Bought another Camper for the Camper Special ...

[surubet]

Time to get rid of my other campers ... I just bought the grand daddy camper of them all. It is a 20 ft Born Free camper with a tag axle from 1974. The Camper Special (two tone green) will look fine with a two tone (red and white) camper attached to it. It will be a couple weeks before it finds itself sitting on my truck (have to pull the Eldorado camper off it and remove my bumper so the Born Free will fit). Here is the previous owners photos ...

[Leadfoot]

wow thats really something, what a score . how much dose that thing weigh what was it on a f350 super camper or what?
I've had trailers small than that Holy crap!

[TheEskimo]

WOW!! That is HUGE!! Nice score

[binder56jd]

never seen one of those before- that's the ultimate gypsy rig - beware of that tag axle in certain terrain- it'll pick your drive wheel(s) off the ground- enjoy- jd

[Redcap]

Whoa! That thing is freakin' monsterous!

Sounds like you are gonna be a pikey.

[Joe Kriston]

I almost bought one of those years ago with the dolly wheels....Awesome...Almost like having wheelie casters....Jeez,that's big enough to turn into a duplex...

[surubet]

Well the last owner says it weighs in at 5000 pound. The rear axle is adjustable so you can distribute the weight better and so you can mount it to differing heights of truck beds. He used it to head out into the sand dunes to play with his other toys and related a story that one time he was going through washboard and thinking how smooth his truck was traveling with that extra axle ... many people turning to look and stare as he cruised along ... admiring the camper he presumed, but a glance in the rearview mirrors showed him what they were really watching ... his trailer with his sandrail ... the sandrail had bounced off its trailer and was dragging along behind him.

The best part of this whole camper purchase is that the wife wants me to re-motor and re-tranny the camper special in time to use both for vacation in April. Bad thing is, she wants me to repaint the truck to match the camper (she has a thing about green, won't ride on my Triumph because it is green, doesn't like my truck because it is green, she just plain dislikes the color ... guess she hasn't noticed my eyes are green ...). And the plus (again!) is that she is paying for the motor and transmission!

Anyhow, a check on the internet turns up that these were known as "Detachable Motorhomes" and were built strong in Iowa for the Farmers. It has three roll bars within the walls and the exterior is fiberglass except where the last owner put diamond plate on.

I expect to have a lot of fun with this. Just hope gas prices don't go out of sight before I get to burn up a bunch motoring around with this set up.

[Leadfoot]

With the length behind the wheel, hope your used to the swing of the back of that thing. I know I wasn't in my one-ton with a 18 foot deck. Good thing I only smashed up a Camaro. Oops.
Man that camper's interesting. I just can't stop looking at her.

[HugYourPlumber]

great find.