Camper Special or Custom Camper?

[White70C20]

I recently got a 1970 C20. It is a 350/TH350. It is pretty plain except for the exterior trim and chrome bumper. It has heavy-duty springs and shocks. The side emblems say "Custom 20". I noticed on the options sticker on the glovebox lid that it has two camper options. Is my truck a Camper Special or Custom Camper, or just optioned that way?
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[whoryou1979]

Custom Camper. Camper Specials were produced by the other guys.

[White70C20]

If it was a Custom Camper, wouldn't it say "Custom Camper" on the fender? Im wondering if maybe they just didn't order the complete package. What are those two camper related options on my option sheet?
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[whoryou1979]

To my knowledge, it should have the Custom Camper emblems on the fender if the original owner requested them. If not, it was standard to have the Custom Camper emblems on the doors.

[Mayo]

Originally Posted by whoryou1979

To my knowledge, it should have the Custom Camper emblems on the fender if the original owner requested them. If not, it was standard to have the Custom Camper emblems on the doors.

I believe Custom Camper on the doors is 72 only
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[whoryou1979]

Also, the camper wiring could be ordered seperately, without a Custom Camper package. Having said that, the other options I can see, coupled with the 'Name Plate' option, would make me think this was in fact a Custom Camper.

[sboris]

Welcome from southern Ia. How about some pics of this bad boy. We like pics
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[SS Tim]

Your SPID calls out for the Z84 Custom Camper name plate option. The truck had to have certain equipment levels to qualify for the option but it was a N/C option. Your truck being a '70 should have "Custom Camper/20" on the fenders. The 67-68 trucks had a fender emblem like the white truck that was not series specific. 69-71 used a different fender emblem that superseded the the series emblem with a "Custom Camper/XX" call out emblem like the gold truck. 72s used door call out script "Custom Camper" above the exterior door handle and kept the normal fender emblem for that series and trim level.

[1972RedNeck]

Does your truck have leaves or coils? If leaf, does it have overloads? If so, could you post a few pictures of them.

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by 1972RedNeck

Does your truck have leaves or coils? If leaf, does it have overloads? If so, could you post a few pictures of them.

The SPID indicates G70 leafs but without the other half we can't se if it has the HD G50 springs or the G60 Helper Springs. As an aside the G60 helper springs were not offered on K20s but the HD G50s were.

[White70C20]

Thanks! I'll put up pics tomorrow.
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[jocko]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Your SPID calls out for the Z84 Custom Camper name plate option. The truck had to have certain equipment levels to qualify for the option but it was a N/C option. Your truck being a '70 should have "Custom Camper/20" on the fenders. The 67-68 trucks had a fender emblem like the white truck that was not series specific. 69-71 used a different fender emblem that superseded the the series emblem with a "Custom Camper/XX" call out emblem like the gold truck. 72s used door call out script "Custom Camper" above the exterior door handle and kept the normal fender emblem for that series and trim level.

Ya just had to post "the one that got away" didn't ya...
Dang, that thing was nice.

Here is a pic of the 72-only (for chevs) Custom Camper nameplate for additional reference. (I believe it was on more than 72's for GMCs - back to 69 or 67-ish, don't recall exact yr)

And also - to Tim's point - pic #2 is a 71 Cheyenne Super that just happens to have the Custom Camper nameplate that supersedes the Cheyenne Super emblems.

And to add to the naming confusion - Chevy did eventually change to "Camper Special" nomenclature - 73 and up I think (not 100% on the year). Fords were Camper Specials pre-72 though. And to make it ever more confusing, some of the Chevy plants (72 and earlier) listed "Custom Camper" on the SPID as "Special Camper"... (even though it was still a Custom Camper thru 72). I believe Fremont did this fairly often.

[SS Tim]

Yes... My masterful evil plan of having you buy the truck and putting your wood and buckets into it before deciding it was way too big then selling it to me for a huge loss didn't work! :-(

Would one of these have been a better choice? :-)

[jocko]

Ugh. the elusive northwestern Black over Orange Yeti. Whose/where, pray tell, is the light yeller 72?

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by jocko

Ugh. the elusive northwestern Black over Orange Yeti. Whose/where, pray tell, is the light yeller 72?

You mean this one? Ha... its a Cheyenne 30 Longhorn, light yellow with green buckets and a tach. Took me a year to even get a lead. No wait... that evil plan thing, don't worry about it. You want to buy a truck???

[jocko]

I thought we both didn't like light yellow.... If that's changing, then there's a goooood looking cheyenne custom camper in san dog for us. I'm just sayin.

Ha, I'm broke now, so gotta play the hand I dealt myself.

[darush01]

I know that our years were custom campers but it was said that Chevy never made a camper special I had a 75 that had camper special emblem I will say it was Frankenstein because of a bad case of cancer and my dads supply of old trucks it was our wrecker for yrs I was just wondering if those emblems were stock
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[SS Tim]

As jocko posted up in #12 the name did change in '73 to "Camper Special" and added a "Trailer Special" package. They both had a distinctive badge on the door pillar with a gross weight rating for your friendly law enforcement officer.

