This trucker made the ultimate camper out of a Kenworth and an Airstream
Published on Jul 08, 2022 at 10:05 AM (UTC+4)
by Patrick Jackson
Last updated on Jul 08, 2022 at 10:05 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A retired trucker has made possibly the ultimate campervan out of a big Kenworth truck and an Airstream trailer.
Spotted by YouTuber TheBostonTrucker at a truck show, it was built by a trucker called Charlie.
He found the old Kenworth just before he retired.
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It was sitting in the woods in New Hampshire and hadn’t run in 12 years.
It only took Charlie an hour to get it running, but he notes that “it was tired”.
A few weeks later, he spotted the Airstream trailer on Craigslist, and had an idea.
“I just bought it and said ‘I can make this work’,” Charlie says.
But with how inappropriate the truck was for the build, Charlie had to source another one to take the driveline out of.
He took the axles from a Volvo truck chassis, while the big fuel tanks came from a Freightliner.
He also fitted a Cummins diesel engine with “about 1000hp”, which means he has “no problem keeping up with traffic in it”.
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With some proper running gear in it, he could finally set about getting the body set up properly.
And it’s set up properly, alright.
Don’t just think that the Airstream was plonked on the back – Charlie connected the cabin and the trailer with a short walkway.
With this done, it also meant he could register it as an RV, rather than as a truck, meaning a truck license isn’t needed to drive it.
Although his first test drive exposed a few things that needed work, Charlie has continued to modify it.
All the appliances in the Airstream are powered by a small diesel generator with its own fuel tank.
He also created exterior storage boxes out of old fuel tanks, making them appear hidden on the sides of the truck.
One has a toolbox inside it, while another carries a 16-foot (4.9-meter) inflatable pontoon boat.
It even has a septic tank for the toilet and showers, and propane for the stove and heater.
Is this the ultimate homemade campervan? Certainly, it’s gotta be right up there.
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A car zealot from a young age, Patrick has put his childhood spent obsessing over motoring magazines and TV shows to good use over the past six years as a journalist. Fuelled by premium octane coffee, he’s contributed to Finder, DriveTribe, WhichCar, Vehicle History and Drive Section.
