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New owner - long drive home..! [message #123601]

Thu, 28 April 2011 01:25

Andrew

Messages: 213
Registered: April 2011
Location: Connecticut

Karma:

Senior Member

Hello!

I'm about to complete the purchase of my first GMC motorhome. It's a 1976, has been sitting for a couple years, and wasn't used much for a few years before that.

The vehicle is currently located about four hours away from my house in Savannah GA, and an hour or two from Orlando FL where there are a couple of shops that specialize in GMCs. From Savannah, it looks like the nearest specialist is in Atlanta, four hours away.

I haven't driven the GMC yet, but I'm having it inspected by a general RV service shop near its location. So far, they recommend replacing the tires (dry rot), but say the brakes and such check out OK ("you really have to put your leg into it, but that's normal when you don't have power assist" says the service manager). There is also a slow (2-3 day) leak in the airbags on one side.

I would greatly appreciate a sanity check and any recommendations you might have for getting this old girl home safely! Here's my plan:

1. Replace all seven tires (E rated 16.5"s on original rims)
2. Lube, grease, oil
3. Bearings? Ball joints?
4. Drive home (250 miles)

Am I missing any other work that I should get done by the general RV service shop? Are there GMC-specific things I should tell them to do or look for that they might not necessarily know? How much danger is there of the slow airbag leak turning into a roadside failure on the way home?

I've read the buyers guide and safety checklist pages (fantastic info, thank you!), and will go over anything I don't trust myself to inspect with the general RV guys.

I'd like to take it to someone who knows GMCs well, but that would mean a couple additional full days of car driving for the whole family, or a day (or two or three ...) in a hotel for me with not a whole lot to do. Still, if it's important, I will.

Once home, I can deal with average mechanical-ability work myself, though not anything requiring heavy truck tooling. There's a general RV shop nearby. We will be planning to take a long trip starting in late June, and can stop for an extended period at a specialist on the way.

So, sane? Ignorant? Reckless?

Thank you for any advice, and I look forward to joining you on the road!

1973 Sequoia 260 (since 2011)

[Updated on: Thu, 28 April 2011 01:30]

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[Message index]

		New owner - long drive home..! By: Andrew on Thu, 28 April 2011 01:25
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Ken Burton on Thu, 28 April 2011 01:51
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Craig Lechowicz on Thu, 28 April 2011 02:10
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: C Boyd on Thu, 28 April 2011 07:06
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: gordh1 on Thu, 28 April 2011 07:27
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: Ken Henderson on Thu, 28 April 2011 07:27
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: PettyVTX on Thu, 28 April 2011 07:43
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Andrew on Thu, 28 April 2011 08:02
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Michael Leipold on Thu, 28 April 2011 08:32
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Andrew on Thu, 28 April 2011 08:28
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Dennis S on Thu, 28 April 2011 08:44
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Andrew on Thu, 28 April 2011 16:01
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Dennis S on Thu, 28 April 2011 16:17
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Andrew on Thu, 28 April 2011 17:33
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: roy1 on Thu, 28 April 2011 18:57
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: mike miller on Thu, 28 April 2011 19:25
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: MikeT on Thu, 28 April 2011 19:41
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: ljdavick on Thu, 28 April 2011 19:44
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: Andrew on Fri, 29 April 2011 11:58
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: Robin Hood on Fri, 29 April 2011 13:22
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: Ken Henderson on Sun, 01 May 2011 21:25
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: Andrew on Mon, 02 May 2011 15:21
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: Ken Henderson on Mon, 02 May 2011 18:43
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Larry on Thu, 28 April 2011 16:41
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: pbrownsd on Thu, 28 April 2011 16:45
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Craig Lechowicz on Thu, 28 April 2011 18:07
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Owen on Thu, 28 April 2011 18:48
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Hardie Johnson on Thu, 28 April 2011 18:57
		Re: [GMCnet] New owner - long drive home..! By: Marsha on Thu, 28 April 2011 20:45
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Hardie Johnson on Thu, 28 April 2011 19:02
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: pbrownsd on Thu, 28 April 2011 22:30
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: waynefraser on Fri, 29 April 2011 02:21
		Re: New owner - long drive home..! By: Michael Leipold on Fri, 29 April 2011 06:59

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