One of the most ambitious campers of all time, a Del Ray Sky Lounge, has reemerged with a matching ’63 Ford F-250. This beautiful vintage rig is ready to take you straight back to the ’60s.
This rare truck and camper combination survived more than half a century in great condition. How? We honestly don’t know, but we’re glad they did. We’re also super thankful to MaxMotive for sharing a walkthrough video of this rig.
Del Ray Campers operated out of El Monte, California, during the golden age of truck camping. While company records are limited, what remains tells a powerful story of innovation and bold design.
Del Ray was building campers during a spike of America’s love affair with the open road. The Interstate Highway System was young and gas was cheap. Families were chasing national parks and roadside diners. The Sky Lounge captures that spirit perfectly, elevating its occupants above the landscape and into the adventure in unmistakable style.
The video below takes you through a walkthrough of this remarkable 1963 Ford F-250 and Del Ray Sky Lounge combination.
This particular F-250 is equipped with four-wheel drive, a 460 cubic inch V8, an automatic transmission, and an added 1977 frame for extra strength and support.
The big-block delivers the kind of torque that made these trucks legendary workhorses. It also features a side-exit exhaust to route fumes away from the camper, along with working heat, two spare tires, and the original tailgate.
The truck is finished in a striking cherry red paint with interior cream-colored paneling and a matching bench seat.
The undercarriage is described as clean and solid. The overall condition looks fantastic for a truck more than sixty years old.
Two cabover struts connect the truck and camper, a common feature of the era when companies offered systems like Shock-Eze, Bounce-A-Way, and E-ZY Rider to help control camper movement while driving. Think of them as early shock absorbers, proudly visible and mechanical.
Now onto our favorite part of this duo—the two-tone red and white Del Ray Sky Lounge truck camper. Cherry red diamond-quilted aluminum stripes line the upper and lower sections, with a horizontally striped section running through the ribbed white aluminum. The ribbed aluminum wasn’t just decorative; it added rigidity and texture and was a defining visual cue of the period.
What makes this Del Ray camper legendary is its unconventional tri-level design with three sleeping areas. The dinette converts to a bed on the main floor, then steps up into the panoramic Sky Lounge above.
At the very top is an east-west sleeping loft. The stacked design separates living, viewing, and sleeping spaces vertically in a way few campers ever have.
In the 1960s, it was commonplace for passengers to ride in the camper while the vehicle was in motion. While we certainly don’t recommend that today, it’s easy to imagine that this elevated Sky Lounge would have delivered some of the best highway naps ever.
Step inside the camper and transport back in time. Honey-toned wooden paneling wraps the walls and ceiling. Gold trim and cabinetry accents give the entire space a golden hue.
The persimmon-orange refrigerator and freezer, three-burner cooktop, oven, vent hood, and matching sink appear to be original and intact. Against the wood cabinetry and speckled countertop, the appliances look like a roadside diner.
The wet bath is compact and functional. The toilet sits beneath a small wall-mounted water heater, with exposed copper lines running neatly across faux tile walls. There’s no separation between the toilet and the shower. This is a true wet bath. It’s peculiar, slightly awkward, and completely authentic to its time.
This rare combination is a reminder of when America looked at the road and saw endless possibilities. We’re happy this one survived to tell the story. View the full listing and gallery here: maxmotive.com
Want More Del Ray?
If you can’t get enough of the Del Ray Sky Lounge, revisit our previous feature, 1966 Del Ray Sky Lounge Rig Breaks Hearts, which showcases another Sky Lounge perfectly paired with a 1968 Chevrolet C20 pickup.
