"VincentMalamute-Kim" (VincentMalamute-Kim)
10/12/2014 at 20:50 • Filed to: None
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"VincentMalamute-Kim" (VincentMalamute-Kim)
10/12/2014 at 20:50 • Filed to: None | 6
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My friend Bob, his brother, his son, and I went to a GMC Motorhome convention in Chippewa Falls, WI a few weeks ago. I like these vehicles. Very clever design. 40 year old vehicles though. But you can maintain them yourself. Assuming mechanical skills. Since it's Front Engine, Front Wheel Drive, the driver and passenger sit on top of the engine. Lance is on top of the engine cover itself and the actual engine is right below him. They used the FWD Olds Toronado drivetrain. Longitudinal 455 V8 and front transaxle. There's no rear axle so the motorhome floor is very low and then the roof is low. It's so small compared to the current huge bus motorhomes nowadays. He has the sleeps 6 option. One sofa bottom becomes a single bed. The sofa back folds out and then hangs from the ceiling to become a bunk bed. The seats for the dining table fold flat into full size bed. And there's a full or queen or something in the back.
It was the only motorhome GM actually made itself and they made thousands, 6000? 14,000? Wasn't paying enought attention. Anyway, there's still tons running. That might be the 6000 number. A few were completely restored into current luxury standards. Then because of the advanced chassis design, you really can't tell these from a brand new motorhome. Most, like Bob's are being kept kinda original. His has the original corduroy seat material, original shag rug. The rug is the one thing that really needs to go. It's gross. I like the more period looks. I'd recover the fabric again in the corduroy. If you're going to have a 1976 motorhome that looks like a $80,000 2015 motorhome, why not just buy a $80,000 2015 motorhome?
Like most subcultures (Oppo is another), many were nutty. Fuel injection, disc brake hydroboost brake, Cadillac 350 conversions were all there. There were some seriously smart people, a few actual engineers there.
It was quite a friendly bunch of mostly very old folk. We attended lectures. I learned fiberglass repair. Lance snarled at most dogs he saw, they stayed away, he didn't get into any fights, we both considered it a success.
thebigbossyboss
> VincentMalamute-Kim
10/12/2014 at 20:58 |
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This may be the first motorhome I actually like.
I have never understood the appeal of motorhomes...until now. It's awesome that the group hires someone to talk about fiberglass repair and teach people things!
f86sabre
> VincentMalamute-Kim
10/12/2014 at 21:00 |
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saw one in updated paint the other day at the gas station. It looked great. I had to do a double take before I realized what it was.
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> thebigbossyboss
10/12/2014 at 21:35 |
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No hires. It's all owners and people like you and me. My friend Bob replaced his steering wheel. Not in the picture, he'd be depressed it's not visible for everyone to admire it. He gave a 15 minute powerpoint presentation on how he replaced it. Not complicated except for the one little spring thingy that had to fit a certain way into the plastic holder that could be easily broken. That spring connection was how they powered the horn while the wheel rotated.
The lead engineer from Onan who designed the generator spoke. One detail that really grabbed me was that the fan pulled air out of the generator compartment. Bob had thought about reversing the air flow thinking it would improve cooling. They had spent a lot of time making metal covers and ducts over the cylinders and fins of the generator to ensure cooling and the reason for the fan pulling air out? That kept the generator compartment at negative pressure. Gas fumes, carbon monoxide, etc can't accumulate and then possibly get pushed into the passenger compartment. Wow.
The fiberglass was a GMC owner who had gotten really good it or maybe it was his real job or something. Bob didn't get too much out of it since he knows the techniques already. He did learn tips about scratching the surface up good with an angle grinder, something about solvents too for plastic repair - I'm already forgetting.
The GMC is too big for me, a single guy. I've been kinda looking for a Corvair Ultravan: http://www.corvair.org/chapters/ultra…
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thebigbossyboss
> VincentMalamute-Kim
10/12/2014 at 21:39 |
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That...is a funny looking ultravan. Thanks for the write up and the response!!
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VincentMalamute-Kim
> f86sabre
10/12/2014 at 21:41 |
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They owners say that you have to allow an extra 20-30 minutes at gas stops to answer questions from curious people.