Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Newbie....not knowing where to begin
| Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337636] |
Fri, 05 October 2018 21:33  |
Frances McMillan
Messages: 23
Registered: October 2018
Location: Southwest of Tuscaloosa, ...
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Hi. My husband and I have been thinking about buying an RV for quite a while and have done a lot of reading and a little looking. He is very intrigued by the design of the GMC, so we've been trying to read up on what we might be facing as far as repair and remodeling.
There is a 1975 Eleganza II available a few hours' drive away which we may view soon after speaking with the seller. My husband spoke with a local mechanic who is a bit of a GMC vintage buff and had several questions answered. I am making a list of questions to ask the seller, but I wanted to ask here -- is there anything to look for which should be a deal breaker? I can do some carpentry and upholstery and my husband can do mechanical, wiring and a little plumbing, but considering a 43-year-old vehicle is a bit daunting. Any advice would be appreciated.
Pickens County, Alabama 1977 Royale, 455, 67,000 original miles
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| Re: Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337638 is a reply to message #337636] |
Sat, 06 October 2018 01:39  |
GMC Cruse
Messages: 606
Registered: June 2009
Location: SE Michigan
Karma: 3
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Senior Member |
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Cartgal wrote on Fri, 05 October 2018 22:33Hi. My husband and I have been thinking about buying an RV for quite a while and have done a lot of reading and a little looking. He is very intrigued by the design of the GMC, so we've been trying to read up on what we might be facing as far as repair and remodeling.
There is a 1975 Eleganza II available a few hours' drive away which we may view soon after speaking with the seller. My husband spoke with a local mechanic who is a bit of a GMC vintage buff and had several questions answered. I am making a list of questions to ask the seller, but I wanted to ask here -- is there anything to look for which should be a deal breaker? I can do some carpentry and upholstery and my husband can do mechanical, wiring and a little plumbing, but considering a 43-year-old vehicle is a bit daunting. Any advice would be appreciated.
What is a deal breaker will vary depending upon your capabilities and how much work you are willing to do. For example, for the large majority a rusted frame would be a deal breaker but for a few it wouldn't be. If you haven't seen it yet, review the info and links here:
http://www.gmcidiotsguide.com/chapter-2---purchasing-a-gmc-motorhome.html
Mike K.
'75 PB
Southeast Michigan
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| Re: Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337639 is a reply to message #337638] |
Sat, 06 October 2018 02:15 |
mrgmc3
Messages: 210
Registered: September 2013
Location: W Washington
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Your focus should be, in order;
1) safety related mechanical items; steering, brakes, tires, bearings. Replace anything and everything made of rubber; hoses, belts, fuel lines. brake hoses, oil cooler hoses. If you have no record then replace them.
2) less safety critical mechanical items; tune ups, fuel system, trans filter, exhaust, charging system, diff lube
3) house systems; plumbing, lpg, electrical, appliances
4) aesthetics; paint, upholstery, trim
It is tempting to reverse the order but that is likely to lead to disappointment in the form of breakdowns and trip interruptions.
Chris Geils - Twin Cities / W Wa
1978 26' Kingsley w/ very few mods; PD9040, aux trans cooler, one repaint in stock colors, R134a, Al rad, Alcoas, 54k mi
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| Re: Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337641 is a reply to message #337636] |
Sat, 06 October 2018 08:01 |
rvanwin
Messages: 325
Registered: April 2007
Location: Battlefield, MO
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Cartgal wrote on Fri, 05 October 2018 21:33Hi. My husband and I have been thinking about buying an RV for quite a while and have done a lot of reading and a little looking. He is very intrigued by the design of the GMC, so we've been trying to read up on what we might be facing as far as repair and remodeling.
There is a 1975 Eleganza II available a few hours' drive away which we may view soon after speaking with the seller. My husband spoke with a local mechanic who is a bit of a GMC vintage buff and had several questions answered. I am making a list of questions to ask the seller, but I wanted to ask here -- is there anything to look for which should be a deal breaker? I can do some carpentry and upholstery and my husband can do mechanical, wiring and a little plumbing, but considering a 43-year-old vehicle is a bit daunting. Any advice would be appreciated.
