| GMC Motorhome info. [message #64403] |
Sun, 15 November 2009 21:08  |
bryant374
Messages: 563
Registered: May 2004
Location: Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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We have decided not to go South this winter for a few months in our GMC, which has been our norm, instead we will be spending the winter at home in NY. With plenty of indoor time I will hopefully catch up on some neglected stuff. One of the things I hope to get done is to update the GMC History CD "The GMC Motorhome, from Start to Finish" that many of you have gotten from me.
While I presently have a number of items in mind to add, what I would like is input from those of you that have the CD. I would like to know what information (GMC history that is)you would like to see added. Please be specific and I will attempt to fill in the blanks if possible.
Please either respond here or via email to me, gmc.bill@gmail.com
Thanks for your help,
Bill Bryant
PO 1976~PB (owned 34 years)
1914 Ford (owned 70 years)
1965 Corvette (owned 39 years)
GMC Motorhome History
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| Re: GMC Motorhome info. [message #64661 is a reply to message #64403] |
Tue, 17 November 2009 17:51  |
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Bill, I'd like to see information on initial pre-production market studies. Actually, I'd love to see the business plan that justified the development and production of our great motorhomes.
Bill Brown - '77 Buckeye Cruiser
Coshocton OH
carguybill@sbcglobal.net
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| Re: GMC Motorhome info. [message #64696 is a reply to message #64661] |
Tue, 17 November 2009 21:26 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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""Bill, I'd like to see information on initial pre-production market studies. Actually, I'd love to see the business plan that justified the development and production of our great motorhomes. ""
Bill, back then business plans were not what they are now. In many cases a gut feel or lots of passion was enough to get a vehicle into production. However, the GMC was unique in that it was to serve as a technology demo for new and low cost construction techniques. Things like extrusions, SMC, aluminum, gluing, etc served many new platforms long after the GMC dyed. Alex Maier (sp) later became the motivating force for all of GM for new material and manufacturing techniques--say nothing of Benchmarking and Competitive assessment.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: [GMCnet] GMC Motorhome info. [message #64721 is a reply to message #64696] |
Wed, 18 November 2009 04:46 |
Gary Casey
Messages: 448
Registered: September 2009
Karma: 0
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Speaking of history, I have a vague recollection of Chevrolet wanting to get in the act. Their idea was to use a front engine "middle drive" chassis using a Corvette rear suspension with a tag axle behind. Idea was that it would get the floor height down to a reasonable level. Air suspension at the rear 4 wheels could allow all the weight to be put on the drive wheels if necessary. The idea died before it got very far. I thought it was clever, though. Many years later I spent some time developing a 6X2 tag axle class 8 tractor with air suspension/antilock/traction control. It was pretty cool, but our customers didn't seem to care about the 2,000 pound weight saving and several thousand dollar cost reduction. They seemed to feel more comfortable with the standard 6X4 configuration. We used fast-response air controls to move weight between wheels.
Gary
""Bill, I'd like to see information on initial pre-production market studies. Actually, I'd love to see the business plan that justified the development and production of our great motorhomes. ""
Bill, back then business plans were not what they are now. In many cases a gut feel or lots of passion was enough to get a vehicle into production. However, the GMC was unique in that it was to serve as a technology demo for new and low cost construction techniques. Things like extrusions, SMC, aluminum, gluing, etc served many new platforms long after the GMC dyed. Alex Maier (sp) later became the motivating force for all of GM for new material and manufacturing techniques--say nothing of Benchmarking and Competitive assessment.
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Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: [GMCnet] GMC Motorhome info. [message #64747 is a reply to message #64721] |
Wed, 18 November 2009 09:58 |
bryant374
Messages: 563
Registered: May 2004
Location: Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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""Bill, I'd like to see information on initial pre-production market studies. Actually, I'd love to see the business plan that justified the development and production of our great motorhomes. ""
Bill, back then business plans were not what they are now. In many cases a gut feel or lots of passion was enough to get a vehicle into production. However, the GMC was unique in that it was to serve as a technology demo for new and low cost construction techniques. Things like extrusions, SMC, aluminum, gluing, etc served many new platforms long after the GMC dyed. Alex Maier (sp) later became the motivating force for all of GM for new material and manufacturing techniques--say nothing of Benchmarking and Competitive assessment.
--
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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I think Bob deK is right, business cases back then were very different from todays. The information that I have collected has been from interviews of GMC people that were directly involved and published information for example from Automotive News as well as a number of other sources. I don't have a business case as such but, here is a very condensed version of the info I have. RV trends for the 70's were showing a dramatic increase in RV demand over the next several years. GM management made mention of this, although it was never to happen with a gas crisis to occur shortly after the GMC MH was introduced. I do have the presentations for one of the bidding interior upfitters (a non winner) and for the 1975 upgrades.
One of the things that impressed me most were how a few personnalities affected the design of the coach significantly.
Whose idea was the motorhome?
From interviews, I have beeen told of 3 or 4 possibilities, from the sketch on a napkin at the company cafeteria to the guy with many patents and ideas. The one I give credit to is Ralph Merkle who became the chassis engineer for the motorhome. Ralph was a rock hound and loved to go out and collect rock and mineral samples. He wanted a "camper" about 21' long with a low entry. He was the one that got the motorhome pie wagon built and demonstrated. See link below:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=31667
The chassis we have is pretty much the layout he designed. The choice of the Olds FWD should not have been suprising since it was an available GM part and GMC's use was the last of 4 others to build a motorhome with this unit.
John Locklin was the body engineer. He was an aeronautical engineer whose first job was designing/building gliders. That job ended when the war ended and he went to work for GM. The use of light weight materials and adhesives instead of rivets and screws came from this background. I had asked john if he knew what the Motorhome development costs were. He immediately responded with "$9.6 million" (1972 dollars) I thought this seemed low, so I asked again and he answered with considerable certainity that $9.6M was correct.
Michael Lathers was the "stylist" of the motorhome. Wonderfully talented guy who pursued the use of his design when it would have been easier to allow GMC to use a less inspired design.
Alex Mair General Manager of GMC came onboard in 1973 just as the motorhome went on the market. He wanted the motorhome to move up market and become the GMC "halo vehicle". This was the reason for the major changes & upgrades for 1975. He was a "car guy" and an important dynamic person in making the GMC Motorhome the great vehicle it was. After 1976 he left for another assignment and there was no one left to fight for the motorhome. I suspect this may have made the decission for the ending of GMC motorhome production all the easier.
Without these people, the GMC Motorhome would have been just another "camper". They made the difference and I commend them for the great job they did!
Gary, to add to your comments of Chevrolet wanting the motorhome. I have been told that Chevy did want it but the GM criteria for responsibility was that Chevy got the vehicles below 10,500 GVW and GMC got those 10,500 and above. Chevrolet didn't like the GMC MH also because they were selling Chevy chassis and cutoffs to motorhome builders and they considered the GMC Motorhome a competitor.
See this link for what the Chevy MH would have looked like:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=31666
Enough for now.
Bill Bryant
PO 1976~PB (owned 34 years)
1914 Ford (owned 70 years)
1965 Corvette (owned 39 years)
GMC Motorhome History
[Updated on: Wed, 18 November 2009 10:19] Report message to a moderator |
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