Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Considerations for a Southwest GMC
| Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197571] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 14:39  |
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Richard Andis
Messages: 261
Registered: January 2013
Location: HELL Paso, TX
Karma: 0
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Starting some preliminary searches for a motorhome. I'll be moving from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest in the next couple of months.
What items should one consider when owning and operating a GMC motorhome in the Southwest area (specifically the in the Hell Paso area).
For the Coach
Twin rooftop ACs?
Tinted windows?
For the drivetrain
Larger Radiator?
Bigger/Better water pump?
Electric Fuel pump (or other anti-vaporlock items)?
Radiator Fan Shroud?
Larger/Better oil cooler?
Engine monitoring (I.E better gauges)
Valhalla - 1978 GMC Royale rear twin [SOLD]
Walküre - 1974 VW Thing (Toad)
[Updated on: Wed, 06 February 2013 14:40] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197574 is a reply to message #197571] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 14:54  |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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| Richard Andis wrote on Wed, 06 February 2013 13:39 |
Starting some preliminary searches for a motorhome. I'll be moving from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest in the next couple of months.
What items should one consider when owning and operating a GMC motorhome in the Southwest area (specifically the in the Hell Paso area).
For the Coach
Twin rooftop ACs?
Tinted windows?
For the drivetrain
Larger Radiator?
Bigger/Better water pump?
Electric Fuel pump (or other anti-vaporlock items)?
Radiator Fan Shroud?
Larger/Better oil cooler?
Engine monitoring (I.E better gauges)
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Those items are a good start. I would add a few things:
Light or white exterior color
Added body insulation
Lower final drive (3.70 for mountainous terrain)
Auxiliary transmission cooler
Heavy duty (if not severe duty) fan clutch
Good (fairly new) belts and hoses
I understand the aluminum radiator has a more efficient oil and transmission cooler in it, Some advocate sticking with a brass and copper radiator. Either way, your radiator needs to be in good condition. The two piece fan shroud makes it easier to access the accessories on the front of the engine. The stock water pump works fine in our coach. Engine and transmission temp gauges and a tachometer would be nice, although I don't have them (yet).
I'm sure there will be more suggestions.
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
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| Re: Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197577 is a reply to message #197575] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 15:05 |
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WD0AFQ
Messages: 7111
Registered: November 2004
Location: Dexter, Mo.
Karma: 207
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| Richard Andis wrote on Wed, 06 February 2013 14:56 |
| WD0AFQ wrote on Wed, 06 February 2013 14:49 |
Richard, first thing is to get to know the other GMC owners in the El Paso area. Download the Black List. There are some really nice owners in that area.
Dan
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Yea, that's the first thing I did. The list I downloaded only has one person listed for El Paso. Appears that New Mexico has a healthier grouping.
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I know at least two in El Paso. If you venture out a bit there are more. Could be some have chosen not to be on the Black List but that does not mean that they are not helpful, because they are.
I own a Tx. coach that spends most winters in SE AZ, just up the road from Lordsburg, and over in Quartzsite. What Carl said is important. I bought a faster and quieter house water pump while in Az. last time. It is right under the head of our bed. Every morning about 4 I make a treck into the bathroom. When I flush it was knocking Teri out of bed, then I got no breakfast as punishment. Now, hey, she never hears the dang pump.
Dan
3 In Stainless Exhaust Headers
One Ton All Discs/Reaction Arm
355 FD/Quad Bag/Alum Radiator Manny Tran/New eng.
Holley EFI/10 Tire Air Monitoring System
Solarized Coach/Upgraded Windows
Satelite TV/On Demand Hot Water/3Way Refer
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| Re: [GMCnet] Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197584 is a reply to message #197571] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 16:07 |
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USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
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Richard,
I will respond to your questions with OPINIONS based on my experience.
TWIN ROOFTOP A/C'S - last summer Helen and I drove west to New Mexico then chucked a right and headed north. We spent a fair number
of days in 95°F+ heat and the single 13,500BTU roof air was adequate. However, the year before that I had added a second 13,500BTU
roof air in the bedroom. I did that mainly because if the front one crapped out I'd have a backup. I bought them both from
AdventureRV on sale for around $450 and JohnS and I installed them both. IIRC at a rally I attended a GMCer had has roof A/C fail
and he wound up having a new ONE installed by an RV company (Camping World?) and it cost him over $1000. We usually use the second
A/C to pull the temp in Double Trouble down quickly when we first arrive at an RV park. I use it when I take a shower, the bathroom
door on Double Trouble can be opened and hooked to the opposite side which "seals" off the back and to dry off I step out of the
bathroom and into the aisle between the twin beds.