If we had an idea of where you live, maybe we could be of more help. In other situations like yours, owners with years of experience who live close have offered to look at a prospective purchase and give an assessment. Knowing what to look for can save lots of future headaches. You are doing the right thing asking here as to what to be aware of. There are a couple of ways to get into a GMC Motorhome. First, looking at as many Motorhomes as possible before 'settling" on one may save you some disappointments down the road. Attending a local rally can give you an opportunity to look at several and talk to owners. Again, depending on where you are located, we can give you a heads up on rallies that might be in your area.
Many times a purchase comes down to budget dictating what you can afford to buy. Keep in mind that a coach that does not initially cost much ($4000 to $8000) will probably cost a significant amount to insure it is safe and road worthy and will be reliable even if doing much of the work yourself. Buying one that has already had significant work done in these areas (maybe in the $18,000 to $25,000) can get you a coach that can be used almost immediately. In both cases, you end up with about the same amount invested. Our general rule is that it is going to cost around $25,000 to have a coach that is safe, reliable, comfortable, and is presentable. You can start with a kit and invest in the parts and work or buy one already assembled. No matter which way you go, there will be ongoing maintenance required. Sounds like you have the skills to handle the maintenance.
Not trying to advertise here, but as an example, I have a coach here that belong to a friend who recently passed away that is in the first category ($6500). It runs well and the transmission is in good shape. Would be able to drive it home. It already has Alcoa wheels and is a rare rear twin bed model Edgemont. Needs a bit of work on the interior and GenSet. I have another that is ready for the road ($25,000) and looks sharp. Anyway, just examples that there are plenty of possibilities and to re-enforce my earlier comment about looking at several before "settling". That one local to you may be a good deal, or not. I encourage you to see if you can get someone local with GMC Motorhome experience to help evaluate. I think you will find this community most helpful.
Randy & Margie
'77 Eleganza II '403'
Battlefield, MO
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| Re: [GMCnet] Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337649 is a reply to message #337641] |
Sat, 06 October 2018 12:08 |
Mike Kelley
Messages: 467
Registered: February 2017
Karma: -2
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Senior Member |
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Hello Newbie:
I would advise you to reread Randy Van Winkle’s response. He is spot on and knows his stuff!!!
Mike/The Corvair a holic
76 Elaganza II 26’
76 Glenbrook 28’ stretch
78 Glenbrook Clasco 26’ project
Sent from my iPhone
> On Oct 6, 2018, at 8:01 AM, Randy Van Winkle wrote:
>
> Cartgal wrote on Fri, 05 October 2018 21:33
>> Hi. My husband and I have been thinking about buying an RV for quite a while and have done a lot of reading and a little looking. He is very
>> intrigued by the design of the GMC, so we've been trying to read up on what we might be facing as far as repair and remodeling.
>>
>> There is a 1975 Eleganza II available a few hours' drive away which we may view soon after speaking with the seller. My husband spoke with a
>> local mechanic who is a bit of a GMC vintage buff and had several questions answered. I am making a list of questions to ask the seller, but I
>> wanted to ask here -- is there anything to look for which should be a deal breaker? I can do some carpentry and upholstery and my husband can do
>> mechanical, wiring and a little plumbing, but considering a 43-year-old vehicle is a bit daunting. Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> If we had an idea of where you live, maybe we could be of more help. In other situations like yours, owners with years of experience who live close
> have offered to look at a prospective purchase and give an assessment. Knowing what to look for can save lots of future headaches. You are doing the
> right thing asking here as to what to be aware of. There are a couple of ways to get into a GMC Motorhome. First, looking at as many Motorhomes as
> possible before 'settling" on one may save you some disappointments down the road. Attending a local rally can give you an opportunity to look at
> several and talk to owners. Again, depending on where you are located, we can give you a heads up on rallies that might be in your area.
>
> Many times a purchase comes down to budget dictating what you can afford to buy. Keep in mind that a coach that does not initially cost much ($4000 to
> $8000) will probably cost a significant amount to insure it is safe and road worthy and will be reliable even if doing much of the work yourself.
