Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK
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| Re: I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187470 is a reply to message #187137] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 14:15   |
AutoTraveler
Messages: 17
Registered: April 2011
Location: United States
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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I'm hoping to get this thread back on track. The coach that I was considering buying has been confirmed as a 1977 model from late in the production run, thus was most likely equipped with a 403 V8, not a 455.
I am close to having the front of the book history section completed and have already completed a second two-page spread on a stunning 1976 model with photos supplied by a professional photographer. And while I wanted a sunset shot in a campground setting as the cover photo, he also supplied a spectacular night time shot with the Miami skyline in the background that I want very much to use.
As soon as I have the history section updated I plan to assemble the cover, the history section, and the two two-page spreads (his 1976 model and the 1977 model you all have already seen) into a single PDF and upload it to my FTP site where anyone will be able to download and view the PDF (and offer suggestions, comments, and corrections). As I said earlier, I want this very much to be a community effort.
I'm still hoping to get some owner-supplied photos for the photo section. Again, here's what I'm looking for.
Your name and hometown
Year and model of your coach
How long you've owned it
Current mileage
List of places you've visited with your coach
For photography, I need high-quality, high-res images, a minimum of 2000 pixels wide (3000 pixels wide or more preferred)
At least two exterior, prefer in a campground or on-the-road setting if possible
At least six photos of the interior of your coach that I can choose from going from front to rear, showing the cockpit, the living area, the galley, bathroom, and bedroom. I need shots that are both horizontally and vertically oriented.
Because these photos will be used in a book, I suggest that if possible, you park your coach in the shade or photograph your interior on a cloudy day to minimize harsh shadows. If you have a tripod, and know how to use your camera's self timer, use both. This will allow you to take better, sharper photos.
Photos can be E-mailed direct to me.
I'm looking for two other items. First is a panorama wide-screen photograph of a group of coaches photographed together, at a rally, as part of a landscape, or possibly in a campground setting (at sunrise or dusk would be best). This shot will need to be a minimum of 3000 pixels wide, 4000 pixels would be best.
The second is some really clean, high-res scans of a brochure. If you can help, please contact me via E-mail so I can tell you exactly what I need.
As I continue work on this project – especially after getting the great photos of the 1967 model yesterday – I've become really excited. I'm really surprised that no one has attempted a book on the GMC MotorHomes before me. But with the advances in print-on-demand publishing, this is the kind of book that no mainstream publisher can do knowing that it would require a print run of at least 2,000 copies. Print-on-demand, with a companion eBook for Kindle, Nook, and iPad, is now very viable.
I look forward to seeing some great photos of many of your GMC MotorHomes. Remember I want to have a cross section of coaches, 23- and 26-foot models, original, original restored, and highly modified and updated units along with any special units like the 1977 and 1978 Coca Cola model.
Have a great day,
Richard Truesdell
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| Re: I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187474 is a reply to message #187470] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 14:55 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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| AutoTraveler wrote on Tue, 16 October 2012 12:15 |
...
I'm still hoping to get some owner-supplied photos for the photo section. Again, here's what I'm looking for.
Your name and hometown
Year and model of your coach
How long you've owned it
Current mileage
List of places you've visited with your coach
For photography, I need high-quality, high-res images, a minimum of 2000 pixels wide (3000 pixels wide or more preferred)
At least two exterior, prefer in a campground or on-the-road setting if...
...
I'm looking for two other items. First is a panorama wide-screen photograph of a group of coaches photographed together, at a rally, as part of a landscape, or possibly in a campground setting (at sunrise or dusk would be best). This shot will need to be a minimum of 3000 pixels wide, 4000 pixels would be best.
...
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Richard,
I expect that the reason most have not replied is due to the type of photography you describe isn't done by most GMC'ers unless they are going to sell their coach. (In fact that is EXACTLY what should be done when selling any but the most "project" like coaches!)
But all is not lost...
While most GMC pictures are not staged, with the number of pictures of GMC's being taken, there should be a LOT of good pictures out there... Problem is finding them!
You may want to look though the GMC photosite to find pictures. (As there are LOTS of pictures you might need some help here.) These pictures might not be all of the same coach, but you'll certainly end up with a verity of coaches! Thing is, that the photosites pictures have been reduced in resolution to reduce storage space. They are OK for on-line viewing, but not so much for your purposes.
Most digital cameras, even the fairly cheap ones, take pictures of the resolution you are requesting. (Mine defaults to 3264x2448.) So if you can find out who took the original picture you might be able to track down a full resolution version of the picture.
For example: I kind of like this picture: <http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/ti-rally-oct-2011/p41059-ti-7-oct-2011.html>
I took it from the hip without looking through the view finder ... the picture came as a surprise. I should have the uncompressed version around here somewhere.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187477 is a reply to message #187476] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 15:35 |
AutoTraveler
Messages: 17
Registered: April 2011
Location: United States
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Here's the text. If any one catches inaccuracies or typos, please let me know. I didn't do much to what was previously written for the Automotive Traveler feature. I am using GMC MotorHome as that's the way GM spelled it out in the seventies.
