DEEP DIVE Tour GMC Motorhome All-Original Vintage RV 

I worked at a Oldsmobile/GMC dealership in 1977 in Woodlawn (Cincinnati) Ohio. We sold these fantastic RV's. WAY ahead of there time. Made 1973/1978. The earlier models had the 455 engine. Better than the 403. Huge following for these wonderful RV's. Thanks for sharing!!

I had no idea Ray Romano was doing RV walkthroughs on RU-vid now. Good video, Ray! 👍

A neighbor when I was a kid had one, thought they were the most beautiful thing ever back then! Theirs was blue, and looked like a spaceship back then, LOL! ❤

These were absolutely amazing when they were new. I still love the design, which is absolutely timeless. So much care went into the development of this, and ironically, its production rather short for GM to allocate factory space for other vehicle assembly. Inside and outside, pure luxury, and to my young eyes, the Cadillac of motorhomes. Its unfortunate that GM was beginning to lose its way when this was on the market because this was what GM meant to many people: innovation, generally class-leading, etc. Man, I am just happy that so many have survived and are cherished.

GMC had a winner there. they now have a cult following and are very collectible. 1973-78 production run. Great find.

GM did an excellent job designing these vehicles. They were certainly ahead of their time.

My neighbor has one that he restored. No bunks and orange shag carpet. Dancing Hula on the dash. 😄He headed down from NY to Mississippi to the convention this week! WooHoo! He has traveled all across the country in it. Cheers!

Oh please god, don't shine a black light on that shag carpet!!! 😂 In all seriousness, very cool!

That bin behind the kitchen faucet is called the beverage dispenser compartment..so '70's! Another unique feature for it's time is the engine coolant/heater hoses ran back to the hot water heater in the bath, so you had hot water during and after the drive. Otherwise, the water heater was electric so you would need to run the generator, or plug into shore power for hot water.

George Ballas Buick Opel GMC Was a fine dealership. I was 18 yrs old when this was sold there. I was a Toledo OH native then. Good Luck !

These were always such cool motorhomes. I remember seeing them when they were new and it was obvious how far they were ahead of everything else. Show me any other motorhome from the 70's that people still want!

What a fun video! Please do more vintage reviews whenever you come across a blast from the past. This brings back fond childhood memories for this longtime car head!

Never camped in one, but did ride down the road a couple times with family friends. Front wheel drive with a big V-8 and drove more like a car than a truck. Rode very well. Visibility was fantastic. This was clearly a vehicle well ahead of it's time (didn't look like a box) designed by a company that didn't do Recreational Vehicles (which probably worked to their advantage).

Arrrrgh! $15K?!?! What a deal!! That was nicer than my first apartment. Thanks, Patrick.

My dad restored a 76 Eleganza II from front to back and frame up. A beautiful vintage RV.

Good Ol' GMC motorhome. Front Wheel drive (using the powertrain from the Oldsmobile Toronado), truly ahead of their time.

Awesome looking GMC Motorhome. I've seen a few over the years. I find them more attractive than anything offered today.

These were the best possible for their time. GM was serious about getting into the motor-home business and it shows in every detail. There's some bespoke parts in the drivetrain which are unobtanium or nearly that, so know your specifics of you have or want one of these for regular use. If I win the lottery, the best one of these I can get is on the list 😍

One of these motorhomes was used in the movie Stripes in the early '80's. It was converted into a military vehicle with weaponry and metal shutters that would roll down over the windshield and side windows. Used a periscope to drive when the shutters were down. It's worth watching just to see the GMC conversion. Enjoyed the video!

Very well designed!!! You would of never think you left home!

It’s a money pit, but it’s fun to look at. I knew you were going to pick up that branch on the roof. It’s who you are! Thanks Patrick

These are so great even my Barbie doll had one that was bright yellow and orange.

