LS-Swapped 1972 Winnebago Brave Is the Coolest Camper Around: Track Time Tuesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T
Classic 1972 Winnebago Brave was left alone on the outside, but inside and underneath, it’s a brand new RV.
By now, we’ve seen just about any kind of LS swap one can imagine, with GM’s legendary powerplant having seen duty in everything from mail carriers to Subarus and plenty of pickups. But this LS-swapped 1972 Winnebago Brave that recently crossed the virtual block at eBay certainly stands out as a truly unique build, even in this world of one-offs and bizarre creations. And that makes it more than worthy of being the subject of this week’s Track Time Tuesday presented by Nitto.
Clearly, a ton of work went into the vintage Winnebago Brave to make it the ultimate camper, and that work certainly paid off, because it seems like the seller accomplished that goal with ease. For starters, it’s bound to be reliable thanks to its beating heart – a 6.0-liter LS V8 taken from a 2010 Chevrolet Express Van – which is mated to a 6L90E 6-speed automatic transmission. The camper has also been upgraded with power disc brakes, power steering, an independent front suspension, and a Dana 70 rear end.
While it may not win any drag races, the seller notes that the vintage camper is much faster than it was with the old Dodge 318 handling things, not to mention far nicer to drive and much more reliable. On top of that proverbial cherry, the motorhome has been completely stripped down and rebuilt with real wood to replace the old fake stuff, and the interior is completely new to boot.
During that process, the living quarters of the Brave was given a total modern makeover, with a new full-size shower, cabinets, upholstery, LED lighting, air conditioning, and much, much more. A touchscreen was added up front to make driving the 18-footer a bit easier, and it even has automatic headlights. However, the exterior was left completely alone to give the vintage camper a stealthy look, which we think is a pretty cool touch.
Put it all together, and this 1972 Winnebago Brave is perhaps the coolest camper restomod (and the only one?) we’ve ever seen. This thing is far more interesting than some boring, super-expensive modern-day RV, though it failed to sell at auction with a high bid of just over $30k.
Photos: eBay
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