Best,
Richard Truesdell
For much of the 20th century, General Motors was at the forefront of design innovation covering the widest variety of transportation devices, cars, pickups, heavy-duty trucks, and buses. But nowhere was the company’s creative spirit more evident than in the design, engineering, and marketing of the 1973 to 1978 GMC MotorHome.
I have long been fascinated by all forms of what are essentially portable hotel rooms. When it comes to the most inventive recreational vehicle ever built, the leading candidate in the minds of many are the revolutionary MotorHomes GMC built from 1973 to 1978.
That’s right, GMC. Now, I know what you’re picturing: a motorhome built on a GMC chassis, not a GMC-designed and manufactured motorhome. But you would be just as wrong as I was when first coming across these classics. The 1973 to 1978 GMC front-wheel-drive MotorHomes remain the only such recreational vehicles manufactured in house by a major automotive manufacturer.
General Motors designed the GMC MotorHomes (I use the capital M and H as that's the way they were promoted and marketed by GM in the advertisements and brochures of the era) from the ground up at a time when America’s car company owned 50 percent of the domestic market. In those heady days, no concept, no matter how outlandish at first glance, was beyond the company’s grasp.
Designed to be a halo vehicle for the entire GMC line, the GMC MotorHome would leverage the expertise GM teams had accrued in designing and building both trucks and commercial buses. GM’s experience with reinforced plastics literally underpinned the construction of the RV’s space-age-looking body.
Powered by a modified version of the Oldsmobile Toronado’s innovative big-block, front-wheel-drive drivetrain, the GMC MotorHome set standards for recreational vehicle design that have never been surpassed. Moreover, almost 35 years after the last unit rolled off the specialized assembly line, these classics of the American road have engendered a cult-like following among MotorHome aficionados.
I discovered these unique vehicles almost by accident while on a knowledge quest for background information on the Cadillac Eldorado. (The Eldorado is related to the Toronado due to the similarity of their front-wheel-drive drivetrains.)
Unlike most of its contemporaries – boxes built upon a rear-wheel-drive truck chassis supplied by one of the Big Three – the GMC MotorHomes were built on a chassis specially designed and developed for use as a MotorHome. The GMC team constructed a totally integrated package that placed all the drivetrain components up front, resulting in a flat floor just 14 inches above the road. Combined with a very low step-in height (about the same as a contemporary truck-based body-on-frame SUV), it broke away from all MotorHome conventions of the time.
The GMC MotorHomes were powered by a front-to-back mounted 455-cubic-inch Oldsmobile V8 (downsized to 403 cubic inches in the last year and a half of production in 1977 and 1978). The engine was combined with a GM-designed Turbo-Hydromantic 425 automatic transmission that was placed alongside the engine. The result was an extremely compact layout.
This marvel of packaging efficiency employed a wide chain drive to connect the output of the longitudinally oriented engine to the transmission. The final drive was connected directly to the transmission, and power was fed to the front wheels using half-shafts that ran under the front portion of the engine.
To maintain the flat floor front-to-rear, the engineers at the GM Etch Center in Warren, Michigan eliminated any sort of traditional rear axle. In its place, they substituted an equally innovative rear suspension consisting of a tandem pair of wheels on each side mounted on bogies, which rode on pins attached to the sides of the low-profile frame. The result was minimal intrusion of the rear wheels into the cabin. With the exception of the wheel wells, the rear suspension does not intrude into the living space.
A further innovation coming from GM's Saginaw Division was the use of hydro-air springs for the rear suspension system, which gave the GMC MotorHome the benefit of an automatic leveling system that could adjust ride height and lower the cabin when parked at a campsite. A power steering pump was used for hydraulic pressure that regulated the innovative suspension system.
Compared to the competition, GMC MotorHomes were exceptionally compact, measuring either 23 feet long on a 140-inch wheelbase or 26 feet long on a 160-inch wheelbase. This was a step up from the initial design brief that planned for MotorHomes that would measure either 20 or 24 feet in length. Yet they were surprisingly spacious on the inside. No matter the length, all GMC MotorHomes measure 96 inches wide (the maximum allowed at the time) and less than 110 inches high, even accounting for the standard roof-mounted air conditioning unit.
Inside the cabin, the floor-to-ceiling height measures 76 inches. The vehicles boasted a low center of gravity, which contributed to class-leading driving dynamics of which other MotorHomes could only dream.
The GMC MotorHome deviated even more from its competitors in the area of body construction. Instead of using the typical wood frame covered with aluminum, GM engineers employed of a rigid welded-aluminum frame to save weight, mounted on a traditional steel ladder frame using body isolators. The body itself was designed with weight reduction in mind throughout.
With their expertise in molding the complex panels for the Corvette, GM’s designers specified that lower body panels for the GMC MotorHome be constructed from molded fiberglass below the body’s waistline. The upper side body and roof panels between the ends are sheet aluminum. With a minimum of seams between the panels, a GMC MotorHome is much less likely to leak, compared to its more conventional contemporaries.
Without the wood frame found in most other recreational vehicles, a GMC MotorHome has very little on it susceptible to rot, which contributes to their unrivaled longevity. The GMC version had more in common with the construction of aircraft than with other recreational vehicles against which it competed (think boxy, unaerodynamic Winnebagos).
