Tool compartment was an option for all 1973/79 F100/350 Stylesides (except F350's on the 140" wheelbase). What holes for straps are you referring to?

 

Help,
My truck is the camper special but the shocks on my truck are for the non camper special Versions.
Everything else on the truck is camper special, sway bars vin ETC. I also do not have the overload Springs. Do I have some sort of special medium duty camper special type of thing? The truck is bone stock and has never had anything replaced

 

mine has this but the shocks on my truck say 8ts a non camper special

 

There is no code within the VIN, or stamped on the Warranty Plate that decodes to a Camper Special.

Overload springs were optional as were several different types of shock absorbers, so how you can say the shocks on your truck are not for a Camper Special, I don't know.

Most people in today's world haven't a single clue whether their old vehicles are all original or not. Most are not!

The ONLY way to identify a Camper Special: The tail lamp harness has an extra feed wire for the pigtailed wire/harness plug used with camper clearance lights.

This harness was placed inside the glove box at final assembly and is where it was usually stored when not in use.

If you want to know how your truck was equipped when new, you'll need a copy of the original build sheet, available from martiauto.com

 

What I'm trying to say is that there are only 2 options when buying shocks for these trucks. With camper special and without camper special. I ordered camper special shocks because I have a camper special and they are not correct . The ones that I need are the ones that say with out camper special

 

You probably bought the shocks from an auto parts store. How the hell would an auto parts store know what shocks were used on a 43 year old Camper Special?

The parts cluck probably never even heard of a Camper Special. The cluck looked on the computer, found rear shocks for a 1976 F250 and sold them to you.

If you don't have a HUGE slide-in-the-bed over the roof camper on your truck, you do not need shocks that are xtra H/D

If you are not going to use it as a daily driver, you do not want H/D shocks. F250's are stiff enough already, why drive one that rides like an oxcart?

 

Your thinking of the "Super Camper Special"

 

My parents bought in 68 a camper special,
390 cui, automatic, heavy duty front and rear, telescoping rear bumper, had the pigtail plug on frame rail, tool box on passenger side.
We not only hauled the camper ( teardrop by Royal coachman) we hauled dairy cows, hay, furniture ... 3 boys got their drivers lic. with it
.That girl was one tough truck... mom sold it in 1981 still in good shape ( never had any accidents in it ) the odmiter had rolled over ( yea we did a lot of trips in the camper) only reason she sold it was a slick mechanic told her the engine had major problems... the s.o.b just want the truck
( knowing mechanics now..carb needed rebuilt.
Wimbledon white/ maroon ( red) Inter. Only chrome was the bumpers...mom bought it with family inheritance even though it was a new 68 she got it used..the guy that bought it returned with 135 miles on it so they had to sell it as used... Wish I had that tough and reliable ol girl.

 

Sounds like a great old truck, but especially with a lot of good memories. Be pretty cool if you could find it again, and still in good condition because the new owner hardly used it.
Welcome to Ford-Trucks too by the way!

I was surprised re-reading this thread because I did not know you could get any kind of a Camper Special in 4wd. Maybe I just never noticed one.
And my standard old Custom F350 has that wiring connector on the driver's side frame. Now I have to go look at my tail light harness! Guessing it's not there though, since the truck is pretty basic with the minimum GVWR for a 350 (8550lbs if I remember?).

Anyway, great story. Thanks for sharing.

Paul

 

There appears to be a pattern that develops when people talk about "Camper Specials". The main point of contention is that there was a Camper Special Package, as well as a Camper Special Model. (Released as the Super Camper Special...)

The Super Campers are 140" WB single cab single wheel F350's. They are basically 60" cab to axle chassis cab trucks with a special bed. The special bed has a large removable panel that carries the spare tire vertically between the axle and cab on the passenger side. They also ran Super Single type 16.5" wheels instead of duals. The rear axle is identical to the chassis cab D70's. There is no mistaking this truck for any other one out there as the visual and technical differences are numerous.

The camper Special Package was a group of options bundled together with minimal suggested equipment for carrying a slide in. There is nothing in the Camper Special package that could not be ordered on a normal F2/350 except for the special wiring harness and pigtail. All the other chassis equipment was widely used across the 73-79 platform. There is nothing particularly special or unique chassis wise with the Camper Special package.

Chassis wise if you want the best capacity in a 4x4 you would have needed to check the "Snowfighter" option in 78/79 or the F350 4x4 in 79 only. That gave you a D60 front axle, sway bars front and rear, dual batteries, etc etc. Thats the 4x4 option that the Camper Special should have been in 78...

I am more than familiar with the heavy versions of these trucks as my Dad bought a 78 Snofighter in December of 77 which I owned until it was stolen a few years back. There is a mostly stock 78 F350 Super Camper (I know they didnt call them that in 78 NumberDummy..) in my driveway as this is typed.

 

As mentioned in #24, were 4x4's available as camper specials? My 1976 F250 4x4 (7600GVW) came with this letter.;

 

No F250 4WD Camper Specials until 1977. The above F250 4WD is not a Camper Special because it's a 1976.

 

These plugs weren't always installed on top of the frame like this. On my brothers '78 F250 4x4 and my '78 F250 2wd Canadian parts truck they are bolted to the outside of the frame. Inside the dash of the parts truck I found a punch card build sheet listing several options. I will have to find it again.

 

Late reply but I found it.

 

From what I can tell this is not true. I have a 1979 2 wheel drive F-350 regular cab with the 140 inch wheelbase. It has the spare tire in the side of the bed and a 460 engine. Dana 70 rear end etc. It is not a Camper Special. It has no special wiring plug, sway bars or any Camper Special emblems. I've owned the truck for about 20 years and it's a Ranger Lariat with a lot of factory options but didn't originally come with AC! It does have a lighted vanity mirror though.