1972 Ford F-250 Camper Special

Description

RVs aren't a new phenomenon, and in the early 1970s, the best way to get into the great outdoors was to slide a camper into the back of your full-sized pickup. To capture some of this market, some of the creative guys at Ford came up with this 1972 Ford F-250 Camper Special designed to do just that. Nicely restored and ready to get back to work, this might be the ideal way to see the country today.

Clearly someone has spent plenty of money restoring this big F-250 and the two-tone yellow and white paint job looks fantastic. Not perfect, but surely nicer than any working-class truck has a right to look on its 43rd birthday. The finish is only a few years old and correctly replicates the era with a handsome, do-anything look that was a big selling point on the big Fords. Straight bodywork, good gaps, and plenty of stainless trim gives it an upscale look, and since Ford knew folks would be taking this one on long trips, they gave it a lot of luxury features to go with it. Bright stainless trim, an ornate grille, and heavy chrome front bumper all combine to dress it up a bit, while details like the extra-large side mirrors, cool built-in tool box, and heavy-duty rear bumper allude to its intended purposes. And the bed is beautifully restored without many signs of use since it was finished, adding to this truck's highly polished look.

The black interior was restored with the rest of the truck just a few years ago and still looks fantastic. The cloth seat inserts are comfortable for long-distance hauls and you'll note that this one carries optional factory A/C, which remains fully functional thanks to an R134a refrigerant upgrade. If you're going to use it for those long-distance camping trips, you might consider upgrading the original AM radio, but it works if you like talk radio and does have a certain charm to it. The factory gauges are all in great shape, with clear lenses and bright orange pointers and the big steering wheel feels substantial in your hands. A sliding rear window provides ventilation or a convenient pass-through to the camper area if you're loaded up, and yes, it does have a 3-speed manual transmission so it's even fun to drive.

The engine is Ford's 360 cubic inch V8, which is plenty powerful enough to move the big truck easily, even loaded up. It's neatly detailed under the hood with Ford Blue in all the right places as well as a beautifully painted firewall that suggests the truck was disassembled for paint. It starts and runs quite well, with a nice V8 burble from the tailpipe and a nice, fat torque curve to make it feel lively. Power steering and power brakes were part of the Camper Special package for obvious reason, as was a giant gas tank that offers bladder-bursting range. The heavier-duty ¾-ton suspension was also a good idea for the tall, heavy campers of the day and gives this truck a lot of hauling capacity that you'll undoubtedly find useful. Heavier 16-inch steel wheels with hubcaps and trim rings are the right look and they're wrapped in 235/85/16 Goodyear truck tires that look right and have the weight capacity to handle the load.

You probably won't find another ¾ ton Ford this nicely finished and loaded with options like this. If you like old trucks or want a great vintage truck to do a little work around the house, you can't go wrong with this Ford. Call today!