1975 Ford F-350 w/ American Road Camper

This is a very unique version of the highly sought after classic F series truck. This 1 ton work horse has a 140 inch wheel base to properly accommodate the massive camper that I believe was a special order, probably installed by the dealer when the truck was purchased new. The American Road fiberglass camper is one of approximately 850 made by Starcraft for the Ford Motor Co. in the mid 70's. The rear bumper telescopes out to clear the large overhang of the camper in the rear and the spare tire is mounted behind a removable panel in the right side of the truck's bed. The truck came equipped with factory/dealer installed dual battery system and A/C. When I bought the truck in 2016, the exhaust manifolds were cracked. Of course a few bolts broke off when trying to remove them so I had to pull the heads. Since the heads were off, I had the valves done, replaced the timing set, water and fuel pumps and ran an entirely new exhaust system. Four new tires, new brakes and it was on the road working pretty well. A year later the tranny started acting up, so it got rebuilt. Later I didn't like the way the truck idled and after a couple of months screwing with the carb, I finally broke down and bought a brand new Edelbrock. It now purrs like a kitten and runs great.

The odometer reads 5200 mi. Probably 105,200 judging by lack of wear on brake pedal pad, original floor mat, and seat. The dash pad is primo and the headliner is still in good shape. It's a Ranger, indicating mid to upper level trim package, There's only 1 piece of lower body trim missing behind RR wheel. Truck is in very good shape with just a few dings. Don't believe its ever been wrecked. The only rust is in the battery trays, especially the auxiliary pictured.

What's wrong with it? The shift collar on steering column broke, so someone rigged a shifter through the floor. There's a 4 in. crack in windshield, hasn't been a problem. Needs seat re-upholstered. Radiator leaks a little when hot, probably time for a new one. Fuel problem with front tank. Just running it off the rear one. Rear sliding window messed up, should be replaced. The power steering fluid reservoir leaks a little. A/C is in-op. I left the compressor off when I did the head work, but I still have it.

I've done nothing with the American Road Camper, but it seems to be fine structurally. The interior needs to be restored, but it's not terrible. Leaks around the windows and rear door have damaged some of the paneling. The previous owner robbed the propane tank and regulator and the water pump is gone. It's fully self-contained including a shower. Previous owner told me the stove and refer worked fine when they abandoned it, but no guarantees. This was a high end camper back in the day, which may have led to its demise back during the oil embargo. The glass is all good and it still has the ladder and roof rack. Good info at americanroadcamper.com.

This package turns heads and would be a hit at the shows and campgrounds. It needs to be preserved.

See also American Road Camper owners and enthusiasts group on Facebook.