Camper special

[special-K]

Originally Posted by PETEM1957

OOP'S, We said Camper Special. That's a bad word around here!!!! LOL.

One of my pet peeves,along with people calling their truck Super Cheyennes. It's Cheyenne Super!

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

yeah, chevy wanted to be like ford in the 73 - 87 years, so they called it a camper special, and made the trucks with built in rust.

Originally Posted by factorystock

Out of respect, Ford came out with there Camper Special package 1 year before Chevrolet and 2 years before GMC.

GM changed to Camper Special in '73 because they started offering the Trailering Special. Since the body changed,they redesigned the emblems for the b-pillar and to list the GVW.

GMC made it confusing by using Custom Camper as the name for their 133" Wideside pickups. Both GMC and Chevy offered the Custom Camper equipment package on the 127"-157" trucks since before '68 when the 133" Fleetside/Widesides came out. So,you could have a Chevy Custom Camper Longhorn (133" Fleetside) as well as 127"(longbed) or 133"/157" (cab & chassis) Custom Camper of any trim level. With GMCs you could have a Custom Camper Custom Camper (133" Wideside) as well as 127"(longbed) or 133'/157" (cab & chassis) Custom Camper in any trim level. You could either have the trim level fender badge with a Custom Camper door script or order a Custom Camper fender badge with no markings for trim level. In other words,trucks that had a Custom Camper fender badge told nothing of the trim level. You had to look further.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by special-K

In other words,trucks that had a Custom Camper fender badge told nothing of the trim level. You had to look further.

This is true for the 67 thru 72 era. It was basically a heavy duty suspension package with no creature comforts and no powertrain requirements. Interestingly, the first Chevy Custom Campers (mid '65 and '66) you automatically received the Custom Apperance option, the Custom Comfort option, the Custom Chrome option, tinted windshield and west coat mirrors. GMC first attempt was in '66 with the Camper Cruiser, but it was not a package, only a list of recommended options and did not get an emblem until '67. Fords "Camper Special" package came out in mid '64.

[special-K]

Yeah,it's funny. I had a '71 Custom Camper/20. The SPID said Custom Sport Truck equipment,which would actually be Cheyenne in '71.The SPID also said Custom Camper nameplate. There were no Cheyenne markings on the truck and,of course,no CST either. You had to know your stuff to know you even had a Cheyenne and I even had "experts" argue over it back in the '80s. A guy who worked for me at that time had a '71 Longhorn Custom Camper/20 that was a Custom Deluxe. Same thing,had the badge option so no Custom Deluxe emblems. Then,I got a '72 Cheyenne Super Custom Camper. It didn't have the badge option,only the equipment package. So it was badged as a Cheyenne Super and had the Custom Camper script on the door.

Here's a question...I have a pair of GMC Custom Camper 3500 fender badges. I wonder if those were the fender badge option,like Chevrolets,or if they are off a base model 133" pickup (Longhorn equivalent). Anyone have any insight?