GMC Motorhome What It Costs to Own

This is our third summer of owning a GMC motorhome and I thought I would share what she has cost us so far. Lots of people are looking for a deal on a cool old GMC motorhome, sometimes a good deal can cost you a lot. It helps if you are handy and can do much of the needed work yourself. In the end, this is probably not a good investment but it's a fun hobby and a great way to go camping and meet interesting people!

[@johnharper2016]

Worked at a Oldsmobile/GMC Dealer in 1976/1977 that sold these. Fantastic RV. At least 2 brand new units were sold new and the owner immediately pulled the 403 out and installed 1969/1970 Oldsmobile 455's out of wrecked Tornados. Huge difference in power. Night and day. Beautiful machines. Glad there still out there.

[@donjaksa4071]

It is a labor of love. The journey is the reward. You are not alone. roadside assistance is essential

[@johnbunn1957]

I have a 1978 C class, $5000 in 2020 to buy her and another $25,000 over the last 4 years to both make her fun to use and maintain the vintage vibe. Cheap? Cheaper than a new one by a long shot. Fun? Likely more fun too cause I can do what I want and add what I like to make her the way we want. I think they are worth it, but only if you are handy!

[@SesameStreetRacingChannel]

One of the best videos out here that spells it all out...owning a vintage RV is not some "thing you do"...requires time, money, effort, knowledge, ambition, tenacity...Thanks!

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Thanks for the comment! ...just one more thing...great KZbin name!

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

They can be worth tens of $thousands if renovated and maintained, and -$3000 if not maintained. You have to fully commit to own one or you'll have to pay someone $thousands to dispose of it.

[@MrShene123]

That is the best-looking motorhome ever made.

[@groovy1937]

If you are "in to" the GMC motorhome and have some skills or more, then I think the satisfaction of restoring it and taking it camping is priceless. In my 20's , I restored an old Victorian commercial building that was built in 1903 had a historical past, nice big three story commercial building in a downtown with a full basement 16,000 sq ft. I was a labor of love and I was " in to it" Probably did over kill, and yes, it was a bit of a money pit. I opened a restaurant bar and banquet facility on first floor and basement and that was a labor of love. Life is short and humans are builders and tinkerers by nature (most) and I find it very fulfilling to do these kinds of things you yourself love to do even if they end up costing money. Just don't go bankrupt. I never did that, I am an accountant by training - that helped, lol.

[@patrickshort3229]

Loved this comment, thanks for sharing your experience

[@kevincloutier5057]

I'd move the macerator to the top of the install list-huge improvement dumping! Also a tire pressure monitor(TPMS) is a great reassurance on the road.

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Yes, I'm excited about the macerator. I haven't really thought about TPMS system but I've seen a few aftermarket systems that look interesting and I really like that safety feature on my other vehicles.

[@bjnz4328]

The key here is that you can fix and upgrade the RV yourself and enjoy doing so. You're far better off than paying the financing and depreciation costs of a new vehicle. For others without the skills, I'd say avoid it.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

I'd buy one if I had someone to share the experience and responsibilities with.

[@brucemontgomery8136]

From an ex owner: excellent excellent presentation/ dementia of post. I hope edna treats you well and NEVER leaves you on the side of the road

[@CP-ux9zd]

dementia ?

[@henrynevins]

Thank you for the insight, I really like the GMC design, just reliability, not having a break down is my biggest fear, but what you describe sounds like a lot of little things to keep after. My experience is owning a classic cruiser wooden boats, they out-class any fiberglass boat in a marina, you just need to maintain little things. Whether driving up to a marina or an RV park, looking for your classic boat or classic GMC motorhome, you don't say "Which one is mine", instead its "WOW!".

