Beach Bum Rig: 1973 International Harvester Travelall 1010 Custom

I love vintage trucks, especially SUVs; I find that compared to today's SUVs, vintage SUVs are spartan and utilitarian yet still visually appealing, whereas today's SUVs are overloaded with luxury and are more used as family car than workhorse. Ever since I was a little kid, my mom and dad owned Suburbans (a 1992, a 1993, a 1994, and briefly a 1996) before buying a 1998 Tahoe. Though the Suburban was the first SUV, the Travelall was the precursor to the modern full-size SUV, a formula that is still being used today. This Travelall is a 1973 model, and though a bit weathered, I would still rock it as a daily driver, tow rig or camping rig. Find it here on Hemmings in Cheshire, Connecticut, with an asking price of $8,500.

Introduced in 1953 to compete against Chevrolet's Suburban, the Travelall is touted as the precursor to today's full-size SUV. After being considered a part of International Harvester's pickup truck line, the Travelall became its own model starting in 1969, the same year the truck was redesigned for its fourth generation. Featuring styling similar to the Scout, the Travelall was discontinued after 1975 due to a lack of sales. This Travelall is a 1973 1010 model, the third-to-last year of production; looking over the truck, there is some paint missing (mainly on and by the tailgate), and there appears to be a bit of rust on the bottom of the rear quarter panels and on the rocker panels. The two-tone paint in green and white is an attractive color nonetheless, and I love the white and gray stripes running on the sides of the truck. I would address the rust, touch up the paint, polish the chrome and stainless trim, make sure the tires are okay, and use this truck as a nice-weather driver.

Though IH's 304, 345 and 392 V8s were typically used in the Travelall (AMC's 232 inline-six was standard beginning in 1969 and dropped after 1972 due to little demand), this Travelall 1010 is powered by AMC's 401 V8. Rated at 186 horsepower and 322 lb-ft of torque, the 401 (or V-400 in IH speak) features a two-barrel carburetor and was used as an alternative to IH's 392 V8, which was in short supply due to high demand in 1973. Backed by a 727 Torqueflite three-speed automatic, the V-400 is said to have an exhaust leak that needs to be addressed, and optional air conditioning that is also currently inoperable. On the plus side, the truck is equipped with dual fuel tanks, the truck runs and drives, the brakes are good, and the truck is set up for towing with a tow hitch and tow brakes. I would address the exhaust leak and possibly swap to dual exhausts, swap in a four-barrel carburetor and AMC dual-snorkel air cleaner for the V-400, convert the air conditioning to R-134A, add a Gear Vendors overdrive unit to the 727 Torqueflite, and detail and service the engine, engine bay and the rest of the drivetrain for optimal driving and performance.

Remember when interiors used to be as simple and yet as beautiful as this truck's interior is? Inside, this Travelall 1010 is equipped with a blue cloth and vinyl bench interior. Looking over the interior, the seats are in incredible shape, and though the vinyl floor could use a bit detailing, it too is solid with no rips or tears. Manual windows are a plus for me, as is the power rear window. There are a few wires in view that I would tuck away, but at this point I'm nitpicking. Overall, this Travelall 1010 is a pretty cool truck that needs a little bit of attention, but considering the options and the extra parts included (a cargo rack and some extra trim), this would be an easy project to work on and use as a nice weather driver. I would address the rust, touch up and detail the paint, use the tires that are mounted currently if they're okay (if not, I would swap on a set of Cooper Discoverer A/T3s), build up the engine and drivetrain a bit for performance, reliability and decent fuel economy, fix and convert the air conditioning, and use this truck as a tow rig and or use it for road and camping trips around the United States. What are your thoughts on this rarely-seen 1973 Travelall 1010?