Caddy Campers company info?

A

Attila Bethlenfalvy

We've all seen 'em. From poorly converted campers with backyard engineering to those that look like they actually rolled off an assembly line - they all make me cringe personally.

Saw this poor dead soldier recently, which started a discussion on a different forum:

l_cffb9edf248a4e20bdbc5d810cbd6392.jpg


This particular coach started off as a Superior, '53 I believe. I distinctly recall seeing another Caddy Campers vehicle on eBay around May, '08 that was based on a '58 Eureka, although for some reason I forgot to save a pic.

Someone who grew up in the area remembers Caddy Campers in San Clemente, CA and is adamant that they used commercial chassis/front clip only - which makes little sense.

That isn't a '50s company logo or application in my picture. Nor is it a '50s camper unit grafted on. Safer assumption that they were purchased cheaply once second or third hand and converted. This explains different coach builders name plates being used. This also explains why there isn't factory literature floating around for Caddy Campers (or any other such company?) with standardized model offerings that I've seen.

Perhaps Caddy Campers started out small, retrofitting coaches out of service, before moving onward to more of a production run using commercial chassis? Regardless, enough knowledge and lit collectors are present to shed light.

So what do you think? ;)
 
I agree with you that it is a waste of a professional car, but I too would be interested in knowing a little about Caddy Campers as a company.

This is one of those situations where the damage has been done and there is very little that anyone can do to reverse that. On the other hand, it would be interesting to me to learn a little about what this company was about and how and what got them started. It may be an unfortunate part of professional car history, but it is none the less a big part of what happened to these cars.
 
Growing up in the Indianapolis area in the early-mid 60's there was a company locally that did the chop job. Sorry I don't remember any more.
 
not going to check

There is one in my area. Unfortunately I will not be checking on it. A friend and I went to see it last year. The owner told us to go look at it. The bad part is he did not tell his property renter that we were coming. So with a gun drawn and at the ready we explained to the renter why we were there. He was not sympathetic. So we left...we did not have a gun to equalize the situation.
Far as I know that one is still up on the hill in the woods.
I saw a chassis that had a Z code data plate. There was no camper shell. Just what looked like the support frame for the rear deck/roller floor. No other info was gleaned from this one.
Maybe I will try the one on the hill but ask the owner to meet there and keep his renter at bay.
Mike
 
if you find one with a superior label and a small window behind the drivers seat it is made for a camper conversion by superior. the did make chassis for this market. not all were cut up pro cars.
 
Here is one about an hour and half from me, the base car was a 58 M-M combo. Still in very good condition. The rear bumper is the propane tank:eek:
1hearse 012.jpg

1hearse 011.jpg
 
No question about it, that they started life as a completed commercial chassis vehicle that was cut down to mount the camper body on it. If they started with just a commercial chassis, then they would have had to build the roof and the front doors and door latch pillars. Besides, if they started with just the commercial chassis, then it wouldn't have the body side moldings that are proprietary to each body builder back then..
 
I could be wrong and I probably am, but Superior seemed to build some unique vehicles. One of them was a huge '59? Pontiac station wagon designed for antique furniture dealers to carry their antiqes in style. It looked like a procar, but never was. I no longer have my Superior Book, but if you have one, look it up. I believe the year was 1959.

For some reason, my memory tells me that there are also Cadillac campers built by Superior in the book.
 
OK here is a pictured of one built by superior for the camper conversion. you see the small window behind the door. they did that so there was room to move the seat. chopped off the seat would be sliding into the camper . I have a number of these pictures of them on different pro cars and i have see one or two pictured using this body. but I can't now find a complete one.
 

Attachments

  • 1955 superior camper.jpg
    1955 superior camper.jpg
    78.2 KB · Views: 1,046
In their defense....

In the defense of these people who built these "abortions" years ago.... they didn't realize their would ever be a PCS! (*) They could not have been very roadworthy or fuel efficient..... and for sure they didn't look good either! MM
 
parts cars

I guess if the alternative at the time was the crusher using some of these for campers, clowncars, and pickup conversions was better than nothing...maybe at least some parts remain to help PCS'ers restore or maintain their rigs for the future enjoyment of those who love and respect the professional car.
 
conversions

When I was a kid there was a body shop here in Warsaw that took trade ins from the local Superior dealer here and converted them. As memory serves me most were mid 50's vintage Cadillacs as in most of the pictures posted. It miffed me even as a kid to see someone do this to these beautiful old cars, but in retrospect that dealer sent dozens of cars to the crusher simply because there wasn't any market for them. I guess this at least gave a few of them a chance for a second lease on life !
 
Found a very worn body tag. Pushed it in Photoshop so it is a little more readable:

dsc08940b.jpg


THE CADDY CAMPER CO
"The Cadillac of the Campers"
910 WEST VINE STREET PHONE CA - 50591
LIMA, OHIO

Lima??? Hmmm.
 
Cadillac Camper in Kingston

Today while Geocaching, I found this car parked besides a house in Kingston, Ont. I was with my neice and nefiew, so I did not have an opportunity to stop and have a closer look, maybe next time.

picture.php
 
Conversions

Old hearses were basically worthless in the early 1970's regardless of condition so I can't fault anyone who saved one for whatever "adaptive reuse". We bought a '52 Superior with 7000 original miles in absolutely new condition for $300 and even toyed with the idea of converting it into a parts hauler. Eventually sold it at a very slight profit after months of advertising it in Hemmings.
 
You're right. Old funeral cars and ambulances were extremely hard to peddle and so many professional car dealers began sending their old units to Caddy Campers in Lima to be converted. Burgess down in Loudonville and Dennis Distributors in Flint, Michigan were big in this market in the late '60s and early '70s. Converting these hard-to-sell vehicles into campers allowed them to retail these old cars and make a handsome profit. For awhile, it was a growth industry. Too bad soo many valuable professional cars ended their lives in such a manner.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top