The design of the GMC MotorHomes provided for unrivaled flexibility when it came to outfitting their interiors. The 23-foot models typically sleep four, while the 26-foot models easily sleep six in comfort. As the brochures from the era illustrate, there is nothing claustrophobic about a GMC MotorHome. With their huge windows, the interiors are bright and airy. Customers had their choice of myriad interior configurations and a seemingly limitless number of trim combinations. Much of the interior design of the GMC MotorHome came from GM's Frigidaire Division.
While GMC offered ready-to-drive MotorHomes for purchase at specially authorized GMC dealers, the company also sold a shell – the Transmode – that could be outfitted by outside vendors. This allowed for even more floor-plan and personalization options. With the rear wheels mounted tandem-style (one behind the other rather than side-by-side) without any rear axle, they did not intrude into the cabin and were easily concealed by the cabinets.
Many owners have lovingly maintained their MotorHomes’ interiors in period-correct Seventies’ style, with the original plaid upholstery and colorful vinyls that were characteristic of home design of the era. Others have been modernized their classics, outfitting them with all the amenities of a 21st-century recreational vehicle. It is not uncommon to find interiors as luxurious as those on a private jet, complete with state-of-the-art galleys, flat-panel televisions, and high-end A/V systems.
Scan the ads on eBay and Craigslist, and you’re sure to find running examples of the GMC MotorHomes for as little as $5,000. At that price, expect the interiors to require a total renovation. Still, all but the worst basket cases are candidates for restoration.
Well-maintained examples typically start at $15,000, with high-end restorations easily topping $30,000. Bethune Sales is one of the online sites offering a great cross section of GMC MotorHomes for sale.
And yes, for you Bill Murray fans, it was a converted GMC MotorHome that became the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle immortalized in the 1981 blockbuster and comedy classic Stripes.
With their big V8 engines, aerodynamic bodies, advanced suspension, and high-tech construction, it should come as no surprise that the GMC MotorHomes set benchmarks for performance and efficiency. In spite of weighing more than 12,000 pounds, they are capable of reaching 100 miles per hour while delivering eight to 10 miles per gallon. And given their longevity, it's not uncommon to find the Oldsmobile V8s now equipped with modern fuel-injection systems that improve driveability and fuel efficiency with such systems costing $2,500 and up, plus the cost of installation.
Their drivetrain components were incorporated into countless GM vehicles built in the Sixties, Seventies, and early-mid Eighties, so maintaining a GMC MotorHome is surprisingly easy. Prospective buyers will find strong club support and an established supplier base.
For those if you interested in even more details about the design and engineering innovations in these road-going Holiday Inns, take a look at Bill Bryant’s three-part series in the February, March, and April 2004 issues of Family Motor Coaching.
The equally excellent GM MotorHome Enthusiast website is where I located many of the brochures and images seen on these pages, offers compelling reading if you are as intrigued as I am by these technological marvels.
Over its 103-year history, General Motors was responsible for many landmark vehicles, from the V-16-powered Cadillacs of the Thirties, the Tri-Five Chevys of the Fifties, Pontiac's GTO, and of course the Corvette, America's sports car. Its trucks and tanks helped win the Second World War while the Suburban, marketed by both Chevrolet and GMC, is considered by many to be the grandfather of today's SUV.
More importantly, GM as much as any company in America, laid the foundation of the middle class giving a generation of Americans the ability to buy homes, build families, and enjoy the fruits of their labor, both workers and management. With our affluence in the Sixties, Americans hit the road in record numbers as the summer vacation became the staple of suburban life. Recreational vehicles became ingrained in the fabric of postwar American for a generation of baby boomers. With so many GMC MotorHomes still in the hands of the original owners, it's not surprising to see current owners that are in the sixties, seventies, and in some instances, their eighties. GMC MotorHomes are often handed down to younger family members as heirlooms.
The GMC MotorHomes were conceived at a time when GM could marshal any of the resources necessary to build almost any transportation device it desired. While priced beyond the means of many, starting at $15,000 on the road, this was the RV to aspire to own. Today, almost 35 years after the last one was produced, the 1973 to 1978 GMC MotorHomes remain to this day the standard against which all others are measured. State-of-the-art at introduction, many of its current owners believe that it has yet to be surpassed in terms of innovation and versatility. Most would not be seen behind the wheel of any other motorhome or RV.
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187480 is a reply to message #187411] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 15:56 |
Ronald Pottol
Messages: 505
Registered: September 2012
Location: Redwood City, California
Karma: -2
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Senior Member |
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A few notes about your text.
Drive train: As I understand it, the torque converter is mounted to
the flywheel as you would normally expect, but there there is the
chain drive to the transmission, which runs under the motor to the
front wheel drive hardware.
The rear suspension was air in all cases, with an electric air pump.
There were 3 (?) different control systems used.
The big one for me, I don't own a GMC yet, I went to the Treasure
Island rally just to see what the official 75" headroom meant in
practice, as I'd like one of these, but am 76+" tall. The 75" is under
the air conditioning vent, I was able to stand upright (with fairly
thick soled shoes) everywhere else in the coaches I looked at, though
my hair did brush the ceiling, so they do have something more like 77
or 78" of headroom in most of the coach.
The book does look interesting.
