I finally took the plunge and now have my very own GMC. I've wanted one for
25 years---a couple of well to do friends had them in the 70's and I knew
someday I'd have to have one. I've been actively looking for about 3 years.
Got close a time or two, but held off for one reason or another.
I have "hung out" here on the net for about 3 years and have learned a great
deal; it helped me immensely to know what I wanted. I didn't realize that I
was one of the "pioneers" here until I talked to Patrick; I must have been
one of the very first subscribers.
Thanks to Patrick: first, for initiating and running this forum, and,
second, for letting me know about the coach that I bought. It is precisely
what I've been looking for.
BORING TRIP REPORT FOLLOWS:
I flew to Raleigh, NC Friday evening and took a limo to Cornelius where
Buddy Bethune had my coach. I was on the road around 2AM Saturday morning.
Got to the Cracker Barrel in Commerce, GA around 5AM and "crashed" in the
back for a couple of hours. Woke up around 8AM to the tune of some guys
beating nails into boards across the parking lot. Walked around my new coach
in the daylight and marveled at how much I got for the money. Saw that I'd
lost one of my stainless steel "simulator" wheel covers. Wouldn't have
happened with Alcoas....
I enjoyed meeting Patrick, Sharon, and Suzanne there and had a very pleasant
breakfast with them. They are the first 'netters that I have met eye-to-eye.
The remainder of the trip was for the most part uneventful. Gas prices were
as low as $1.31 somewhere in GA to $1.57 in LA. I kept it between 65 and 70
mph; the Pace Arrow was not comfortable past about 60. I averaged 8.2 mpg
which is dang near twice what my SOB got
Generator wouldn't run but about 15 minutes then die. Restarts easily but
dies immediately. Let it cool for a couple of hours and it will run 15
minutes. Didn't want to take time to troubleshoot it so had the pleasure of
driving home through the deep south in June without air (no freon in the
dash air...) Got so bad Saturday afternoon (and I was tired) that I stopped
at a KOA in Mississippi and paid nearly $25 for a space to plug in my shore
power and cool down. Got about 4 hours sleep and hit the road again.
"Crashed" for a couple more hours at a Love's truck stop in Weatherford,
Texas about 5 to 7 AM Sunday morning, then drove on home. Got here about
1:30 PM Sunday. Took a shower (water pump doesn't in my GMC...) and went to
sleep.
I met an orange GMC on I-20 between Cisco and Putnam, TX Sunday morning; he
was eastbound and "flashed" me. A netter, perhaps?
All-in-all, I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. With the exception
of some minor problems, it is in remarkably good original condition. It's a
78 Palm Beach---as Patrick put it, all the green you can stand. Kinda grows
on you---like a wart. It used right at a half a quart of oil on the trip;
great by my standards.
It drives great except for a disconcerting wiggle if you slip off the
shoulder. And it seems awfully sensitive to the wake vortex from passing
trucks. I gather that the 4 bag setup cures this?
I can't wait to start spending money on it. I think I'll begin by fixing the
dash air and the genset! And, of course, it came with exhaust leaks no extra
charge.
My wife is a little less enthusiastic; she was happy with the Pace Arrow (it
has lots of storage) but she never had to drive that monster. I think she'll
realize how much better off we are when she drives it. She and the kids
liked to take off for the lake in our little class C; I think she'll be able
to do that with the GMC also.
Travis in Lubbock, Texas.
ps---if anyone wants to know, it is 1,413 miles from Cornelius, NC to
Lubbock, TX. I checked my speedo and odometer against long runs of mile
markers (what else is there to do?) and find that the odometer is 0.7% slow
and the speedo is 1 mph fast at 70. Not at all bad for old-fashioned
mechanical analog gauges!
25 years---a couple of well to do friends had them in the 70's and I knew
someday I'd have to have one. I've been actively looking for about 3 years.
Got close a time or two, but held off for one reason or another.
I have "hung out" here on the net for about 3 years and have learned a great
deal; it helped me immensely to know what I wanted. I didn't realize that I
was one of the "pioneers" here until I talked to Patrick; I must have been
one of the very first subscribers.
Thanks to Patrick: first, for initiating and running this forum, and,
second, for letting me know about the coach that I bought. It is precisely
what I've been looking for.
BORING TRIP REPORT FOLLOWS:
I flew to Raleigh, NC Friday evening and took a limo to Cornelius where
Buddy Bethune had my coach. I was on the road around 2AM Saturday morning.
Got to the Cracker Barrel in Commerce, GA around 5AM and "crashed" in the
back for a couple of hours. Woke up around 8AM to the tune of some guys
beating nails into boards across the parking lot. Walked around my new coach
in the daylight and marveled at how much I got for the money. Saw that I'd
lost one of my stainless steel "simulator" wheel covers. Wouldn't have
happened with Alcoas....
I enjoyed meeting Patrick, Sharon, and Suzanne there and had a very pleasant
breakfast with them. They are the first 'netters that I have met eye-to-eye.
The remainder of the trip was for the most part uneventful. Gas prices were
as low as $1.31 somewhere in GA to $1.57 in LA. I kept it between 65 and 70
mph; the Pace Arrow was not comfortable past about 60. I averaged 8.2 mpg
which is dang near twice what my SOB got
Generator wouldn't run but about 15 minutes then die. Restarts easily but
dies immediately. Let it cool for a couple of hours and it will run 15
minutes. Didn't want to take time to troubleshoot it so had the pleasure of
driving home through the deep south in June without air (no freon in the
dash air...) Got so bad Saturday afternoon (and I was tired) that I stopped
at a KOA in Mississippi and paid nearly $25 for a space to plug in my shore
power and cool down. Got about 4 hours sleep and hit the road again.
"Crashed" for a couple more hours at a Love's truck stop in Weatherford,
Texas about 5 to 7 AM Sunday morning, then drove on home. Got here about
1:30 PM Sunday. Took a shower (water pump doesn't in my GMC...) and went to
sleep.
I met an orange GMC on I-20 between Cisco and Putnam, TX Sunday morning; he
was eastbound and "flashed" me. A netter, perhaps?
All-in-all, I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. With the exception
of some minor problems, it is in remarkably good original condition. It's a
78 Palm Beach---as Patrick put it, all the green you can stand. Kinda grows
on you---like a wart. It used right at a half a quart of oil on the trip;
great by my standards.
It drives great except for a disconcerting wiggle if you slip off the
shoulder. And it seems awfully sensitive to the wake vortex from passing
trucks. I gather that the 4 bag setup cures this?
I can't wait to start spending money on it. I think I'll begin by fixing the
dash air and the genset! And, of course, it came with exhaust leaks no extra
charge.
My wife is a little less enthusiastic; she was happy with the Pace Arrow (it
has lots of storage) but she never had to drive that monster. I think she'll
realize how much better off we are when she drives it. She and the kids
liked to take off for the lake in our little class C; I think she'll be able
to do that with the GMC also.
Travis in Lubbock, Texas.
ps---if anyone wants to know, it is 1,413 miles from Cornelius, NC to
Lubbock, TX. I checked my speedo and odometer against long runs of mile
markers (what else is there to do?) and find that the odometer is 0.7% slow
and the speedo is 1 mph fast at 70. Not at all bad for old-fashioned
mechanical analog gauges!
atrick
