This is a 1968 Chevrolet C20 CST Custom Camper, a ¾-ton Golden Anniversary model, that’s fitted with a period-correct tri-level 1966 Del Rey Sky Lounge camper – ideal for those extended road trips.
The Sky Lounge was one of the best equipped campers of the time, with a double bed, kitchenette, dinette, and even a toilet and shower. This one has had some recent refurb work completed, and it’s now being offered for sale out of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Fast Facts: A Chevrolet C20 + Sky Lounge Camper
- This 1968 Chevrolet C20 CST Custom Camper is a ¾-ton Golden Anniversary truck originally delivered to Capital Chevrolet in Denver, Colorado. Finished from the factory in Gold with an Off-White roof and lower bodywork, it was repainted by Ed Bozarth Chevrolet of Aurora, Colorado, in 1991 and has CST and Custom Camper badging throughout.
- Under the hood sits a 396 V8 factory rated at 220 bhp and 320 lb ft of torque, paired with a 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission. The current owner has had the carburetor rebuilt, the air conditioning compressor repaired, and the alternator, power steering pump, and drive belt replaced. The odometer shows 97,000 miles.
- The truck is paired with a tri-level 1966 Del Rey Sky Lounge camper featuring an over-cab loft, a sleeping platform, a full kitchenette with stove, oven, refrigerator, and sink, plus a toilet, shower, water tanks, and a propane heater and lantern. The current owner has retrofitted air conditioning, a 30amp electrical system, and a 15 gallon gray water storage tank.
- The C20 and its Del Rey camper are now being offered for sale out of Scottsdale, Arizona, accompanied by manufacturer’s literature, spare parts, and a Montana title in the name of the seller’s LLC. The cab features three-across seating in Parchment and Gold vinyl, a Delco AM radio, and air conditioning.
History Speedrun: The Del Rey “Sky Lounge” Camper
Del Rey Industries was founded by William (Bill) Overhulser in 1957, it as originally named Lil’ Sport Coach and it was based out of his own suburban garage in Elkhart Indiana. Within just a single decade Overhulser would have become the largest manufacturer of truck campers in the USA, and almost certainly in the world, pioneering many technologies that are still in use today.
As you can see from the caption in this image, people regularly would ride in the Sky Lounge in the camper up above the cab of the truck. Image courtesy of Del Rey Industries.
The Origins Of Del Rey
Overhulser had started in the camper and trailer industry in 1952, working at Richardson Homes, a leading manufacturer of camper trailers. He wasn’t there with a view to working for the company until retirement however, he had a plan – a plan to learn everything he could and then start his own company.
He started Lil’ Sport Coach in 1957 but quickly found the name limiting, so he changed it to Le Safari. This new name was quickly nixed by a cease and desist letter from Airstream who had already registered Le Safari as a trademark, and so Overhulser switched to the new name Del Rey, meaning “Of the King” in Spanish.
It would be under the name Del Rey Industries that Overhulser would make his mark on the camper and RV world, building a series of camper trailers, pickup truck bed campers, and chassis mount campers that would take the industry by storm.
The Arrival Of The Del Rey Sky Lounge
One of the most famous design innovations from Del Rey was the “Sky Lounge,” an elevated double bed above the cab of the pickup truck, with wrap around perspex windows and a lounge area offering panoramic views of the road ahead. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, before safety legislation banned it, many families would holiday with the kids up top in the Sky Lounge, and the parents in the truck enjoying the peace and quiet with the AM radio on.
Many of these Sky Lounge models also came with a rear ladder and a platform on the roof designed for people to stand or sit in folding chairs as an “observation deck,” essentially making them the kings of the campground.
This somewhat low-resolution image shows a page from an original Del Rey Sky Lounge brochure. If you click the image it will load in a larger size in a new window to make it a little easier to read. Image courtesy of Del Rey Industries.
Other innovations from Del Rey would include the camper jack which changed the way truck campers were handled and remains in common use today. They also developed a new and safer way to attach campers to pickup truck beds, and an automatic emergency braking system for trailers that operated independently of the standard braking system, using compressed air tanks on the trailer itself.
Overhulser was one of the founding board members of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), a major entity that is still in operation today. In 1969 he decided to sell his company to Gladding Industries, he remained on as a manager and product designer for a handful of years, before taking an early retirement in 1976 at the age of just 42.
The 1968 C20 + Sky Lounge Camper Shown Here
This 1968 Chevrolet C20 is a ¾ ton Golden Anniversary truck that was originally delivered to Capital Chevrolet in Denver, Colorado. The current seller bought it in 2024. It was finished from the factory in Gold with an Off-White roof and lower bodywork, the truck was then repainted by Ed Bozarth Chevrolet of Aurora, Colorado, in 1991.
Exterior details include CST and Custom Camper badging, a chrome front bumper, a diamond-plate rear bumper, running boards, rear mud guards, camper mirrors and tie-downs, and front and rear receiver hitches.
Since the current owner’s purchase, the truck has received a fair amount of mechanical attention, including a rebuilt carburetor, a repaired air conditioning compressor, and replacement of the alternator, power steering pump, and drive belt.
Under the hood sits a 396 V8 that was factory rated at 220 bhp and 320 lb ft of torque, paired with a 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels. An aluminum radiator is fitted, and the truck runs dual fuel tanks. It rides on steel 16 inch front and 16.5 inch rear wheels shod with Firestone Transforce HT tires, and it’s equipped with heavy-duty suspension.
Inside, the cab has three-across seating trimmed in Parchment and Gold vinyl, along with a push-button Delco AM radio, air conditioning, a fire extinguisher, and lap seatbelts. The dash houses a 100 mph speedometer and gauges for amperage, coolant temperature, fuel level, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows 97,000 miles, roughly 2,500 of which have been added under the current owner’s tenure.
The truck is paired with a tri-level 1966 Del Rey Sky Lounge camper, which has an over-cab loft and a sleeping platform along with a full kitchenette consisting of a stove, oven, refrigerator, sink, and table. It also has a toilet, a shower, water tanks, and a propane heater and lantern.
This is a 1968 Chevrolet C20 CST Custom Camper, a ¾-ton Golden Anniversary model, that’s fitted with a period-correct tri-level 1966 Del Rey Sky Lounge camper – ideal for extended road trips.
The current owner has invested considerably in the camper, retrofitting an air conditioning system, installing a 30 amp electrical system and a 15 gallon gray water storage tank, and replacing the curtains, cushions, and shower water lines.
The C20 and its Del Rey camper are now being offered for sale out of Scottsdale, Arizona with manufacturer’s literature, spare parts, and a Montana title in the name of the seller’s LLC. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch 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.
