question for the experts...

[va72longhorn]

just when you thought you knew it all, something throws ya....... what is the difference between the longhorn and the camper special? I was always under the impression that the longhorn was by Chevrolet and the camper special was a GMC. Now I've seen Chevrolets with the camper special badge and GMCs with the longhorn badge. Whats the real deal?

[va72longhorn]

My bad.....I meant "Custom Camper" (Something tells me that I'll never hear the end of that !)

[maynardtruckin]

the long horn was a special bed that was 6"s longer than a 8' bed and was a 3/4 ton truck, really just a longer wheel base. the custom camper was a 8' bed 3/4 to 1 ton truck built to handle a camper.

[Dieselwrencher]

I think he means what is the difference from Custom Camper and Camper Special. Honestly I think it was just a option for a certain year or years that differentiated it, but I could be wrong on that.

[hippie-46]

now i am confused i got a 72 gmc with 8foot 6 bed 1/2 ton with coil springs and aux helper springs i thought it was a longhorn.

[special-K]

GMC made it a bit confusing by naming their 8'6" counterpart to the Chevy Longhorn a Custom Camper. The GMCs are not called Longhorns,they are called Custom Campers. These trucks were built to target the camper hauler market. The problem is...there already was a Custom Camper option offered prior to '68 as well as through '72. So,you could have a Chevy Longhorn with or without the Custom Camper option. Or,you could have a GMC Custom Camper (8'6" bed) with or without the Custom Camper option. You could have an 8' GMC or Chevy with the Custom Camper option. I wonder if they even advertised them as: "Now GMC offers you serious outdoor types a truck just for you...The Custom Camper Custom Camper. And,for the less serious we still offer the Custom Camper".

[alsriv2]

Hi Special-K.

Thanks for the information. I have a '69 GMC with the 8'6" bed that I have been calling a "longhorn". My truck was repainted back in 71 to match the camper that was installed. Bad mistake as the truck was a nice Aqua blue when new. The color was changed to white. The interior is still the original color and the instrument panel was even painted the Aqua blue color to match the truck.
The truck has no "Camper" markings except on the driver door which just states "Custom". The glove box also has the "custom" badge as well.

I will post pics this weekend.

Al Smith
'69 GMC 2500 Longhorn(?)(Custom Camper)
'69 Chevy C10 396

[va72longhorn]

ummmm......ok...... so a GMC with a 8'-6" bed is automatically Custom Camper, but a GMC with a 8' foot bed could of had the Cutom Camper "package" ? Chevrolet's 8'-6" bed is a longhorn, but could of had or not of had the custom camper "package" ? If thats the case, I wasnt crazy when I saw the "custom camper" above the door handle on a Chevy Longhorn. Now my ponder is my 72 Longhorn Super Cheyenne has just about every option available, but its not a Custom Camper. What actually made up that package? Are there Super Cheyenne's with the Custom Camper package or were the options in that package somehow covered in a Super Cheyenne Longhorn? Mine is a C-30 with the dual battery and camper wiring so I cant imagine what its missing that a Custom Camper wouldnt have.
Hippie, I may be wrong but I thought all 8'-6" beds were either a 3/4 or 1 ton on a 133" wheelbase.

[maynardtruckin]

According to LMC the longhorn trucks had a wheel base of 133" and a bed length of 104". As for the custom camper most of them were 127"wheel base and 98" bed length. AS for a half ton having over load springs that would just be a heavy half ton truck unless it is the longer wheel base.

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by hippie-46

now i am confused i got a 72 gmc with 8foot 6 bed 1/2 ton with coil springs and aux helper springs i thought it was a longhorn.

I've never heard of a Longhorn or GMC Custom Camper having coil springs and be a half ton. They have all had leaf springs and were 8 lug.

[maynardtruckin]

that may be i have seen one but could not varify that it was legit. could have been something some one changed to five lug easy but who knows.

[Dieselwrencher]

It very well could be. I think there is a member on this forum who has a 69 Longhorn with a tilt front and half ton running gear. If I remember correctly it was tubbed as well.

[Longhorn Man]

All longhorns and Custom Camper GMC (8 1/2 foot bed) had 133 inch wheel base, wooden floors in the bed, 8 lugs, leaf springs, and a verticle seam on the sides of the bed towards the front as seen here;

No 133 inch wheelbase longhorn (or GMC equivilent) had coils, or provisions for them in the back. The 1/2 ton described above as a longhorn was probably measured on the outside of the bed, not inside. 8 1/2 feet from inside front wall to inside the tailgate. Here's some info on my longhorn website http://www.longhorntrucks.freeservers.com/

Now, the Custom Camper option package, as seen here;

The custom camper is nothing more than an option package with HD tires, shocks HD springs or overload springs, and a front sway bar. That was all that was needed for the nameplate. No second battery, no HD radiator, no harness, no big mirrors... all that was added cost if you wanted it.
The Heavy Half, was not created yet durring the 67 - 72 model run, it was created later in the late 70's to skirt around new smog laws.

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

It very well could be. I think there is a member on this forum who has a 69 Longhorn with a tilt front and half ton running gear. If I remember correctly it was tubbed as well.

That's crazy Al... can't remember if that's his screen name or just what I've always called him... His isn't tubbed, but it does have an owner fabb'd tilt nose, a chopped top, and 1/2 ton suspention tossed under it. I think he has a sssmall block in it now, but he's had big block olds, big block caddy, and I think another odd ball motor in it at one time. He doesn't come around all that much anymore.

[hippie-46]

thanks everyone for the info just looked at title 72 gmc 1500 but is coil spring w/helpers and is a 5 lug rear end .maybe its been changed.

[Dieselwrencher]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

That's crazy Al... can't remember if that's his screen name or just what I've always called him... His isn't tubbed, but it does have an owner fabb'd tilt nose, a chopped top, and 1/2 ton suspention tossed under it. I think he has a sssmall block in it now, but he's had big block olds, big block caddy, and I think another odd ball motor in it at one time. He doesn't come around all that much anymore.

Yep, that's the one I was thinking of.

[jerry moss]

locally i have seen two 69 or 70 longbed halfton custom camper 10 series trucks. both are bone stock and still owned by the original owners. i've done muffler work on one of them a couple times in my 26 years at the same shop. they were not longhorns just 8 footers.

[Longhorn Man]

yeah, that would be the option package custom campers.

[va72longhorn]

I knew once Longhorn Man chimed in that it would all be be straighten out. Now, according to the option sheet, the Custom Camper option was only available on the 20 series trucks. Would it be correct to assume that those options were standard on the C30 pickups which would explain the C30 longhorn with no "Custom Camper" badging?
I saw another GMC, Custom 2500, 8-6 bed with the "Longhorn" badging on the rear fender this weekend. It appeared to be all original with a 350 teamed up with a three-on- the- tree. A strange combination, I thought. Both the tailgate and grill were GMC and the paint didnt appear to have been redone so the GMC badged as a longhorn issue still has me baffled.

[Longhorn Man]

badges could have been installed from the dealer, or by anyone along the way.
C/30s didn't come with those options stock, as a matter of fact, the rear shocks were optional on one tons. No listing for rear shocks, means no mounting provisions for them... sway bar was still optional on them too.
That page was taken from the C/20 K/20 section of the book. The package was offered on 10 and 30 series also