Jalopnik: camper

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: 1973 Ford Ranchero Camper For $12,500?

Murilee Martin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST

Here's Nice Price Or Crack Pipe once again, the day after the Opel GT Batmobile made NPOCP history! You see, for the first time we've got the majority of voters opting for the Nice Price side of the poll; admittedly, the voting is 173 to 172 at the time of this writing, but that's still a win for the BatmOpel! Today we've got another machine that might present something of a dilemma; the original 351 Cleveland/4-speed combo makes it cool, as do the factory hubcaps and the fact that it's always been a camper… but a Buy It Now of $12,500? What do you think?

Thanks to The Kid for the tip! [eBay Motors]

Mercedes 300SD-amino Camper, Just In Time For The Coming Financiapocalypse

Mark Arnold — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:40:00 EDT

This Mercedes 300SD camper conversion nicely combines two of our Ten Best Vehicles For The Coming Financiapocalypse. Essentially it's a sedan that's been ~~hacked~~ "professionally built by a skilled fabricator" into a 300SD-amino, and then had a pickup truck-bed camper plopped in the back. For just $4000 it's not a bad deal, with two beds, a table and even a kitchen sink. Of course, you could always combine two other cars on the list — an air-cooled VW and a mini RV — for the more traditional alternative of a VW ~~stoner~~ camper van. We'll still probably just follow our own advice and hold onto what we own now.

[LA Craigslist] (Hat tip to Aleksandr!)

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: $41,000 1986 Volkswagen Syncro Westfalia Weekender?

Murilee Martin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT

It's time for Nice Price Or Crack Pipe once again; last time we saw nearly 73% of you opine that $19,500 was too much to pay for a nicely restored 1973 Pinto Squire. This time we're going with a suggestion sent in by 2Trips. Other than a mint-condition 21 Window, the VW Vanagon Syncro might be our favorite VW bus, and when you're looking at a genuine Wolfsburg Edition Westfalia that's been obsessively maintained and pampered for every one of its 22 years, you figure the price tag is going to be fairly high. But forty-one thousand dollars? Mein gott! Still, what do we know? You tell us! [The Samba]

Project Car Hell, Because You Can Edition: 1940 Ford Camper or Rabbit Limo?

Murilee Martin — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:20:00 EDT

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! In yesterday's Alphabet Soup Edition Choose Your Eternity challenge, the TVR went all GBH on the NSU in the poll, sending us scurrying to the nearest W.A.S.T.E. mailbox to inform our friends in San Narciso that PCH Superpower Britain has once again triumphed over Germany. Today we're going to contemplate a pair of projects that will provide years of entertaining debate with your local Homeowners' Association, while remaining totally ~~ridiculous~~ practical.

Motorhomes are great, as we've seen before, and when you own one you'll be able to live in comfort as you travel to such events as the Superfund Site Cook-Off™ and the Artillery-R-Us Unexploded Munitions Scavenger Hunt™. But why drive some boring ol' Winnebago or haul a jackknifey trailer, listening to the gurgling sound of your cash being swilled by that great big engine's insatiable thirst? What you need is a camper with vintage style and a modern fuel-efficient powerplant- something along the lines of this '40 Ford with integrated Bolar trailer and Pontiac 4-cylinder engine! Yes, that's a front-wheel-drive Pontiac engine/transaxle, which we're assuming came out of an early-80s Phoenix, and that setup gives this travelin' machine a claimed 27 miles per gallon! Sure, you might have a tough time climbing up hills or even driving into the wind, given that the first iterations of the ol' Iron Duke put out 86 horsepower, but this vehicle sleeps four and boasts a full kitchen. The bodywork looks to have been performed with a minimum of duct tape and/or pop rivets, so perhaps there will be no nasty surprises as you prepare to fix the paint job. The description is a bit vague about the running condition, especially the part about the "friend that has a pretty low mileage engine in a car 2 years newer that has full injection with all the extras he stored this for me so when i came back from china i was going to fix it," but you'll sort that out after the purchase. Thanks to 42FordTrucks for the tip!

