Russian GAZ 66

This rugged truck camper built on the chassis of a legendary Soviet era GAZ 66 military truck was our home on the road for two months while traveling Northern Russia in summer 1993.

It is basically a simple bus cabin put on the back of 4x4 truck chassis - this is a common sight in the Russian countryside, since regular buses would be no match for the rough Russian roads. Inside the benches had been removed on one side and replaced with large cargo boxes which doubled as counter space and sleeping areas for the night. Yes, BYO sleeping bag and pad!

The GAZ 66 is extremely simple in its layout with two solid axles on massive leaf springs, part time 4WD transfer case, and a four speed manual transmission mated to a 4.3L V8 gas engine that can run on the common 72 octane gasoline, albeit with atrocious gas mileage. However, it did come with a central tire inflation system fed by a belt driven compressor straight from the factory.

Overall, the vehicle is extremely reliable and capable off-road, and it never left us stranded, just stuck in the mud a couple of times, but that is part of any extended road trip through the Russian Taiga. It even comes with a manual crank handle that can be inserted into the crankshaft through the front bumper, and we used it once when the battery was too weak on a cold morning.

This reputation for simplicity, reliability and off-road capability is a key reason that GAZ 66 trucks are still a common sight in many former Soviet countries around the world even though the design originated in the sixties.