By Russ and Tiña De Maris
(UPDATE: This motorhome sold for $17,000 the day we posted this article, May 12.)
If you had plenty of money, would you buy a classic GMC motorhome? Sorry, we’re drooling. There is one for sale in California, that creamy yellow fiberglass gelcoat singing like a Siren to a sailor. It’s currently on Internet auction – and the bid (on this no-reserve auction) was just $14,000 at mid-week.
But before you jump overboard, there’s one thing you should know: They cut the heart and soul out of the interior of the motorhome and turned it (gasp!) into a car hauler. Sliced the rear wall away from the rest of the rig, stuck in a couple of linear actuators to lift the rear wall/door and added drop-down ramps. Gone is the classic interior! Gone is the galley, the bathroom, the sleeping accommodations.
Up front, the original style and class remains: Factory brown velour seats and carpets. That old plastic dashboard with a wood-grain trim-out. Flip on the dash A/C and you’ll get cool (not cold) air. But everything else we love about GMC’s once-fastest-motorhome-on-the-road is gone.
To entice the unwary, the seller has produced a video showing just how well this used-to-be-classic works as a car hauler by rolling in a Jaguar XJS. We plaintively ask: How would you Jag fans feel if we stripped out the guts of a Jaguar and put in a mattress? Oy! Watch the attached video if you can bear it!
##RVT948
How does he get out of the car ?
Probably like all car haulers – out the window.
Chuck, suppose I found one of these old GMC motorhomes. How about a story on who restores them ?
Check out https://www.sirumvintagegmc.com/ in Okeechobee FL.
Why?
Boring how 50% of the video is just the door opening.
I *did* think perhaps I might have another birthday waiting for it to fully open…
Sad. Too much money not enough common sense.
Seems a little odd to do that to a vintage motorhome with plenty of value for someone who would want to restore and use as it was originally designed. Especially when you have a big 5th wheel toy hauler in the background. A classic and highly sought after motorhome sullied. It’s like those people who take pre-70s Airstreams and turn them into overweight and unsafe roach coaches.
Looks like someone did a good job on the conversion, and it is impressively big to fit a car that large. So at least it looks reasonably safe. But unfortunately, it looks like the motorhome can literally do nothing other than carry a car.
I hope there was a valid reason for his sacrilegious gutting of what should have been a meticulous restoration. And, ya, how does he get out of the XJ? He’s proably a contortionist. Please go find some good restorations.
I agree – would like to know his reasoning for doing it. If he wanted an place to carry a classic car to shows, OK. Maybe the inside was all rotted out which would be a reason to re-purpose. He did do a nice job. Made his own toy hauler but no place to sleep.
While appreciative of the original design, perhaps a shorter span & use of a murphy bed would allow for space to have a kitchen/bath? Thus creating what could have been the predecessor of the Thor Outlaw.
That is awesome. Most of those GMCs are just rotting away (unfortunately) so this one is back on the road. Hopefully he has something better than an XJS to actually haul around.
It’s a motor home not a car hauler I do not like it. It is to dangerous to have a 3000 pound vehicle sitting right behind you.
What a complete waste. Now he has two POS and he can’t sell either one.
I’d give him $500 for it and begin putting it back together. Original parts will be tough to find and costly ~ would be a fun project in the summer, our offseason.
I’ll join the gang in saying that I like these old Motor homes too. But and yes there is a but. This rig is his to do with what he wants. I’m pleased to see such good workmanship in the transformation, so many times people take on a project like this and they do ruin it. This is not ruined, it is a purpose built rig that I like the end result as much as I liked them as a motorhome. For all of you folks with the negative opinions, I think you throw them around far too quickly. Others may not like your rig either, but how often do you have total strangers come up to you and tell you that your rig sucks. Just because it’s not your style doesn’t mean it’s bad. My mother was right, if you can’t say something nice then shut up.
Too many of these oldies are sitting idle in alleys and weed patches. This one found a new purpose and, although it’s a bit unusual, it seems to serve the owner’s need. If he wants a simple “camper”, he can install some fold-down seats or beds, or maybe find a smaller car that would provide some extra space for a recliner. The possibilities are endless. Nothing wrong with being unique or creative.
Not something I would buy, but then I don`t have a Jag to haul around.
His money, his motor home to do with as he pleases. No different than me taking a ’36 Hudson Terraplane and building a street rod. Others may not like it but it is his/mine to do with as we want. .
It’s his to do with as he pleases. There are folks who buy them work on the engine and race them. That should give one group a heart attack. I have a street custom jeep and the off road crowd, say things like what a waste, that is ridiculous. Why because they like them lifted high above the ground with 4 wheel drive and huge tires. I’m not off roading in it, it is rear wheel drive. I use it to drive around town. People are quick to critisize anything that doesn’t fit their image of what should be. At least he didn’t trash it…
I would give $17,000 for it… if he restored it to factory motorhome condition.
If you have a chance check on Netflix Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue from the mid ’70’s tour. He is behind the wheel of one similar to this. A little more classy as it has two tone white and avacodo green color scheme to it. Ahhh, the ’70’s!
OK, the Jag is INSIDE the GMC. How doe the driver of the Jag get OUT???
What? We also converted our 78 GMC to a toyhauler Floorplan we love it.
The original coach was special
And
This one is too
The builder is a car collector and he has $$$
He likes all kinds of vehicules from stock to race and everything in between
He DID not sell cause he needed the money
I would prefer a car hauler trailer instead of this but have to admit this is easier to drive and back up
And it is always tight to get in and out of a car when it is inside a trailer so this is not different …
Hope he beefed up the rear wheel suspension, otherwise loading any motor vehicle inside is going to exceed the weight carrying allowance of the coach.