Jeep CJ5 Universal Camper 1969

Jeep CJ5 Universal Camper 1969 by Autocult

The house on the third axle  
In search of the ideal camper, the American Charles – Chuck – Prater invented a new design in the second half of the 1960s.   His line of thinking was based on coupling a body structure to a standard Jeep CJ5. However, the short wheelbase of the Jeep did not allow a structure that protruded far beyond the rear end. But in order to still be able to put on a camper structure, Charles Prater simply gave his living and sleeping space its own, additional axle. Precisely adapted to the rear dimensions of a series Jeep CJ5, the single-axle camping structure could be docked and thus transformed the Jeep CJ5 into a camping vehicle. The interior of the camper did not lack of any comfort compared to other camping vehicles at the time. Thanks to long support struts, the camping structure could be also used uncoupled. In this way, several benefits could be achieved. On one hand, the Jeep owner was able to use his off-road vehicle in the usual way, on the other hand, he could also enjoy the freedom as a camper without any restrictions and on the third hand, the special camper was much cheaper than a usual motorhome at the time.   Jeep-Kaiser took over the license production and within a short time the camping body was developed and was ready for series production. From 1969 it was available for exactly 2,198 US$ at the authorized dealers of the Kaiser Jeep Corporation. The camping body could be docked to any Jeep CJ5 that had been rolling off the production line since 1955. Throughout 1969, a total of 336 buyers were willing to travel with Jeep’s special camping body. By 1970, the special body was no longer available in the model range of Jeep.