This is a Camelot Cruiser motorhome with a matching 1974 Ford C-750, it’s a time capsule of sorts – showing the absolute pinnacle of the motorhome world back in the 1970s. Thankfully it retains its original (and decidedly retro) interior.
The 1970s saw an explosion in popularity around motorhomes and camper trailers, the concept of the leisure vehicle was expanded upon considerably and even General Motors developed their own production RV – the GMC Motorhome.
Fast Facts – The Camelot Cruiser Motorhome
- In the 1960s and 1970s companies like Winnebago and Airstream made homes-on-wheels for those who wanted to see the sights but sleep in their own bed every night – and they couldn’t make enough of them to meet demand.
- At the top end of the RV market existed another kind of customer, the multi-millionaire who simply couldn’t (or wouldn’t) make do with the cramped conditions found in many of the era’s campers.
- It was for these wealthy individuals that Edler & Company of Skokie, Illinois started building the Camelot Cruiser motorhome in 1974. It was the most opulent RV for sale in the world at the time, with a full-sized bathroom, a well-equipped kitchen, a full bedroom and sitting room, and the example you see here even came with its own built-in garage for two snowmobiles.
- A color-matched Ford C-750 truck was provided to haul the Camelot Cruiser, and the truck cab included air-conditioning and even a bed behind the seats for the driver.
Dick Edler And The Camelot Cruiser
The Camelot Cruiser motorhome was developed by Dick Edler of Skokie, Illinois. It wasn’t initially planned to be a production RV – he designed it for himself and his family and he felt that the RVs that were then in production weren’t suitable given his unique requirements.
The interior is a masterclass in 1970s interior design, with green carpets, yellow curtains and upholstery, and walls covered in wood panelling.
Among those above mentioned unique requirements was adequate space for his four boisterous Saint Bernards and his family, as they travelled around the United States so he could enjoy his retirement. Edler wanted a generously proportioned sitting room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom all in a single vehicle – it didn’t exist at the time so he developed it himself
Demand for this über-luxurious RV was such that he founded Edler & Company to put them into low-volume production. Each would be carefully tailored to the needs of the well-heeled owner – one apparently included accommodation for horses, one could haul a boat, and another (the one shown here) had a built-in garage for two snowmobiles.
The starting price was $150,000 USD, and that’s in 1974 money, which works out to approximately $906,000 USD in 2022 dollars – essentially making it a million dollar RV by modern standards once you add a few options.
Though it wasn’t cheap by any measure the price did include a Ford C-750 truck to haul your new home, with color-matched paint, a full interior fit out with bedding, pots and pans, gold plated cutlery, an air-conditioned interior, and even an additional bed of the driver.
The Camelot Cruiser has a bedroom with a double bed, windows on either side, and even an intercom phone for chatting with the driver.
It’s not known exactly how many Camelot Cruisers were made, there were at least three delivered to clients and it’s believed at least two have survived to the modern day.
The Ford C-750 + Camelot Cruiser Shown Here
The Camelot Cruiser you see here is arguably the most famous of the few that were made, it was supplied with two color-matched Poloron snowmobiles that could be stored under the main living area.
The interior is exactly as opulent as you’d expect and decidedly retro, with green carpeting, extensive wood panelling, and ample use of buttercup yellow for curtains, upholstery, and even tiled surfaces.
The RV has a full-sized bathroom with full-sized fixtures, a shower, toilet, and dual sinks. There’s a double bed in its own room with stonework on the wall, and even a wall-mounted intercom phone for communicating with the driver up front.
The rear of the vehicle has a sitting room and thanks to the plentiful windows there’s a lot of natural light.
A pair of matching two-tone green Poloron snowmobiles are included, they tuck into their own little garage section under the main floor.
The rig is hauled by a Ford C-750 truck powered by a 391 cubic inch (6.4 liter) V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. The truck and trailer are finished in two-tone green and the name “Camelot Cruiser” is proudly emblazoned across the front of the truck to let everyone know what you’re towing.
The listing for this unusual RV explains that it was in long-term storage and was then recommissioned before being bought by the selling dealer in November of 2022. It does have some areas that will need work including some rust but for the right buyer it’ll make a once-in-a-lifetime project vehicle.
If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here on Bring a Trailer. It’s being offered for sale out of Osprey, Florida with clean Montana titles for the truck and trailer, and a bill of sale for the snowmobiles.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
