Studebaker Camper Getting Closer

[SilverHawkDan]

It's been awhile but I have been very busy. The Studebaker camper truck finally made it's maiden voyage. I drove it about a mile. Except for the severly out of round tires it was an Ok experience. I need to finish the wiring and install the trailer control unit. The trailer hitch is installed. Found a late model GM hitch and it fit right in. Drilled six holes in the frame and modified the rear frame plate and it bolted right in. Hooked it up to the trailer with the Avanti still on it. Only dropped down about two or three inches. So if all goes well I will be towing the Avanti to the Piamo Beach car show on Friday afternoon. Here are a couple of pictures to bring you up to date.

[JRoberts]

What a great rig. I can only imagine the fun you'll have with it as a tow/push vehicle. I can't wait to see a picture with it working at what you have designed for it to do.

[SilverHawkDan]

Joe,
Thanks, I can't wait either. If all goes well I will tow the Avanti to the Pismo Beach car show on Thursday night. I put two new tires on the front today and it made all the difference in the world. Drives smooth and steers great. Might not have to put power steering on it. I also scored a really nice 289 truck engine that is complete. Took it apart and it is cherry. A set of gaskets and it will be ready to find it's way into the camper engine bay. Thinking of adapting a late model non computer overdrive automatic to make it more driveable. Probably add A/C and P/S at the same time. That's a winter project. For now it's smooth things over and use it for the Summer. Need to find some taller tires for the back to help with the gear ratio. 2nd gear lasts about ten feet. In fourth by the other side of the street. I'll post pictures from this weekend.
Dan

[JRoberts]

Looking forward to those pictures!

[SilverHawkDan]

Well today I did it. I took the camper for it's maiden voyage. For a second I thought it was going to be a Titanic moment. Here's a peek>

Broke the fan belt in Atascadero. It's always the little things that bite you.

Went to the parts store and got a new one. Pulleys turned free and things looked good. Continued on to Pismo Beach. Got lot's of long looks and a few thumbs up.

So the car is set up for the show. Hope to land a sponsor for Bonneville. My list of things I need to do to the camper just got a lot longer. Oh well that's what old cars are all about. The camper towing the Avanti maxes out the "COOL" meter.
Dan

[JRoberts]

Yep, wirh these old cars there is always something. The whole rig really looks good. My hat goes off to you for getting that camper on the road and towing your Avanti. Will the whole rig be at Bonneville? Keep up the good work.

[SilverHawkDan]

Bonneville

JRoberts,
If all goes well the whole rig will be at Bonneville. We plan to camp at Bend in the Road in the camper and keep the trailer and car on the salt. I need bigger tires or a different trans or differential gears for that long of a trip. The engine was really taching out at 55 to 60 mph. Maybe an overdrive unit will work. Plan to check things out this week.
Dan

[JRoberts]

I'm rooting for ya'.

[SilverHawkDan]

Update:
I drove up to my daughters place this afternoon and picked up the camper and trailer. Nice view.

Drove down to Pismo in heavy traffic without incident. Lot's of stares and elbow nudges. Even got a few people pointing and drooling. Loaded up the Avanti to take it back to my daughters place for the night. Cruised in back through downtown just to watch the reactions. Cool time.

Another freeway trip tomorrow as I will be taking the car to the fabrication shop in San Luis Obispo so the Kris can finish the new induction system. If you plan on being near Buellton next weekend the car will be at the car show and cruise. Cruise form 6 to 7 PM on Friday. Car show, cruise and gravity drags on Saturday. Poker run on Sunday. Then back to the ranch to finish the SCTA modifications and get the car ready for El Mirage on July 9 & 10. Lot's to do but should be finished in time.
Dan

[kurtruk]

Where in SLO? Maybe I can bump in to 'ya.

[SilverHawkDan]

Slo

Kurkruk,
Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I was at Kris Kroll Fabrication off of Higuera. Then I was at Adaptive Driving dropping off the Avanti and trailer. I will be picking up the car on Thursday late afternoon. So if you are still in the area let me know and we can meet somewhere in SLO or 5 cities. I live in Santa Maria so I will pass by the area.
Dan

[SilverHawkDan]

Nice Compliment!
I was in the tire store in Oceano yesterday. A guy pulled in with a truck. As I was leaving he told me he had seen me driving down the 101 freeway earlier towing a car. He asked me what kind of car I was towing. I told him it was a Studebaker Avanti. He told me that was really cool that it too was a Studebaker. He told me that he took a long time passing me on the freeway because it was the coolest thing he had seen in a long time. He said that the rig was the best thing he had seen, even better than all the cars at the car show. I thanked him and felt I had been paid a high compliment. It's things like this that make all the hard work worth it. Here's some eye candy of what he saw on the freeway.

See you at the Buellton car show this weekend. The camper and Avanti will be there Friday and Saturday

[crashnzuk]

Very cool and unique unit you have there. I really like the early 50s trucks, but to have one as a motorhome is super cool. Good luck at the lakebed.
Travis..

[SilverHawkDan]

Well it made another trip. I forgot how much longer it takes to go 35 miles at 55 mph. Need new gears. We took the Avanti to the car show in Buellton yesterday. Towed down Friday evening and spent our first night in the camper. Will need to make some adjustments for comfort but not altogether bad. The truck was as big a hit as the Avanti. Combined they were a big hit. People stopped by all day and asked lots of questions about the camper and Avanti. We were one of four Stude's there. I even got to cruise the Avanti during the 3:30PM cruise. So it was a good day and another long trip back to Santa Maria at 55 mph. I will be taking the camper back to Paso to pull the differential out and have my buddy Matt switch the gears to 4.10's or 3.73's. Also scored a C6 automatic tranmsission, exhaust manifolds and a four barrel intake manifold for the camper. So I feel it was worth the pain of driving without door windows for over 70 miles round trip.
Here's my new favorite picture of the camper.

http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p56/dieselguy2006/Buellton%20Car%20Show%206-25-11/?action=view&current=DSCF3792.jpg

[StudeRich]

Ford C6?

Be sure to "run the numbers" on that Axle Ratio change and be sure if you are going to be using a Direct or Overdrive in the final setup before going that High with the rear gears.

If you end up with a Overdrive 4.56 is about as high as you can go even with a 289 4V if you expect to pull the weight, wind resistance of the Truck, Camper and Trailer and actually get to use Overdrive even part of the time.

Can a late model Ford, Ford-O-Matic C6 be used in a Stude.?
I have heard of a lot of Auto. Tranny mods like AMC, and early Ford-O-Matic etc. but all had the Borg Warner Cast Iron case like the Stude.