The benefits of the compact GMC motorhome are well known, with the bulk of the appeal stemming from a shorter wheelbase that makes it easier to pilot – especially appealing for first-time operators of a rig like this. The trouble is the GMC is not immune from what happens to many RVs, which is that they fall into a state of disrepair after the honeymoon phase is over. Fortunately, this 1977 GMC motorhome here on eBay appears to be in great shape and is offered with no reserve.
Generally speaking, the GMC has a better batting average than most motorhomes when it comes to not showing up as a neglected heap. There seems to be a strong enough following that is committed to keeping these wonderful machines on the road, so it’s fairly rare that we find one in horrible condition like so many other modern motorhomes that, at one time, were a six-figure purchase. The seller notes that the previous owner went through the GMC mechanically, which included installing six new tires.
Mileage is reportedly a hair under 50,000 and the interior condition certainly looks like it belongs in a truck that’s seen nominal use over the years. The carpets and upholstery are both very clean, as is the instrument surround and glass. The front air conditioner does work but likely needs a charge; the seller reportedly never attempted to operate the roof-mounted equipment. Thankfully, the generator does still work.
The seller reports the length features list as comprising of “….a fold out couch, a kitchen table that folds into a bed, a shower, toilet, new refrigerator, heat, air conditioner on the roof, 4K BTU generator, another heater in the front with air conditioning, AM/FM stereo system, roof vents, stove and oven, and a sink” – and so much more. The GMC motorhome offers a comfortable point of entry to RV ownership and will likely hold its value over the long term, and is especially appealing in a no reserve listing.
These were halo vehicles for GM, weird as that might sound. They threw everything at them from the engineering and design departments. There’s a robust online community dedicated to these. Every time I see one pop up I’m tempted…maybe this is the time?
Don’t worry, I have no comment on this. Learned my lesson.
Go ahead and say what you want ! Let the nay sayers piss all over themselves…
I had to put a radiator in one of these about 35 years ago. The customer that owned it wanted all the heater hoses replaced front to back as well even though they were fine pain in the arse.His had the 455 olds.Trans puked and my buddy at the shop r&r ed that. I told him better you then me .lol. Gotta use Semi metallic brake shoes on the back and pads on the front of these monsters otherwise she ain’t stoppin.
Yes very clean on the inside. The seller also has 4 vehicles listed, all with No Reserve.
Prom limo 1989!
It’s the 23’ version, of which much fewer were built. Most were 26’. From what I understand, although the wheelbase is shorter than many similar sized RVs, you have to go wide around corners because with the tandem rear tires you get a lot of scrub and it doesn’t turn tight.
From what I can determine from the pictures, there are no seatbelts included on at least the two front seats. I sure wouldn’t want to be in that front passenger’s seat when the brakes were slammed on hard, or in any kind of front end collision!
Not much happens when you slam on the brakes.
They have lap belts, with a retractor on each half. The retractor is visible in these shots.
The brakes are not awful for the time, but they are not great. Surprisingly, the brakes, drivetrain, and front suspension are slightly beefed up Toronado parts. The Toro seems to have been a bit overbuilt.
The ride is amazing.
This is one of the easiest rv to get parts for, the following is huge and repro parts abound , youtube is full of helpful videos for maintenance and upgrades
Being the shorter model is great
Underneath is hiding an EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle….
That’s a fact Jack! 😆
Who’s there….? Idi Amin. Lol
Beautiful looking Motorhome. I consider it damned unforgivable that it would be discontinued the next year (1978). General Motors had plenty of factories they could’ve manufactured their Motorhome, they didn’t have to use the same factory as their pickup truck line.
My next door neighbor in Sherman Tx had one like this, and it was a really nice vehicle. I went on short trips with him (4-5 hours) a few times and thought what a great unit it was. We moved the following year (career move) and I often thought of him and his wife and kids traveling out west, as that was his intention to see all the western states. Whoever gets this one, I hope they take care of it, but use it as it was intended.
Nice. I agree. I’ve seen a few over the years here in Washington state. My favourite was what looked like an EM-50 Assault Vehicle replica. It was waiting to be serviced. It would’ve been nice to talk to the owner of the RV.
Perfect for my conversion to a mobile meth lab, like Walt and Jesse had!
