One of the things I have most admired about the recreational vehicle industry are its hard charging people of remarkable determination, able to identify and satisfy a market need, no matter how small the niche. Ever since automotive-hauled fifth wheel trailers came into use a hundred years ago, a number of unique and specialized solutions to haul them most effectively have been created, like this Cabriolet fifth wheel trailer hauler built from a Ford Econoline E-350 chassis.
image courtesy Glen Curtis Museum
The advantages of fifth wheel travel trailers were discovered early. The earliest fifth wheel travel trailer dates back to 1912; this one is an Adams Motor Bungalow from 1918.
In the late 1920s, when the money and inclination for motorized camping really took off, fifth wheel trailers were easily adapted to the coupes of the times, with their short tails. Fifth wheel trailers track much better than conventional trailers, as a substantial portion of the weight is taken in the front, directly over the rear axle, just like a semi-trailer truck.
It didn’t take long for specialized tow rigs to appear, built on a truck chassis. This yielded a large passenger compartment or extra storage space, as well as being a heavier duty chassis for even larger trailers.
Designed by Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, this elaborate fifth-wheel trailer “Jungle Yacht” was used by Commander Gatti for his well-publicized trips through Africa.
During the 50s through the 70s, fifth wheel trailers grew in popularity and size, as it allowed ever larger living space without compromising towability. Pickups now were the default tow rig of choice.
But the possibility of an exceptionally roomy tow rig was not overlooked by some manufacturers, like this 1969 vintage “Ultruvan” Econoline conversion, which kept the front/middle section of the van, and used an extended frame to allow an over-the axle fifth wheel.
International created its Wagonmaster specifically for fifth wheel hauling, but almost shockingly, flubbed the design, because the bed was too short to allow the hitch to be directly over the rear axle. That limited it to fairly small trailers only.
There were several conversion companies that made purpose-built fifth wheel tow rigs during the boom years of the RV industry. Centurion was the largest, and Cabriolet also joined in for some years. These were built on a Ford E-350 cutaway chassis, as would be used by motorhome manufacturers or for cube vans.
Like Centurion, Cabriolet company, based in Constantine, Michigan, also offered customized crew-cab pickups for this role, with luxurious interiors to make life on the road a bit more comfortable.
The area directly behind the driver’s seat of the Cabriolet is a combination of factory van doors and custom fiberglass bodywork planted on the cutaway Ford RV chassis. The result does possess a swell behind the drivers compartment, but it’s roughly the same width as the trailer it was designed to tow, and allows for the availability of a bed in the cab for on-the road snoozing.
The first thing one notices is the sheer size of this rig. For illustrative purposes, this is our subject vehicle parked next to a Ford Transit. Their rear bumpers line up perfectly to show the difference in their length. This is not a small vehicle.
Nor is it a shrinking violet, a vehicle that will effortlessly blend into the scenery. The acres of tape adorning the flanks are a result of the 1980s pasteurization of 1970s era kitsch. The yards of tape gleefully slathered all over this Ford certainly add to its curb weight, but can you imagine this rig in nothing but white? The amount of sunlight reflecting from its body surfaces would blind a person.
Sadly, one of the larger injustices thrust upon this poor, hapless E-350 is the Chevrolet tail lights. This is likely a bigger automotive faux pas than slapping a Cadillac badge on a Chevrolet Cavalier, and it runs counter to polite automotive decorum.
Given the abundant visual sparkle of this E-350, there had ought to be some mechanical sparkle to back it up. Indeed there was: The prospective buyer of this custom E-350 could opt for the stout 460 cubic inch (7.5 liter) V8 or the determined 6.9 liter naturally aspirated diesel engine. This rig was intended to pull, built for jobs in which heavy loads were the norm, jobs that would relegate any lesser vehicle into a steaming pile of rubbish.
Both of these engines have cultivated reputations for gingerly (well, with the diesel, not as gingerly) managing burdensome loads. That one could do so with a higher degree of creature comforts was simply icing on the cake.
Our subject is powered by the 6.9 liter diesel. In a move not uncommon for the time period, it has had an aftermarket Banks turbocharger added. This was a savvy move by whomever owned it at the time. Having experienced one of these diesels in its original form, it would do what was asked of it but certainly took its sweet time doing it.