Thanks,
Ron
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187488 is a reply to message #187474] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 16:37 |
storm'n
Messages: 492
Registered: April 2007
Location: Ont. Can
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Would for ale pics. from B Bethunes sales site work? Lots of coach pics. from the club rally sites.
Norm.
AutoTraveler wrote on Tue, 16 October 2012 12:15
> ...
> I'm still hoping to get some owner-supplied photos for the photo section. Again, here's what I'm looking for.
>
> Your name and hometown
> Year and model of your coach
> How long you've owned it
> Current mileage
> List of places you've visited with your coach
>
> For photography, I need high-quality, high-res images, a minimum of 2000 pixels wide (3000 pixels wide or more preferred)
>
> At least two exterior, prefer in a campground or on-the-road setting if...
>
> ...
> I'm looking for two other items. First is a panorama wide-screen photograph of a group of coaches photographed together, at a rally, as part of a landscape, or possibly in a campground setting (at sunrise or dusk would be best). This shot will need to be a minimum of 3000 pixels wide, 4000 pixels would be best.
> ...
Richard,
I expect that the reason most have not replied is due to the type of photography you describe isn't done by most GMC'ers unless they are going to sell their coach. (In fact that is EXACTLY what should be done when selling any but the most "project" like coaches!)
But all is not lost...
While most GMC pictures are not staged, with the number of pictures of GMC's being taken, there should be a LOT of good pictures out there... Problem is finding them!
You may want to look though the GMC photosite to find pictures. (As there are LOTS of pictures you might need some help here.) These pictures might not be all of the same coach, but you'll certainly end up with a verity of coaches! Thing is, that the photosites pictures have been reduced in resolution to reduce storage space. They are OK for on-line viewing, but not so much for your purposes.
Most digital cameras, even the fairly cheap ones, take pictures of the resolution you are requesting. (Mine defaults to 3264x2448.) So if you can find out who took the original picture you might be able to track down a full resolution version of the picture.
For example: I kind of like this picture: <http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/ti-rally-oct-2011/p41059-ti-7-oct-2011.html>
I took it from the hip without looking through the view finder ... the picture came as a surprise. I should have the uncompressed version around here somewhere.
--
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#1)'73 26' exPainted D. -- (#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187504 is a reply to message #187477] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 16:49 |
storm'n
Messages: 492
Registered: April 2007
Location: Ont. Can
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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The hydro air system was dropped in favour of a straight air system in production models.
 Norm
Here's the text. If any one catches inaccuracies or typos, please let me know. I didn't do much to what was previously written for the Automotive Traveler feature. I am using GMC MotorHome as that's the way GM spelled it out in the seventies.
Best,
Richard Truesdell
For much of the 20th century, General Motors was at the forefront of design innovation covering the widest variety of transportation devices, cars, pickups, heavy-duty trucks, and buses. But nowhere was the company’s creative spirit more evident than in the design, engineering, and marketing of the 1973 to 1978 GMC MotorHome.
   I have long been fascinated by all forms of what are essentially portable hotel rooms. When it comes to the most inventive recreational vehicle ever built, the leading candidate in the minds of many are the revolutionary MotorHomes GMC built from 1973 to 1978.
   That’s right, GMC. Now, I know what you’re picturing: a motorhome built on a GMC chassis, not a GMC-designed and manufactured motorhome. But you would be just as wrong as I was when first coming across these classics. The 1973 to 1978 GMC front-wheel-drive MotorHomes remain the only such recreational vehicles manufactured in house by a major automotive manufacturer.
   General Motors designed the GMC MotorHomes (I use the capital M and H as that's the way they were promoted and marketed by GM in the advertisements and brochures of the era) from the ground up at a time when America’s car company owned 50 percent of the domestic market. In those heady days, no concept, no matter how outlandish at first glance, was beyond the company’s grasp.
   Designed to be a halo vehicle for the entire GMC line, the GMC MotorHome would leverage the expertise GM teams had accrued in designing and building both trucks and commercial buses. GM’s experience with reinforced plastics literally underpinned the construction of the RV’s space-age-looking body.
   Powered by a modified version of the Oldsmobile Toronado’s innovative big-block, front-wheel-drive drivetrain, the GMC MotorHome set standards for recreational vehicle design that have never been surpassed. Moreover, almost 35 years after the last unit rolled off the specialized assembly line, these classics of the American road have engendered a cult-like following among MotorHome aficionados.
   I discovered these unique vehicles almost by accident while on a knowledge quest for background information on the Cadillac Eldorado. (The Eldorado is related to the Toronado due to the similarity of their front-wheel-drive drivetrains.)
   Unlike most of its contemporaries – boxes built upon a rear-wheel-drive truck chassis supplied by one of the Big Three – the GMC MotorHomes were built on a chassis specially designed and developed for use as a MotorHome. The GMC team constructed a totally integrated package that placed all the drivetrain components up front, resulting in a flat floor just 14 inches above the road. Combined with a very low step-in height (about the same as a contemporary truck-based body-on-frame SUV), it broke away from all MotorHome conventions of the time.
