The key here is that you can fix and upgrade the RV yourself and enjoy doing so. You're far better off than paying the financing and depreciation costs of a new vehicle. For others without the skills, I'd say avoid it.

One of the best videos out here that spells it all out...owning a vintage RV is not some "thing you do"...requires time, money, effort, knowledge, ambition, tenacity...Thanks!

@MrGMCMotorhome

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment! ...just one more thing...great KZread name!

Oh, money pit is almost guaranteed - it’s 50 years old! The plus side is that it drives like a slightly larger same year Oldsmobile Toronado. For the capable and experienced hobby mechanic and RVer it can be fun. The amazing thing is that five decades on so many people still love the GMC motor home.

Worked at a Oldsmobile/GMC Dealer in 1976/1977 that sold these. Fantastic RV. At least 2 brand new units were sold new and the owner immediately pulled the 403 out and installed 1969/1970 Oldsmobile 455's out of wrecked Tornados. Huge difference in power. Night and day. Beautiful machines. Glad there still out there.

It is a labor of love. The journey is the reward. You are not alone. roadside assistance is essential

I'd move the macerator to the top of the install list-huge improvement dumping! Also a tire pressure monitor(TPMS) is a great reassurance on the road.

@MrGMCMotorhome

7 ай бұрын

Yes, I'm excited about the macerator. I haven't really thought about TPMS system but I've seen a few aftermarket systems that look interesting and I really like that safety feature on my other vehicles.

I have a 1978 C class, $5000 in 2020 to buy her and another $25,000 over the last 4 years to both make her fun to use and maintain the vintage vibe. Cheap? Cheaper than a new one by a long shot. Fun? Likely more fun too cause I can do what I want and add what I like to make her the way we want. I think they are worth it, but only if you are handy!

If you are "in to" the GMC motorhome and have some skills or more, then I think the satisfaction of restoring it and taking it camping is priceless. In my 20's , I restored an old Victorian commercial building that was built in 1903 had a historical past, nice big three story commercial building in a downtown with a full basement 16,000 sq ft. I was a labor of love and I was " in to it" Probably did over kill, and yes, it was a bit of a money pit. I opened a restaurant bar and banquet facility on first floor and basement and that was a labor of love. Life is short and humans are builders and tinkerers by nature (most) and I find it very fulfilling to do these kinds of things you yourself love to do even if they end up costing money. Just don't go bankrupt. I never did that, I am an accountant by training - that helped, lol.

@patrickshort3229

9 ай бұрын

Loved this comment, thanks for sharing your experience

From an ex owner: excellent excellent presentation/ dementia of post. I hope edna treats you well and NEVER leaves you on the side of the road

@CP-ux9zd

Ай бұрын

dementia ?

Thank you Sir for sharing your thoughts and some of the exepenses one might have to spend on the 50 year old GMC coaches.Our son Steve Groot bought a 1973 two 3 months ago and he is excited as he owns a old house,has a 2001 Cadillac,1994 Chevy Conversion Van and both of these vehicles are in very good condition as they are Tennessee vehicles,he also restored his dad in-laws 1981 TOYOTA pickup truck with the famous 22 -R engine.And they named the Coach,Gladys and the previous owner had the coach 23 years and he is a mechanic and Steve also has all of the receipts from the repairs,manual etc and the previous owner told Steve he wanted a little more power than the 455 OLDS engine so he had a 500 CC Cadillac engine from a a ELDORADO and he had it rebuilt in 2012 and he is now 82 and the new engine has 5,000 miles as they didn`t drive it much.They are not planning on any long trips,but they own 8 acres high on the mountain and they have a beautiful view and they live about 40 miles from their home.Ironically,Steve was showing me the receipt from the GM Dealer where the Cadillac engine was rebuilt and installed and the cost was $ 3,500.50 dollars and Steve paid almost the same 3 months ago for the Coach which was $ 3,500.00! Cheers,Roger Groot Cleveland,Tennessee, 423-284-8581.(Steve`s son is going to be a Mechanical Engineer and well on his way as he has two 3-D printers and is a perfectionist and he has made several 1/18th scale models of cars,his dad`s 1994 Chevy Van,and will be making a large scale model of Gladys as well and Austin is making it a RC with LED lights,and remote to drive and steer the coach also are his plans.)

1975 GMC Glenbrook OVERHEATING problem solved. Replace the fan clutch, Autozone sells them, you will be amazed. We run 80 MPH in the summertime with temp on the cold side of the gauge. Prior to replacing the fan clutch, we tried everything, water pump, thermostat, hoses, radiator (removed and acid cleaned at a radiator shop), belts, nothing helped our overheating problem. Once we changed the fan clutch we cannot get it above the first tick off of cold. That is with the dash A/C operating. The old fan clutch seemed to move lots of air, however it must not have been enough. We would have problems with temp rising anytime we were over 45 MPH.

@MrGMCMotorhome

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip! I've been thinking the fan clutch should be my next thing to try for our overheating problem.

Once was told that a GMC motorhome will cost you $40k. If you pay $10k you’ll put $30k into it, if you pay $20k you’ll put $20k into it

@McMahonSteve

9 ай бұрын

We used to say $30k, but over the last few years of inflation $40k is probably closer these days.

@MrGMCMotorhome

9 ай бұрын

I hadn't heard that but it sounds about right.

@rickdenney5772

9 ай бұрын

Yup, $30K for a reliable, well-functioning coach, either all done or as a kit. (Yup, plus inflation.) Fancy paint adds to that-a lot.

Man, I've been looking at them for years and just never pulled the trigger.. NO place to store an RV and NO place to work on one which hold me back mainly.

A 50-year-old RV on the road, is a testament to what America was. You're lucky if an RV of today last 15 years.

