| Winnebago Elandan [message #94780] |
Thu, 05 August 2010 20:53 |
bryant374
Messages: 563
Registered: May 2004
Location: Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
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This camper appeared at the Grand Marais MN campground yesterday then left today before I had a chance to visit with the occupants.
A brief Google search turned up no info related to an "Elandan" on a GMC chassis.
Can anybody provide some background about this motorhome?
Dave (in MN now)
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Sure :^)
The Elandan was a stylish motorhome on a GM truck chassis, here is how the "stylish" part came about.
Michael Lathers, Chief Designer/GM Design Staff was responsible for the GMC Motorhome design. There were "hard feelings" between Chevrolet & GMC since Chevrolet did not get responsibility for building the motorhome. In addition the GMC MH was viewed as a competitor since it siphoned off some of the Chevrolet MH chassis business.
At some point Lathers had heard complaints from other motorhome manufacturers that one of their difficulties was they didn't have a motorhome design as attractive as the GMC Motorhome. To prove a point, Lathers set about putting together an attractive motorhome design for a truck chassis and gave the designs to Chevrolet to use however they desired. Probably because they were their largest customer, Chevrolet gave the designs to Winnebago at no cost. Winnebago made some detail changes and a new model called "Elandan" was born.
How do I know this, Mike Lathers told me.
So there you have the reason that this Winnebago looks something like a GMC, the same designer, Mike Lathers, a very talented guy.
Bill Bryant
PO 1976~PB (owned 34 years)
1914 Ford (owned 70 years)
1965 Corvette (owned 39 years)
GMC Motorhome History
[Updated on: Thu, 05 August 2010 21:00] Report message to a moderator |
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