SOLD
Asking Price: $14,500
Location: Bethune, SC
Mileage: About 140,000
Title Status: Clean
Seller’s Description: Engine and transmission with less than 5,000 miles. Fantastic condition – inside and out. 22.5 tires and conversion of front steer (in front of front transverse spring rather than behind) are very costly conversions.
Body Condition: Excellent for age. Rear bumper has a small dent. Body is fiberglass, so no rust. Interior looks brand new. Surface rust on parts of metal undercarriage.
Mechanical Condition: Brakes were new when I bought it about 2,000 miles ago. Engine and transmission were rebuilt after a botched tow job. Transmission is a Chrysler HD 727 three speed automatic. Edelbrock 1406 carburetor replacing Thermoquad.
List your classified here on Barn Finds!
As classic vehicle fan & collector I wish I buy classic 70s RV sadly I do reside in Beirut Lebanon and its very small country gegraphicaly roads are narrow badly maintained and very congested so its my bad luck as saying goes!
Max, you own the road with this rig, where does a big bull run? Where ever it wants.
Lroy I know I can park it somewhere secure and live in it sometimes but the big issue is driving around in it if ever possible !
I understand, Im glad that you share my interest in cars. I hope one day you find that barn find treasure.
I remember an article in Car&Driver years ago about driving the FMC that was used by Charles Kuralt of On The Road fame. They were delivering it to the Henry Ford Museum. The article also included interviews with Kuralt and his driver/photographer. I recall that they didn’t have much good to say about the chassis and handling. Perhaps the change in the steering and the larger tires help with this. I think theirs was a 1973.
If one of these FMCs is not set up right, they are a bear to drive. This #589 has Timbren snubbers on the trailing arms that are mounted on the torsion bars, the front steer configuration, the larger tires (22.5″ wheels). I can furnish references on how well I can set one up. If you fill up the front water tanks, it positively improves the steering. You can drive this one with one hand after you get the feel of it. The Kuralt article is at the website at the end of my Craig’s List listing.
kudos to the seller for honesty. The statement about the potential buyer needing to be mechanically adept is precious and forthright. Nifty piece of hardware though.
Awesome looking FMC! This is my idea of what a motorhome should be. It’s a damn shame that FMC discontinued production when they did. I believe they had a good thing going, and either continued it, albeit in limited production, or found someone else to continue where FMC left off. I’d buy one if I had someone to share the experience with.
As for someone to share it with… I only see single/twin beds. Where would Mr. & Mrs. crash? She and I like to be together.
That could be a problem. If you and the mrs. like to sleep together, you’d probably have to install a double bed.
I think there was an option to turn the back into a king size bed.
has potential
I remember seeing one parked at a garage here in Bremerton, Washington being serviced.
Another one listed on Craigslist in Okeechobee fl. #3** something for 1500.00 obo. Not as nice but Compleat and restorable.
Sounds like a toss-up.
The FMC coaches were made with COR-TEN Steele which is designed to develop a layer of surface rust which does not need paint. This layer is how it is supposed to be, a nice patina if you will.
These were the best driving coach of their era, hands down. The early units had a problem with a reversed 440 that lost oil pick under braking. A revised oil pan baffle cured this.
If the Brady’s had an RV this would have been it. These were kings of the camp grounds when I was a kid. That beast is in pretty good nick.
The engine went away on the one I had so I replaced it with a 500 cid Caddilac That I bought and overhauled before I installed it. It was hard to keep running cool after the conversion but had a lot of torque out of the caddy.
If I could afford a classic motorhome, this is what I’d buy, an FMC motothome.
The second unit I had had a queen size bed in it. That was the one I put a Caddilac engine in. The brakes were not the best and if you camped at “camp walmart” for the night it took a while for the bed to cool down before it was comfortable.