[@AirDirectLLC]

1975 GMC Glenbrook OVERHEATING problem solved. Replace the fan clutch, Autozone sells them, you will be amazed. We run 80 MPH in the summertime with temp on the cold side of the gauge. Prior to replacing the fan clutch, we tried everything, water pump, thermostat, hoses, radiator (removed and acid cleaned at a radiator shop), belts, nothing helped our overheating problem. Once we changed the fan clutch we cannot get it above the first tick off of cold. That is with the dash A/C operating. The old fan clutch seemed to move lots of air, however it must not have been enough. We would have problems with temp rising anytime we were over 45 MPH.

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Thanks for the tip! I've been thinking the fan clutch should be my next thing to try for our overheating problem.

[@davesc4276]

It is a labor of love, and crack, help us all.

[@Thomas63r2]

Oh, money pit is almost guaranteed - it’s 50 years old! The plus side is that it drives like a slightly larger same year Oldsmobile Toronado. For the capable and experienced hobby mechanic and RVer it can be fun. The amazing thing is that five decades on so many people still love the GMC motor home.

[@rogergroot6641]

Thank you Sir for sharing your thoughts and some of the exepenses one might have to spend on the 50 year old GMC coaches.Our son Steve Groot bought a 1973 two 3 months ago and he is excited as he owns a old house,has a 2001 Cadillac,1994 Chevy Conversion Van and both of these vehicles are in very good condition as they are Tennessee vehicles,he also restored his dad in-laws 1981 TOYOTA pickup truck with the famous 22 -R engine.And they named the Coach,Gladys and the previous owner had the coach 23 years and he is a mechanic and Steve also has all of the receipts from the repairs,manual etc and the previous owner told Steve he wanted a little more power than the 455 OLDS engine so he had a 500 CC Cadillac engine from a a ELDORADO and he had it rebuilt in 2012 and he is now 82 and the new engine has 5,000 miles as they didn`t drive it much.They are not planning on any long trips,but they own 8 acres high on the mountain and they have a beautiful view and they live about 40 miles from their home.Ironically,Steve was showing me the receipt from the GM Dealer where the Cadillac engine was rebuilt and installed and the cost was $ 3,500.50 dollars and Steve paid almost the same 3 months ago for the Coach which was $ 3,500.00! Cheers,Roger Groot Cleveland,Tennessee, 423-284-8581.(Steve`s son is going to be a Mechanical Engineer and well on his way as he has two 3-D printers and is a perfectionist and he has made several 1/18th scale models of cars,his dad`s 1994 Chevy Van,and will be making a large scale model of Gladys as well and Austin is making it a RC with LED lights,and remote to drive and steer the coach also are his plans.)

[@oldsoldier8139]

A 50-year-old RV on the road, is a testament to what America was. You're lucky if an RV of today last 15 years.

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

She takes a little work to keep going but there is no comparison to new campers and RVs that I see today. I'm shocked by the cost and low quality of modern RVs.

[@oldsoldier8139]

@@MrGMCMotorhome What's shocking is that people are willing to buy them.

[@andrewb4584]

The answer to your question (or statement) for a title is yes. For both. Any hobby/toy can best be described as a time sink, money pit, and if you enjoy it, one of the best things you've done for yourself/family. I've just purchased an abandoned coach for myself. I have restored cars and flipped homes for years. This is just two things in one location.... I also can't wait for my wife, my daughter, and myself to tour the US, Canada, and Mexico staring through the acres for glass windshield and making memories. Even if they're not cheap.

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Very true, it's not cheap but it's worth it for me. Congratulations on getting your own coach. I hope you and your family have lots of fun and make great memories!

[@TrentGustus]

