The Seventeenth UltraVan

In August 1965, Dave Peterson reached an agreement to license UltraVan production to Jack Tillotson of Kansas City. Tillotson was a magazine publishing magnate, so one of the first things he started planning was the printed promotional material. And the first thing he needed for that was a model for his color brochure.

The seventeenth UltraVan had recently rolled out of Peterson's Oakland shop, featuring all the latest upgrades - including the distinctive new double stripe trim scheme and the relocated taillights (in a higher position than on previous coaches). The proud new owners were amenable to lending their acquisition to the proceedings, and the resulting images would be used in magazine articles, advertisements, and four different versions of the color brochure (1965-36 pgs, 1966-36 pgs, 1968-24 pgs, and 1970-24 pgs).

Ironically, these iconic photos depict a coach with several prominent features that were never found on any coach produced by Tillotson's operation: Ford Econoline headlight bezels, 13" wheels with turbine wheelcovers, a windowless entry door, and no coffee bar below the windshield. The leading-arm rear suspension was of course less prominent, but no less incongruous.

There are also a few features worth pointing out in the interior: In the bedroom, the cabinet above the rear hatch was omitted - giving the area a uniquely sleek and roomy appearance.

In the galley, the upper cabinet has sliding, not hinged doors (common in early factory coaches); and the smaller refrigerator and deeper drawer above it become more obvious with the stove on the right.

In the cockpit, notice the three binnacle instruments mounted above the windshield, the pictures mounted to the upper cabinet doors, and how the windshield drapery rod extends well beyond the upper canopy.

This coach was built for Irving C. (Pete) & Edna Dodge of Temple City CA. Pete & Edna were founding members  in 1967 of the UltraVan Motor Coach Clubs, Inc., registering their coach as #65. They were active in the club until 1972. Eventually #65 passed into the hands of Scott & Eva Johnson of Boulevard CA, who joined the Club from 1976-1977.

 
Noel & Elaine Koller of Bonita CA attended their first Club Rally in January 1979, at Frontier Town in El Cajon CA. They registered with the Club as owners of UltraVan #206 in 1979, offered it for sale in several 1984 newsletters, switched to #210 in 1985-1987, and remained associate members of the Club from 1988-1996.

Because of the registration number switch, when Jim & Marlene Craig of San Diego CA (already owners of #232) bought the coach with no engine in November 1984, they were unaware that they were buying Pete Dodge's old #65 - until they recognized the pictures on the upper cockpit cabinet doors and the binnacle instruments. In December 1986 they sold #232 to focus on restoring #206. Jim installed a new engine and test drove the coach, but in February 1987 they acquired #202, and in May 1988 they moved to Joshua Tree CA - leaving #206 behind in the care of Jack Martin of Chula Vista.

Jack doesn't seem to have ever finished the restoration, because as late as 1992 it was still inoperative, parked beside his house. Royce Hildreth of the San Diego Corvair Club remembers seeing it there in 2001-2002. Jack moved to Texas around 2003-2004, again leaving #206 behind. We don't know the names of the last owners, but Jim Craig reports that he heard it was stolen from them and never recovered.