This one's a rarity for me. I almost never see old camper/conversion vans, much less in semi-decent condition like this one. Being a bit of a fanboy toward Dodge, I am quite biased when I say I like the styling of these. Sure, the grillework is a tad over the top, and there isn't much in the way of badges, but dammit, it's a nice looking van. My interest is quite piqued by the sheer size of this thing, though. It's not often you get a campervan that is all that much longer than a contemporary (of the period) luxury car. This big van is, to be blunt, ginormous. I honestly don't know how anyone could parallel park such a big vehicle.
Outside, it appears to be in good nick, though I don't know what came stock on this Dodge versus what didn't. It appears that all the correct badges are in place, and even the factory stickers have held up well, too. I'm assuming the Xplorer badge refers to the company who did the conversion, though I'm not certain. The color scheme of this model is quite 1970s, but to be perfectly honest, it looks fine, and not garish like so many vehicles from the era. I will say that the "USA" sticker and the "First Xplorers" sticker are a tad tacky, though. Heck, the second one isn't even aligned straight. Oh well, it's not a major deal; I would leave them off if it were up to me.
I'm curious as to what engine powers this version though. I don't think a 360 would be strong enough to handle such a heavy vehicle, and certainly a 318 couldn't do the trick. The biggest engine Dodge offered in this generation was a 440, so that's what I'm hoping powers this particular example. Anything less, and this camper would have a hard time getting around, especially up the hills in St. Paul.
I love finding odd and off-the-beaten-path vehicles like this, and certainly hope to find more. Remember, this blog is about vehicles I find that interest me, not just cars.
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