Camper Special question.

[mopar346]

I was looking at the dually picture thread and I noticed quit a few camper specials. I know on Fords a camper special had the rear end further back than a normal truck. Is that the case with the Chevrolet as well? What is the distance from the fron of the cab to the center of the rear axle?

I also saw something about somebodies rear end being cab and chassis width. Is there a difference from a regular dually and a C&C axle width?

I am still trying to decide which way to go with the unit I just bought, 155" WB 3500 C&C dually.

Thanks in advance, Kevin

[Keith Seymore]

No - camper special wheelbase is the same as a regular pickup.

Yes - Dually pickup rear axles extend out further (necessitating the dually fenders). Cab and chassis dual rear wheel axles are narrower (and would fit within the width of a regular pickup box - if they had one).

K

[mopar346]

Thanks. So a C&C rear end will NOT fit a regular dually bed?

[old Rusty C10]

there was a guy at a recent truck show that had one with a cam and chassis rear with a regular bed on it but he had to make or tub the wheel houses which then makes it near impossible to carry shets of plywood or sheetrock. His truck was used for twoing a fifth wheel and it was adequate for that. I hadnt taken any pictures as i didnt have my camera but i wasnt all that impressed anyway

[RandyP]

What year cab and chassis? My book is showing they came in:

Regular Cab:
131" wb, normal 8' bed length
135" wb
159" wb
Crew/Bonus Cab:
164" wb, normal 8' bed length

If you have a regular cab with a wheelbase longer than the 131", you'd have to custom make a box style bed for it. I'd call it a long long bed, but it'd look cool.

[mopar346]

It's an 88, I did a quick measurement the other day I thought it was 155 although it could have been the 150.5 I've seen, I am almost positive it is not 159. I am having some tires mounted today and may go get it this afternoon and bring it home. I will double check the next time I am with it to verify. It is a regular cab. I was considering an extended box among other opitons but I guess the read end would make that a little more agreviating than I originally thought. I do know there is just short of 11 ft of frame behind the cab. I really wont to do a roll back, just sizing up my options.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

there was a guy at a recent truck show that had one with a cam and chassis rear with a regular bed on it but he had to make or tub the wheel houses which then makes it near impossible to carry shets of plywood or sheetrock. His truck was used for twoing a fifth wheel and it was adequate for that. I hadnt taken any pictures as i didnt have my camera but i wasnt all that impressed anyway

Cool concept but poor execution?

K

[RandyP]

Here's what I show for an 88 R30 (You do have a square body and not a new body style C30, correct?).

[mopar346]

Yep, square body I posted the VIN on another thread, hopefully I will get time to get it home today and put a tape measure to it.

[RandyP]

Yeah I remembered you had put a VIN up and I went to grab it, but you X'd out the last digits so it's no good to me. My program requires the entire VIN and it spits out what it is, but even then sometimes I have to choose which exact model it is. Basically it would tell me for sure it was an 88 cab and chassis but it might ask me which one of the 2 choices it might be. Even with modern vehicles it does that, like for an 05 Silverado it might get me so far but then ask if it is a LS or LT etc.
You can PM me the entire thing if you want and I can see, totally up to you.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by mopar346

I was looking at the dually picture thread and I noticed quit a few camper specials. I know on Fords a camper special had the rear end further back than a normal truck. Is that the case with the Chevrolet as well? What is the distance from the fron of the cab to the center of the rear axle?

I also saw something about somebodies rear end being cab and chassis width. Is there a difference from a regular dually and a C&C axle width?

I am still trying to decide which way to go with the unit I just bought, 155" WB 3500 C&C dually.

Thanks in advance, Kevin

My 79 Bonanza 1 ton camper special (single axle) came with a back bumper that extends out 4 feet to support a 12 foot camper on an 8 foot bed. You pull the pins and slide the bumper out, the wire harness for the license plate light is extra long to accomodate. The entire structure follows the frame and runs down both sides of the spare tire underneath. It's a fairly elaborate setup that from what I understand may have been optional on camper specials. It is listed on my build sheet but I'm unclear of some of the terminoligy.

When I bought the truck nearly 20 years ago, it had a 14 foot camper mounted on the bed, and the bumper was extended out. Until that time I had not seen anything like it. I was told by the original owner at that time that he ordered it this way. Since then I've only seen one other Camper Special 1 Ton that had this rear bumper. I'm sure there has to be others out there. I doubt you would find a rear bumper like this on a regular (non camper special) pickup.

There were a few other differences on the camper special models as well.

[mopar346]

Randy, PM sent. thanks for the help

Firebird, That sounds pretty trick I have never even heard of anything like that and I've been in the car business for 30 years.

[RandyP]

I was afraid of this, it asks between two wheelbase lengths. Either way, neither is the wb for an 8' bed to fit on, that would need a 131" wb.

[mopar346]

Thanks for the info though, I will get a tape on it and let ya know what I find. Defintiely not the 135 though. Does it show anything further if you select the 159 WB?

[RandyP]

After you select the wheelbase it just pops out the drivetrain information. It did decode it as a 5.7 carb, like we knew already.

[mopar346]

Gotta it.

[mopar346]

Well I guess it's a 159 WB, one man measuring don't work very well. Got the tires on it today and drove it around a bit, runs surprisingly strong. We gotta drop my son's CJ off at the nuffler shop in the morning and should go get while there doing there thing. I kinda want to drive the CJ up on the flat bed to see how it hauls it.

Gotta clean it up and figure out what I got. I'm pretty stoked.

[mopar346]

Drove it quit a bit today and brought it home. Here is a picture of the label in the glove box. See anything unusual?

[HotRodScottsdale]

Do all squares come with camper specs in the door jamb badge? Or just the camper special ones?
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