A custom motorhome would be fun, but what if you need something that will really turn heads at Spirochete Spiro's Strip Club? The Spirochete dancers probably won't want to climb into that '40, no matter how many Hawaiian Punch-and-Everclear Sno-Cones you buy for them. No, you need a limo for that, and we don't mean your everyday boring Town Car. We mean a limo more like this stretched 1980 VW Rabbit! This is no backyard conversion; the seller swears it was"Professionally stretched when new," and some of the rusty body panels have been replaced. A metal shop made the floors, and a "roof panel from an 84 Jetta GLI welded in with a sunroof" is more or less firmly affixed on top. There's no fuel tank and thus no way to drive it, but the seller states "It did run and drive great prior," though worrywarts might wring their hands over the lack of any mention of how long it's been since it ran. With an automatic transmission, it might be on the pokey side, but limos aren't about going fast! Thanks to YotaLoLux for the tip.

Fleetwood Southwind RV Has Diesel Bus Looks, Gas Appetite

Andrew Stoy — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:20:00 EDT

Recreational vehicle manufacturer Fleetwood, ignoring bad news about the motorhome industry, released the 2009 Southwind Class A gas RV in Minnesota last week. Apparently designed for folks who really want a Prevost coach but don't quite have the scratch, the Southwind packs the looks and luxury of a bus into a front-engine chassis powered by either a Ford 6.8-liter Triton V10 or an 8.1-liter Vortec from GM. Of course, you're gonna want to have a gas card with a healthy limit. Full release below the jump.

2009 Brings New Look and Luxurious Features to Fleetwood's Popular Southwind Class A Gas Motor Home
RIVERSIDE, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Fleetwood Enterprises' RV Group, a leading producer of recreational vehicles, announced the release of its 2009 Southwind Class A gas motor home, which was unveiled to consumers during FMCA's summer rally in St. Paul, Minn. last week.

2009 marks a lifecycle change for Southwind that includes new contemporary front and rear cap designs, one-piece windshield, and automotive dashboard with iPod docking station.

"The 2009 Southwind has a whole new look — both inside and out — designed to appeal to RVers looking for a more luxurious gas motor home," said Paul Eskritt, President of Fleetwood's RV Group. "In St. Paul, customers and dealers openly expressed their enthusiasm about the modern interior decor, wealth of amenities and the overall style of Southwind, so we are excited to see how it does in the marketplace."

Interior highlights on the 2009 Southwind include power front privacy shade and curtains, color rear-vision system with optional side-view cameras, new cabinet and drawer hardware styling, overhead and bedroom LCD TVs, and home theater system.

Exterior highlights include hydraulic leveling system by Power Gear(R), 30"-wide entry door, side-swing luggage doors in most basement locations, and beautiful DuPont(R) full-body paint.

This fall, the 2009 Southwind offering will expand to include a new curb-side, full-wall-slide floor plan (35J). This beautiful model features a 32" mid-ship LCD TV; 26" LCD TV in the bedroom, a spacious dressing area; large walk-thru bath; and optional 12-foot, u-shaped, mega-lounge/dinette.

For more information about the 2009 Southwind, or any Fleetwood RV products, please call 1-800-322-8216 or visit http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/.

[Source: PRNewswire]

Kamper Krisis: Winnebago Profits Plunge 73%, We Offer Suggestions

Andrew Stoy — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:40:00 EDT

RV manufacturer Winnebago has seen sales decline 40% in the third quarter, dragging profits down by an astonishing 73%. But what should the manufacturer of hulking, bricklike houses on wheels with no immediate potential for improved fuel economy expect? Although abandoned RVs have become popular housing options in the midst of the mortgage crisis, new RVs are not as similarly embraced. So what can Winnebago do? Some ideas after the jump.