Owned a 26 ft. Oman generator was very temperamental. Installed spacers on the front wheels to quiet the “wandering” steering. Still have new set of roof markers if someone needs them. Sold the rig too cheap.
The 10,000 lb HOT ROD!
A 23 footer.
The only way to go with these GM Motorhomes!
Great RV, Easy to get accustomed to Driving on Hwy’s
@ Speed, 23 ‘ Version is even better
I owned 2 of them. A real love/hate relationship mostly because of its age you were always fixing something. The bad ones you don’t want to touch are the ones whose frames have rusted out as they are unfixable. It drives and rides like a big limousine and very comfortable. Too bad the suits stopped making them.
Not as garish interior wise as many I’ve seen. Does a 77 have a less than stellar engine?
403 Olds engine starting in 1977
I don’t get why GM chose to downsize the engine. They seemed to be doing awesome with the 455 engine.
I’m new here, and this looks like a great RV. However how beautiful it is, a diesel engine would be better.
My thinking exactly! If I bought a GMC Motorhome, I’d have a GM 6.5 litre Turbo Diesel V8 engine installed and a good automatic gearbox.
I’d think either a 6.5 litre Turbo Diesel V8 or possibly a 6.6 Duramax Diesel.
Would like more information on the mechanical issues and maintenance history. Also where this vehicle calls home as I would like maybe to know how far away I am to check it out.
The heavy duty tape across the roof is concerning, but otherwise it looks very nice for its age. Hopefully someone gets it and tours like crazy with it.
Awesome motor homes. If you ever wanted a Cadillac Eldorado, Oldsmobile Toronado, a motor home, a place to live, a party wagon, a cruiser, a fun vehicle all the way around – this is it. 65-70% of these built between 1973 – 1978 are still on the road. A lot of them are well kept and upgraded with new parts and some are completely restored with some of the most modern/ awesome looking paint schemes, interiors and even more modern drive trains. I can’t say enough about how much I love these motor homes and how many great ones are still available. There is a huge family of GMC motor home owners that you can get ideas from. I guess I just need to buy one. Well, yeah, I will – one day. Great article and great luck to all.
Robert Levins back – you really can’t lose with these GMC motor homes, especially if you get one in at least very good condition and of course a reasonably priced one. REMEMBER – the interior, piping, refrigerators, microwaves and such are basically easy – no brainers. The “ engine “ itself is pretty easy to modify a bit for a little more power. However the 403ci engine is pretty good the way it is. And – no emissions equipment necessary. But then again, once you buy one you can do whatever you like. Take care and good luck!
I think best place for this is in a car collectors museum to share with all. It’s one of those creations that deserves this type of legacy.
If I were to buy this, I’d have to locate a Delco AM/FM 8 Track in dash unit w Factory CB, and 2 sets of Tenna Mindblower speakers, so I could play my 70s Disco Tapes, if I only still had my hair!
I love music of the 60s through the 80s. I can imagine driving an RV like this GMC and listening to *”In A Gadda Da Vida”* by Iron Butterfly, or possibly some early Elton John music of the 70s.
Sold for $16,000. Good, bad, a steal, or ripoff?
To me, it depends on the condition. If it runs and drives under its own power, everything works like it should, and it’s been well cared for, I’d say $16k is well worth the money. I’d pay between $10k and $16k.
GOOD BUY!
Out of the 12,000 or so GMC Motorcoaches produced only 1500 were 23 Footers.
The 23 foot with the side bath is by far the best size and the best floor plan available. Bigger Is Not Better!
The rear overhang on the 26 foot coach is much longer than the 23 foot coach as is the total coach length. That extra weight and length of the 26 foot coach makes a huge difference in the way the coach handles, stops and drives.
IF you are going to buy a GMC buy a 23 Footer. You will never miss that extra 4 feet of weight and living space.