[White70C20]

Ok, here's the pictures I promised. Its gotta be one of the cleanest 70s scored for under 3 grand.

Notice the left "add-on" fuel door. It doesn't go anywhere. Any ideas?
Also, notice the trim and emblems. Does my truck look like a Custom Camper?








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[SS Tim]

Looks like a good project truck. The bed has added fuel tank doors on both sides. These were to access the fillers of very common saddle tanks added to the truck and then removed at some point. They ran about 20 gal. a side, so think what it would have cost to fill your truck 3x. Plus if you don't drive it a lot the gas goes bad. Often the tanks are not used or removed all together. Or if your bed has been changed they may have been on the donor truck. Most often the fuel transfer valve is mounted to the floor between the seat track and the driver's
door sill.Might want to check into that for mods. that should be corrected.

The lack of Custom Camper/20 emblems could have several explanations. They may have been broken and replaced with easier to find custom badges. Since your truck was apparently repainted the fenders may be replacements from another truck. Or lastly if these can be disproved it might with the slightest possible chance been a miss build with the wrong emblems.
With some more pictures we might be able to go further with this, just depends on where you want to go.

But one thing you need to do is clean up the wiring and try to reduce the rubber in the fuel line as much as possible. Under hood fires can do a lot of damage.

[SS Tim]

To further elaborate. There was no specific "Look" for a "Custom Camper" truck it was a nameplate/emblem only option on any trim level truck. It had to be ordered as a seperate RPO and the trucks had to have model specific equipment to qualify for it.

[White70C20]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Looks like a good project truck.

But one thing you need to do is clean up the wiring and try to reduce the rubber in the fuel line as much as possible. Under hood fires can do a lot of damage.

Thanks! I really like it.

How would you suggest I lessen the amount of rubber fuel line? I like having that little auxiliary filter in-line (gives it a cool look). Also, if I get some zip ties to bundle up the wires, will that take care of that problem? I never really gave it much thought, so its nice to have a second opinion.
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[jocko]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Looks like a good project truck. The bed has added fuel tank doors on both sides. These were to access the fillers of very common saddle tanks added to the truck and then removed at some point. They ran about 20 gal. a side, so think what it would have cost to fill your truck 3x. Plus if you don't drive it a lot the gas goes bad. Often the tanks are not used or removed all together. Or if your bed has been changed they may have been on the donor truck. Most often the fuel transfer valve is mounted to the floor between the seat track and the driver's
door sill.Might want to check into that for mods. that should be corrected.

The lack of Custom Camper/20 emblems could have several explanations. They may have been broken and replaced with easier to find custom badges. Since your truck was apparently repainted the fenders may be replacements from another truck. Or lastly if these can be disproved it might with the slightest possible chance been a miss build with the wrong emblems.
With some more pictures we might be able to go further with this, just depends on where you want to go.

But one thing you need to do is clean up the wiring and try to reduce the rubber in the fuel line as much as possible. Under hood fires can do a lot of damage.

Any idea if the Custom/20 and CustomCamper/20 emblems used the same mounting pin spacing (i.e. even though the Custom Camper/20 emblem is obviously longer - does it use the same spacing on the mounting holes? ala interchangeable?

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by White70C20

Thanks! I really like it.

How would you suggest I lessen the amount of rubber fuel line? I like having that little auxiliary filter in-line (gives it a cool look). Also, if I get some zip ties to bundle up the wires, will that take care of that problem? I never really gave it much thought, so its nice to have a second opinion.
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OK, Please understand I'm trying to be helpful ant critical. As a whole there are a lot of underhood issues. The good news is they are probably easily correctable. Its temping to say "it runs, why?". Well to make it reliable. Sorting wires in the dark is no fun! A fuel leak can ruin your whole day.
As to fixing the line. Filters are great and on old trucks with rusty tanks a necessity. The trick is placing them so they will not be damaged and minimize the rubber line. Since you are running a replacement carb. a reproduction line is not an exact fit but might get you real close. If you are not comfortable bending up a hard line that runs all the way up to the filer's location a reproduction might be the way to go. As your line is cut down in front there is no protection for the rubber thus good reason to extend the hard line to the filter then use a short connector to the filter. Depending on how much distance there is to the inlet use hose or another metal line if it can be attached to the inlet fitting.
Really all the underhood wires need to be addressed one at a time, evaluated and corrected. Just tie wrapping everything isn't going to help much. Specifically the added wires for the electric choke and that wire nut are at the top of my list. Where does the big loopy red wire go to?
The plug wires need to be routed away from the headers and some looms would really help. The vacuum line could be shortened to stay inside the valve covers to keep from burning too. Now granted this is from one picture and a small one. Maybe things look better in person. But spending the time and a little money to sort it will pay off. We want you happy with your truck!

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by jocko

Any idea if the Custom/20 and CustomCamper/20 emblems used the same mounting pin spacing (i.e. even though the Custom Camper/20 emblem is obviously longer - does it use the same spacing on the mounting holes? ala interchangeable?

IDK..... anyone???