Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Rare 1965 Streamline RV With Party Deck!

Originally selling for $17,950, about $146,101 in 2020 dollars, the Streamline Travel Home appealed to those with discerning tastes. According to the seller of this 1965 Streamline Travel Home in Oregon City, Oregon, the Streamline RVs catered to California movie stars as studio or location quarters. The interesting rear deck makes this specimen one of 25 built. This one’s certainly been buffed to an amazing shine, and while imperfect, it retains a nearly all-original appearance inside and out, and everything works, including the air conditioning! The listing here on eBay has attracted a handful of bids, raising its value beyond the $10,000 mark. 

It’s easy to picture John Wayne or Cary Grant hanging out on the gleaming rear deck, Frank Sinatra playing on the radio, a smoke in one hand and a highball in the other, relaxing after a long day of filming or working through the next day’s script. “I’m not gonna hit ya! …. The Hell I’m not!” It also looks like a fine place for your passengers to wave goodbye as you drive off on your next adventure.

The interior features fine upholstery and all the conveniences of home. An Onan generator provides power when electrical hookups are not available. Just like today’s RVs, a roof-mounted air conditioner takes the heat off. The booth folds into a bed.

The front Captain’s chairs become part of the conversation area by swiveling to face rearward, after you’re parked of course. It’s unclear which color are original, but even this mis-match is easier on the eyes than some ’60s color schemes. The listing does reference “UPDATED FABRICS AND MATERIALS.” (Yes, the listing comes rendered in ridiculous and painful ALL CAPS.) However, anyone wanting to implement a 21st Century color palette in this RV is completely missing the point.

Perhaps the finest looking chairs I’ve seen in an RV invite long hours of leisurely travel. This mobile apartment begs you to get as far apart from your worries as you want. This brilliant silver bullet becomes your personal oasis as you live out the illustrious words of the bards Metallica, “Where I lay my head is home.” Though not quite adorned with hand-crafted South American hardwoods, the Streamline Travel Home boasts far better appearance than many similar vehicles. Most RVs employ materials readily available at your local hardware store or mobile home outlet. “I’ll take 20 sheets of your cheapest plywood, 10 linear feet of Formica, and a giant roll of that contact paper that looks like wood grain from about 50 feet away.” Clearly the Streamline caters to those with more elegant taste. What movie star would you invite for a road-trip in this slick ’60s traveler?

Comments

  1. HoA Howard A Member

    Well, it’s unusual, for sure. Is that a ’59 Ford pickup grill turned upside down?

    Like 10
    • Avatar stillrunners

      correct Howard…looks like a Ford built chassis with hopefully FE power – dash is early Ford like they used on the chassis built vans.

      Like 2
    • Avatar geomechs Member

      I couldn’t read the spec sheet very well but I thought it said that it ran a 330 engine. That’s essentially a tall-deck, four-ring, truck/industrial engine. No speed demon but it will pull the hills with few problems. Just don’t get too determined to gain any decent fuel economy…

      Like 8
    • Avatar Dennis

      Sure looks like it, but I don’t think so.

      Like 1
    • Avatar PJH

      Steering wheel looks from a boat of that era.

      Like 1
  2. Avatar Fred W

    As a car nut kid, I spent a lot of time in the late 60’s analyzing the ride characteristics of the same decade Ford school bus. This thing may look cool and be plush, but on the road it ain’t gonna be no picnic.

    Like 6
  3. Avatar Douglas Smith

    Your martinis will be shaken, not stirred.

    Like 25
  4. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    I’d have to ditch the large purple chair.

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Ward William

    Speaking of The Duke. A little known fact. His huge luxury trailer that he used to take from movie set to movie set was actually bought by a Brazilian superfan called Beto Carrero after The Duke passed, and Beto, who used to live like real modern day cowboy. later opened the biggest theme park in Latin America and today, it has pride of place in a museum in the theme park.

    Like 14
  6. Avatar Steve Douglas

    I love it, don’t get me wrong, but a brick like that being called a “Streamline” is more than a bit hilarious.

    Like 10
  7. Avatar Terry Bowman

    Nice, but needs a little TLC, including missing horn, wiper arms and the Breakers needs to be changed out. FPE breakers are outlawed in Florida and other states, but not all, due to fire hazard. lots of holes need to be patched to keep rain out. Seen a little water damage, but minor. Bidding so far is only half way there so far, mostly because of it’s uniqueness.

    Like 3
  8. Avatar RichardinMaine

    Not a single photo of engine compartment, no information about what it runs for power. Gas or diesel, your guess? Genset looks very tired and due for failure. Some iffy wiring, and states, “Air conditioning turns on,” not whether it cools.
    Pass.

    Like 4
  9. Avatar Paul Rohe

    I spent 33 yrs at a huge RV dealer and never ran across one of these. A rare piece indeed. I can’t imagine going very far in it!