Have a 72-Hour Sale: Hey, it worked for GM, right? Well, no, but Winnebago could consider long-term interest-free financing on its mid-range models, possibly enticing some fence-sitters. And if you need to extend it out, that's okay; you can just say the 72 hours was in tortoise years or something.
Offer cheap gas: Hey, it worked for Chryserberus, right? Well, no. But a gas price deal has proven to be a showroom draw; you just have to make sure you have some stuff folks want to buy there when they arrive.
Create a snappy ad campaign: Winnebago needs to live on the Edge-uh! Hey, it worked for Ford, right? Well, no. But at least tell people what you've got for sale; last time we actually noticed a Winnebago was 1986, and that's only because we were enjoying a show courtesy of a comely young lass pressing herself against the back window.

So, there you have it. Good luck, Winnebago, we'd miss you if you were gone, even though we kind of thought you already were. [AP/Google; Photo Credit: Auto Engine Lube]

Who Needs A Big SUV? Dodge A100-Based Balboa Camper

Murilee Martin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EDT

This Daytona Beach resident doesn't roll around in an insatiably thirsty monster SUV, yet still gets vast amounts of interior space and the reliability only the Mopar Slant Six can provide. Sure, it's probably a bit on the underpowered side, and that Florida rain probably comes in through the inevitable fiberglass cracks, but who the hell cares? Just look at this fine motor vehicle! Thanks to LongRoofFan for sending in the photos.

Just a regular old car/truck crazy guy. I spotted the attached Balboa in Daytona Beach today, parked on the street, outside a condo complex.I thought you would enjoy these.

1967 Chevy Impala With ToteMotel Camper For Sale, Seller Doesn't See What's So Damn Funny

Murilee Martin — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:20:00 EDT

When you're trying to sell a beat-to-hell '67 Impala wagon equipped with an even more beat-to-hell ToteMotel camper on the back, you have to figure on a few chuckles from potential buyers. Here we have a seller who feels so confident that his or her Impala/ToteMotel combo will make its reserve price that wisecracking questions are just water off a duck's back:

Q: My Ole hound dog Buck Shot saw this and wants to come see it himself.he doesn't have any money but he can hunt critters for you to pay it off.What should I tell the boy?
A: Tell him you are going into stand up comedy.

It needs a little work, but imagine how much fun you'll have in a ToteMotel- why, the name alone is a winner! Thanks to DeadFlorist for the tip! [eBay Motors]

Turbo Trailer Pops Up Wheelies

Mark Arnold — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:15:00 EST

Camping is a great way to break free of the urban jungle and enjoy the great outdoors. But what to do if you can't afford a nice motorhome, and you really don't want to put a trailer hitch on your little Renault? Just drop that engine into an old camping trailer! Ok, so you could just go tent camping, but then you wouldn't be able to enjoy all the wheelstandin' hoonage of your 105hp 1.4L turbo camper. Just imagine the looks on the faces of your fellow motorists as you cruise down the turnpike!

[YouTube]

1971 Dodge Camper Special

Murilee Martin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:30:00 EST

Not content to rest on her laurels for having found a street-parked Maserati Mistral, reader Kitt continues to make a case for Denver as a worthy rival for Alameda in the DOTS Intergalactic Superchampionship. This time she's found a solid-looking '71 Dodge Camper Special... only where's the camper? Make the jump to see the rest of the photos.

A Honda Element Camper For The Elements

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:45:00 EST

There's nothing quite like the moment you first see the top pop off of a VW Westfalia for the first time. It's like the world and the roof open up at the same time. For those who want that same experience in a new vehicle, there's the Ursa Minor ECAMPER, which uses the Honda Element instead of a Vanagon. This sharp modification includes a 7' x 4' mattress, low-current LED lighting and panoramic views. It'll set you back $4,300 to camper-ize your Element (a little more if you want it to match the color of your Element). Photos and details below:

The Ursa Minor Vehicles ECAMPER™ is the only Honda Element Camper on the market!

Our conversion adds a pop-top sleeper for two onto any Honda Element® Four Wheel Drive model (2003 through 2008 models with removable skylight). Ready to camp? Simply release the latches, pop it up, and climb up through the former sunroof.