Regardless of drivetrain, this E-350 was more than able to deliver the desired result of moving heavy trailers over long distances while providing comfort and power. All things come with a cost, as those twin fuel spouts along the side are reminders both of these engines have a zesty appetite for fuel. The upside is that one can go much further between pit stops which is handy if you were a commercial operator with a deadline.
The Cabriolet was a product of its time, before the more recent crop of ever-larger double cab turbo-diesel pickups have become the fifth-wheel tow rig of choice. But there are alternatives still, for those wanting something a bit larger and roomier. And they’re not all that uncommon. I suspect that a fair number of retired truckers can’t quite give up the life on the road. Or maybe it’s folks that always harbored a yen to be a trucker; what else is retirement but fulfill those desires?
Having seen this rig at least twice daily for three months, my demeanor toward it has vacillated wildly. One day it is the biggest visual abomination ever, a slap in the face of good taste. Other days I see it for what it is, a purpose-built fifth-wheel hauler, as function generally trumps form in my mind. However, what truly reigns in my thought process is how single-purpose this rig is.
If one needed nothing but a vehicle to pull trailers, this was a good choice. There is no shortage of passenger space, either drivetrain was stout as could be, and this was made to pull any type and size trailer imaginable. It could get a lot of work done efficiently and reliably.
On the flip side, this E-350 embodies all the shortcomings of a van with inferior foot room for the driver, poor accessibility to the engine and inadequate outward visibility. It is a hybrid between a van and a pickup, possessing a bed that is both made of fiberglass yet shallower than a factory pickup bed. Typical pickup duties of hauling livestock in the bed, obtaining a loader bucket of rock, and hauling firewood simply won’t happen with this vehicle, unless it is hooked up to a trailer.
There is undoubtedly a fan base for these, just as there is for nearly any vehicle. However my exposure to and researching of this rig has simply not added me to their legion, due primarily to its overly-narrow purpose in life. I’ll stick to four wheels.
I agree the Chevy taillights are sacrilege.
Regarding the Wagon Master the tale I’ve heard told by an IH employee was that it was quitting time and a couple of guys in the body shop sat a Travelette roof on a partially assembled Travelall body and left for the night. Someone higher up came in the next morning and saw it and went humm, interesting. So they hacked up a pickup back panel, put it together and showed it to someone even higher up. In other words they weren’t building it for any specific purpose they were initially just goofing off.
Now once they built a prototype and got approval, then marketing guys eventually did put the spin on it that it was “perfect for the new 5th wheel trailers” for the later full color brochure. In the initial one pager sheet which I have a copy of they touted it as a garagable multi purpose family vehicle.
They did offer a “factory installed” 5th wheel hitch for it but by factory they meant that it could take a detour to the TSPC (Truck Sales Processing Center) to have it installed before it made its way to the dealer. That is contrasted by the receiver hitch that was installed on the assembly line before the body drop. I have one of those on my Travelall and you can’t remove the bolts that attach the front of the hitch to the mid crossmember because they are long and installed from above. In both cases they were Resse brand and were available in the Neccessories catalog for self or dealer install too.
So the Wagon Master was the ancestor of long-cab short-bed creatures like the Explorer Sport Trac then. Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.
And, yes, the Chevy tails are definitely sacrilege. I like the rest of it in an 80’s kind of way though!
Here’s mine. A definite conversation starter.
I agree with the taillights, but think of all the Ford hotrods with short blocks. It’s like the Chinese Lincoln Town Car with the Cadillac Continental kit.
Wasn’t the Lincoln Blackwood conceived by Ford assembly workers patching a Navigator front clip on a Ford F series?
Interesting, I imagine a more useful bed with some drop-in or fold-up sides could quickly make it more useful. If you need a heavy duty tow rig it would be hard to do better, unless the foot well size is that bad?
Oddly Ive never driven this generation of Ford van but the contemporary Cchevrolet and Dodge were terrible on foot room for the driver. I own a Ford van of the next generation and foot room could best be described as tolerable. The foot room factor is one reason I’m not a van person.
The driver’s side is not bad in this generation but the passenger side is pretty bad with the factory fixed position bucket. What is really bad is when they have aftermarket AC. Mine has the factory AC and the passenger side vent is nicely integrated in the dash. My friend has one with the aftermarket/dealer AC and I rode in it last week and whacked my knee on it hard getting out. It was the first time I got out. It doesn’t hurt that I have after maket swivel captain’s chairs so they slide back pretty far.