It's interesting how we choose our projects... there is little similarities between many of them... on my purchase, I wouldn't buy one without a working generator, working ac unit , recovered seats, it had new tires, new exhaust. The work I did the first year was , a new black tank, new floor, new headliner, and repaired the front cap.. Mac dash, Dakota digital Guage cluster, joying 10.5 android head stereo navigation unit, 4 camera backup system wyngard wifi extender, recovered dash, toilet repair, kitchen tap, all new wheel bearings and brake inspection, master cylinder. Timing chain. New radiator, water pump, Furnace repair, new gas regulator. All this before the first trip.. 2nd year painted the roof and top half of the coach Green with a gold stripe.. new led roof lights, sealed the seams and new vents.new vair air pump. New front shocks ,Rebuilt alternator, new power steering pump, new belts and radiator, new clutch fan, hoses. 3rd year, got dash air system working, microlevel level system, new ball joints, inner and upper control arm bushings, rear slave cylinders, rear brake shoes, aluminum air bag cones (one broke) 4th year, Corian counters, carb rebuild. New alternator again. This year, new motor, new fuel pump, intake block off , carb cheater system.. next year , dual 375 amp alternators to run roof air on highway, soft start, serpentine setup, new ac pump, new power steering pump... larger trailer hitch, electronic e brake, w possible disk brakes on rear.. and I'm looking for a buddy seat.. I'll say at the end of this.. I did most of this myself , lots not mentioned here.. I know I could never spend as much as I would lose on a new rv.. the gmc is a great rv.. it's not that the parts are expensive, it's that it needs so many parts..

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

It sounds like you have a GMC that is in great condition with lots of important things done. I hope you are enjoying it! And, Yes, the value of new RVs drops like a rock at least the GMC RVs don't go down in value if they are well maintained.

[@johnziegelbauer4999]

Having driven a 1973 Toronado during the late 70s as a highschooler . Wow did it ever suck gas lol.....

[@chucktrow8577]

Thanks for sharing the financial info. How much was the motorhome brand new from the 70s? Definitely a well built machine to still be on the road. Of course money needed to maintain and repair but great quality for sure. Most likely not an ideal vehicle choice to travel the country and live full-time out of. I can imagine there would be lots of little break downs and repairs needed in possibly not ideal areas to get parts or need servicing. Thanks for video today!!

[@McMahonSteve]

~$13,500-$14,500 brand new

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

I think the $13.5k-$14.5k for the GMC built models is about right. I think some of the other models were as much as $20k. That would only be about $70k-$100k in today's dollars. I think that is an amazing deal consider the build quality and state of the art technology. The average van based class C motorhome today is about $120k.

[@snarkmark2806]

I don’t think you can really live in one full time. You need a home base, and a space to work on it. Things do, and will break down on these coaches. It’s much tougher to fix these things away from home.

[@rickdenney5772]

My ‘73 23-foot Glacier was $17,000 when new. They were about twice that by ‘78, but the ‘78’s had a lot more tarting up, too.

[@Sushi2735]

I just love this!

[@patrickshort3229]

Forgive me if there is a video, how’s Edna’s suspension? Front end, etc..? I’m currently considering the one ton conversion but leaning towards Dave l, rebuilt parts. Cheers, lovely videos, information and insight.

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Edna has a 1-ton front end that was done by a previous owner. I did a video recently on replacing a wheel bearing but otherwise haven't talked much about the front end. There seems to be strong opinions on both sides of stock vs 1-ton debate. I like the 1-ton because it seems to work well and the parts are readily available. I can get bearing, brakes, or anything else I need from just about any parts store and no special tools are needed. If nothing was wrong with the original front end then I probably won't make a change but if I was already needing to do repairs, the 1-ton is a good option. This is the kit we have (www.machinesoflovinggrace.net/gmc/frontend/), it was installed about 8 years ago. For rear suspension and brakes, we have this (www.machinesoflovinggrace.net/gmc/brakes/).

[@dmanduff9108]

​@MrGMCMotorhome I bought a 75 Glenbrook for $12k, running, but it died 80 miles from where I bought it. Flatbed towed it at 55mph for 8 hours into California. That cost a little over $600 for diesel fuel for the truck we used plus rental fee. Took it to a GMC pro out in LA County, who did some amazing front end work but it wasn't cheap...altogether around 8k for that. Plus spent $2200 on 6 new tires since they don't make the 16.5 inch ones anymore, so had to find em at a commercial truck place. Changed the battery and starter, it was working fine. Now I have some other simple electrical issue with the engine and don't have time to diagnose it right now. Generator is dead, and now the shore power has a glitch that it didn't have before. Water pump is kaput, roof ACs freeze up if run too long, and last owner jerry-rigged the black water tank so I gotta deal with that too. This dream of mine feels like a nightmare. But, she is a beautiful coach and gets compliments ☺️

[@santathomhigh110]

Once was told that a GMC motorhome will cost you $40k. If you pay $10k you’ll put $30k into it, if you pay $20k you’ll put $20k into it

[@McMahonSteve]

We used to say $30k, but over the last few years of inflation $40k is probably closer these days.