TINTED WINDOWS - Double Trouble has tinted windows but they need re-tinting as it's starting to peel off. While it will cut down on
heat gain I reckon it's primary function is privacy. HOWEVER, keep in mind at night with the lights on in the GMC it don't help! ;-)
Awnings will keep direct sunlight out and help reduce heat gain.
LARGER RADIATOR - If the cooling system in your GMC is as built by GMC and in good working order you shouldn't have any overheating
problems. When a trans cooler that was attached to the OEM radiator with plastic tie wraps tore the tubes in the radiator I replaced
it with the aluminum radiator. The cooling provided by the aluminum radiator far surpasses the OEM radiator, however, as I noted to
start with there's nothing wrong with the OEM system IF it is in good shape. The size of the radiator in a GMC is restricted by the
radiator frame.
BIGGER / BETTER WATER PUMP - There are a number of iterations of the water pump. The original OEM pump had a 4 3/4" cast iron
impeller (IIRC), rebuilt units can have smaller stamped steel impellers which are OK too.
ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP - Double Trouble has a small Facet pump in the fuel line that runs from the Aux tank to the selector valve. When
I switch to Aux it comes on and pumps fuel at 2-4 psi to the mechanical fuel pump. It stops vapor lock instantly. However, there is
a downside to this setup, if your mechanical fuel pump has a weak diaphragm it could cause it to fail and fill your oil pan with
gasoline. GeneF reported here that a bad fuel pump that wiped out a couple of engines. It blew up the first then the rebuilder
installed it on the new engine. Personally I don't blame the second on the pump; I reckon that was "pilot error." After battling
with vapor lock last summer which was exacerbated by altitude when driving through the Rockies I've come to the conclusion the best
thing is in tank fuel pumps.
RADIATOR FAN SHROUD - nothing wrong with the OEM design, however, the aftermarket split type make maintenance easier.
LARGER BETTER OIL COOLER - nothing wrong with the OEM oil cooler in the radiator, however, if you tow a vehicle and experience high
oil temperatures an external oil cooler would be good. You'll have to install an aftermarket gage to see what the engine oil temps
are.
ENGINE MONITORING (I.E BETTER GAUGES) - the gages in the GMC are adequate, however, the Digi-Panel is a very good aftermarket
accessory.
Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion-The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion-Double Trouble TZE365V100426
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Andis
Starting some preliminary searches for a motorhome. I'll be moving from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest in the next couple of
months.
What items should one consider when owning and operating a GMC motorhome in the Southwest area (specifically the in the Hell Paso
area).
Twin rooftop ACs?
Tinted windows?
Larger Radiator?
Bigger/Better water pump?
Electric Fuel pump (or other anti-vaporlock items)?
Radiator Fan Shroud?
Larger/Better oil cooler?
Engine monitoring (I.E better gauges)
Walküre (1974 VW Thing) Future Toad,
Official GMC Motorhome Lurker and Coveter
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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: [GMCnet] Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197590 is a reply to message #197584] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 17:06 |
John Sharpe
Messages: 489
Registered: February 2006
Location: Texas
Karma: 1
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| Quote: |
....What items should one consider when owning and operating a GMC motorhome in the Southwest area .....
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Richard, All things being equal on your choice of coaches, get a late '76-'78 as they have the best dash a/c. The 77-78's with the 403's also have an excellent fan shroud and grill baffling.
John Sharpe
Humble,TX
'78 Eleganza TBI
'89 Spectrum 2000 MPI V-10
'40 Ford Panel Delivery TPI
johnasharpe@gmail.com
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| Re: Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197599 is a reply to message #197571] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 18:00 |
habbyguy
Messages: 896
Registered: May 2012
Location: Mesa, AZ
Karma: 3
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Sounds like the housing market is a bit stronger than the GMC market! Good for GMC wannabees, not so good for those of us who might be trying to sell our GMCs (not me, of course!!!).
I agree with most everything that's been posted. A late-model coach is a good idea for several reasons, including the better dash A/C.
I find that it might be slight overkill to have two roof A/C units, though it's REALLY nice to get a VERY hot coach cooled down (since the inside can hit over 130 degrees in the AZ summer).
And yes, a supplemental fuel pump is almost a necessity. I've only experienced vapor lock once, when it was around 110 and I was in stop-and-go traffic, with my fuel pump off. I remedied that mistake right away, and had no other issues.