We have swivel seats so the wife can swivel and her legs aren’t at an angle like you would if you had a non swivel seat. I got the 7.3idi na non turbo international motor in my 90 Ford Centurion and yes I have ford taillights thank god. We pull our 34’ 5th wheel witch a combined gross of 19,920lbs. It pulls with out any problems except it does it at 19mph going up lookout pass. Will be putting a gear vender into it as we will be full time in our rv come next year. One weird thing I’ve found is the sleeper cab part is plywood. The cargo light on the top of the backside of the cab is held in with 3” long wood screws.
Nice find. There can’t be too many of these around.
A guy I worked with had a Centurion that he had purchased new to haul his drag car. His was blue and, thankfully, devoid of the graphics. It was a diesel with a turbo conversion, and had about a kazillion miles on it. My impression was that it suffered from “conversion van syndrome”; a kind of tacky interior, and fiberglass that deteriorated at a different rate as the Ford parts.
The fifth-wheel was part of the bed as I recall. I think there was a tubular frame that was not removable, rendering it mostly useless for anything but towing. BTW, Cabriolet and Centurion must have used the same body pieces, as they look pretty much identical.
Great article. Commander Gatti’s Jungle Yacht looks like its a solid body front to rear. One of the inset pics has a trailer on its own, but has the artist taken liberties with the main pic or am I just being naive?
gotit. that’s a pretty neat fairing over the hitch
Cool find! Never knew these existed before.
Wow, this is – uh – something. Hard to see how this would beat a crew cab pickup, though.
It’s a good thing this E-Line didn’t do it for you, or I could imagine a guy in Missouri taking a Sawzall to his own ford van to replicate this. And I’ll bet it wouldn’t have Chevy taillights.
The temptation to repurpose that insipid van has been huge at times. A similar temptation has been to find a ’60s model Ford with no drivetrain, give it a 5.4 liter transplant, and then weld a tow hitch to the front of mine so I could have an enclosed trailer and the dumb thing would finally be useful.
I’m guessing the interior volume is about double that of a typical crew cab truck. Some folks just can’t ever seem to get enough space. They probably live in big houses, or none at all.
Honestly I find vans to be more comfortable to drive- no hood to see over and nicer upright seats with armrests and Ralph Kramden style steering wheels to lean on, as long as my legs have space. And they are much more comfortable for the passengers. And these could be used as solo weekend campers for a couple, some have aux generators and A/C’s, and room for a porty-a-potty.
What was the expectation of daily use for the truck, and why add a cab that had beds in it.
I’m finding this hard to understand, frankly.
It was built to tow 5th wheels while providing more rear space than a crew cab pickup. The short snout of the van made the extra space possible. It is not meant to be a daily driver, although I don’t know if the overall length is much more than a long bed crew cab pickup. The sleeper would make it ideal for towing horse trailers (although today some horse trailers have living quarters). It fits a small niche.
There are many Americans who travel in large RVs either for a big part of the year, moving to the South for the whole winter, or others that sell their houses and live full time in their RVs. For them, a purpose built tow rig with lots of interior space might actually be rather practical or obvious.
The load bed is obviously an afterthought; just something to enclose the space where the fifth wheel is, as well as a place to stow things for the road. Nobody drove these things to the office on a daily basis, if that’s what you’re wondering.
When a couple is driving 3,000 miles from Minnesota to Arizona for the winter, the bed in the cab allows one of them to sleep/nap while the other drives. Does that make sense?
Did the article not make its purpose clear enough for you? America is a very large country, and so very large vehicles are a natural occurrence here. Just like in London some folks drive tiny two-seat electric cars. Many Americans would “find that hard to understand” too. It’s all about accepting that people live differently in different parts of the world.
Thanks Paul.
“find hard to relate to” might have been better than “find hard to understand”
My compliments Mr. Carr. For being such a true gentleman all the time.
I wonder if part of it is that it could be licensed as an RV instead of a truck, which would let it avoid weight stations and the like.