@MrGMCMotorhome

Ай бұрын

She takes a little work to keep going but there is no comparison to new campers and RVs that I see today. I'm shocked by the cost and low quality of modern RVs.

@oldsoldier8139

Ай бұрын

@@MrGMCMotorhome What's shocking is that people are willing to buy them.

The answer to your question (or statement) for a title is yes. For both. Any hobby/toy can best be described as a time sink, money pit, and if you enjoy it, one of the best things you've done for yourself/family. I've just purchased an abandoned coach for myself. I have restored cars and flipped homes for years. This is just two things in one location.... I also can't wait for my wife, my daughter, and myself to tour the US, Canada, and Mexico staring through the acres for glass windshield and making memories. Even if they're not cheap.

@MrGMCMotorhome

3 ай бұрын

Very true, it's not cheap but it's worth it for me. Congratulations on getting your own coach. I hope you and your family have lots of fun and make great memories!

I think it can be either one, or both. If you intend to use it and drive it frequently, then it shouldn't be so bad.

Forgive me if there is a video, how’s Edna’s suspension? Front end, etc..? I’m currently considering the one ton conversion but leaning towards Dave l, rebuilt parts. Cheers, lovely videos, information and insight.

@MrGMCMotorhome

9 ай бұрын

Edna has a 1-ton front end that was done by a previous owner. I did a video recently on replacing a wheel bearing but otherwise haven't talked much about the front end. There seems to be strong opinions on both sides of stock vs 1-ton debate. I like the 1-ton because it seems to work well and the parts are readily available. I can get bearing, brakes, or anything else I need from just about any parts store and no special tools are needed. If nothing was wrong with the original front end then I probably won't make a change but if I was already needing to do repairs, the 1-ton is a good option. This is the kit we have (www.machinesoflovinggrace.net/gmc/frontend/), it was installed about 8 years ago. For rear suspension and brakes, we have this (www.machinesoflovinggrace.net/gmc/brakes/).

@dmanduff9108

9 ай бұрын

​@MrGMCMotorhome I bought a 75 Glenbrook for $12k, running, but it died 80 miles from where I bought it. Flatbed towed it at 55mph for 8 hours into California. That cost a little over $600 for diesel fuel for the truck we used plus rental fee. Took it to a GMC pro out in LA County, who did some amazing front end work but it wasn't cheap...altogether around 8k for that. Plus spent $2200 on 6 new tires since they don't make the 16.5 inch ones anymore, so had to find em at a commercial truck place. Changed the battery and starter, it was working fine. Now I have some other simple electrical issue with the engine and don't have time to diagnose it right now. Generator is dead, and now the shore power has a glitch that it didn't have before. Water pump is kaput, roof ACs freeze up if run too long, and last owner jerry-rigged the black water tank so I gotta deal with that too. This dream of mine feels like a nightmare. But, she is a beautiful coach and gets compliments ☺️

Thanks for sharing the financial info. How much was the motorhome brand new from the 70s? Definitely a well built machine to still be on the road. Of course money needed to maintain and repair but great quality for sure. Most likely not an ideal vehicle choice to travel the country and live full-time out of. I can imagine there would be lots of little break downs and repairs needed in possibly not ideal areas to get parts or need servicing. Thanks for video today!!

@McMahonSteve

9 ай бұрын

~$13,500-$14,500 brand new

@MrGMCMotorhome

9 ай бұрын

I think the $13.5k-$14.5k for the GMC built models is about right. I think some of the other models were as much as $20k. That would only be about $70k-$100k in today's dollars. I think that is an amazing deal consider the build quality and state of the art technology. The average van based class C motorhome today is about $120k.

@snarkmark2806

9 ай бұрын

I don’t think you can really live in one full time. You need a home base, and a space to work on it. Things do, and will break down on these coaches. It’s much tougher to fix these things away from home.

@rickdenney5772

9 ай бұрын

My ‘73 23-foot Glacier was $17,000 when new. They were about twice that by ‘78, but the ‘78’s had a lot more tarting up, too.

Hmmmm.....If ever I thought how expensive life was and is, I'd never come out of the womb, or get anything done

M.P.G. When Cruising on the Open Road Please ? At What Speed ?

@MrGMCMotorhome

Ай бұрын

We get 8.6 mpg on average over the last 5,000 miles that I have tracked mileage. We live in the Western US so there are lots of ups and downs and I normally cruse at about 60 mph. On a long trip with lots of flat driving I have seen fuel mileage as high as 10 mpg.

as the old saying goes, If you have to ask how much it cost, you can't afford it

What's the $4k in parts you're sitting on?

@MrGMCMotorhome

9 ай бұрын

You can watch for future videos :-) Here is some of the list: new black tank, macerator, electric fuel pump and fuel filter on the frame, speedometer cables, fire suppression system for the engine, screen door, gauges like a tach and trans temp, and a few other things.

Thanks for the time and information, however I'm a little seasick...please consider a tripod on your wish list, thanks

You bought the GMC in 2001 & Records go back to 2011 from previous owner?🤣Brain🧠Freeze😱! The Reality Is, Any Vehicle Used Will Have Cost Expenses💰💵& New Will Vehicles Have Cost Expenses💵💰!

@McMahonSteve

9 ай бұрын

He misspoke, I took it to mean purchased in 2021 (not 2001).

@MrGMCMotorhome

9 ай бұрын

Yes, sorry, I meant today 2021. I caught that in editing but figured that I made it clear we had only owned the coach for 3 years. Maybe I'll put a correction on the screen next time :-/

Money pit !

@davidcooper3871

6 күн бұрын

Hobby.

I watched a renovation image, a GMC motorhomer said, his luxury remodel charged him up to half a million.