If there’s one thing that motorhomes aren’t normally known for it’s speed and style. Those though were two of the most important boxes to check for Dan and Sherry Hansen when they decided to find something to travel with. The result is this 770 horsepower 1966 Dodge Travco they’ve affectionately named Ceecil.
The Hansens are in the Lonely Knights Car Club of my old hometown, Colorado Springs. As such, they’ve had some awesome rides in the past including a 1959 Cadillac Convertible and a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ragtop. When they retired, travel became the priority and the Dodge Travco allowed them to stay in the club as it’s American-made, classically styled, and made before 1970.
Initially, Dan intended to use a 440 V8 out of a Dodge Executive motorhome but it turns out that getting 700 hp out of that engine isn’t cost-effective. A tried and true LS3 V8 crate motor ended up being the choice due to Dan’s familiarity and its power-per-dollar ratio. Atop the V8 is an Edelbrock supercharger which helps this Travco make its power.All of those ponies travel through a GM 4L80E four-speed automatic gearbox, a custom driveshaft, and an EF350 Dana 60 axle.
Of course, with all of that gusto, one can’t expect Ceecil to get very good fuel economy. At best, Dan says he gets about 11 mpg though he’s seen that drop to 6 or 7 depending on the elevation and the wind direction. Yes, in this case, the wind direction can increase or decrease fuel economy by 10 percent or more.Despite the low fuel efficiency, the Hansens have gone all over the place in Ceecil from Colorado to Key West, FL.
Why call their creation Ceecil? “We named it CEECIL after the old Beanie & Cecil cartoon, same color and shape as Ceecil the Sea Serpent,” says Dan. If that’s not an appropriately quirky name for a super-quirky motorhome, we don’t know what is.