   The GMC MotorHomes were powered by a front-to-back mounted 455-cubic-inch Oldsmobile V8 (downsized to 403 cubic inches in the last year and a half of production in 1977 and 1978). The engine was combined with a GM-designed Turbo-Hydromantic 425 automatic transmission that was placed alongside the engine. The result was an extremely compact layout.
   This marvel of packaging efficiency employed a wide chain drive to connect the output of the longitudinally oriented engine to the transmission. The final drive was connected directly to the transmission, and power was fed to the front wheels using half-shafts that ran under the front portion of the engine.
   To maintain the flat floor front-to-rear, the engineers at the GM Etch Center in Warren, Michigan eliminated any sort of traditional rear axle. In its place, they substituted an equally innovative rear suspension consisting of a tandem pair of wheels on each side mounted on bogies, which rode on pins attached to the sides of the low-profile frame. The result was minimal intrusion of the rear wheels into the cabin. With the exception of the wheel wells, the rear suspension does not intrude into the living space.
   A further innovation coming from GM's Saginaw Division was the use of hydro-air springs for the rear suspension system, which gave the GMC MotorHome the benefit of an automatic leveling system that could adjust ride height and lower the cabin when parked at a campsite. A power steering pump was used for hydraulic pressure that regulated the innovative suspension system.
   Compared to the competition, GMC MotorHomes were exceptionally compact, measuring either 23 feet long on a 140-inch wheelbase or 26 feet long on a 160-inch wheelbase. This was a step up from the initial design brief that planned for MotorHomes that would measure either 20 or 24 feet in length. Yet they were surprisingly spacious on the inside. No matter the length, all GMC MotorHomes measure 96 inches wide (the maximum allowed at the time) and less than 110 inches high, even accounting for the standard roof-mounted air conditioning unit.
   Inside the cabin, the floor-to-ceiling height measures 76 inches. The vehicles boasted a low center of gravity, which contributed to class-leading driving dynamics of which other MotorHomes could only dream.
   The GMC MotorHome deviated even more from its competitors in the area of body construction. Instead of using the typical wood frame covered with aluminum, GM engineers employed of a rigid welded-aluminum frame to save weight, mounted on a traditional steel ladder frame using body isolators. The body itself was designed with weight reduction in mind throughout.
   With their expertise in molding the complex panels for the Corvette, GM’s designers specified that lower body panels for the GMC MotorHome be constructed from molded fiberglass below the body’s waistline. The upper side body and roof panels between the ends are sheet aluminum. With a minimum of seams between the panels, a GMC MotorHome is much less likely to leak, compared to its more conventional contemporaries.
   Without the wood frame found in most other recreational vehicles, a GMC MotorHome has very little on it susceptible to rot, which contributes to their unrivaled longevity. The GMC version had more in common with the construction of aircraft than with other recreational vehicles against which it competed (think boxy, unaerodynamic Winnebagos).
   The design of the GMC MotorHomes provided for unrivaled flexibility when it came to outfitting their interiors. The 23-foot models typically sleep four, while the 26-foot models easily sleep six in comfort. As the brochures from the era illustrate, there is nothing claustrophobic about a GMC MotorHome. With their huge windows, the interiors are bright and airy. Customers had their choice of myriad interior configurations and a seemingly limitless number of trim combinations. Much of the interior design of the GMC MotorHome came from GM's Frigidaire Division.
   While GMC offered ready-to-drive MotorHomes for purchase at specially authorized GMC dealers, the company also sold a shell – the Transmode – that could be outfitted by outside vendors. This allowed for even more floor-plan and personalization options. With the rear wheels mounted tandem-style (one behind the other rather than side-by-side) without any rear axle, they did not intrude into the cabin and were easily concealed by the cabinets.
   Many owners have lovingly maintained their MotorHomes’ interiors in period-correct Seventies’ style, with the original plaid upholstery and colorful vinyls that were characteristic of home design of the era. Others have been modernized their classics, outfitting them with all the amenities of a 21st-century recreational vehicle. It is not uncommon to find interiors as luxurious as those on a private jet, complete with state-of-the-art galleys, flat-panel televisions, and high-end A/V systems.
   Scan the ads on eBay and Craigslist, and you’re sure to find running examples of the GMC MotorHomes for as little as $5,000. At that price, expect the interiors to require a total renovation. Still, all but the worst basket cases are candidates for restoration.
   Well-maintained examples typically start at $15,000, with high-end restorations easily topping $30,000. Bethune Sales is one of the online sites offering a great cross section of GMC MotorHomes for sale.
   And yes, for you Bill Murray fans, it was a converted GMC MotorHome that became the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle immortalized in the 1981 blockbuster and comedy classic Stripes.
   With their big V8 engines, aerodynamic bodies, advanced suspension, and high-tech construction, it should come as no surprise that the GMC MotorHomes set benchmarks for performance and efficiency. In spite of weighing more than 12,000 pounds, they are capable of reaching 100 miles per hour while delivering eight to 10 miles per gallon. And given their longevity, it's not uncommon to find the Oldsmobile V8s now equipped with modern fuel-injection systems that improve driveability and fuel efficiency with such systems costing $2,500 and up, plus the cost of installation.
   Their drivetrain components were incorporated into countless GM vehicles built in the Sixties, Seventies, and early-mid Eighties, so maintaining a GMC MotorHome is surprisingly easy. Prospective buyers will find strong club support and an established supplier base.
