The In Way to Camp Out

Many would-be campers are deterred by the hazards of picking a site, finding drinkable water, sleeping on rib-gouging ground--not to mention the horrors of pitching a tent in a wind. Nowadays, however, the compleat camper can drive right up to the lakeside or forest glade where he plans to spend the night and immediately cook supper, take a shower and bunk down, regardless of the terrain or weather.

This may not be the ruggedest way to answer the call of the wild, but its appeal accounts for one of the most notable trends in the automotive industry: a boom in light trucks, which can now be conveniently fitted with "pickup campers," that permit indoor comfort outdoors. Manufactured by nearly 1,000 different companies, they consist of self-contained housing units designed to fit into a truck bed. They have sleeping accommodations for as many as six, plus stove and water tank.

Nature Plus TV. The simplest models cost about $500, but a variety of optional extras can bring the cost of the housing unit alone to $5,500. Among them: enclosed toilet ($90), shower ($210), hot-water heater ($140), storm windows ($45), refrigerator (about $170), air conditioner (about $250). One model even has a roof that slides out and canvas panels that come down to provide additional shelter.

Most de luxe nature-lovers mount the installation in a three-quarter ton truck, which costs about $2,200, and may also include the extra conveniences of a special axle for fast highway travel, heavy duty springs and a 110-volt, engine-operated generator powerful enough to run a TV set. Units may be removed from the truck, though the more elaborate ones are permanent fixtures. Automakers expect to sell 75,000 trucks for this purpose in 1964, predict that there will be 500,000 on the road by 1970.

No Backseat Drivers. The biggest advantage of pickup campers over trailers, aside from their greater maneuverability, is that passengers may loll comfortably in back while tooling along the highway (riding in a trailer is forbidden by many states as too dangerous). This is a boon for the driver too, since backseat drivers can only communicate with him by banging on the window or installing an intercom--though one manufacturer is considering making a truck with a roll-down back window that would allow passengers to crawl from living room to pilot's compartment.

The automakers, astonished at the mushrooming market for $3,000-and-up vacation vehicles, surveyed the field and found that most camper trucks are used all year round. Many owners find them ideal for football games: they play cards and drink on the way to the stadium, fix a hot lunch in the parking lot, snooze on the way home. Others use them to eliminate hotel bills on skiing trips; and they make a useful base for a day at the beach with the kids. Nonowners also benefit from camper trucks: today's thoughtful house guest can bring his own house.

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