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Someone's Building the World's Fastest Winnebago Camper, It's a Junkyard-Found Brave

Back in January 2022, we introduced you to a really cool 1972 Winnebago Brave Camper that was saved from the junkyard. It was found with an LS swap between the front seats and while that's a cool upgrade over the standard unit, the owner has big plans for the RV.
1972 Winnebago Brave with LS V8 6 photos
Photo: Life of Lind/YouTube
1972 Winnebago Brave with LS swap1972 Winnebago Brave with LS swap1972 Winnebago Brave with LS swap1972 Winnebago Brave with LS swap1972 Winnebago Brave with LS swap
We've already seen it take its first drive in 10 years and get a bit of cleaning, but this Brave isn't getting a regular restoration to return to camping duty. YouTube's "Life of Lind" wants to turn it into the world's fastest Winnebago! One that would be able to do wheelies and maybe even run the quarter-mile as quick as a muscle car.

It sounds insane and exciting at the same, right? Well, we need to keep our shirts on for now, because this project is still in its infant stage. Not only the new engine swap is still some time away, but this camper needs a lot of work to become usable in a high-performance setup.

While it's in one piece on the outside, the ceiling is falling apart on the inside and it's probably bad news for the camper's overall rigidity. Of course, it's plain ridiculous to talk about rigidity and dynamics when it comes to boxy campers, but these aspects need to be tackled when a notably more powerful engine is about to find its way under the hood.

In the current setup, which includes a 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) Chevy V8, this camper is anything but quick. Dustin actually ran a quarter-mile just to get some numbers and the Brave is painfully slow at 26.7 seconds and 44 mph (71 kph). Granted, these are decent numbers for a big camper, but it's where he wants the Winnebago to be.

So what's he planning on dropping under the hood? Well, he's replacing the existing LS with a different Chevy small-block engine. It's a 6.0-liter LQ4 that he's getting out of a GMC Sierra truck. If you're not familiar with this mill, it's a Vortec 6000 that GM offered in Chevrolet and GMC trucks, SUVs, and vans from 1999 to 2008.

It's factory rated at up to 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet (515 Nm) of torque, but it will get several upgrades. Dustin believes he can take it up to 450 horsepower with new heads, cam, and bore, but he's not stopping there. The LQ4 is also getting a pair of turbos, which should see output jump to 800 horsepower.

Now that's a camper I can't wait to see. But until that happens, find out more about the project and watch the Winnebago run a slow quarter-mile sprint in the video below.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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