Photo: Dylancain / Bring a Trailer
Knowing the Chevrolet Corvair 95’s reputation as an underpowered and unreliable van/truck, it’s baffling that someone decided to put a drop-in camper on a Rampside bed. And yet they did, and the rare combo is now selling on Bring a Trailer for the second time.
When the Corvair Greenbrier van (also known as 95, its wheelbase in inches) arrived in the 1960s, it was supposed to give the Volkswagen Bus a run for its money. Instead, it proved to be unreliable, which hampered its success. It didn’t matter that Chevrolet sold several derivatives of the air-cooled, rear-engine platform. Among them were the pickup trucks known as the Loadside and the Rampside, the latter being the most interesting.
The Loadside was a regular pickup with a standard tailgate, which was only built for two years before being discontinued. The Rampside, which featured a side ramp practical for loading and unloading cargo, was more popular. Even so, the Corvair vans and trucks are rare sightings today. On the bright side, people look at them with much more sympathy than they did 60 years ago.
Considering the flat-six engine had only 80 horsepower when it was new, we wonder what inspired one of the former owners of this Rampside to install a drop-in camper in its bed. But they did, and I must say it looks great, a blast from the past. I don’t know how fast it goes or how well it handles, as it seems top-heavy and is probably “unsafe at any speed,” as Ralph Nader claimed about the first-generation Corvair sedan. One comment on Bring a Trailer emphasized that the truck is great, and the camper is great, just not together.
The 1961 Corvair 95 Rampside pickup/camper combo is a lovely shelter for two, with a warm interior and many camper amenities. The dinette features a propane range, a sink, and an ice box, while the sleeping area has a cab-over bed. A 110-volt power outlet is there to power appliances, although there’s no battery backup. The rig is selling on Bring a Trailer with no reserve.
The Loadside was a regular pickup with a standard tailgate, which was only built for two years before being discontinued. The Rampside, which featured a side ramp practical for loading and unloading cargo, was more popular. Even so, the Corvair vans and trucks are rare sightings today. On the bright side, people look at them with much more sympathy than they did 60 years ago.
Considering the flat-six engine had only 80 horsepower when it was new, we wonder what inspired one of the former owners of this Rampside to install a drop-in camper in its bed. But they did, and I must say it looks great, a blast from the past. I don’t know how fast it goes or how well it handles, as it seems top-heavy and is probably “unsafe at any speed,” as Ralph Nader claimed about the first-generation Corvair sedan. One comment on Bring a Trailer emphasized that the truck is great, and the camper is great, just not together.
The 1961 Corvair 95 Rampside pickup/camper combo is a lovely shelter for two, with a warm interior and many camper amenities. The dinette features a propane range, a sink, and an ice box, while the sleeping area has a cab-over bed. A 110-volt power outlet is there to power appliances, although there’s no battery backup. The rig is selling on Bring a Trailer with no reserve.
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