First GMC Rally

bdub

Well-known member
Aug 31, 1998
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Lake Brownwood, Texas
www.bdub.net
Debbie and I got back last night from our first ever GMC Motorhome rally.
We were truly in awe of all the GMC's. There were about 65 of them there
at Lake Whitney, Texas. Most of em were in top condition and some had
brand new paint jobs. The Classics are one of the nicest groups of people
I have ever been around. We met Glyn Trimble, Bill Myers, Russ Bethel,
and Fred Hudspeth, all of GMCnet. A bunch of other great folks too.

Linwood Arthur let me bring home his album of pictures chronicling his
frame off restoration of a GMC. I told him of the others on here that have
done and are in the process of doing the same thing. I'll scan and post
the pictures on a site as soon as I have time. He has done some very
interesting modifications including raising the body 2.5" to accommodate
larger fuel and holding tanks. Very interesting pictures of their
placement in the bare frame.

Also, heard of a new refrigerant called F12 I think. It's suppose to have
nearly identical properties as R12 Freon except is ozone friendly and
doesn't have to have all the seals and dryer an other stuff changed out to
use it. I gotta do some investigating on the web about this.

There were several GMC's with a bar welded or bolted on to the frame under
and forward of the radiator. Found out that this is to take the place of
all the blocking that the manual shows to use for a wrecker to lift and tow
without damaging the front end. I'll probably be building and bolting on
one of these on our coach.

Also got a sample of a holding tank chemical called Enviro-Chem by
Monsanto. It smells good and is suppose to work better than anything else
one the market. We'll see.

I'll let ya'll know when I get them pics scanned and posted. Gonna get
some shut-eye fer now.
 
Thanks for the update. Keep us informed on some of the products and devices
you mentioned.
Al Chernoff
77 Eleganza II

> Debbie and I got back last night from our first ever GMC Motorhome rally.
> We were truly in awe of all the GMC's. There were about 65 of them there
> at Lake Whitney, Texas. Most of em were in top condition and some had
> brand new paint jobs. The Classics are one of the nicest groups of people
> I have ever been around. We met Glyn Trimble, Bill Myers, Russ Bethel,
> and Fred Hudspeth, all of GMCnet. A bunch of other great folks too.
>
> Linwood Arthur let me bring home his album of pictures chronicling his
> frame off restoration of a GMC. I told him of the others on here that have
> done and are in the process of doing the same thing. I'll scan and post
> the pictures on a site as soon as I have time. He has done some very
> interesting modifications including raising the body 2.5" to accommodate
> larger fuel and holding tanks. Very interesting pictures of their
> placement in the bare frame.
>
> Also, heard of a new refrigerant called F12 I think. It's suppose to have
> nearly identical properties as R12 Freon except is ozone friendly and
> doesn't have to have all the seals and dryer an other stuff changed out to
> use it. I gotta do some investigating on the web about this.
>
> There were several GMC's with a bar welded or bolted on to the frame under
> and forward of the radiator. Found out that this is to take the place of
> all the blocking that the manual shows to use for a wrecker to lift and tow
> without damaging the front end. I'll probably be building and bolting on
> one of these on our coach.
>
> Also got a sample of a holding tank chemical called Enviro-Chem by
> Monsanto. It smells good and is suppose to work better than anything else
> one the market. We'll see.
>
> I'll let ya'll know when I get them pics scanned and posted. Gonna get
> some shut-eye fer now.
 
Billy:

Let us know what you find out about the new refrigerant. Do they have a web
site?

I've been using a substitute refrigerant, Auto-Frost, for three years now.

>From first hand experience, I've found out that if you have a need to be
towed, utilize a tow service that has a hydraulic lift extending from the
vicinity of the tow trucks' rear axle. It has a tool bar that they can put
a "Y" shaped set of forks on. They can extend the lift under the coach to
the vicinity of the front frame cross member to lift up the coach. The bar
you refer to is not needed then.

It is needed if you utilize a tow truck with a conventional hook on the
cable running over its boom pulley, because it puts pressure on the front
bumper when lifting.

Paul Bartz

From: Billy Massey [mailto:bmassey]
Sent: Monday, February 01, 1999 11:12 PM
Subject: GMC: First GMC Rally

Also, heard of a new refrigerant called F12 I think. It's suppose to have
nearly identical properties as R12 Freon except is ozone friendly and
doesn't have to have all the seals and dryer an other stuff changed out to
use it. I gotta do some investigating on the web about this.

There were several GMC's with a bar welded or bolted on to the frame under
and forward of the radiator. Found out that this is to take the place of
all the blocking that the manual shows to use for a wrecker to lift and tow
without damaging the front end. I'll probably be building and bolting on
one of these on our coach.
 
>Billy:
>
>Let us know what you find out about the new refrigerant. Do they have a web
>site?

It's by a company that used to be 'Johnsons', called Technical Chemicals
and is in Dallas. That's all I know so far. Haven't had time to look into
it yet. Am told that they have a web site though.

>I've been using a substitute refrigerant, Auto-Frost, for three years now.
>
>>From first hand experience, I've found out that if you have a need to be
>towed, utilize a tow service that has a hydraulic lift extending from the
>vicinity of the tow trucks' rear axle. It has a tool bar that they can put
>a "Y" shaped set of forks on. They can extend the lift under the coach to
>the vicinity of the front frame cross member to lift up the coach. The bar
>you refer to is not needed then.
>
>It is needed if you utilize a tow truck with a conventional hook on the
>cable running over its boom pulley, because it puts pressure on the front
>bumper when lifting.

>From my experience, there's never all the right tools or equiptment at the
right place when you need 'em. I'll put this device on my coach for 'just
in case' I have to use the 'ol wrecker with a hook.

> Paul Bartz
>
>From: Billy Massey [mailto:bmassey]
>Sent: Monday, February 01, 1999 11:12 PM
>Subject: GMC: First GMC Rally
>
>Also, heard of a new refrigerant called F12 I think. It's suppose to have
>nearly identical properties as R12 Freon except is ozone friendly and
>doesn't have to have all the seals and dryer an other stuff changed out to
>use it. I gotta do some investigating on the web about this.
>
>There were several GMC's with a bar welded or bolted on to the frame under
>and forward of the radiator. Found out that this is to take the place of
>all the blocking that the manual shows to use for a wrecker to lift and tow
>without damaging the front end. I'll probably be building and bolting on
>one of these on our coach.
>