1965 Apache Silver Buffalo

[85_Ranger4x4]

We have been discussing getting a trailer of some sort for our adventures. Mainly when we just take the Bronco, we run out of room very fast. On the flipside with only a 3500 tow rating it can't to a whole lot either.

For like 5 years a former customer and good friend of mine has been trying to get me to buy his old Apache camper. It was sitting in a machine shed and I was skeptical how good of shape it would be in when it was opened up. I was picturing it full of mouse cities and maybe a raccoon condo. Well he retired from farming recently, built a new shed on his property and had to move it out of the shed on rented land. He had to put new tires on it to move it and opened up and said it was great inside.

So last night we went and checked it out.









It is very basic. Two big beds and a table that makes into a smaller bed. Simple and lightweight.

It needs a little canvas repair and the road cover has shrunk. The seller was kind of bothered, it was fine for years but after he removed it to open up the camper he couldn't get it back on. Like it had shrunk, so that would need addressed. The only real damage on the floor is the bottleneck jack he kept in it leaked, the floors looked perfect from the bottom. The floor linoleum is dated and has some water stains on it, we might do something to replace it... I am sure if Pinterest hasn't been summoned yet it will be soon.

He shot me a super low price that I couldn't really turn down.









I stuffed it into the barn today, just pick up the tongue and push it where I want it, much easier to move around than the Skamper in a pickup box trailer.



For the end goal, do a little canvas repair, get a cover to fit on it, convert the wiring from four round to four flat, go thru the wheel bearings and use it. People have modified them for offroading but so far I haven't really needed an off-road camper. Basically you make a frame with a new floor and set this tub on the new frame (because it there isn't a whole lot of structure to it right now) It is a lot of work to do and so far I haven't needed it.

Apache Eagle - Unique Off Road Trailer

SOLD FOR SALE: 1974 (likely) Apache Eagle Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Description: This tent trailer has been completely rebuilt into a reliable and capable off road camper. Very simple and functional as it stands, but also ready for finish work (paint, floor, trim, etc.). There is...

forum.expeditionportal.com

I am thinking of like our Kansas or Missouri trips. Bomb out to wherever and dump it at the campgound and go do whatever and it is waiting when we get back. Basically a tent on wheels. Or if we want to roadtrip cheap throw it on the back of the '150 and set sail. Really, persistent impracticality aside the Ranger pulled it very nice for that matter too.

I bucked her on remodelling the Skamper, she wanted to update it and I wanted to keep it period to the truck and everything else. This one is her baby to do whatever she wants with decor.

 

[JoshT]

Cool! When folded, does it have room for storing all your camping goodies inside? I'm guessing that it would, I just can't picture how that one would fold. I'd dig something like that to pull behind the '68, but I think I'd have to find a way to retrofit some sort of an AC into it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Cool! When folded, does it have room for storing all your camping goodies inside? I'm guessing that it would, I just can't picture how that one would fold. I'd dig something like that to pull behind the '68, but I think I'd have to find a way to retrofit some sort of an AC into it.

The beds slide out and there are 5 hoops that flip up to hold the tent up.

Basically everything below the beds stays wide open, so the majority of the hull can carry cargo.

It does have huge windows that open up to help with ventilation.

 

[sgtsandman]

The beds slide out and there are 5 hoops that flip up to hold the tent up.

Basically everything below the beds stays wide open, so the majority of the hull can carry cargo.

It does have huge windows that open up to help with ventilation.

One of these years, I may move to something like this. Kicking a screaming but sooner or later it will become inevitable.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

One of these years, I may move to something like this. Kicking a screaming but sooner or later it will become inevitable.

I fought it and it kinda burns because I already have an awesome little camper.

I was trying to find a little utility trailer I could just haul totes of gear on... they are stupid priced now. Even something weird like a boat trailer I could make a trailer out of is not cheap.

For running a solo rig we were just hitting a wall. The straw that broke the camel's back was when we went to Missouri and had nowhere to put my little baby Weber charcoal grill. We have 0 room for any potential future kids or dogs, that car is stuffed.



Rear driver seat has the cooler and kitchen gear bag.

With this thing, sleeping shelter. the bedding, and folding chairs can get out of the car immediately if not sooner. Maybe luggage too. That is the bottom two black totes in the back of the car right off the bat. Top one is clothes and could easily get booted as well. Nothing really heavy, just bulky.

Ranger has plenty of room for gear but only seats two. My F-150 has plenty of room for gear and seats six (and if I made brackets could carry my Skamper) but is worthless for offroading.

I basically have nothing in it either, I could spruce it up a bit and flip it pretty easy if I wanted.

 

[Snoranger]

I just pulled up brand new Pergo flooring from the house I bought. It was only installed to put the house on the market. How much do you need for the trailer floor??

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Weather is nice, going to try for one more hurrah camping before D-Day which will probably shut down all camping for the rest of the year. Our new tent broke a pole last weekend, Skamper is kind of a lot of monkeying around putting and taking out for one week right before we gain a kid and I will be needed elsewhere (the dang topper is the biggest issue)

Everything was just kinda sticky so we lubed up the jackstands and the latch for the hitch.



And it has a four round connector for the lights which connects to basically nothing in 2025. I was looking at that and found this... tumor in the wiring.



I'm not sure but this sure looks like @Curious Hound's handywork...



Not a big deal to cut back after that to splice in a four flat connector though.

Went ahead and set it up to let the good ol' "old canvas smell" dissipate a little.



I know it won't help the smell at all but it was fun to set it up.

Next weekend... we go to the lake.

 

[Curious Hound]

I'm not sure but this sure looks like @Curious Hound's handywork.

Oh, no, no, no. I don't do it that way. Uh-uh. Not me.

 

[RobbieD]

I love the smell of "old canvas" in the morning . . .

 

[Curious Hound]

I love the smell of "old canvas" in the morning . . .

Not just old canvas. But old green military canvas tents seemed to have a special smell of their own. My dad had an old army pup tent. The kind where each GI carried half. But we had both halves. My brother and I like to set that up in the back yard and camp in it. That was real canvas, it's smell not contaminated by other vinyl coatings and camper smells and such.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The green canvas tents we had at boy scout summer camp always smelled the same. No idea how long they had been set up over the summer to "air out"

 

[Curious Hound]

The green canvas tents we had at boy scout summer camp always smelled the same. No idea how long they had been set up over the summer to "air out"

Yes. That's the real smell. I forgot about the tents at scout camp.they were nice canvas rectangular wall tents. At our camp, they even had wooden floors and metal cots with mattresses. That was "glamping" for Boy Scouts.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I can remember my parents tent. Canvas with aluminum poles and a seperate inside tent for sleeping in that took half the space. It fit 2 adults and 2 preteens pretty easily. A pretty big awning too iirc.

 

[sgtsandman]

Yes. That's the real smell. I forgot about the tents at scout camp.they were nice canvas rectangular wall tents. At our camp, they even had wooden floors and metal cots with mattresses. That was "glamping" for Boy Scouts.

We had the same. The Boy Scout camps that were a week long had the small wall tents, wood floors, and cots. For weekends, we had A frames with no floor. We brought plastic for a moisure barrier and slept righ on the ground. Sleeping pads weren't even a thing as far as I know. Not even foam pads.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Our scout tents just had a wood platform so the spiders had somewhere to live.

We were supposed to go under there during tornado warnings... we opted to continue playing cards. Every year we had at least one warning. We looked forward to it, the Temps would go from 100+ to 80's EVERY YEAR.