Amazing machine. So much more sophisticated than any other motorhome. As a young Australian in my 20s I dreamt of exploring the USA and Canada in one of these mighty GMC machines. It ended up with the complete opposite to do 15 months around Europe, UK, Ireland, Canada and the USA in a new RHD 1982 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston. With 2 cylinders and 602cc I used less than 20% of the fuel. It was a lot of fun in the little French 4 door convertible...

another great tour Patrick. I always liked these things, never saw one in person.

My favourite RV of all the Time 🌟

For me personally, I find that the esthetic design of the GMC motorhome from the 70's to be the most beautiful of them all. It just looks gorgeous. How great it would be to restore one of these.

This was fascinating, I've never seen one of these. What an amazing home on wheels, built my first year in college! Thank you! 😊

Unbelievable, nice find, like engineering art. Thanks for sharing Patrick, nice job. 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

I love that carpet! 💚

Outstanding find whoever bought it got a steel of a deal for $15,000.. They were an awesome motorhome back in the day. If memory serves me correctly I think that motorhome was also a front-wheel drive motorhome based on the Oldsmobile toronado / Cadillac eldorado chassis... What a find for 15000. It will probably Outlast a lot of the newer motorhomes we have today and tomorrow? I will hopefully soon be looking for a Motorhome & remember you guys when I was looking before but decided to buy a home instead. I'll be back to talk to you all soon. Thanks for sharing!!!

You always find the coolest rigs, dude! Thanks for the great content! !✌️

The front drive unit was from an Oldsmobile front wheel drive Toronado. It wasn't heavy enough and front axle bearings were an often repair. My neighbor had one and carried a set of bearings with him. The other problem was that GM didn't know much about RV's and these units took some understanding. Some RV dealers would not winterize them.

That looks really familiar. I think my friend Kim’s family had this or something very similar, back in the 70’s. I remember Kim and her sister had to share that first bed that you showed, that comes from the table booth. They grouched about it endlessly, lol. What a blast from the past.

But of course, it's sold! Yeah, I am looking for a vintage one myself! Thank you, Patrick, for showing this one!

As always, Really cool tour! Thanks for sharing!

Nice urban assault vehicle! I have been searching for 30 years for one.

The GMC Motorhome, back from the days when GM build great cars that were inspiring, and they wonder why they are in decline! The Interior is the original material, I think that is adorable.

That's outrageous ❤

I love no dinette. This layout suits me just fine. I hope to find one like it.

Love it 😍

I'd say $15K was a pretty fair price to both buyer and seller. Like so many others, we've found the GMC motorhome design very appealing but I'm wondering if they're nearing the end of their useful lives. The really good and super-well maintained and stored ones should hold their value but the fixer-uppers (like this one) will be a challenge to bring up to higher resto goals. For now, if it runs, brakes, shifts OK and the basic RV systems function, best just to enjoy it as is. Good parts are hard, to impossible to find and I understand the GMC Coop in Orlando recently closed as well. Good luck to the buyers, may they have happy adventures!

Es estupenda, esta genial😍 me encantan estos vehículos históricos ❤

I loved then Love ‘em now

Love this big motor home. Looks like they made the homes much sturdier than 2023.

Very 70s and also futuristic in a Star Wars way! May the force be with you!

They really did put them together well

26’ and a 23’ was offered, though I’ve never laid eyes on a 23’. Hitchhiking in Arizona in 78’, semi auto transport with assorted vehicles, dodge power wagon to corvette, pulls over. It’s being followed by 2 new 26’ GMC RVs. A guy in the semi runs back to me, ask if I have a valid drivers license, of course I do. Says go relieve the guy in the rear RV. One minute I’m looking around for a camping spot for the night after a hot day, then I’m driving a new motor home with air conditioning and music cranked. Best ride I ever caught, with those guys 4 days cause the semi had mild breakdown in Barstow. Rode into San Francisco in the back of the auto transport trailer, everything else delivered. I turned 71 Saturday, sweet memory! Just bought a Class C 86’ Kountry Aire made by Newmar for a friend. Quality build once again, 100k miles, solid oak raised panel cabinetry, rig leveling knobs behind drivers seat, 460 Ford E350. Quality craftsmanship stands the test of time!

