My girlfriend and I purchased our well-used, but well cared for, Class C (or if you prefer, giant truck camper--but we'd need a crane to pull the shell!) in January. We're in the process of upgrading some of the systems prior to a cross-country journey later this year.
The story, as we have it, is that the vehicle was custom built on a new 1972 Ford C8000 dump truck chassis. I would assume that it was built between late '71 and '73, but an "older" chassis could have been procured for a later build. If our information is correct, chassis did not do duty as a dumper before being converted into a "camper." Our findings (and professional opinions) would seem to support that the vehicle was professionally built--if it was a project conversion, the builder knew what he was doing. The only indication we have of "brand" or "builder" are the words Jac-Kir in bold letters across the front of the camper shell. We have manuals for all of the "new" systems, including the CAT 3208TD, Alison tranny and appliances, but no documentation exists for the "original" rig. (And may have never existed.)
The story as we have it is that the rig was originally built for a NASCAR driver to use as a car hauler & track home. So far I haven't found any evidence to corroborate this, but it makes for an interesting story.
So if anyone can provide any insight as to the origin--be it information about "Jac-Kir" or a memory of seeing the rig sitting in the infield at Darlington--or (almost too much to hope for)--a photo--we'd love to hear about it. (If the NASCAR story is true, a photo of the rig "at work" to hang inside is something I really covet. I'm not really a NASCAR fan, but I do enjoy other forms of racing and if the pedigree is legit, I'd like the rig to display it with pride.)
Obviously, I've "Googled" and come up blank. I've also poked around at a couple of NASCAR historical sites, but haven't found one that's been helpful. (No surprise, but it killed a couple of mid-winter hours.)
The rig is pictured in my signature and you can see more photos on Picasaweb. Once we get the rig back from the yard--propane work and new genset & inverter/smart charger being installed--we'll do more documentation and photos.
Thanks in advance for any insight--or even clues--that you can provide.
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