In 1972 CHEVROLET had a motorhome being considered

[GatsbysCruiser]

You all may already know about this, maybe not.
I just found it entirely by accident.
When I saw the pic, I thought it was old square sides, the GMC model that someone tried to
push because they wanted a 12" plate to fit in the cupboards.

But this is a Chevrolet version, much boxier and yet, looks like the bones of the GMC

1972 Chevy Chalet Royale: Concept We Forgot

GMC manufactured the Motorhome between 1972 and 1978, and it has now emerged that a Chevrolet version was considered. The clay model is from July 1972.

www.motor1.com

enjoy

 

[JSanford]

The story goes that Chevrolet gifted this design to Winnebago, who then produced it on the Chevrolet chassis as the Elanden. The RV industry was pissed that GM had decided to build a complet motorhome and compete directly with them. Chevrolet competed with Dodge and Ford selling bare chassis to the RV industry and wanted to garner some goodwill so they gave their aborted RV design to Winnebago.

 

[GatsbysCruiser]

I heard it went a bit deeper than that.
GM supplied truck/van chasis to the RV industry to make their Sticks and Staples.
When GM came out with their version of the RV, and the industry SAW what they were building,
the RV industry knew they had a problem because an RV is not vehicle quality, it's sticks and staples, or a box
on a frame. The GMC motorhome was basically a bus with an interior. a bit more robust in build quality.
- The RV industry began to buy vehicle frames & suspensions from FORD, CHRYSLER and any other suitable
supplier in greater numbers, and cut back on GM frames/suspensions.
- This is what caught GMs eye, the loss of dollars.
GM wasn't going to stop making the motorhome, YET, but they did whatever they could to get back on good
terms with the RV industry.

I thought I read somewhere, that the GMC was not originally intended to be sold as an RV. That came up later as the design stage was completing.
The original design was toward shuttle buses, cargo haulers, utility vehicles. I'm pretty sure this is were the TransMode came into the picture.
The RV industry was fine with this type of vehicle coming on line.
When it changed to RV's, then GM got their attention.

I read this somewhere on the www.

 

[SteveW]

Greetings from Southern California !!

As I've heard the story - our motorhomes were to be the "halo" of the product line - and the product line was to be "general purpose" utility vehicles... Shuttle buses, ambulances, service trucks...

WAY ahead of its time - just look at all of the "general purpose" Sprinter vans around today.

Steve W

 

[boybach]

That elanden is a weird thing with an oversized ass end, one for sale in town right now

Larry

 

[Bill Bryant]

WOW ..... just got around to reading these replies. Each one has a PIECE of the GMC MH history that I have published, but most of it is mixed up or incorrect. Please go back and read the real GMC MH history if you have an interest, it's out there.

Bill

 

[tmsnyder]

WOW ..... just got around to reading these replies. Each one has a PIECE of the GMC MH history that I have published, but most of it is mixed up or incorrect. Please go back and read the real GMC MH history if you have an interest, it's out there.

Bill

Bill they aren't talking about the GMC

 

[Bill Bryant]

Hi Todd,
I do know what they are talking about, it was designed by the same GMC designer (Mike Lathers) that was responsible for the GMC Motorhome and the "Chalet Royale" design was done as a "response" to the GMC Motorhome and complaints from competitors.

This is how the Chalet Royale design came about;
When the new GMC Motorhome was announced there were some worried RV manufaturers out there. A few of them spoke of the unfairness of a large Company like GM with many resources made it very difficult if not impossible to compete with them. GM decided they would design an RV that was attractive but at a lower price point and give the design plans to the competitors at no cost, good will to help smooth the waters. Winnebago took GM up on the offer and as J. Sanford here mentioned, the rest is the little known history of where this mysterious RV came from.

By the way, this information was told to me by Mike Lathers during one of our many conversations.

 

[Bill Bryant]

I heard it went a bit deeper than that.
GM supplied truck/van chasis to the RV industry to make their Sticks and Staples.
When GM came out with their version of the RV, and the industry SAW what they were building,
the RV industry knew they had a problem because an RV is not vehicle quality, it's sticks and staples, or a box
on a frame. The GMC motorhome was basically a bus with an interior. a bit more robust in build quality.
- The RV industry began to buy vehicle frames & suspensions from FORD, CHRYSLER and any other suitable
supplier in greater numbers, and cut back on GM frames/suspensions.
- This is what caught GMs eye, the loss of dollars.
GM wasn't going to stop making the motorhome, YET, but they did whatever they could to get back on good
terms with the RV industry.

I thought I read somewhere, that the GMC was not originally intended to be sold as an RV. That came up later as the design stage was completing.
The original design was toward shuttle buses, cargo haulers, utility vehicles. I'm pretty sure this is were the TransMode came into the picture.
The RV industry was fine with this type of vehicle coming on line.
When it changed to RV's, then GM got their attention.

I read this somewhere on the www.

Boy that story sounds familiar to me, hmmm