   For those if you interested in even more details about the design and engineering innovations in these road-going Holiday Inns, take a look at Bill Bryant’s three-part series in the February, March, and April 2004 issues of Family Motor Coaching.
   The equally excellent GM MotorHome Enthusiast website is where I located many of the brochures and images seen on these pages, offers compelling reading if you are as intrigued as I am by these technological marvels.
   Over its 103-year history, General Motors was responsible for many landmark vehicles, from the V-16-powered Cadillacs of the Thirties, the Tri-Five Chevys of the Fifties, Pontiac's GTO, and of course the Corvette, America's sports car. Its trucks and tanks helped win the Second World War while the Suburban, marketed by both Chevrolet and GMC, is considered by many to be the grandfather of today's SUV.
   More importantly, GM as much as any company in America, laid the foundation of the middle class giving a generation of Americans the ability to buy homes, build families, and enjoy the fruits of their labor, both workers and management. With our affluence in the Sixties, Americans hit the road in record numbers as the summer vacation became the staple of suburban life. Recreational vehicles became ingrained in the fabric of postwar American for a generation of baby boomers. With so many GMC MotorHomes still in the hands of the original owners, it's not surprising to see current owners that are in the sixties, seventies, and in some instances, their eighties. GMC MotorHomes are often handed down to younger family members as heirlooms.
   The GMC MotorHomes were conceived at a time when GM could marshal any of the resources necessary to build almost any transportation device it desired. While priced beyond the means of many, starting at $15,000 on the road, this was the RV to aspire to own. Today, almost 35 years after the last one was produced, the 1973 to 1978 GMC MotorHomes remain to this day the standard against which all others are measured. State-of-the-art at introduction, many of its current owners believe that it has yet to be surpassed in terms of innovation and versatility. Most would not be seen behind the wheel of any other motorhome or RV.
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187506 is a reply to message #187137] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 18:52 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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Senior Member |
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Rich, you have a spelling error on the word hydomatic.
Jim Hupy
Salem Or
78 GMC Royale 403
On Oct 13, 2012 12:48 PM, "Rich Truesdell" <richt@automotivetraveler.com>
wrote:
>
>
> Some of you know me as the outsider who has written about GMC Motorhomes
> for my website AutomotiveTraveler.com and my digital magazine Automotive
> Traveler. I am also working on a proposal for a vintage RV magazine, to
> start publishing next spring.
>
> But right now, as I have self-published two automotive photo books, I want
> my next effort to be a book on GMC motorhomes.
>
> Each page of these books are 8.25 inches wide by 6 inches high. The book
> will open with an updated overall history of the GMC Motorhome that
> appeared last year in
> http://www.automotivetraveler.com/magazine/viewer.php?path=2011/04/GMC_Motorhomes
> .
>
>
>
> If anyone wants to point out any inaccuracies or make any suggestions to
> update the text, please mailto:richt@automotivetraveler.com me. I have
> just found a
> http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/The_GMC_MotorHome by
> William Bryant on the GM Heritage website that I think will be invaluable
> in making my text more complete. Is William a member of this group/forum?
>
> I want to combine the updated text and historical and in-period photos
> with up to a dozen two-page spreads of a broad cross-section of GMC
> Motorhomes. Here's an example of how the coach pages will be presented.
>
>
>
> Each individual page will look like this, 8.25 inches wide by 6 inches
> high.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> (These are photos of a coach I took last year that I wanted very much to
> buy but couldn't. But it will give you an idea of the style of layout and
> presentation that I have in mind for the book.)
>
> In selecting the GMC Motorhomes to be featured in the book, I want to
> include both 23- and 26-foot models, some in original condition, some
> highly modified or updated along with significant conversions that served a
> commercial purpose and have survived, like the Coca-Cola GMC motor home.
>
> I also want to include some classic GMC Motorhome ads as well as some
> brochure pages. I might even include a complete brochure (no more than
> eight pages) if I can acquire some high-res scans.
>
> If if you like to have your GMC Motorhome one of the coaches featured in
> the book, here's what I need.
>
> Your name and hometown
> Year and model of your coach
> How long you've owned it
> Current mileage
> List of places you've visited with your coach
>
> For photography, I need high-quality, high-res images, a minimum of 2000
> pixels wide (3000 pixels wide or more preferred)
>
> At least two exterior, prefer in a campground or on-the-road setting if
> possible
> At least six photos of the interior of your coach that I can choose from
> going from front to rear, showing the cockpit, the living area, the galley,
> bathroom, and bedroom. I need shots that are both horizontally and
> vertically oriented.
>
> Because these photos will be used in a book, I suggest that if possible,
> you park your coach in the shade or photograph your interior on a cloudy
> day to minimize harsh shadows. If you have a tripod, and know how to use
> your camera's self timer, use both. This will allow you to take better,
> sharper photos.
>
> If you have any questions, please contact me. As I already have the book's
> template completed, I would love to get this book published well before the
> Christmas holidays.