Love From Punjab India

Great motor home.still on great condition 🎉🎉

If I recall these were based on the Tornado front wheel drive assembly. Tornado being the first in the market with front wheel drive, and a huge motor on top. That shag carpet brought me back to my old 'hippie van', at least what I can remember of it LOL..

Great RV… glad you didn’t get stung. And I dare ya to brush your teeth with that toothbrush! Thanks Patrick!

Every time I see a rig like this type I immediately think EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle

Major adjustments were made and designed through Oklahoma City, Jackie Cooper Dealership. Steel engineer, Tom Jones, That is where the second generation began!!

Love it would love to have that for camping

I owned a 1976 Palm Beach Model, very similar layout except for bunks in the back it was just platform for a bed. You got the small motor here, mine had the 455 Olds Rocket. It did not drive like dream however. They are known for the suspension upfront needing attention as the Toronado front end was taxed by the weight of the motorhome. Many people do an upgrade to a heavier front end. I didn't have the 5k to put in to that so mine wandered a bit even after new suspension parts. The cruise control and wipers ran off a vacuum. The cruise control would slowly increase on mine needing to be reset every half hour or so. The wipers would occasionally do a wipe on their own..lol. My biggest complaint was keeping the thing cool inside. The dash air when driving was pretty much useless and the rooftop air couldn't keep up if it was over 90 outside and the sun beating down. It was like an oven, and running the generator while going down the road wasn't ideal. A second rooftop air may have solved that. My air bag lines leaked but I could manually pump them up and they held, that part was a very comfortable ride. The hole you pointed to upfront was the release for the panel covering the motor. My was rebuilt the previous owner and it ran like a top. Mine didn't have awnings, the ones on this rig are aftermarket. Fuel mileage was pretty good too consistently over 10mpg even running 65-70mph. In my opinion if someone paid more than 10k for this one it was too much, its a bit rough on the outside. I purchased mine for $6,500 with 95k on the odometer in 2010 and sold it for $9000 in 2017 with 107k on the odometer. The first and last time I will probably make money on an RV. I did put money into it with new tires and suspension work.

Good review! As always very informative.

Supa shaggadelic mr patrick ..😍😎😁pip pips

Very cool!!!

They were amazing motor homes. I saw the dealer decal : George Ballas Buick-Opel, Man that was decades ago for sure. Mid-70s GM stopped selling Opels thru the Buick dealerships.

Wow! George Ballas Buick, that motor home came from Toledo, Ohio He was a top of the line dealership, when I was growing up.

This is awesome! It's very reminiscent of a train compartment! I'd love to live in something like this! Thanks for the tour! By the way, the like button isn't working for me, but I tried.

Sweet!

I need one of these vintage RVs in my life

This is just amazing motorhome, i want one, awsome video😍👌🔥🇧🇻

Stunning vehicle !

The cabinet that you identified as a spice cabinet is actually where the central vacuum system accessories are supposed to be stored.

So cool

love it !

Awesome 👏

I would make it all modern on the inside and keep the looks on the outside retro. It reminds me of my living room in my house when I was a kid

I saw two I of these in Tennessee once, pretty cool to see the inside

This thing is so cool and well thought out. I would hazard to say that this is the Tesla of 1970s motorhomes.

We are parked right next to you….so cool!

I wouldn't say it's ahead of its time, but more like a product of its time. The '70s was the golden age of vans of all types and sizes.

Wow, the Rv from ben 10 😁

That big rear window reminded me of the movie "Race with the Devil" (though not the same motorhome) from 1975.