    Like 3
  10. Avatar Bluetec320 Member

    Just because something is built in low numbers or “rare”, doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be desirable or valuable. That is my take on this RV. The exterior looks like a loaf of bread, the interior looks like it was built by a Bob Villa home builder apprentice, and the body sits on top of a Ford milk truck chassis. Thanks, but I’ll pass!!

    Like 4
  11. Avatar 4504 Member

    It’s first impression is nice. That being said, the power description is a little light. If the motor is a diesel, minus a turbocharger, it would just barely be ok. However, if that motor is a normal gas one, there is just no way… on level roads and country it would be ok, but eventually it would have to climb a mountain. And if it is hot outside, the transmission is going to be under a real strain. Believe me I know… I took such a large vehicle (moving van) on a trip cross country during 100 degree weather. We drove up a few low mountains, the transmission overheated, an hour or two later it gave out completely and we had to be towed away. All I am saying that without a very large c.u. gas motor, which would still be marginal, or a diesel, there is just no way and if I were to have it the gas motor would have to be replaced. It is just embarrassing to crawl up hills at 25 mph with a mile of pissed-off drivers following and no turnouts to use.

    ok, now I will look at the listing ans see if I have to eat my words. btw, I have a an early cummins single-turbo diesel truck with 400 lbs of torque. It is great on hills by itself of course, but if I was to tow like a 10,000 pound trailer uphill during the summer, even that would be lacking and a transmission c I ooler would be mandatory, using all synthetic fluids everywhere on it. Just my opinion based on expensive lessons already experienced. I could be wrong. Not to differ with an earlier poster, but to me, a 330 c.i. engine, nomatter how stout, is just not going to cut it unless it is a diesel and .or a turbo attached.

    ok, with all that being said, I think it is a pretty cool rv. I would be apprehensive about the sins of previous owners in regarding to any renovations, and I am naturally suspicious of any vehicle that is for sale, like, why is it up for sale? or maybe I am just paranoid because I had to pay the price on previous such purchases…. mike

    Like 6
  12. Avatar tompdx

    Love the party deck … had they not yet invented cloth awnings in 1965?

    Like 1
    • Avatar lc

      as cool as that looks …. solar oven comes to mind :)

      Like 3
    • Avatar PJH

      They had em back in the 1800’s on railcars.
      Suppose they would have to be taken off or secured somehow while on the road though.

      Like 1
  13. Avatar 4504 Member

    Ok, took a closer look. This rv is like picking up a hot girl on a date. At first, you are impressed with her looks, but after some time you notice her baggage and in the morning you can’t wait to take her back home to her 6 young kids living at home, a face that looks like roadkill without a ton of makeup, a hostile parolee x-husband living with her… you know the drill. And I hate all-caps ads with lots of exclamation points. And dozens of pictures with not a single one of the motor? The “luxurious” pink seats? It belongs on craigslist, where the potential fake “buyers” are even worse than the seller. No frigging way.

    Like 13
    • Avatar Terry Bowman

      4504, LOL…. I like your analogy.

      Like 2
  14. Avatar PJH

    Party deck?
    There isn’t even room to sit back there.
    What’s in the box on the left rear deck? Generator or some other utilitarian thing? Looks like a speaker on the bottom of it.
    Tail lights look like from a school bus.
    Also what caught my eye is that rear red sidemarker light on the top right side. The red lens should be pointing to the rear not the front. Looks backwards. Like the overall design though. The rear “porch” is designed after a private railcar. Great design if you could actually have room to sit on it!
    Interior desperately needs some attention. I’d have it pimped out in some sort of victorian velvet curtains and woodwork myself. (like an 1800’s private railcar)
    That’s what I’m talkin about!

    Like 3
  15. Avatar Raymond J Lawson III

    The whole point of this rig is the “Party Deck”, which is absolutely useless! There are propane tanks on the right hand side and the generator on the left hand side. That leaves maybe enough room in the middle for a folding lawn chair… but then you can’t open the door cause it swings out! It’s a pointless waste!

    Like 2
  16. Avatar Oliver Rojas

    This is an amazing piece. Being able to drive it around is an added convenience and cost savings compared to a Streamliner without the engine. While everything looks dated, it is clean and everything works. The outside is clean and shiny and someone can really get some good use out of this vehicle.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Chris

    Mad MAX RV

    Like 0
  18. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Ended:Jun 04, 2020 , 4:00PM
    Winning bid:US $27,600.00
    [ 38 bids ]

    Like 0
  19. Avatar chrlsful

    like it better than the earlier trailer (dinner) AND still…
    cummins/allison,
    rip out the inside for a do over,
    spend any left over on gas for the nxt 10 yrs.

    Like 0

Leave a Reply to PJH Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.