>
> If anyone has materials that they would like to see included in the book,
> please contact me via mailto:richt@automotivetraveler.com. mailto:
> richt@automotivetraveler.com
>
> If you want to talk with me over the phone about this project, especially
> if you think you might be able to help or contribute in some way, send me
> an E-mail with your phone number along with a best time to call.
>
> Please feel free to post a link to this message in any GMC Motorhomes that
> you think appropriate. I really want this to be a community effort. There
> have been books published about Airstreams, now I think is the time to
> publish a comprehensive book on the innovative GMC Motorhomes. I'm sure
> that most of you will agree with me.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Richard Truesdell
> Founder and Editorial Director http://automotivetraveler.com and
> http://automotivetraveler.com/magazine/magazine.php
> GMC Motorhome fan (and hopefully, a future owner)
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187507 is a reply to message #187480] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 18:56 |
|
mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
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| Ronald Pottol wrote on Tue, 16 October 2012 13:56 |
... Drive train: As I understand it, the torque converter is mounted to the flywheel as you would normally expect, but there there is the chain drive to the transmission, which runs under the motor to the front wheel drive hardware.
The rear suspension was air in all cases, with an electric air pump. There were 3 (?) different control systems used.
...
|
Yes, the all the production motorhomes left the factory with air suspensions in the rear. One of three types: Power Level (1973 to mid 1976) Electro Level (mid 1976 to mid 1978) and the Electro Level 2 for the last part on 1978. Only a few prototypes used the power steering pumps for the rear suspension.
Yes, the Flywheel, torque converter and chain are how you describe, but in spite of the transmission pan being lower than the engine pan, there is no-way you could call the transmission "under the motor." (Most of the transmission is tucked in close to the driver's side of the engine.) I think the original wording about the transmission (see below) is just fine... for this article.
| Quote: |
... The engine was combined with a GM-designed Turbo-Hydromantic 425 automatic transmission that was placed alongside the engine. The result was an extremely compact layout. This marvel of packaging efficiency employed a wide chain drive to connect the output of the longitudinally oriented engine to the transmission. The final drive was connected directly to the transmission, and power was fed to the front wheels using half-shafts that ran under the front portion of the engine. ...
|
From what I understand this "transmission chain design" was originally a Ford invention, sold to GM when they (Ford) couldn't get it to run quiet enough.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187508 is a reply to message #187137] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 19:01 |
AutoTraveler
Messages: 17
Registered: April 2011
Location: United States
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Here's a link to the current mock up, with a proposed cover, the history text (still to be revised), a two-page spread (to be replaced with a panorama shot I hope), and two representative layouts. I'm looking for at least 10-12 more owner submissions, which will add 20-24 pages to the package.
http://photos.imageevent.com/mmm_mag/gmcpix/23-page_mock_up_10-16-12.pdf
It's a 10 MB file so it will take a little time to download.
Here's the cover that I've worked up at this stage.
I intend to include at least three in-period ads (one two-page spread, two single-page vertical ads) spread over two pages, one horizontally-oriented brochure (with links to others online), complete specifications, production numbers, and links to online references.
Depending on the number of two-page spreads, I'm thinking this will end up being around 70 pages.
Until I get more photography of your coaches, this is about as far as I can go. I can't just grab images off the web, even if they were big enough to reproduce at the publication-quality I need.
As this is still very preliminary, feedback is welcome and appreciated.
And again, would any one of the original or early owners like to contribute a forward, please contact me. Right now there's a lot boilerplate, placeholder text up front. The forward needs to be 300 words or less, 250 words is about perfect.
Time to take a break, eat dinner, and watch the debates tonight but I'll check often to see if anyone is leaving new messages here or are contacting me directly.
Richard Truesdell
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187509 is a reply to message #187507] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 19:07 |
|
mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
| Mike Miller wrote on Tue, 16 October 2012 16:56 |
...
Yes, the all the production motorhomes left the factory with air suspensions in the rear. One of three types: Power Level (1973 to mid 1976) Electro Level (mid 1976 to mid 1978) and the Electro Level 2 for the last part on 1978. ...
|
I ALMOST forgot... during the first few years, "Power Level" was an OPTION... the base model (of which there are very few) was also an automatic air suspension but lacked the dash mounted controls for manual leveling.
Note: NONE of these systems provided automatic leveling, they are designed to provide automatic RIDE HEIGHT. (The article has that part correct...) All used air.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
|
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187512 is a reply to message #187480] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 19:14 |
 |
USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
|
Senior Member |
|
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Ron,
Vehicles with automatic transmissions don't have flywheels, they have flex plates that the torque convertor bolts to.
Regards,
Rob M.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ronald Pottol
A few notes about your text.
Drive train: As I understand it, the torque converter is mounted to
the FLYWHEEL as you would normally expect, but there there is the
chain drive to the transmission, which runs under the motor to the
front wheel drive hardware.
The rear suspension was air in all cases, with an electric air pump.
There were 3 (?) different control systems used.
The big one for me, I don't own a GMC yet, I went to the Treasure
Island rally just to see what the official 75" headroom meant in
practice, as I'd like one of these, but am 76+" tall. The 75" is under
the air conditioning vent, I was able to stand upright (with fairly
thick soled shoes) everywhere else in the coaches I looked at, though
my hair did brush the ceiling, so they do have something more like 77
or 78" of headroom in most of the coach.
