In John Steinbeck’s first-person, fictionalized travelogue “Travels With Charley,” the author writes about his cross-country adventure in a GMC pickup truck/camper.
Charley, of course, is his dog.
We were already getting a Steinbeck-ish vibe from this International as we approached it to snap photos for today’s Lot Shots.
But when a delightful pooch popped its head out to greet us, that cemented it.
This rig is “Travels with Charley” 2.0.
We’re not sure where these folks are headed in this retro-chic Scout camper, but we’re jealous that we’re not going with them.
…
Okay, enough musing about idyllic over-the-road travel. Let’s talk about this Scout.
Technically, it’s a Scout II (2), an SUV made by International. Yes, that’s the same company that made International Harvester farm equipment and Cub Cadet lawn tractors.
Larger and more comfortable than the original Scout 80, the Scout 2 was better positioned to compete with the then-new Chevy Blazer and Dodge Ramcharger.
This particular Scout 2 we spotted in the Summit Racing retail store parking lot near Akron, OH has jettisoned its traditional hardtop in favor of a wicked-awesome pop-up camper. The cooler in the front hitch-mounted cargo rack is a nice touch too.
The Scout 2’s body remained relatively unchanged over its 1971-80 production run, with changes to the grille being the major distinguishing factor between years.
That said, this looks like a 1977-79 edition. If you’re an International expert and can pin down a specific year, please let us know.
Under the hood probably rests either an AMC-sourced 258 inline-six or a 304 V8 made by International.
Fun fact: International made its own, unique 304-cubic-inch V8, which was totally different than the more common AMC 304. On paper, the two are easily confused due to the fact that International occasionally used other AMC engines.
We waited as long as we could to try to talk to the owners, but we couldn’t find them. We’re hoping that this was just a brief stop on their months-long interstate adventure.
And that somewhere, Steinbeck is grinning.
P.S. No, we didn’t get pictures of the dog—he seemed like a lively pooch and we didn’t want to get him riled up without his owners around.
Cornbinders (International harvesters) forever!! this camper had to be custom built for this rig, it fits like a glove. I know they didn`t mount the spare tire to the camper door, my question is does it drop straight down and act as a steep to get into the camper? or could you tell? You guys should put a sign in Summits parking lot where you see all these cool rides with your phone number on it so you can contact the owners and get some info on the rigs you photograph. Thanks for catching “the oddballs”for us to enjoy.
My friend that installed the camper made that tire carrier. It does fold into a step!
[…] Dodge Ramcharge—a full-size SUV Ma Mopar introduced in 1974 to combat the then-new International Scout II and Chevy […]
This is too cool. A friend just sent me this, it’s my 1980 Scout II (correct about the 79 grill) with a 1979 Four Wheel Campers pop up. Yes, it was built specifically for the Scout 2. Cyrus the dog loves attention… yes he’s named after Cyrus McCormick the man that started IH. I’m sorry i missed you there, love answering questions and showing off the camper. We were on our way to Troy, OH for the International all truck nationals! We drove it over 10 hours from Northeastern, PA. The 345 didn’t skip a beat getting 16 mpg at 70 mph. Hope to hear back, would love to chat about it!
16MPG is great mileage for that rig. Are you running an auto or manual tran? Fuel inj. or carb? Electronic ing?
Edelbrock 4 barrel, electric ignition, 4 speed and 3.55 gears with 31 inch tires. That helps keep the rpms in the sweet spot. These old IH SV engines are all over with mileage. Had 2 get 15+ mpg and others had a hard time getting over 8 mpg.