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

I hadn't heard that but it sounds about right.

[@rickdenney5772]

Yup, $30K for a reliable, well-functioning coach, either all done or as a kit. (Yup, plus inflation.) Fancy paint adds to that-a lot.

[@wraithconscience]

Great video (bought in 2021, not 2001, I think)... But great video.

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Yes, good catch on the year. I caught that when I was editing but didn't want to reshoot so I figured the rest of the context would make up for my mistake. :-)

[@jasoncarpp7742]

I think it can be either one, or both. If you intend to use it and drive it frequently, then it shouldn't be so bad.

[@KevinNguyen-zn4vv]

How much for the RV and total cost and time of renovation?

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Great question. We got our coach for about $18k. It was fully operational, drivable and useable but needed some work and updates to make it more reliable and comfortable. In money spent in our now almost 4 years of ownership, we have spent about $13k and probably 200+ hours of labor. I have done most of the labor myself so our total cost would be much higher if I was paying to have all the work done professionally.

[@KevinNguyen-zn4vv]

@@MrGMCMotorhome Ouch...I think I'll go with the teardrop and/or sprinter build. The sprinter will be my man cave when not in use, and I plan to make it modular so that it can be reconverted back to the passenger configuration to take over a dozen family members on a road trip. The tear drop is good for a family of two, or four because my SUV sleeps two in its folding configuration.

[@jeromehebert3184]

Man, I've been looking at them for years and just never pulled the trigger.. NO place to store an RV and NO place to work on one which hold me back mainly.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

For me, the biggest problem is that I don't have a partner to share the experience with. I like to to travel with someone, rather than alone.

[@MrFIZZYMann]

M.P.G. When Cruising on the Open Road Please ? At What Speed ?

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

We get 8.6 mpg on average over the last 5,000 miles that I have tracked mileage. We live in the Western US so there are lots of ups and downs and I normally cruse at about 60 mph. On a long trip with lots of flat driving I have seen fuel mileage as high as 10 mpg.

[@McMahonSteve]

What's the $4k in parts you're sitting on?

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

You can watch for future videos :-) Here is some of the list: new black tank, macerator, electric fuel pump and fuel filter on the frame, speedometer cables, fire suppression system for the engine, screen door, gauges like a tach and trans temp, and a few other things.

[@neiloevocati]

Hmmmm.....If ever I thought how expensive life was and is, I'd never come out of the womb, or get anything done

[@jime9305]

Thanks for the time and information, however I'm a little seasick...please consider a tripod on your wish list, thanks

[@agentofficerthomasa.porter107]

You bought the GMC in 2001 & Records go back to 2011 from previous owner?🤣Brain🧠Freeze😱! The Reality Is, Any Vehicle Used Will Have Cost Expenses💰💵& New Will Vehicles Have Cost Expenses💵💰!

[@McMahonSteve]

He misspoke, I took it to mean purchased in 2021 (not 2001).

[@MrGMCMotorhome]

Yes, sorry, I meant today 2021. I caught that in editing but figured that I made it clear we had only owned the coach for 3 years. Maybe I'll put a correction on the screen next time :-/

[@stevenlight5006]

Money pit !

[@davidcooper3871]

Hobby.

[@seymourwrasse3321]

as the old saying goes, If you have to ask how much it cost, you can't afford it

[@slyuan7867]

I watched a renovation image, a GMC motorhomer said, his luxury remodel charged him up to half a million.