BMW Powered Motorhome? 1986 Vixen 21 TD

Sometime back in the middle of the 1980s there was a small company out of Michigan that produced 587 examples of a custom aero-styled recreational vehicle with a turbo-diesel BMW inline-6 engine hanging out back and powering the rear wheels.  Styling was done by Bill Collins (known for his work on the Delorean) and the beast was intended to be the "sports car" of RVs, with a low center of gravity, a 100 mph top speed, and a manual gearbox.  Read more about the Vixen here.    Find this 1986 Vixen TD 21 Motorhome here on eBay bidding for $3,050 reserve-not-met with $11,000 buy-it-now located in Warren, ME with 1 day to go.

The Sports Car of RVs: 1978 Ford Chinook Concourse

Somebody (who we will call Mike for the sake of anonymity) offered me a free Winnebago conversion RV the other day.  Totally free.  Just needs some title sorting at the DMV and off I'd go camping and stuff...but the only problem is that if I brought home a free RV, my wife wouldn't be pleased and I'd probably end up living in that funky smelling camper...so I passed and it was snapped up by some other soon to be single man (or woman).  Anyway, I bet she would have a different response if the RV was as clean as much as this next thing.  Find this 1978 Ford Chinook Concourse offered for $8200 in Tacoma, WA via craigslist. Tip from Zach.

Tiny Homeless: 1966 Clark Cortez Motorhome

The Clark Cortez motorhomes built back in the 60s are pretty cool vehicles that get overlooked in many of the typical classic van/RV discussions.  But, they are a nice size that still fits in a lot of parking spaces and offers a whole lot more interior volume than a fullsize van (except maybe for a big high-roof Sprinter or Transit, but those are still expensive). Today we've got a pair from tipper Zach Z.  Find this 1966 Clark Cortez offered for $5,500 in Anchorage, AK via craigslist.

Mobile Home on the DL: 1984 Volvo 245 DL

Sometimes you need to sleep in your car. Maybe it's the only option left before becoming homeless, but hopefully it's by choice - like maybe you need to drive halfway across the country to see the stuffed body of the only beer-drinking goat to ever become the mayor of Lajitas, Texas and then be castrated for drinking on a Sunday...and there just isn't enough time to find or stay in a motel. For such an occasion, you need a covert RV - a vehicle that quickly transforms from transportation to lodging without calling attention to itself - or as this next seller calls it, a "Mobile Home on the DL."   Find this 1984 Volvo 245 DL for sale in Ventura, CA for $2,000 via craigslist.

Peyote Chariot: 1974 Mercedes-Benz L508D Motoroam

Looking like the cross-pollination of a Philippine Jeepney, a Dekotora bus, and the infield at Darlington, this Mercedes-Benz camper promises a classy place for illicit activity of any kind. Want to spend all of your money on a mobile drug den for the sole purpose of having no money left for substance?  Find this 1974 Mercedes Motoroam for sale in Fountain City, WI for a high price of $14,700 via craigslist.
Tip from Lou Weinert

Rockin: 1941 Brooks Stevens Western Flyer RV

 Legend has it that famed industrial designer Clifford Brooks Stevens contracted polio as a lad and started sketching designs as something to do while bedridden.  This story sounds reasonable, mostly because everybody born around the turn of the 20th century got a case of polio or two.  He might have started his career designing the robins egg blue '50s appliances that sat in every kitchen for a decade or two, but he also penned the '62 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk, '49 Harley Hydra-Glide, Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, the Miller Brewing logo, and later those heinous Excalibur fauxcedes roadsters...but before he was on crack he designed the most awesome RV ever. Find this 1941 Brooks Stevens Western Flyer RV here on eBay bidding for $31,200 reserve-not-met located in Linden, CA with 7 days to go.

1972 Winnebago Brave

The 70s weren't just about disco and roller derby...there was also the boom of the recreational vehicle lifestyle.  If you want to hit the high road in the RV’ing lifestyle, but don’t have the 100s of thousands of dollars to get a new one, you gotta check out this 1972 Winnebago Brave for sale in either Ojai, Ventura or Santa Barbara, CA for only $3750. This post is part of DT's 2016 Birthday Celebration of 100 cars; enjoy the ride!

Reader Ride: SerendipitiBus -1995 Carpenter School Bus

Today's reader ride requires a slightly larger parking spot than the average Saturn...in fact, it needs roughly the orbit of Saturn to do a U-turn.  Parking and maneuverability issues didn't stop 8 recent college graduates from building an old school bus into the SerendipitiBus--something they could drive 8,000 miles and visit 22 states on what must be, so far, the trip of their young lives. The journey is over and now the guys and gals are selling their custom 1995 Carpenter School Bus; find it here on eBay bidding for $15,500 reserve-not-met with 8 days to go, located in South Bend, IN.