I love RVs. When I was a kid in the 60s, my family used to go camping at least once a month and for 2 weeks every summer. My dad and uncle both had trailers they pulled behind full-size Chryslers. They liked the capability of unhitching the trailer and still have the car available. Back in the 60s, camping was a lot more popular then it is now ( I don’t know why that is) but back then trailers were much more affordable than motorhomes, and had become almost as nice as motorhomes inside. When the GMC motorhomes were introduced, they were way head turners. The all fiberglass bodies were pretty rare at the time and they were very smooth and good-looking. The body seemed to fit the chassis much better than most motorhomes on the road. That fact that they were built by GM maybe is why they weren’t around for very long. By the time I was old enough and could afford one. By that time most all motorhomes had fiberglass bodies, but none of them looked as smooth as the GMCs. I ended up buying 33 foot 98 Fleetwood Southwind built on a 450 Super Duty Ford chassis. It had Ford’s powerful 460 cid V8, with fuel injection. It was beautiful inside and out. The interior was gorgeous, with every state of the art options. It even had hardwood floors in the gally. Those GMCs should have set the bar for all other motorhomes, but it didn’t. Again I can’t help thinking GM had something to do with why they didn’t. These days I don’t have a motorhome at all, but I hope to have one soon. Probably a C class, like a 30 foot Tioga.
I own a 26′ GMC so a few comments in no particular order. First the easiest way to tell a 23′ is the door is behind the driver’s seat where the 26′ has the door mid cabin.
There were two engines- the 455 big block from 73-mid 77 and the 403 small block from mid-77 until 78. Both are great engines and the 403 is excellent at towing.
Pros of owing a GMC today- parts availability and the incredible network of owners who have spare parts and knowledge and routinely help each other out. My transmission died in Pa and I had several people from around the country helping out with parts and labor.
The GMC is the only motorhome built on its own custom frame unlike others like Winnebago which are built on a truck frame and it only takes a minute in the driver’s seat to appreciate the van-like vs truck like ride.
For those considering buying one- the most important criteria other than not having a rusted frame is a good paint job that you can live with ($15k to paint) and interior layout. The mechanical condition isn’t overly important IMO because you really want to replace old components anyway.
Coaches are available from $500-$100k depending on condition and improvements. Labor is very expensive and the coach is best suite to those who are willing to get their hands dirty and handle some of their own work but a checkbook gets the rest of us by without those skills.
As for mileage, add 100k to most odometers but condition is everything and mileage somewhat meaningless. Tires with good treads don’t mean you won’t be replacing them immediately- Tires on motorhomes reach their 6 year age out period long before the tread goes- check the tires for the date code and remember you are replacing 7 not 6 tires. Also tires for the original rims are hard to come by so plan on upgrading all of the tires to aluminum Alcoa type.
The original cabinets were made of particle board which are typically falling apart unless they have been replaced or were the solid wood cabinets in the Royale model.
The original seats only have a waist safety strap and many of us have replaced the cockpit seats.
I love the GMC and couldn’t see myself in any other model. You won’t ever recoup the $ invested in the GMC and we measure things in smiles/gallon and the easiest way to tell someone is lying to you is when they tell you that they get better than 9 mpg.
As for selling at $16k- that could easily have been way too much or way too little based on condition. I purchased a well maintained coach in perfect running condition and still managed to invest another $30k to really make it special for cross country trips. Others have $15k invested and have something that meets all of their needs for tailgating and local trips to RV parks. The community is great- different people, different coach finishes, and everyone is valued from those starting out with a pile of parts and those with modern GMC tour buses. There are annual conventions, local chapters, a glossy magazine, and great friendships forged. It is really hard not to become friends with someone who leaves their family in the middle of the night to help a stranger with a mechanical problem in their area.
The GMC is a front wheel drive 12,000 pound sports car with plumbing. While very few have gone the diesel route this isn’t a vehicle recommended for conversion- you loose one of the most special aspects of the GMC.
The best place to learn about the GMC Motorhome and to meet the community are the Facebook Groups- Vintage GMC, Classic GMC, GMC addict.
* Body repair is VERY expensive as the only type of fiberglass that can be used is the same fiberglass used to repair corvettes.
And yes, with all of the expense and issues with owning a 50 year old motorhome are worth it. Please always remember and don’t ever forget,
“Friends don’t let friends drive Winnebagos”
I’d buy a GMC Motorhome if I had the money to purchase one and if I had someone to share the experience with. I find them more attractive than any Winnebago, etc. The only other motorhomes I’ve heard of that I find remotely attractive are the FMC Motorcoach and the Dodge Travco. I consider it damned unforgivable that they were discontinued after 1978 to concentrate on GMC pickup trucks and vans. Typical bean counters.