| [GMCnet] Drove an SOB today [message #232099] |
Tue, 03 December 2013 11:57 |
glwgmc
Messages: 1014
Registered: June 2004
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Hi Gene,
We full timed in a 1998 Beaver Patriot single slide for four years before buying this old Masonic Temple building that is now our studio, gallery and home. Once we had completed the restoration and remodel on the building we no longer needed that large coach so started looking for something smaller. We could not find a new, smaller coach that had anything like the build quality of the Patriot. That is what motivated us to look into restoring a GMC. We found the 78 Royale with 41,000 original miles from the original owner with an all leather interior (ceiling, wall panels, roman shades, seating, etc.). That did have a similar build quality and we never looked back. The restored Clasco we found in Florida this summer (1994 with 11,000 miles on the clock) also exudes that same build quality look and feel but done in pleather and monochrome laminate ("who shrank my Prevost" is our joking phrase do describe the look) instead of the "Ralph Loren" leather and walnut look of th
e Royale.
You will find the Beaver Patriots of that era to be very rewarding to drive and live in for extended stays. They did improve year over year up to around 2000 or so when market forces pushed them so far upscale that they became very heavy, very long, very tall, full of slides, very expensive, and less nimble to drive on anything but the freeways. The mid to late 90s 33 foot non-slide units are very nice for everything short of full time living. I personally would opt for the Cat over the Cummins as that is what the factory settled on for all subsequent production. The Cummins was selected for the less expensive Safari models. These non-slide units, and to a growing extend the single slide units, are becoming very good buys indeed. It is not at all rare to find them will 50,000 to 100,000 miles and the drive trains will easily go several hundred thousand miles without major issues. Many owners also took meticulous care of their units so most all of the systems will be go
od to go from the start. It is not at all like starting with a 40 year old GMC that has been sitting too long. Routine service is quite a bit more expensive on the diesel units (more oil, bigger parts, etc.) but the overall cost of ownership will likely not be all that different in the long run. Fuel consumption is about the same 8-10 mpg no matter what you do - diesel fuel just has that much more heat capacity than gasoline, so a 30,000 pound diesel pusher becomes like a 12,000 pound GMC when it comes to fuel consumption.
If you have the storage space for a 33 foot Patriot you cannot go wrong from the very positive experience we had with our 37 footer.
Jerry
Jerry Work
The Dovetail Joint
Fine furniture designed and hand crafted in the 1907 former Masonic Temple building in historic Kerby, OR
Visitors always welcome!
glwork@mac.com
http://jerrywork.com
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:53:23 -0600
From: gene barrow <barrowgene@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Drove an SOB today
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Message-ID: <38a74.529d55b2@gmc.mybirdfeeder.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-15"
While on this topic: Probably not the proper forum for this heretical and blasphemous question but (Alfred P Sloan forgive me) here you go!
I am not getting rid of my GMC, but I have been considering some thing a little larger for longer stays.
I've never owned any motor home other than a GMC but I have been surprised at the prices of low mileage, non slide, 10 to 15 year old motorhomes.
I have been considering a 1995 or 1997 33' Beaver Patriot Savanna. The 1995 has a Cummins diesel with less than 50,000 miles-the 1997 has a Cat diesel with 79,000 miles. Both appear to be in excellent condition and are priced at less than $30K.
Somewhat less than I have in my 76 Palm Beach.
I have never owned or driven a diesel motorhome so I don't know what to expect. I had never owned any motorhome before the GMC but after owning three of them and drinking the Kool-Aid for 11 years and 150,000 miles I still enjoy driving it- would just like a bit more room when parked.
Comments, suggestions, recommendations, jeers, cheers, and ridicule all cheerfully accepted.
--
Gene Barrow
Lake Almanor, Ca.
1976 Palm Beach
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Jerry & Sharon Work
78 Royale
Kerby, OR
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