The 1964-1965 Dodge Camp Wagon |
North Americans
have long burned with wanderlust and as road building began in earnest in
the mid-1920s, there was no stopping folks from seeing the magnificence the continent had to offer. Roads were jammed with cars pulling trailers, many of them
homemade.
After
World War Two, the travel phenomenon mushroomed out of sight. Manufacturers
were mindful of it, early on. Ford offered a sleep unit that could be slid onto
a truck bed in 1950. West Germany’s Volkswagen was quick to offer a
self-contained Campmobile.
Willys advertising featured Jeep FCs with camper units. |
Not
about to be left out of the travel segment of the market, the boys at Dodge
introduced a self-contained camper to the lineup in 1964.
The 1964 Dodge Camp Wagon |
Based on its
top-of-the-line Sportwagon model, the home on wheels was a natural addition to
the family. Camp Wagon looked mighty smart indeed on the new, compact, 2 286-millimetre (90-inch)
wheelbased A-100 body.
At
the factory, Sportwagons destined to hit the highways as Camp Wagons were given
the 3.7-litre (225-cubic inch) Slant Six engine, generating 140 horsepower. The 4.5-litre (273-cubic
inch) V-8 engine was made available, too. With 174 hot-to-trot horses, the Dodge
Camp Wagon could hold its own on the highways with the best of them.
The mill of choice was mated to the
three-speed Type A745 heavy-duty manual transmission or the extra-cost
LoadFlite three-speed automatic tranny. Beefy 1,110-pound capacity front
springs were installed along with a 997 kilo (2,200-pound) capacity front axle and a 492-kilo (1,085-pound)
capacity rear springs. Oversize six-ply
tires, 7.10 x 15, were part of the package.
The rear axle ratio gearing was 3.55:1.
Optional
equipment for the Dodge Hilton included two-tone paint treatment and a fully
transistorized radio. A pair of Jr. West Coast dual outside rearview mirrors
made driving less stressful. Dress-up items included chrome bumpers, deluxe
wheel covers and white sidewall tires. More practical than pretty were the oil
pressure gauge, undercoating, an oil bath air cleaner, variable speed electric
wipers and a 70-amp heavy-duty battery. Ordering dual horns got the owner a
chrome horn ring too, adding a little sparkle to the steering wheel. A unique,
“youth-sized” reversible center jump seat could be fitted over the engine hump.
Completed
vehicles were shipped to the Travel Equipment Corporation in Elkhart, Indiana
for conversion into Camp Wagons. Here, craftsmen installed wood panelling on the
interior walls and ceiling. They added vinyl-covered foam dinette seats that
cleverly converted into a double bed. A 203-centimetre (80-inch) long canvas bunk, dubbed the
Crow’s Nest, rolled out of sight ran down the centre of the vehicle and stowed
away neatly when not in use. Another kid-sized bunk, this one 152 cenitmetres (60-inches_ long
and transversely mounted, stretched across the bucket seats up front.
Canadians could buy Fargo trucks at their Chrysler-Plymouth dealers, not offered in the United States. (1970 model seen here.) |
A
fold-up, laminated dinette table, a two-burner propane gas stove, an insulated,
non-electric icebox, a stainless steel sink with pressure spigot and a trio of 11.3-litre (three-US gallons) water tanks were bolted into place. Wooden cabinets, a dustproof
zippered wardrobe bag, a portable, non-chemical toilet, Hehr combination
sliding windows with screens and shades, a 12-volt transformer and a 110-volt
outlet were all part of the base package.
Chevrolet offered a camper in its Corvair Greenbrier series for the 1965 season. |
The
folks at Travel Equipment cleverly built in plenty of storage under the dinette
seats, behind the rear seat and in all the special built-in cabinets. Not a
square millimetre of space was wasted in the Camp Wagon, yet it boasted “plenty of
room to move around in.”
The industry's benchmark camper was West Germany's Volkswagen Westphalia, a.k.a. the Westy. |
A
nifty optional feature was the Elevating Top. Taking only two seconds to erect,
when popped into place it offered plenty of “man-sized relaxin’ room” inside
for big burly men. In the “down” position, it added a mere ten centimetres (four inches) to the
overall height of the Camp Wagon.
Visit my old car website at: The Oilspot Eh!
Other
extra-cost items and upgrades for even more fun on wheels included deluxe seat
cushions and a matching garment bag. One could choose drapes instead of shades,
vinyl flooring instead of rubber matting, too. A 1.8 metre square (6’x’ 6’) side awning tent with
its own self-storing topside zip case added a whole new dimension to camping.
An AC generator was most useful. Promising to keep lettuce crisp and beverages
cold, an electric refrigerator that could run on AC or DC was a great idea. For
keeping toasty warm, the Adventurer #30 Therm’x Safety heater with a 3000 BTU
capacity or the larger 4000 BTU model, by the same manufacturer, were hot
sellers.
Canadians could choose a Ford or Mercury Econoline Supervan Camper from 1961 to 1965. |
One
would certainly want to order Thermasol fuel for the heater and Insta-Lite
propane fuel for the range. To help Smokey the Bear prevent forest fires, a
fire extinguisher with refiller cartridges was on the options list.
An optional, glass-lined, aluminum septic
toilet was a good upgrade. A separator curtain, located behind the front seat,
offered a modicum of privacy. A window
screen for the driver’s front door was an extra cost item. One could also have
screens with reversible zippers specially fitted for the tall and wide curbside
doors. For those with a serious travel bug, a trailer hitch with ball and a
roof rack for skis made perfect sense.
The nifty Camp Wagon was given star billing at the
Chicago Auto Show in February 1965 in Dodge’s “Work and Play” exhibit. One look
at the Camp Wagon would help folks “understand why so many Americans enjoy life
a lot more, traveling this self-contained way!” and “Get away from it all in style, comfort,
convenience in a new Dodge Camp Wagon” were the advertising themes. “Travel
anywhere—any time!” was yet another inviting lure. The Camp Wagon boasted living
facilities for six and promised to be the perfect companion for vacations,
weekends, hunting and fishing tips. When not at play, the versatile vehicle was
touted as having station wagon utility the rest of the year.
The 1965 Fargo A100 Transline family. |
The 1965 model year was a banner year for Dodge
trucks. With 45 different models on the market, retail sales hit 119,395 units,
making the season the best in Dodge’s postwar history. Dodge could claim fourth
place in domestic truck sales. Of that number, 36,535 units produced were in
the A-100 series and the Camp Wagon only sweetened the bottom line.
Visit my old car website at: The Oilspot Eh!
2005 All rights reserved.