The book does look interesting.
Thanks,
Ron
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Regards,
Rob M. (USAussie)
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
'75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
'75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
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| Re: I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187513 is a reply to message #187508] |
Tue, 16 October 2012 19:21 |
|
mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
The coach named "Scobby-Doo" Early (white) Rear Bath Royale
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187589 is a reply to message #187507] |
Thu, 18 October 2012 00:58 |
|
mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
From an Off-Line discussion, I should point out that this is more of "interesting trivia" and most likely should _NOT_ be included in this article... (confuses the issue and is beyond the scope.) Plus I do not remember exactly where I got the information...
| Mike Miller wrote on Tue, 16 October 2012 16:56 |
...
From what I understand this "transmission chain design" was originally a Ford invention, sold to GM when they (Ford) couldn't get it to run quiet enough.
|
Sometimes I give to much information... like I am the only one here that does that!
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
|
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187603 is a reply to message #187477] |
Thu, 18 October 2012 06:31 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
|
Senior Member |
|
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I'm sure others will flag this if they haven't a;ready - the suspension is all pneumatyic, there isn't any hydraulic in it. A compressor (later two compressors) supply air pressure for the system to operate.
--johnny
'76 23' transmode norris
'76 palm beach
From: Rich Truesdell <richt@automotivetraveler.com>
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK
Here's the text. If any one catches inaccuracies or typos, please let me know. I didn't do much to what was previously written for the Automotive Traveler feature. I am using GMC MotorHome as that's the way GM spelled it out in the seventies.
Best,
Richard Truesdell
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Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187606 is a reply to message #187603] |
Thu, 18 October 2012 07:23 |
|
|
Close. No cigar. The word is "pneumatic". I think this is the first typo
I've seen today. There will be others and I'll probably make thim. :>)
Seriously, the original design was to be hydraulic in a manner not unlike
the Citreon.
Byron
Johnny Bridges wrote:
> I'm sure others will flag this if they haven't a;ready - the suspension is all
> pneumatyic, there isn't any hydraulic in it. A compressor (later two
> compressors) supply air pressure for the system to operate.
>
> --johnny
> '76 23' transmode norris
> '76 palm beach
>
> From: Rich Truesdell <richt@automotivetraveler.com>
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 4:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK
>
>
>
> Here's the text. If any one catches inaccuracies or typos, please let me know.
> I didn't do much to what was previously written for the Automotive Traveler
> feature. I am using GMC MotorHome as that's the way GM spelled it out in the
> seventies.
>
> Best,
>
> Richard Truesdell
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
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--
Byron Songer
Full-timing to enjoy the USA
Former owner but still an admirer
GMC paint schemes at -
http://www.songerconsulting.net
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| Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK [message #187607 is a reply to message #187606] |
Thu, 18 October 2012 08:09 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
Karma: -8
|
Senior Member |
|
|
The big Citroens were definitely pneumatic (compressed air).
They were (deservedly) quite rare in the USA. Folks who had
them delighted in bewildering unspecting folks in small towns.
The fact that those cars would automatically deflate the air
"bags" at a set time after the engine was turned off led to
a "trick" that was virtually assured to bumfuzzled onlookers.
The owner would parallel park where there was a decent-sized
group of onlookers. Just the appearance of the car brought out
the gawkers. After mentally counting out the seconds since
engine shut-down, the driver would turn back to the car and
loudly proclaim, "I said squat, damn you." Never failed to get
the desired result when the car "obeyed" and hissed in response!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~~ ~ D C "Mac" Macdonald ~ ~~
~ ~ Amateur Radio - K2GKK ~ ~
~ ~ USAF and FAA, Retired ~ ~
~ ~ ~ Oklahoma City, OK ~ ~ ~
~~ ~ ~ "The Money Pit" ~ ~ ~~
~ ~ ~ ~ TZE166V101966 ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ '76 ex-Palm Beach ~ ~ ~
~ www.gmcmhphotos.com/okclb ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
______________
*[ ]~~~[][ ][|\
*--OO--[]---O-*
> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:23:31 -0400
> From: bsonger@songerconsulting.net
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK
>
> Close. No cigar. The word is "pneumatic". I think this is the first typo
> I've seen today. There will be others and I'll probably make thim. :>)
>
> Seriously, the original design was to be hydraulic in a manner not unlike
> the Citreon.
>
> Byron
>
>
> Johnny Bridges wrote:
>
> > I'm sure others will flag this if they haven't a;ready - the suspension is all
> > pneumatyic, there isn't any hydraulic in it. A compressor (later two
> > compressors) supply air pressure for the system to operate.
> >
> > --johnny
> > '76 23' transmode norris
> > '76 palm beach
> >
> > From: Rich Truesdell <richt@automotivetraveler.com>
> > To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 4:35 PM
> > Subject: Re: [GMCnet] I'M WORKING ON A GMC MOTORHOME PHOTO HISTORY BOOK
> >
> >
> >
> > Here's the text. If any one catches inaccuracies or typos, please let me know.
> > I didn't do much to what was previously written for the Automotive Traveler
> > feature. I am using GMC MotorHome as that's the way GM spelled it out in the
> > seventies.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Richard Truesdell
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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