A scampering Rampside
In October 2025, Jack Green of Oneonta, AL purchased this much-loved '64 Rampside from the Corvair Preservation Foundation. It had been in the care of CORSA member Dan Davis of Graham, WA for about 3 years. Dan had previously received the vehicle from the family of John Bolender, John was a charter member of Corvairs Northwest and passed away in 2022 at the age of 93. John's family has years of memories from touring the Pacific Northwest with this camper-equipped Rampside,
CNW member Carl Jones explained the recent history of this rig in more detail:
"In mid-2023 Corvairs Northwest heard from the owner of a Rampside with a camper on it that she wanted to sell because she was not capable of rebuilding it. Dan Davis and I looked at it and, realizing it would require significant effort in both time and money, offered her the opportunity to contact the Corvair Preservation Foundation to see if they wanted it, likely to resell as a fundraiser. She agreed.
We contacted CPF President Mike Hall, who contacted the owner, and the CPF agreed to accept it and gave her a donation acknowledgement letter. Once the deal had been struck, Dan and I hauled the vehicle to his house and placed it under a tent for the winter. Shortly thereafter, there were major changes in CPF leadership and the vehicle fell between the cracks, so to speak. Eventually, the vehicle became known again and a buyer was found. We learned during the interim that the vehicle and camper used to belong to John Bolender."
Speaking of the camper, Jack has uncovered that it's a Scamper-brand unit, which was manufactured in Seattle. Very few units are known to have survived, which was one of the intriguing features of this Rampside for Jack. Jack related that he had the Rampside delivered to his business and that they called him at 4:30 AM on the morning of delivery--not much warning! Jack loaded the Rampside onto his own trailer and and towed it to his shop, where the final picture below was taken.
In November 2025, Jack provided an update on resuscitating his recent purchase:
"I got the truck running, after doing some wiring repair and replacing the points, condenser, coil, and adjusting the timing. The engine now runs great but the fan bearing is bad. It’s the worst I have ever heard--the noise is horrible! I guess that’s why it wasn’t on the road.
Next, I need to assess the condition of the fuel tank. I hope it’s good. I obviously need to replace the fan bearing. I also need to overhaul the carburetors and rebuild the brakes. She should then be ready for a real on-the-road shake down."
Thanks to Jack, Dan, and the Bolender family for the photos down through the years of this special truck!
Information from the data plate
Description |
Description |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5Z60GB |
Custom equipment, red interior |
5526AA |
Off-White (aka Ivory), solid color |
03 4 |
March, 1964 |
(Click on a heading in the table for more information on that item.)