> Buying one that has already had significant work done in these areas (maybe in the $18,000 to $25,000) can get you a coach that can be used almost
> immediately. In both cases, you end up with about the same amount invested. Our general rule is that it is going to cost around $25,000 to have a
> coach that is safe, reliable, comfortable, and is presentable. You can start with a kit and invest in the parts and work or buy one already assembled.
> No matter which way you go, there will be ongoing maintenance required. Sounds like you have the skills to handle the maintenance.
>
> Not trying to advertise here, but as an example, I have a coach here that belong to a friend who recently passed away that is in the first category
> ($6500). It runs well and the transmission is in good shape. Would be able to drive it home. It already has Alcoa wheels and is a rare rear twin bed
> model Edgemont. Needs a bit of work on the interior and GenSet. I have another that is ready for the road ($25,000) and looks sharp. Anyway, just
> examples that there are plenty of possibilities and to re-enforce my earlier comment about looking at several before "settling". That one local to you
> may be a good deal, or not. I encourage you to see if you can get someone local with GMC Motorhome experience to help evaluate. I think you will find
> this community most helpful.
> --
> Randy & Margie
> '77 Eleganza II '403'
> Battlefield, MO
>
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> GMCnet mailing list
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| Re: Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337652 is a reply to message #337636] |
Sat, 06 October 2018 12:58 |
Frances McMillan
Messages: 23
Registered: October 2018
Location: Southwest of Tuscaloosa, ...
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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I live in west central Alabama and I don't think GMC's become available here often. After more reading and discussion, I think we agree that we'd rather have one that has had some major work done in the "road-worthiness" department. I don't mind reworking --and would expect to make -- the interior my own. The models with the rear bath seem a lot more usable to me.
By the way, I've heard that the original AC's often are broken and never worked well to begin with. So are the models which have two roof AC's -- can they be used while traveling? AC is very important to us. Here it is in October, and we are in the mid 90's today with high humidity.
Having looked at some of the ones for sale through the links provided, I find them more attractive buys than the ad we are looking at, but haven't spoken to the owner yet -- hopefully will be able to Sunday night.
All of this help is greatly appreciated!
Pickens County, Alabama 1977 Royale, 455, 67,000 original miles
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| Re: Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337656 is a reply to message #337654] |
Sat, 06 October 2018 17:32 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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To answer your air conditioning question, yes, you can run the roof ac units while driving down the road, but ONLY IF you have an operating auxiliary generator. Without the Onan (or other if the original has been replaced), you will not have the 115 volt AC power necessary to run the air conditioning. We do it all the time in Arizona.
The dash air can easily be made to work if it doesn't, but, you heard right, it doesn't work very effectively, mainly due to poor airflow. There are modifications that can be done to help with this issue, such as teeing in an auxiliary fan coil unit like the ones Jim K offers at Applied GMC.
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: Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #337690 is a reply to message #337636] |
Mon, 08 October 2018 08:26 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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'West Central Alabama' covers a good lot of territtory. I'm from Prattville, lived in Tuscaloosa, reasonably familiar with the State. A. Hamilton is North of Tuscaloosa, and there are others.
If you and he are tinkerers and avail yourselves of the help you can find here, the GMC makes a nice RV at a reasonable price. If you can afford to 'buy it done' any will suffice, simply tell the shop what you want and pony up. Otherwise, the GMC will break your pocket. Help is available, research the Black List and join some of us in Orlando the second week of December. This also lets you see The Co-op (Cooperatove Motorworks) one of the bigger GMC fixit shops.
Also consider a run over to Rossville Travel Park in the Chattanooga area the 1st to the 4th of November. The GMC Dixielanders will hold their 30th Anniversary rally there. Rallies are a great place to meet owners, inspect coaches with various upgrades, ask questions, and socialize with owners. Before investing thousands, come join us and see for yourself.
--johnny
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: Newbie....not knowing where to begin [message #338012 is a reply to message #337636] |
Sat, 20 October 2018 08:00 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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I'll be there for much of it, but staying in the State Park up the road because the rally park is full. Looking over my coach wouldn't be a great help, there will be much better examples at the rally. We lived in T-town on the SE side, where the tornado l;ater wiped out all the houses, our old one included. Haven't been in Carrolton in years except passing through headed one place or another.
--johnny
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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