I've got a 76-f-100 that was manifactured for "Recreational Vans Inc., of Torrance California, it has a special paint job, with crome exhaust smoke stacks by the cab and a few other customed parts on it, has anybody ever heard of Recreational Vans inc. is it a special truck or just special to me

 

Welcome to FTE!!!


As your first replier, allow me to give you these words of wisdom:

WE NEED PICTURES!

 

Does this look familiar?

I found this link, too:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/2...-100-help.html



Apparently this particular company did conversons on pickups, too...though I'm sure the customary wood paneling of the era would be devoid of use in an F100...except maybe the headliner. :P

 

We need pics

 

Don't forget the door panels and dash...

I'm curious to see if the truck has the same bicentennial paint job the van in the picture does...

 

If the place is still in business, the area code is now: 310.

"Tony B's Dodge" sold 1000's of these van conversions. He used to advertise them on local indie TV channels.

Tony is now out of business.

 

That's a bit over the top...way too much stuff going on. Still, it's always cool to find rarely seen things like that. What would be neat is a Bicentennial F100 with blue and stars on the hood and roof and red and white stripes in the bed. Whenever you go under an overpass, people would salute!

Hopefully he comes back soon with some pictures of this truck he's so fond of...

 

RVI also put together the famous ballon chaser Broncos for Stroppe...I think James Duff has one. So the company did do some other truck stuff. Very cool about your F100!

 

Just refreshing the thread.

Is this dude ever coming back with pics?

Don't leave us hangin'!

 

I clicked in expecting to see pictures where is my nude truck modeling lol

 

Ford actually offered a factory Bicentennial Edition pickup in '76. They are very rare to find today.

 

Neat, but Ford and their funked up seats! Other than that, its a neat truck and wish it were mine!!

 

i'm having a hard time trying to get my pictures to upload

 

This is reba, a 76 f-100, with a 360

 

New member here.

I am a long-time, Early Bronco enthusiast and I recently picked up the '77 F-100 used in the 1977 Ford "Limited Edition Sail" hot air balloon record attempt.

I ran across this F-100 when doing some further research online about the Ambulance Bronco balloon chaser which my father purchased off James Duff back in April.

The F-100 was delivered to me in PA on Saturday from the seller in ID. It was in WA before that. Yesterday I pulled it into the garage with the Ambulance Bronco which may be the first time they have been back together in 34 years.

I'm looking for some more info about RVI which did some of the custom work on the fleet of 10 vehicles used by Bill Stroppe to support the balloon record attempt.

I'm also in need of one the RVI badges, either to buy or borrow to have a reproduction cast. The F-100 had four of them and the original holes are there, but they are missing.

The Ambulance had two, but Bill Stroppe removed them and welded the holes shut when he bought the Ambulance off of FoMoCo after the chase for his personal use to chase his Baja team. The removed badges did not stay with the Ambulance.

I'd also be interested in any info about the Balloon Chase, RVI, etc. such as stories you have heard, or names / contacts for people who worked there, etc.

I'm working on getting some pics together and will post them over in an Early Bronco Forum I am active in.

The F-100 I have had the 351M swapped out for a 460 and has a C6 behind it. It also has stacks, but no side pipes currently. I am looking to see if this one ever had side pipes, as the other F-100 and F-150 Balloon Chasers did at least at some point. The Ambulance also has faux side pipes on it at one point, but they were removed just prior to the chase, but part of the brackets still remain behind the rockers.