Here's a tow vehicle!

[John in Santa Cruz]

this is work in progress. it needs bodywork, probably a modern engine and transmission... axles from an F250 etc etc.
but, dang, squint a little, and imagine this cherried out, wouldn't that rock for pulling your Escape ?

https://www.406garage.com/product-pa...wd-travelall-1


ps: not mine, i have no vested interest in this, I just think these old International Travelalls were some of the original SUVs.

[WillyB]

I agree. It really wouldn't take much to get that ready for a cross country trip.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

this is work in progress. it needs bodywork, probably a modern engine and transmission... axles from an F250 etc etc.
but, dang, squint a little, and imagine this cherried out, wouldn't that rock for pulling your Escape ?

https://www.406garage.com/product-pa...wd-travelall-1


ps: not mine, i have no vested interest in this, I just think these old International Travelalls were some of the original SUVs.

I remember those. Good-looking, if somewhat spare, trucks. My 2013 Expedition is not dissimilar.

A friend earlier in the '60s had an International Scout. It had a big four-cylinder engine that, as I recall, was basically half of the Travelall's V8.

[Iowa Dave]

My brother had a Travelall. He was younger then and a pretty free spirit. Used it to transport the rock and roll band he was with. Eventually it got tired and he parked it in his back yard. If you’re familiar with them they had a lot of glass. Hence they got hot inside. So he turned it into a green house. His rig had conventional windows that rolled down. Used the roll down windows to cool it down on hot days and a Titan milk house heater to keep it warm on frosty March and April nights. Worked well for that for some time. (Insert pathetic laugh track here).

Yes there’s a little hill William in us. We’re genetically predisposed as we come from subsistence agriculture Bohemians. Cheap beer, hickory stripe bib overalls, white tee shirt and a free ball cap with advertising on it. Yup. Have a great day, I hope your football team is victorious. Go Tennessee Vols.

Iowa Dave

[Centex]

Thanks for posting, John, brought back lots of fond memories.

My folks (and lots of their friends) logged many, many, happy miles pulling their Airstreams with Travelalls in the early 1970's. They took that rig a long way up the Alcan Hwy which was quite a challenge in those days. I don't recall the exact model year, theirs was 2WD, IIRC it had a ~400cu in AMC engine with a GM 3-speed automatic and positraction.

Interesting anecdote - shortly after Dad put on a new set of Michelin's the rear-end started making lots of noise; turned out that one of the rear tires was 'out-of-spec-oversize' which chewed up the P-Track clutches; Michelin stepped-up and paid for a new rear-end along with a complete set of new carefully measured tires which made Dad a Michelin fan for the rest of his life.

I can still 'see' that blue & silver 2-tone Travelall in my mind's eye. Dad loved that truck but eventually replaced it with a Suburban - International had showed GM the wisdom of building the Suburban with nicer-than-basic-work-truck interiors for the 'family' market.

Their Travelall had the drop-gate rear, the Suburban offered swing-doors which were more popular with the Airstream crowd for rear-access when hitched (they barely cleared the trailer jack with a reasonably short WDH stinger), I don't know if International ever offered that rear door option (?).

[Fletch Dobbs]

Nice! Room for six people, two dogs, and a cord of firewood!

[sherminator]

Brings back memories! Back in 1968, my dad looked hard at getting a Travelall, but opted for a Jeep Wagoneer instead, which he later paired with a 19' Shasta travel trailer. We had great fun with both.

[brroberts]

Didn’t have a Travelall, but did have a late 60’s Suburban that covered 49 states on trips between ‘68 and ‘78. Fun times.

[SageRpod]

Meh. I remember those as well as early Suburbans and Wagoneers. Even if I had the money to blow, I would probably pass and spend it on something else. All it would be good for is cruising around town and looking good at the local burger place or, for us seniors who need fiber, salad bar.

Don't get me wrong, I love a restored or rustored truck as much as anyone else. Linda and I often watch Mechums auto auctions for Friday night entertainment (she's a muscle car kinda girl) but for hauling a 5000lb trailer down the highway, nothing compares to a modern tow vehicle.

[Dave Miller]

I learned to tow a boat with my dad’s 72 travelall. It was a beast. I believe it had a 392ci v8. Two gas tanks. Everything rusted out except the widow glass!