GTP Cool Wall: 1973-1978 GMC Motorhome

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1973-1978 GMC Motorhome


  • Total voters
    52
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3,904
United States
Hoboken, New Jersey
1973-1978 GMC Motorhome nominated by @Naveek Darkroom



Body Style:
2-door van
Engine: 6.6L V8, 7.5L V8
Power: 180-275hp
Torque: 275-320 lb-ft
Weight: 4800-5700kg
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Drivetrain: front-engine, front-wheel drive
 
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My great-grandpa was one of the lead engineers at GM for this project. I never met him, because he passed away before I was born, but when my great-grandma passed away I got a 1:6 scale model of this that GM gave my grand-grandpa. When I was a kid, I thought the model was the coolest thing and always wanted to play with it. Now that I'm older, it's still pretty cool and even had it at my house when I lived in Michigan. So thanks to a healthy dose of nostalgia with this, I'm going with cool.
 
...for a vehicle like this, drivetrain hardly makes a difference.
It very much did. That was the main selling point as a matter of fact. Prior to the Motorhome, most RVs were built on commercial truck frames with a tin box on top of them. Now, while we might think about drivetrains in terms of their ultimate performance potential, when it comes to RVs packaging is key; you want as much space to be devoted to living space and amenities as possible. The aforementioned truck frames worked okay, but they weren't exactly optimal for space, not to mention having a high step for ingress and egress. GMC's solution was this:
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By having the entire drivetrain up front (along with the trick bogey assemblies versus regular axles), it gave an entirely flat floor with no unnecessary intrusions. That meant that it not only provided maximum interior space, but could be lower too. And it didn't ride like a dump truck. And it was nice to look at, unlike the frumpy Winnebagos.
14ebe77e53b81f2c54a92ba0f389eb70.jpg
 
I like it a lot and I don't know why, and I'd love to have one just to blast some Steely Dan or Fortunate Son in the highway.
Uncool.
 
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