I'm not that old but my dad bought one of these (this exact model and paint scheme as well) when I was a kid and we roadtripped across the country with it in the early/mid 2000s. As a kid I never appreciated it, since to me it was just an old motorhome that was embarrassing to roll into campsites with. It definitely was an eye catcher for those from older generations! It's interesting you make the point that it's still only dual axle since this created a ton of arguments at tollbooths on bridges that charged significantly more per axle. My dad was never able to convince anyone it really only did have 2 axles. These were well ahead of their time. I recently watched Stripes for the first time and got a laugh out of it being used as an Urban Assault Vehicle. I believe there is/was a guy here in the Denver area who modified one of these to be the fastest motorhome ever, running it on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Oh my gosh. Love this video. We had the yellow one growing up, I think it was Glenbrook. Exact same floor plan. You are correct about a rear AC. That was an option because ours had it in place of that fan. It had two AC's. On the roof there was also a giant storage pod for things like your outdoor chairs, small grills, etc. The generator does slide out, it's a giant teal Onan that pulls out on a track. The area right inside the door on the left was used mostly to store the vacuum cleaner since the port was right there. The airbags were so loud for leveling the camper, but they did a great job. There was a downside to these, or at least with ours. Like most American made motor vehicles of the 70's, it broke down all the time. Seemingly every big trip we took, something would go wrong. Service men coming in and out of the rig to work on it because as you pointed out, it was accessed at the cab. We didn't care. We loved it. We went everywhere in ours and it's lead me to buying a camper today for my family. My brother and I will never, ever forget our many family adventures in our GMC. Thank you for this video.

Very cool RV! 👍

OMG HILLARIOUS! I trailered and motorhomed with my parents and sisters in the 60,s, 70's and 80's! so i'm familiar with this right down to the bad upholstery and awful shag carpeting! he avoided mentioning the am/fm radio was also an 8 track player!🤣🤣! If this video ends with a price over $5000 i'll vomit! love the ladder for access to rooftop firewood storage area!🤣

RVs still can come with electric/LP absorption fridges. Dometic makes most of them.

I would absolutely pay 15k for this. ❤️❤️ What a fun video.

NICE. TO. HAVE THAT MODERN 8 TRACT

They got also famous by the movie 'stripes' (with Bill Murray) where such a motorhome featured. Although that was the military version 😁

I want! Good review!

You would be a really good RV salesman. I want one of these now

These will still be good tiny houses even when not road worthy any longer .

Such a great looking motor home better than the one's today more style in these. Has anyone ever tried putting a diesel in one yet just a thought 😊. Great video

Buy it Patrick. Just offer them more and take it. You will care for it a lot more and feature it on your channel.

The big sliding windows rattled as they got older needing the felt changed. Made 10 mpg with my two used, old ones. Never got my dash air working. Had a model converted by Avion with a dry bath. The Onan 6.5 ran it all. Loved the vacuum cleaner. Sorry GMC decided to stop production. I would still have one today. Just quality! Some refrigerators only ran on 12V. Most interesting…

EM-50!!!

Patrick is a real Salesman describing the door, “It’s curved to fit..” Um Patrick its actually warped lol. So are the squirrel and mice skeletons in the walls included too😝

What a beauty! I just hope the new owner can respect what it is and not try to "reimagine" it.

I'm pretty sure that stereo has an 8 track in it. I'm sure you are too young to know that. Hell, I'm almost too young & I'm 48. What a great find.

Great review

That looks nice-with the dual rear tire and streamline design-for its age. With all the van conversion happening nowadays, why don’t the automotive industry ride the current demand with more futuristic model? 👍

That GMC motorhome was sold in Toledo, Ohio. George Ballas dealership. A highly respected person and dealership here on the Central Avenue Strip. George and his wife Maryanne Ballas were very involved in the community. Since his death, she's been at the helm running the dealership very well!

I remember the Movie "Stripes" , ,😋🤣👍

I would of loved to have one like this Brand New!!

One of these done up right, lithium, proper suspension thats the dream.