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Bought my first GMC motorhome! Now what?! [message #313707]

Fri, 24 February 2017 00:09

Jkrauk

Messages: 7
Registered: February 2017
Location: Denver, CO

Karma: 0

Junior Member

Hi all. I am now part of this wonderful community with my purchase of a 1977 Palm Beach. It was purchased for $400 so there is nowhere to go but up from here!
Here's my story. I have owned many GMC busses (fishbowls) that I used to buy in Alaska for $500 and bring them down to the lower 48. They were 40' 1969 GMC busses with a Detroit Diesel motor. They ran like tops and were solid as the day they were made. No power steering and tons of aluminum. I sold most of them to a collector in Holland and one is still here somewhere in Colorado. The last one I got rid of after we had our second child and bought a 1964 airstream which I mostly got finished renovating. I restore old houses so I know my way around all trades.
I have always admired the GMC motorhome and how some of it was derived from the busses I had so much fun with. I was discussing this with my buddy Eric a few weeks back. A week ago, we were going to pick up some reclaimed semi trailer floor for a kitchen island in my latest house and did not have cash. We stopped at a bank in Commerce City and as I was getting the cash, Eric hits me hard and says, "dude, look!" There it was sitting amongst a bunch of semi trailers the motorhome we were just talking about.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/IMG_08973.JPG

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This is how we found it shoved in this place. Out of view from busy Colorado blvd so not many people could see it. It was a wreck for sure but the body was nice. There was a bum living in it and a few windows busted out. Someone had scrapped the radiator and other metal parts from it. I found the owner and offered to just take it off his hands. He came back at $400 and I said yes.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/IMG_09491.JPG

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Ace towing and the nicest young driver helped me free it from its resting place and get it towable. The rear end was about an inch off the ground as it went downs the road behind the wrecker.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/IMG_09522.JPG

The bags were obviously deflated so I noticed that the connections were standard 1/4" air tool fittings. I ran to get two male nipples and put them on. With the wrecker's air hose and the shut off valve, the passenger side aired right up. On the drivers side, I was not so lucky. Blown bag. After thinking about it a bit, I cut the bag open and stuck a piece of 4x4 wood post in that got me some more ground clearance.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/IMG_09501.JPG

Home was only 8 miles away so not bad. There were definitely some sparks from the tow hitch that would not come out. But we made it and now she sits next to the airstream ready to be worked on.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/IMG_09531.JPG

Project scope:
First, clean it out. It smells like cat piss and a dirty bum so lots of ammonia and simple green.
Second, seal it up. Back window and a few side windows are gone. Probably plywood for now.
Third, get it running. The motor is missing the radiator and the carburetor. Have to research best options here.
Fourth, get it mobile. Air suspension and transmission work.

Project direction:
First, is it worth it? I think so since I can do all the work myself and thoroughly enjoy doing it. Also the upside resale will always be strong. Plus any new parts going on will be new and I do not cut corners. The wealth of information out there allows you to get deep into what all should be done in a restoration.
But I am starting with very little. The odometer says 3,000 something so I am guessing 103,000. Maybe this is just a parts coach and would be better off as yard art in my backyard.

I feel the fun part of this $400 stripped out coach is the ability to make it whatever. There were no value added things I bought!
These are the directions I have thought of so far.
1. Park it in my backyard, finish the inside and have it as a guest bedroom
2. Make a food truck out of it. I have not seen many and unique sells.
3. Make a party bus out of it. I used my big busses for party bus service in Orlando.
4. Make a mobile sales vehicle that I rent out to businesses. I.E. Weston Snowboards rents it for a season with their wrap on the outside and their products on the inside with a nice 70's lounge feel to it all.
5. Do a full renovation back to a fully functional rv. Less kitchen and storage, more open and seating. I like the idea of trying to rent it out on a platform like Airbnb for rvs. The one I saw recently is Campanda. That could pay for the renovations and who wouldn't want to rent it!

Well that's my story. What do you think?
Would love to hear the feedback from the community. Has this been done? Successfully?
See you on the road!
John in Denver.

1977 GMC 26' Palm Beach