Ready For The Road: 1973 Dodge B100 Camper
This 1973 Dodge B100 camper van isn’t an actual factory camper van, but that doesn’t take away from the dream of hitting the open road for a lot of us. The seller has this homemade custom camper van posted here on craigslist in Chester, New Jersey and they’re asking $3,950. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Mitchell G. for sending in this tip!
I had a very similar van a few decades ago but it didn’t have actual camping equipment inside as this one does. Or side windows, or pop-out rear windows, or a V8, or automatic transmission, or, or, or… but really, it was similar! Dodge’s B-series Tradesman vans, such as this example, were typically made for, as the name suggests, tradesmen/tradeswomen, people who used a van for their plumbing or construction business or other enterprises.
This is a first-generation B-series Dodge van, made between 1970 for the 1971 model year, through 1978. I owned a commercial cleaning business in the 1980s and early-90s and had three of these vans. Two had 318 V8s and automatic transmissions as this van has, but my original ’74 Tradesman had a 225 slant-six and three-on-the-tree manual. The seller bought this van from the original owner and says that it’s been maintained and is ready for a cross-country road trip.
There aren’t really any good photos of the front seating area of this van, but that rock-hard metal dash is bringing back some great memories. I don’t see any dash vents here so I’m assuming that there is no AC in this one, but this was the era when manufacturers still used vent/wing windows on the sides, and with some vent doors in the passenger footwell area, not to mention a roof vent, I bet there’s a lot of nice airflow in this one.
There is no engine photo, which isn’t unusual for a craigslist ad, but this one has a 318-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had around 150 horsepower. The seller says that it has had a full tune-up, the fluids have been changed, and it’s ready to roll. The kitchen area includes a cooktop and sink, pretty fancy for a homemade van. And yes, there’s a bed in the back and even a way to haul a motorcycle – although, the seller doesn’t say if the motorcycle carrier is included.
There is some typical rust to deal with as is almost always the case on these Dodge vans, but for this price and if everything works as well as the seller says it does, this is a no-brainer. Have any of you traveled the country in a Dodge van like this one?
Comments
Nice old survivor, needs some different wheels and some add ons to break up the yellow and yeah this would be a fun weekend go kayaking, camp out no frills, no pop up tent needed, bare necessities. I used a newer E series or our 77 Nomad and trust me campgrounds are quite nice nowadays and you can enjoy the beach or whatever. Roll out the motorcycle and yup lots of wonderful memories had and this fella would be great for that and like it rivals of the time it is caveman simple to repair and work on. 😀
Idk about tires & other things(mileage) on this but I could also see myself buying & using it. That 318 is tried & true.
Neat van, my father had a 76, 318 automatic. Very reliable, but they rotted BADLY. As long as this one’s frame rails aren’t missing large important pieces like my father’s eventually did, it’s a good price. Too bad there’s no A/C.
I had a (first year of that design)1971 Dodge Sportsman (windows all around) short wheelbase with the 225 slant six cylinder. Aqua-marine blue was popular color back then. Bought it around 1977 and sold it around 1985. Used it to carry equipment for my wedding band, big amplifiers & keyboards, etc. I contact cemented short shag carpeting to the entire unfinished inside and it looked pretty good without the extra weight of putting in masonite or plywood walls. With the 225 six it was slow and half the engine is under the thinly insulated engine cover with my right leg right against that cover so it was fairly noisy.
Just got rid of my 72′ Sportsman Royal B-300 (I bought new) No AC vents in the dash but under the center controls and above the engine box. The all around window van, I’m sure was a Sportsman Van. The rain gutter is where you want to look for rust. That’s what did me in. Other then that, it was a GREAT van all those years.
I bought a 1980 new, slant six w floor shift manual trans and had a fiberglass high top added. Built the inside myself. Had more fun in first summer than in 16 years of owning a cottage. Had to sell it in 1991 but to this day I miss it. Many happy weekends and holidays with my son. Great memories in my old age. With a roof vent and the lower side vents open you have no need for air conditioning on the open highway. I certainly never missed it.