I used to get copies of NHRA drag racing magazines from my uncle that would have ads for Chevy Topkick trucks with a small camper on the back designed for towing racing trailers that were advertised as being able to register as an RV and avoid truck regulations.
yes
How much for the t-van.i would like to buy this truck call 6209511818
The only one I’ve seen, and it was an exact match to the truck featured here, I saw on a circus compound in Sweden. A travelling circus needs to be on the move, and be comfortable on the move. And it had a fifth wheel trailer camper behind it. This was in the late 80’s, so the combo must’ve been practically brand new, and it stood out, as it was the nicest rig around that circus. I figured it was the owner of the circus, and his rig.
Anyway, I don’t know how it is over there, but in Sweden, and probably most of Europe, you’re not allowed to travel in a trailer while trailing. I.e. on the move, you need to haul your stuff and your entire family somewhere else than in the trailer. So, I’d guess a rig like that could suit a circus owner who needs to be comfortable staying and comfortable traveling. I guess for really long hauls, they could have the drivers switching turns, while the other slept in the back of the cab. Or they had lots of grandmothers or something.
Here’s a VW type 5th wheel
http://images.dailykos.com/images/103069/large/Funny-RV-Fifth-Wheel_1_.jpg?1409426688
Kind of surprised to see the slide out on the trailer behind the ’69 Ultruvan; didn’t think those happened until much later.
IIRC that’s a homebuilt one-off that started with a used van and was indeed made much later.
11th pic shows a Ford Transit Connect. The Transit is much bigger.
I hate their van naming convention.
That’s right.
Excellent article on a subject that has long been interesting to me. There was a homemade E350 on my way to work some time ago. I think it was regularly used as it had a pickup bed (still with 5th wheel hitch). Like the COE applications it allowed the owner to maximize cargo and minimize personal comforts.
Love those original applications. They would be a hit at the campground today.
On the opposite end of the spectrum…
I like the Ultravan the best (on looks) and passenger or in cab storage would seem to be exceptional….for the time period.
You do have to chide Ford for not extending the frames of their own extended Econolines instead of just extending the body.
I have seen 3 or 4 of these over the years, and yes they were always white….with acres of graphics.
I see these occasionally, both professionally done conversions like this and home-brewed jobs. Reminds me of the guys that get their Dodge Mega-cab pickups lengthened with full 8′ boxes. (A factory Mega-cab is only available with the 6’4″ short box.) Probably the total cost is about the same as one of these rigs, but the stretched Mega-cab would be a lot more useful in practice.
I see a homemade version of that somewhat regularly around here, not used for towing a fifth wheel tho. Has rear doors a la Lincoln Blackwood. Probably about as useful as one too I suppose…
I used to see van conversions like this when I was a boy and in my teens. I remember thinking “wow! What an awesome way to travel. If you have a 5th wheel trailer, it’d be an awesome vehicle to tow it with. If the vehicle had a diesel engine, even better.” 🙂
Conversion vans were my dream vehicle when I was a kid. I was very jealous of families that had them. I still think they’d make more sense for a lot of people than full size SUVs.
I remember a classmate in grade school whose parents had a Dodge conversion van. It had a TV!…
… a 5″ black and white CRT
The wagonmaster looks useless as a 5th wheel hauler to me.
I looked at one just like this one n east OK yr or two ago, it needed a restore as said before, the conversion was coming apart from van body, some water damage, I would have bought n rebuilt if it had the diesel, but with a 460, mpg was just not going to do it, I ended up with a reg crew cab GMC dually with 6.2L n the banks kit, but my back seat doesn’t layout like the conversions do 🙁 n I would like the stand up room of the sleeper for short breaks n not having to hunt restrooms I’ve never seen a GM version of this rig, anyone know if they did any, I’m a GM guy, but I’ll buy what works best. Enjoyed the read, thanks
Well until the current generation the GM and Dodge vans were unibody, yes even the cutaways for motorhome/box mounting so my guess is that manufactures didn’t think they were up to the task. The one exception to the GM van was the GMC HD4500 which did get a full frame and a strange nose job.
What? My 2006 Chevy Express 1500 has a full frame under it.
Yeah and that is the current generation. And to be clear there was never a van sold by Chrysler that had a frame, they were all unibody.
