UltraVan
When I stopped to photograph the 66 Corvair I spotted this odd looking RV. The large emblems proclaim it to be an UltraVan, which of course I had never heard of. After a few seconds on Google it was clear that this was a far more interesting find than the fairly easy to locate Corvair.
According to the websites below, the UltraVan was built in the late 60′s in Hutchinson, Kansas, and actually used the Corvair rear-engine drivetrain! Only about 380 were built including all prototypes and a few later Toronado V-8 powered models. What is really interesting is that the center section has no conventional frame but is built of aluminum space-frame similar to an aircraft. This means that a fully loaded and road ready UltraVan weighs less than 5000 pounds, which is less than a current day Chevy Tahoe!
To learn more about this interesting piece of RV history, check out these links, and watch the video below the photos:
The Ultra Van Page
The Official Website of the Ultra Van Motor Coach Club (UVMCC)
The Happiest Corvair – Norm Helmkay’s Ultra Van
That looks like #538, which is one of the 48 V-8 UltraVans produced by the factory. The factory V-8s actually used a small-block Chevy 307 with Corvette axles & suspension.
15 or so of the coaches were later converted to Toronado power, but none were delivered by the factory that way.
The Ultra Van you photographed was once owned by me. Her name was Lucy, and I lived in her full-time for 3 years, traveled all over the U.S., making a living as an artist. I wrote a book about my adventures called, “The Freeway.”(link below) Where did you see Lucy? Owen (who posted above) found your blog and sent it to me.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+freeway+dori+decamillis&x=0&y=0