I won’t go into huge detail only because I cannot even come close to explaining the ins and outs of these rigs that some of the guys have. Jen and I spent 9 months straight in ours and traveled the entire perimeter of the country. Sure we could have done it with a generic box on wheels with modern mechanicals and electronics. Sure we could have just been another camper on the road. Sure we could have went without some of the trials and tribulations that come with an old rig(replaced tranny in Cali and popped the motor at 160k in Salt Lake City). But all said and done I don’t think we would have changed any of it. That’s part of the journey. We met some amazing people when we were down on our luck with repairs. People that we will never forget and continuing friendships. Plus wherever you go you’re the talk of the town which is kind of neat. Just my .02¢
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>
> On 30 April 1998, I bought our 23' GMC even though we had a 1 year old 40'
> diesel pusher. I didn't want to take the big rig on the ferry to Alaska.
> In fact, I wanted the 23' vs the 26' because of the ferry fare. My
> intention was to sell the GMC in Alaska or immediately after our return in
> the Fall of '98.
>
> The engine failure 75 miles before I got home, HER refusal to sleep in the
> GMC in its as-bought condition, and the construction of a retirement home
> for my folks meant that we didn't make the Alaska trip until 2000. In the
> meantime, we continued to spend months at a time in Florida with the big
> rig. Strangely, the GMC always "tagged along" -- so we could go to GMC
> rallies. I guess that's how I got inducted into this darned cult & still
> can't get out -- the big rig is long gone.
>
> Now to the basic question: For those months at a time in Florida, we
> enjoyed the big rig and SHE'd never have agreed to spend them in the little
> GMC. SHE won't use a campground shower and the GMC's is admittedly
> cramped, even with our rear bath Coachmen floorplan; the home-sized one in
> the big rig was one of her favorite features. The fact that the bathroom
> also had a washer-dryer in it helped a LOT too, as did the spacious living
> room and recliners.
>
> But, for that 4 month trip to Alaska, her only complaint was that the queen
> sized bed caused the kitchen to be shut down at bedtime & forced her to
> crawl to the bathroom. I had to replace that with twin beds after that
> trip. Subsequent trips "all over", lasting up to a couple of months at a
> time, have proven that the now long-gone big rig is not necessary -- since
> we're constantly on the move, not parked in FL. We've pretty well covered
> the US, from Fairbanks, AK to Key West, FL. And I don't baby it -- we
> stick pretty close to the speed limit (especially since I installed the
> Cad500), whatever it is. We've had perhaps more than our share of tows,
> but none attributable to mistreatment -- just the age of the pieces.
>
> If I had an inexplicable urge to "trade up", I'm positive that one look at
> a window sticker, even on a Class B, would eliminate that madness
> immediately. There is simply no comparison between the GMC's value per
> dollar and that of ANYTHING else, especially the new ones. And from what I
> read, the reliability of most of the new ones is as bad or worse than the
> GMC's -- with the repair delays typically much longer and potentially much
> more expensive. But personal mechanical ability plays a large part in that
> parameter.
>
> Finally, despite best intentions, those who abandon the GMC for SOB's seem
> to, with rare exceptions, drift away from our cult.
>
> WE WON'T be "trading up".
>
> Ken H.
>
>>
>> My experience traveling with our GMC is a minuscule fraction of what other
>> folks have done here on the forum, but I thought I'd put my two cents in...
>>
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