The ECAMPER™ uses the latest in high-performance composites technology to minimize weight and to create a streamlined profile that adds only 5" to the overall height of the vehicle.

Other features include

* Gas spring assisted hinges for quick open and close
* Easy access from inside or outside of vehicle
* Lightweight composite construction
* Low-current interior LED lighting
* Comfortable 2" thick 7' x 4' mattress with washable covers
* Sleek, streamlined profile is quiet
* Tough, breathable, fade and water resistant Sunbrella® fabric
* Panoramic views through zippered screened windows
* Built on Honda reliability & economy

Minivan Versus Trailer!

Murilee Martin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:00:42 EDT

These hoons are strangely subdued about the way they go about working out the [beater minivan] + [unwanted trailer] + [enough space to get a running start] equation. They don't have quite the drunken persistence of the New England Eldorado Executioners, but at the end of the day we still have an annihilated trailer and a huge mess. There's no annoying music drowning out the sounds of muffler leaks and rending aluminum (but there's also no beer) so no docked points, no bonus points; this video scores a 29-point Hoon-O-Meter reading.

Volkswagen Bug Camper: Please Don't Blame it on the Drugs, Epilogue

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:50:02 EST

Our story continues in the late fall of 2006 in upstate New York. Gary, now 68, puts the Volkswagen Bug camper he inherited from the estate of his lady, Janet, who was killed in a grinding scrapbooking accident, up for sale. "It's all I have left," he says, "If you don't count my collection of jaundice photos and this duffel bag full of obscure tools I won in an impromptu Chinese checkers tournament." The asking price is $20,000. Just enough, Gary says, to pay his debts and fulfill a lifelong dream of opening his very own root cellar. Godspeed, Gary. [Thanks to Matt for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

Beetle Bug RV Camp - $16500 [Craigslist]

Hold that Flower: Camper's Lotus Concept

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 14:19:16 EST

International shoe marketer and conceptualist, Camper has struck again with another lifestyle design concept, the Lotus. Much like the Peugeot Moovie concept, introduced at the Frankfurt show last year, it's a two-wheeled, gyroscopically stabilized commuter car of the future, which splits the difference between a wheelchair, a Dyson portable vacuum and a gerbil conveyance from Habitrail. The electric-powered Lotus was designed for the Chinese market, as a get-to-work ride for young entrepreneurs in urban environments. Zero emissions, easy parking, polycarbonate body panels and easy parking are its strong suits. Crash worthiness, we'd imagine is a more dicey proposition. – Mike Spinelli

Camper Lotus Personal Commuter [AutoGate]

Related:
Frankfurt Premiere: Peugeot's Moovie Concept [internal]

Camper Van Beethoven: VW Reveals Atacama Concept

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 08:53:49 EDT

No Westfalia hippie-wagon, this. Volkswagen let fly with a teaser shot of a camper concept for the Paris show. The Atacama, named after a Chilean desert that extends into the Andes mountains, is a version of the Crafter van — VW's Sprinter competitor — that brings high design and off-road mojo to camping culture. Built on a short-wheelbase Crafter, the Atacama gets power from a five-cylinder turbodiesel producing 164 hp hooked to a six-speed gearbox, all over 285/55R20s. We'll see it at the Paris show ahead of its ascension at the Patagonia Sun Festival, Deeper Self Channel-Off and Kayak Jamboree sometime in 2007.

Some Mod Cons: The Innovan

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 08:20:13 EDT

Australians, who've got about six square feet of usable land out of 10 blazillion square miles of real estate, are extremely attuned to the use of space. (Yep, made that one right up.) Nonetheless, the Innovan camper is clearly all about efficency. The unit fits in the back of a full-sized pickup, and blossoms outward — bursting forth in a resplendant array of campsite furnishings in about 30 seconds. Innovan is seeking international distributors and licensees for the design. The company, which is looking for distributors, says it'll cost between $19,000 US and $27,000 US, depending on spec.

The home away from home (with wheels) [Gizmag]