The GMC Collectible Motor Home

In the 1970’s, General Motors entered the RV Industry. The company made a decision to create the ultimate American Motor home.

Their goal was to create a vehicle with cutting edge design and construction, not just another competitor in the already crowded vacation vehicle market.

The common design in this era was a boxy, ungainly and top-heavy unit on a truck chassis. The GMC vehicle was meant to be an entirely new design in every way.

Design work started together with the market introduction. “Doesn’t look like a box ride like a truck” has been the GMC ad slogan.

The new vehicle would be unusual for this particular era in lots of ways. To begin with, it had been to have a front wheel drive, a rare concept in cars of the evening and unheard-of in homes.

Suspension and the drive train were removed from the Oldsmobile Toronado’s plan. The 265 horsepower 455 cubic inch Oldsmobile engine has been attached to some Turbohydramatic 425 transmission with torsion bar suspension.

The rear suspension was a product of GM’s bus design, using fold arms, one leading and one observation, with a air spring on every side.

Rather than a auto body metal, molded plastic such as was used in the Chevrolet Corvette and the human body had been to be made from aluminum.

Independent swing arm rear suspension and Front wheel drive brought improvement to the typical motor home design.

The lack of axles and drive shafts beneath the trainer allowed a floor height, leading to centre of gravity and some reduced total vehicle height in turn.

Aside from easier entry and exit, this rollover danger and end resistance and made the vehicle more easy to operate for buyers used only to car driving and safer.

A braking system, with disk brakes on front and drum brakes on all four wheels that were back, additional increased.
Once it had reached its destination motor home design concentrated mainly on the use of this vehicle as a residence.

Ease of getting to the destination had been of secondary concern, also cumbersome handling on the street had been taken for granted. GMC created a point of targeting this attribute for advancement with the addition of visibility having a panoramic expanse of glass from the driver’s seat.

The motor home has been included in 23 ft and 26 foot lengthssmall even.

These days models are common. The motor home’s interior design was streamlined, with no sleeping areas in the original design. If required all beds were converted in seating areas.

Water heaters using engine coolant loops that produced water so hot it might really present a scalding hazard since coolant temperatures exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit provided water.

The fridge was powered adequate just for use, with a standard battery before recharging.

The model was first exhibited in May 1972 in the Transpro’72 trade show in Washington, D.C. Production began in 1973 with just two models, Model 230 and Model 260, 23 and 26 feet long .

They were sold with a completed interior for the public in addition to unfinished before reselling to consumers to RV manufacturers such as Avion and Coachman, who provided their own interiors.

30 floor plans were available, and models were priced from,000 to,000.

The GMC vehicle changed over time, the most noteworthy alteration coming in 1977 when the 455 cubic inch engine has been replaced with a cubic inch version in reaction to this energy crisis.

Because the higher price of fuel pushed big gas guzzling cars from the 23, this decade caused hardship for a great many RV producers.

The GMC motor home had never sold in large volumes, and the company determined that the RV production centers might be profitably utilised to make trucks. After 12,921 vehicles’ fabrication, production of motor homes was stopped following the 1978 model year.

Almost immediately after production stopped, GMC motor homes became collectors’ items, together with owners’ associations being established to provide parts and support .

Garages and small makers produced a cottage industry servicing them. In 1992, as General Motors ready to scrap components and all tools, Cinnabar Engineering negotiated a deal to continue to provide parts for the vehicles and purchased all the motor home manufacturing supplies.

In 1992, a monthly journal named GMC Motor home Marketplace premiered, also in 1994 Cinnabar began publishing a quarterly newsletter named GMC Motor home News.

The futuristic design of the vehicle has found a place in pop culture: Mattel Toys created versions of the GMC motor home for the Hot Wheels lineup.

More than 50 different GMC Hot Wheels can be found, also in a Barbie Doll Star Traveler promotion, Mattel introduced three toy GMC versions in 1977.

In an example of product durability and consumer loyalty, over 8,000 units are enrolled by owners.

An online search of”GMC Motor home” generates 771,000 results, as sites advertise motor home components, engines and updates in addition to classic car rallies for owners.

Used GMC motor homes market depending on the vehicle’s state.