1969 Chevy van we converted in 1974.

[SweetMarie1965]

In 1974 my ex and I converted this 1969 Chevrolet ourselves. We built the top right on the vehicle. It was our home in winter and summer in the Canadian Rockies. We bought it thinking it had low miles, but in fact it had a lot, we're not even sure how much it really had. But we drove it back and forth across Canada and the western states. The only problem we had was with wheel bearings on one wheel at the back. Wish we'd taken pictures of the inside. We outfitted it to the max.

The mountain in the picture no longer exists... Mt St. Helens.

 

[Terry]

My second van was an old 60 something Chevy. I worked out of town a lot and lived in the van while doing so. There was a short while that the whole family lived in it. That was when the kids were pretty young.
We even had a small, home built camper that we lost in an accident in Arkansas. It was interesting to see my camper pass us and flip over in the median. Lots of memories in that old Chevy van.

 

[Seraphim]

You've just dated yourself lol.

Our first was '77 Dodge long base van. No photos I'm afraid. We triple padded the floor, carpet over that, and we slept on the floor in a double sleeping bag. Good days.

 

[Almost There]

Well since Marie already outed herself about old vans - my first van was a 1961 Ford Econoline that my brother sold to me in 1975.

I later acquired a 1963 that was supposed to be used for parts - we won't talk about what parts were kept on the road....unless someone assures me that the statute of limitations has long since expired...rofl.

After the 144 CI engine bit the dust it was replaced with something more powerful out of a Ford Zephyr.

With the exception of a short stint with a low slung sports car, I drove full size vans for the next 30 years.

 

[SweetMarie1965]

Good old days! Yes! Old hippie here... and I like it that way. We had some great times in that Chevy van. Saw my first big grizzly bear out the back window in Banff National Park. We used a lot of carpet on the walls... well, it was that time, carpet was very popular. But the inside was really nice if I must say so myself. It took us three months to convert and then we head for the hills. I'd do it all again in a second. Later we had an Astro van, but didn't put a high top on it. It was much simpler. An artist friend painted flames on the side. lol...

And then in 1988, we got these:

Life is good, if we let it be. Now back to van shopping...

 

[rvwandering]

Good old days! Since we're sharing pictures...
We bought ours ready to go - a Vanagon. This was back in the days when the Vanagons had a bed, ice box and a pump sink without a gray water tank. No house battery, no stove and little insulation but we didn't care. It was luxury compared to tent camping. We lived and traveled in it for a year.
Our 4 year old daughter is in the front seat. I don't know who the boy is on top of the tree.

 

[Seraphim]

Good old days! Yes! Old hippie here... and I like it that way. We had some great times in that Chevy van. Saw my first big grizzly bear out the back window in Banff National Park. We used a lot of carpet on the walls... well, it was that time, carpet was very popular. But the inside was really nice if I must say so myself. It took us three months to convert and then we head for the hills. I'd do it all again in a second. Later we had an Astro van, but didn't put a high top on it. It was much simpler. An artist friend painted flames on the side. lol...

And then in 1988, we got these:

Life is good, if we let it be. Now back to van shopping...

Yes, but it had to be shag carpet - or so I was told *grin*

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Gotta love those days.

 

[SweetMarie1965]

Wow... TonyandKaren... just about everybody's dream I think. That's a beauty! I'd love to have had one. The old ones now are worth a fortune it seems; everybody wants to fix them up. Romantic.

Shag carpet... I think it's coming back in style too. Horrors! No... ours was regular plush from what I remember, but I could be wrong. Dark blue plush to match the outside. Cute little blue check curtains that I sewed.

Great days... I like seeing old pictures. Post away!

 

[loess]

Oh man, I wanna see more pics of the van with the flames! That is the COOLEST.

 

[AltTransBikes]

First van was a 1960 E100 bought in 1968, put in an RV vented heater, 20 lb propane tank on rear door, bed with storage underneath, Dylan and Lennon pics covering the rear windows. Lots of trips to hot springs in the Colorado mountains. Then, a 1975 E150, hauled a lot wood in Vermont keeping warm and keeping bees. Next was a 1987 E150, 2 year trip from the East coast to San Diego and points between. The mountains of Colorado, New Mexico but mostly Arizona between Nogales and Flagstaff, chasing cool and warm weather. Now a 2003 Dodge 3500 high top, fighting weather and rust and looking for the will to go on.