Everything that everyone has said is true. The torque in 1st and low range diff will pull stumps. But it does have negative fuel economy. If I was not going to sell it, I would try an aftermarket throttle body fuel injection system to try to see what kind of fuel economy I could possibly get. I bet I could increase the fuel economy by 25%! Which means that it would now get 5.5 MPG!
What a tank!
Where is the disco ball?
I good friend of mine just asked me the same question 2 days ago, lol
Just as Howard said, you can see the “AIR BRAKE PARKING CONTROLS” to the lower left of the steering controls. Just as you can see the 2 speed rear diff controls on the shifter.
In most cases and states the GVWR has to do with CDL requirement. Usually anything with a GVWR of over 24,999 or 25,999 will tip the scales on the CDL requirement. ( also if you are driving for a living anything over 12,000 GVWR now days will put you in the same boat. In Nevada, if this thing is under the 24,999 GVWR limit then all you would need is a air brake classification added to your normal license.
Things change if the vehicle is registered as a private RV and no CDL may be required. The regular operator’s license weight limit goes away in most States. In some States, an endorsement for air brakes is also not required. Best to check your home State’s Statutes for the truth as DMV staff frequently give you their opinion and not the actual law.
Price has been lowered down to $35,000
If this was one of the ones on GM, then that bottom rear area would be the dog kennel.
The interior is all Boom chick a wow wow!
Bruce,
Actually I was selling this for a client who ended up screwing me by selling it directly to my customer and leaving me out in the cold.