Reminds me of this:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/uncategorized/cc-outtake-dodge-vanimino/
I didn’t see this mentioned, but Brook Stevens had an interesting take on the concept with the Zephyr.
http://theoldmotor.com/?p=123517
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2008/07/30/three-among-many-reasons-to-admire-brooks-stevens/
When I replaced my 23 ft TT with a 29 ft 5th wheel, it was a night and day difference in stability. Although I was only using a step bumper without equalizer or sway control which would have improved stability, the bumper was beefed up and had welded in extra metal to make sure it stayed put. Another 5th wheel advantage is you can sharply turn the truck in until the cab gets close to the traller and squeeze into some pretty tight spaces. With the over the wheel well setup I had when the receiver was lifted out you still had full use of the bed with only the rails following the profile of the wheel housings. The one disadvantage is the fifth wheel hitch and trailer overhang limits what you can carry in the bed of the truck when towing. About the only advantage I see with these conversions is the shorter front end of the van versions.
“The acres of tape adorning the flanks are a result of the 1980s pasteurization of 1970s era kitsch.”
That line made my morning! Thanks.
Hello im wondering do you have any more converion vans for sale call me 2898801124
Just imagine how much longer this vehicle would be if it were a Crew Cab or Extended Cab Pickup Truck and at least with the smaller hood navigating is easier. From personal experience the two front seats of a 2013 Chevy Express have pretty good foot room for me, but 1992-2007 Econolines and 1990s Dodge Ram Vans are lacking in front foot room. The Dodges are the worst offenders and make riding shotgun in a 93 Legacy seem roomy. This rig has more headroom than a Pickup so at least putting in a mattress is easier to do. The Chevy taillights make sense since they were on the smaller side for units mass produced at the time considered the low sides of the bed. I will agree the bed is lacking in versatility though. Have not seen one of these in years, I wonder how poor their survival rates are?
The tape. They spent so much time on designing the tape. Conversion vans of every type utilized it to add visual excitement but it seldom related to the surfaces it covered.
A practical question. Where do the owners park this kind of rigs when they’re not using it for a longer time?
I wonder if there are storage facilities for caravan trailers, motorhomes and this kind of long tractor-semi trailer combinations. During the winter season for example, and when you don’t have a big shed next to your house.
Storage facilities are becoming increasingly common. The spaces can be anything from just enough to place a few boxes with small furniture to outside storage where you can park these rigs and trailers. Some have bays large enough where you park the RV inside. The warehouse in your picture is fascinating but there are some here who would not appreciate this as their property would be viewed as being vulnerable to damage, vandalism, theft, etc. due to it not being isolated.
That said, I don’t often see RV’s parked anywhere but on the owners property, but I’m sure that varies by location. Parcels around here generally start at 1/3 acre and increase in size from there, so parking room is usually not a factor and seeing an RV stored in one’s driveway is nothing unusual. As for tow rigs, the people I know who pull RV trailers have pickups of various weight ratings, so it’s able to be used as an everyday vehicle.
Caravan trailer-“density” has always been high here in the past decades. Storage facilities are all over the country. In rural areas farmers (or retired farmers) mostly take care of storing caravan trailers and motorhomes. In a warehouse like the one in the picture or a bit less professional, such as in an old greenhouse or half open shed.
Winters are not very cold here, usually it’s more a wet season with temperatures around or just below freezing point at night. Not exactly ideal for leaving vehicles and trailers out in the open for months in a row, and not using them.
Motorhomes have become booming business, especially among people who have retired from work and enjoy their pension and spare time. They’re not as big as in the US of course. I must say that I like the German Hymer integral motorhomes.
Johannes,
Is that model built on the a front wheel drive Fiat chassis?
It looks that way but the Hymer website was not very clear on the matter.
I assume the one above is based on the Fiat Ducato chassis. Hymer also uses a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, for their B-series StarLine, pictured below.
Hymer also builds smaller semi-integral motorhomes.
You can see very clearly that this is a Fiat Ducato (aka Ram ProMaster):
And this is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter:
Yet those full-integral motorhomes look more like the “real thing” to me.
Thanks Johannes,
I’m curious because so far as I know there hasn’t been a FWD motorhome chassis available in the US since the Revcon went out of production in the mid 80s’, and before that the GMC motorhome in the 70s’.