I'd seriously recommend a supplemental vacuum pump as well (so you have brakes if your engine quits). You'll hear a few opinions on this no doubt, but it's cheap insurance and very easy to install. You just don't want to find out your brakes don't work after stalling the engine climbing one of our many steep climbs here in the SW US.
Wind wings (little curved airfoils that channel air into the "toll windows" up front) are a nice addition, since almost no air comes in the toll windows without 'em. You will want to leave them loose enough to adjust though, so you don't have to listen to the roar of air when you don't need the air flow.
Covered storage is a REALLY great idea, too... the SW sun can take a real toll on a rig parked in the open.
Gauges are always a good idea - the more the merrier. The "minimum set" might include a vacuum gauge (great for seeing how much your engine is struggling at altitude), a tranny temp gauge (keep that thing cool, and it won't rob you blind), and maybe a tach or voltmeter.
I think an inverter is a real plus, since it will save you plenty of generator run time, and allows you to do things like run your fridge on 120VAC to keep it cool when you're driving (most 12VDC mode fridges aren't really capable of staying really cold on a long trip). The cost is minimal if you DIY install it, but make sure you do it right (heavy supply wire for the 12VDC feed, and an autoswitch to save your bacon if you ever switch on the inverter while hooked to shore power or with the generator running).
Speaking of generator, having additional ducting or vents for cooling the generator compartment is a really good idea, since you'll need to drive with the generator running to power your rooftop A/C - at least if you have anyone who's not sitting in the front seats with the dash air blowing on them. Trust me on this one...  My coach's PO installed a couple NACA ducts in the generator compartment door, and they seem to do the trick nicely (I've driven to/from AZ to Mexico in some serious heat without any issues).
Mark Hickey
Mesa, AZ
1978 Royale Center Kitchen
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| Re: [GMCnet] Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197601 is a reply to message #197600] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 18:53 |
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USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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G'day,
Good points!
Guess I'll have to take some pictures to show how I modified the Ragusa wind wings with a wing nut to make them adjustable when
sitting in the drivers or passenger seat.
Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion-The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion-Double Trouble TZE365V100426
-----Original Message-----
From: Nelson Wright
On Feb 6, 2013, at 7:00 PM, Mark wrote:
Wind wings (little curved airfoils that channel air into the "toll windows" up front) are a nice addition, since almost no air comes
in the toll windows without 'em. You will want to leave them loose enough to adjust though, so you don't have to listen to the roar
of air when you don't need the air flow.
Mark Hickey
Actually these work better to exhaust the interior air, and also keep the bugs out. The natural flow is out the window and these
wind wings will help by creating a lower pressure area. I keep them locked in position so that they don't get rotated in. Just crack
a window in the rear of the coach to enable a constant air flow. Also make sure that there is some water in your drain traps or you
will have some unpleasant aroma.
Nelson
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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: [GMCnet] Considerations for a Southwest GMC [message #197605 is a reply to message #197601] |
Wed, 06 February 2013 19:34 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
Karma: -8
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Senior Member |
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I bought a set of the wind wings from Jim K at
hawnee.
Still haven't gotten around to mounting them.
So much to do; so little time to do it!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~~ ~ 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 ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
______________
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*--OO--[]---O-*
> From: robmueller@iinet.net.au
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2013 11:53:12 +1100
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Considerations for a Southwest GMC
>
> G'day,
>
> Good points!
>
> Guess I'll have to take some pictures to show how I modified the Ragusa wind wings with a wing nut to make them adjustable when
> sitting in the drivers or passenger seat.
>
> Regards,
> Rob M.
> Sydney, Australia
> AUS '75 Avion-The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
> USA '75 Avion-Double Trouble TZE365V100426
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nelson Wright
>
> On Feb 6, 2013, at 7:00 PM, Mark wrote:
>
> Wind wings (little curved airfoils that channel air into the "toll windows" up front) are a nice addition, since almost no air comes
> in the toll windows without 'em. You will want to leave them loose enough to adjust though, so you don't have to listen to the roar
> of air when you don't need the air flow.
>
> Mark Hickey
>
> Actually these work better to exhaust the interior air, and also keep the bugs out. The natural flow is out the window and these
> wind wings will help by creating a lower pressure area. I keep them locked in position so that they don't get rotated in. Just crack
> a window in the rear of the coach to enable a constant air flow. Also make sure that there is some water in your drain traps or you
> will have some unpleasant aroma.
>
> Nelson
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