I am rereading "Travels with Charley" by John Steinbeck where he chronicles his travels through 34 states in 1960. In preparation for his trip, he said he ordered a special 3/4 ton truck from a well known auto manufacturer and it came with a camper complete with all kinds of amenities including a chemical toilet, water tank, extra large fuel tank and a great heater, wipers and a V-6 engine. He never mentions the make of the truck but I know GM made a large V-6 in that era but I thought it was in the mid 60s. Anyone know if this might be a Chevy or GM truck? Did GM make a V-6 in the early 60s? My '59 Chevy truck's heater and wipers sucked so I surmised that Steinbeck's truck wasn't a Chevy but what could it have been?

The book is very advanced for its time. He talks about migrant and illegal workers, the movement of people from agrarian and manufacturing economy to a service sector and the abandonment of farms and migration to the cities. He even talks about the high rate of illiteracy. The passages about his dog are funny and had me laughing. I strongly recommend it.

http://www.campingandrving....els_with_charley.htm


In early 1960, Steinbeck realized that, while he had been writing about America, he no longer knew America, and, how, he asked, could he write about that which he did not know? He determined then to take a trip about America to “rediscover this monstrous land”.

His name and face had become well-known, and, as he explained, when people know who you are, they become someone they are not. He needed to leave his name and personality at home. He could not fly or stay in hotels, where he would surely be recognized; it was necessary that he drive himself and carry his house with him.

He also wanted to go alone because he felt it would be easier, as a solo traveler, to get others to tell their stories. For a traveling companion, he chose his dog, "Charley", an "elderly gentleman" standard Poodle.

With all this in mind, he wrote “to the head office of a great corporation that manufactures trucks”, and specified his needs:

“I wanted a three-quarter ton pickup truck, and on this truck I wanted a little house, built like the cabin of small boat”.

The truck, we know now, was a new model GMC, with a V6 engine, an automatic transmission, and an oversized generator. The camper was provided by the Wolverine Camper Company of Glaswin, Michigan.

The truck was delivered in August, 1961, and, because of satiric remarks from friends was named Rocinante, after Don Quixote’s horse.

After Steinbeck's Travels with Charley ended, Rocinante was put up for sale in New York where she was purchased by Mr. William Plate for light work on Maiden Point Farm on the Maryland coast.

In February of 1990, the Plates donated Rocinante to the National Steinbeck Center in Steinbeck’s home town of Salinas California. The truck was shipped to Salinas and was “lovingly restored to its original glory by Gene Cochetti”.

The National Steinbeck Center is located in historic Oldtown Salinas, a scenic 17-mile drive from Monterey, California on California's Central Coast.

The National Steinbeck Center
One Main Street
Salinas, CA 93901
(831)796-3833
(831)796-3828 fax
info@steinbeck.org

http://www.steinbeck.org/pa...ent-exhibition-halls

Thanks for the post! I imagined how the truck and camper looked but the picture gave me a realization of how heavy the camper was.

I read "Travels With Charley" in the hospital 40 years ago and had forgotten how good it was. Maybe Steinbeck should have nicknamed Charley, "Sancho Panza." Coincidentally, our Australian Shepherd's name is Charlie.

While I liked "Grapes of Wrath" I think "The Winter of our Discontent" is his best work. "Cannery Row" is semiautobiographical as are Steinbeck's other works.

Thanks again.

Jeff lives near Salinas Ca----maybe he can get over there and get some closeup pics of the truck, 'camper', and engine.

I saw a 1960 GMC V6 truck for sale about 15 years ago for a decent price, at the time I popped the hood and saw that 6 in there and wondered how ti could have come with a V6. Yep thats the truck

We bought a 1961 Chevy pickup. It has a straight 6 in it I think. I could take photos if needed.

quote Originally posted by ls3mach: We bought a 1961 Chevy pickup. It has a straight 6 in it I think. I could take photos if needed.

I'm not sure Chevys came with it. But the straigt 6 and V6 were both available to GMC I believe.

Here's a few I found





This is a 63 w/ same engine

quote Originally posted by 2.5: I'm not sure Chevys came with it. But the straigt 6 and V6 were both available to GMC I believe.

Yep, in the '50s/early '60s, GMC was not as tied in lockstep with Chevy trucks as it is today.

learned something new. I didnt know of ANY v6 engines made before mid to late 60s. I know Ford still had the straight 6 till at least 66 or 67. I think I remember the Chevy straight 6 in Nova and Camaro. Dont remember what Dodge had after the flathead 6... unless it was the slant 6 made until late 60s.

My next door neighbor in Houston had a V6 GMC pickup but it was a later model than the '61. He liked that truck but fell on hard times and had to sell it. I saw the "V6" emblem on it nearly every day but never asked him to pop the hood. I think it was a '64 or '65. He bought it when he returned from Vietnam and drove it all over the country in his work as a roofer. I often wondered if it was a totally different design or did GM cut off two cylinders like they did with the 4.3 liter.

V6 GMC update. I went to the Upull-it yard today to get parts from an '85SE and saw a panel truck that appeared to be early 60s. Sure enough, it was a '63 GMC with manual tranny and bad rust everywhere except the rear. I popped the hood and saw a huge Vee-six engine that resembled a 348 or 409 big block Chevy. The junk yard tag on the car said, "Chevrolet K10 panel" but the valve covers and firewall tag said "GMC." I would taken the V6 emblems but they were missing. The engine looked like GM had sliced off the front two cylinders from the 348/409. I kick myself for not bringing my camera. Does anyone know if that engine was a one of a kind or was it a modified big block from the late '50s-early 60s?

Incidentally, the '85 Fiero had a "Pennocks Fiero Forum" sticker in the rear window.