1k: Explorer Starter Kit: 1964 Clark Cortez Motorhome

 Hernán Cortés was a Spanish explorer and Conquistador who spearheaded the invasion that toppled the Aztec Empire and brought a large part of what is Mexico under the umbrella of the Spanish Empire.  This next feature looks old enough to have witnessed some of those early encounters with natives, but with a little work could be great for some exploring.  Find this 1964 Clark Cortez Motorhome offered for $1,000 in Vista, CA via craigslist.

20k: Turbo Diesel: 1981 Airstream Excella RV

 If you are in the market for a mobile home, I can't imagine why you'd take out a loan to afford the extremely expensive late model RVs on the market today. Especially, when you can pickup an awesome chrome aluminum sided beauty like this 1981 Airstream Excella RV currently bidding here on eBay for $21,400 with 1 day to go located in Highland, CA.

20k: So, I Hear You Like Motorhomes: 1965 Clark Cortez

This next feature comes to us from tipper JAS who writes:
Dear DT,  As a follow-up to your articles on the GMC and Vixen motorhomes, this note is about the Cortez motorhome. Preceding the GMC by a full decade, the Cortez was unibody construction with front wheel drive powertrain and 4 wheel independent suspension - pretty advanced for 1963! If only someone built one like it today.  Find this totally refurbished and updated 1965 Clark Cortez offered for $22,000 via craigslist, located in Woodland Hills, CA.

20k: Streamliner: 1987 Vixen Motorhome

This next feature comes from regular tipper Andy L who writes:
Dear Staff at Daily Turismo, Your sweet GMC motorhome feature jogged my memory of another vehicle I had seen a long time ago.  The attached link is an ad for a rare and unique vixen motorhome.  You may or may not have heard of these, but they seem to be pretty collectable.  Find this 1987 Vixen Motorhome offered for $21,000 in Lake Havasu, AZ (home of the infamous London Bridge that was transported from the Thames to a canal off the Colorado River brick by brick in 1971).

20k: Wizards of the Road: 1976 GMC Motorhome

With summer comes the slice of Americana known as the road trip...and today we aren't going talk about cars for a motel trip or camping, instead let's shine some light on the most fundamentally 'Merican version of the road trip car-- the Recreational Vehicle (RV).  Many options exist for the RV, but fewer are more awesome than the GMC motor home with Olds Toronado power.  Find this 1976 GMC Motor Home currently bidding for $19,879 reserve-not-met on ebay with about an hour to go, located in Lakeland, FL.

5k: Salt Flats Custom Motorhome, Oldsmobile 455 FWD Power

Today is the final day of the 2013 edition of Speed Week, the annual festival of horsepower on the salt put on by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), out on the Bonneville Salt Flats just east of Wendover, Utah. This editor was out "on the salt" earlier this week for day-job duties but happened across a very enticing find. Check out this "1971 Oldsmobile" custom motorhome, which near as we can tell, was built on a GMC FWD motorhome platform which uses a 455 cubic inch (7.5 liter) Oldsmobile V8, front wheel drive and "bogies" in the rear suspension meaning there is no intrusion into the living space from driveshaft or axles. This allows for a very low, compact motorhome with plenty of space inside. The featured RV has a custom fabricated body and was apparently built in the mid '70s and has had only two owners. It is lives in Montana but is currently in Utah and offered for $6k, or $7k with matching car trailer (contact info in the text below).

5k: Is This A Trailer? No! It's a 1935 Graham Housecar

Recent hype has surrounded a camper conversion once owned by Steve McQueen, and while he certainly was a legend, the car is just another Chevy pickup with a camper conversion.  Nothing to see, move along please.  Move right along to the strangest camper you'll find on the web.  This is a 1935 Graham Housecar, for sale in Mohawk, NY for $5,500 buy-it-now or best offer on ebay.

10k: 1967 Mercedes-Benz O309 Bus RV

Its not often that you find a car that is cool, cheap, vintage and zombie proof, not to mention highly useful!  But this 1967 Mercedes Bus O309 fits the bill and is for sale in Los Angeles, CA for $8500 via craigslist.  The O309 (O stands for Omnibus!) was the Bus version of the Mercedes Düsseldorfer L406D van and this one was converted to an RV by a thoughtful previous owner.