Ah, boogie van life: is there any clearer symbol of open road freedom than a small home on wheels that lets you party whenever the mood strikes? It’s amazing how many of these panel vans still pop up for sale with the interior all kitted out, which seems to suggest the movement behind these custom coaches was bigger than we may have realized. Check out this clean 1977 Dodge Tradesman here on craigslist for $12,750 or best offer.
The interior is as good as it gets for a period-correct “van-tastic” conversion. The rear cargo bay features a bed, wall-to-wall carpeting, padded doors with custom storage cubbies, and of course, shag on the ceilings. The seller claims the paint is original, but really, how would you know? These things were hardly coveted when new, and by the time a rig like this became someone’s boogie van, it had already been around the block more than once.
The fact that so many of these vans remain in surprisingly tidy condition despite the level of customization is always shocking to me. I often lament that old Lotuses look terrible inside after a few years of even casual neglect because of the hand-made nature of the interiors, but despite many custom vans having the same level of one-off touches, the cockpits are more often than not in decent shape. This Tradesman has swivel seats with custom covers, and an engine doghouse covered in shag. The dash is crack-free, too.
Now, it occurred to me this Dodge was missing one thing to be the best version of itself it could be: the fender flares and spoiler kit. The seller is including the front air dam, flares, and even the roof spoiler to fully kit out this Dodge. I would also lower it a touch and otherwise leave it alone. The wheels work, and the side-exit exhaust is a nice touch. The seller has recently installed new tires, a steering rack, and radiator, so hopefully, this kick-butt period van build is ready to for the road for years to come.
Dodge? Looks like a fur in car to me…
My cousin had a van like this. Smelled like weed and cologne.
💯 as did our buddy’s Tradesman. Steady helping of Rolling Stones playing from the casette deck🎵🎹
Usually Exile on Main St, Some Girls, Sticky Fingers or later Tattoo You. His was a stick shift model too believe it or not. Instant party 🥳 🍻 🕺
Wow
Never knew that I had a cousin named Ken!
Swivel seats !
Just looking at that interior brings songs of the era to mind:
It feels like the first time
It feels like the very first time…
Undercover angel, midnight fantasy…
You need a whole lot more than money
You need more than to survive
You need to keep your love
Keep your love alive…
If this van’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’!
Good old shaggin wagon!!!!! Used to see vans like that in R/V Van World and Truckin magazine!!
My wife and I had a ’76 Dodge Tradesman van. I bought it off of one of my buddies at work. The van looked like a beater, but the drivetrain was sound. We bought the van with the intention of doing our own camper conversion.
We tackled the interior first. I bought a set of templets from Sears. These were a godsend for a guy with limited carpentry skills. We decided to go for a nautical theme, selecting light colored paneling and seamless flooring. We also installed a jack knife sofa for the back. We also installed teak fixtures bought from a boating supply. My wife and I were quite proud of how the interior came out.
The outside of the van was where the van needed the most help. There was no rust but lots of dings and dents. I started doing body repairs one panel at a time. By the time I was done, the color had changed from yellow to a mix of yellow and primer grey.
We enjoyed using the van so much as a mini camper, we started looking for a used Toyota Class C motorhome conversion. We found and purchased the Toyota conversion. We had no problem selling our van.
Engine, tranny,I MAY BE NEEDIN AHOME.