Since the Fiat is now available as the Ram Promaster and is available as what we call a cutaway RV chassis, I wonder if we in the Americas will see a version of the FWD ” Class A” chassis from FCA? or it may be special build by the Al-Ko company.
A big advantage of FWD vans and light trucks is that you only need “the head” and then you can build pretty much anything behind the cab. That’s why the classic Citroën HY was used for an endless number of different bodies and conversions.
A lot of vans come with FWD these days, certainly in the small and midsized segments. The Ford Transit, for example, is available as FWD, RWD and AWD. The choice is all yours.
Fiat does also built RWD vans and light trucks: the Iveco Daily, it’s bigger~more heavy duty than the Ducato / ProMaster. Yet both the Ducato and Daily are available as AWD.
Here in the US the only “full-size” FWD option is the new Ram (Fiat) Promaster, the big Ford Transit is RWD only, or 4×4 with the Quigly conversion.
The Fiat Ducato is more a midsizer. The Iveco Daily is the full-sizer of the Fiat van family, here’s an older type.
seen one of these in nw Wa state near Birch Bay area it is on one of the road to Birch Bay from I-5
Good article on the vehicles, but I actually was wanting to look up what 70’s and 80’s era 5th wheel hitches actually looked like (did they use the ‘universal rails’ mount? where they direct bolt-ins? were they light-weight, or closer to what we know as 12k hitches today? what was the form and shape of the wheel plate head (flat, contoured, solid iron)? Instead, the article shows 100 years of cars, then trucks, then vans and trucks, a few trailers, but not one single picture or even drawing of the hitches used (or that came OEM) with the Cabriolet, or other 5th wheel toters. Rather disappointed, considering the article wouldn’t be able to be written, were it not for that non-gooseneck-ball hitch. Right?
We had a 1984 Centurion Cabriolet. Really liked it and used it to pull our 40′ Kountry Aire triple axle fifth wheel.
While the ford components were as expected, the cabriolet components were pretty slip shod. We bought it new from Fred Jones in OKC. I finally got tired of taking it back for cosmetic repairs. Electrical connections, paint, upholstery, grab handles, etc. Sold it in 1988.
Like so many vehicles I have owned the memory is better than the reality.
Here is another one for sale: An ’85. http://kpr.craigslist.org/cto/5174588343.html
So I have a ’98 E350 van. With a one-ton chassis and a Triton V10, it seems like it would make a great towing vehicle. Since it’s paid for and in good shape, would it be worth the money to convert? If so, how simple could I make it? Does anyone have an idea of how much interior space I’d have to forfeit.
I think my van has hubs for two wheels – how does that work?
Here’s ours!
Can any one tell me any info on this truck or where I can go to read about this? All I can find are vans.
I have an original brochure on your vehicle, it was offered by Cabriolet, here’s a picture of the brochure…
Here is the spec side of the brochure…
Hi I have this truck to. Can you tell me if there is a sticker on the inside door with Cabriolets GVWR, towing cap etc.
Any help in this would be greatly appreciated
Dave
GVWR is 11,000 , the one I have is an 89.
I don’t know about that one, but here is mine.
I remember in the late 70’s or early 80’s a dually van except that the roughly last 4 feet of the top half of the van was removed and the lower half was in effect a pickup box it was manufactured to pull a travel trailer——–not a 5th wheel.
It had the large window on the drivers side in the passenger compartment.
I had the snub nose engine compartment of a van—–NOT the pickup engine compartment. and, if I remember correctly the passenger compartment roof was raised about 6 to 9 inches with a windshield installed so the passengers behind the drive got some oncoming traffic vision.
I believe the vehicle was all steel and not Fiberglas and I believe it was built in a one of the major auto company factories
I feel that it was a Chevy, GMC, or possibly dodge—-I did not think it was a ford but that was my feeling
Can anyone tell me anything about it —year/maker/model etc
A number of vehicles roughly fitting your description were made by several aftermarket manufacturers. None were made by the original manufacturer.
Well, I don’t know about you guys but I’d love to own one. I personally think they’re really cool. I’ve been searching for one and can’t find any. To get one built now is really expensive and there’s only 1 dealership who’d even talk to me about it. Oh, well.
I have 1992 E350 ford cabriolet dually . do you were I can get decals for it. my e-mail pricelessrose@gmail.com