By Jim & Audree Rowe, F169971
November 2012
We are the proud owners of a classic GMC motorhome. These RVs were built between 1973 and 1978 by General Motors Corporation. On Memorial Day weekend earlier this year, we had hundreds of people touring our motorhome at a car show. You may wonder how it came about that our motorhome was on display at such a show. Here’s the story.
We belong to several of FMCA’s GMC motorhome chapters. One of these is the GMC Western States chapter. Several years ago, GMC Western States president Armand Binnie challenged chapter members to display their motorhome in a car show. Those who chose to do so would have their entry fee paid. The thought was that since there are so many GMC motorhomes available in the marketplace right now, showing these vintage RVs at a car show would highlight the GMC marque. Also, it would give current GMC owners an opportunity to talk to people who may be considering buying a preowned coach but had never considered purchasing a GMC.
Another reason the chapter thought it would be a good idea is that people who attend car shows tend to appreciate looks and performance in a vehicle. Many of them have some hands-on experience and ability working on vehicles, making them ideal candidates to own and enjoy a GMC motorhome.
So, on the last weekend of May, three motorhomes — ours and those owned by Ed and Eileen Staal and Phil and Joanne Hernandez — all made their way to the 47th annual Fallbrook Vintage Car Show in Fallbrook, California. This event, presented by the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club, featured more than 400 entries along with vendor and food booths and a swap meet. Classics, hot rods, customs, sports cars, and you name it were all included, but the three GMC motorhomes stole the show.
We parked together at the far end of the grass-covered field and set up tables with all sorts of GMC-related information. We don’t know how many people attended the free event, but we came up with a rough estimate of more than 1,000. A significant number of these car enthusiasts visited our information table, went through our coaches, and took away a great impression of the GMC motorhome.
In addition to asking us specific questions about our motorhomes, people were curious about the lifestyle in general. Many asked us, “Do you really use this thing?” The answer to that one was a big “YES!” We told them that we all belonged to the same local club, the GMC Pacific Cruisers (www.gmcpc.org); the regional GMC Western States chapter (www.gmcws.org); and the GMC Motorhomes International chapter (www.gmcmi.org). All three are Family Motor Coach Association chapters. Folks also wanted to know about the organizations’ different activities; how our GMC chapters run their events; how we decide where to go; and lots more.
Of course, people always want to know what things cost, and they were surprised to find out what a good value a preowned motorhome could be, both for the initial cost and for the ongoing maintenance. For instance, we were able to point out that most people can do much of their own maintenance, such as oil changes, with supplies bought at their local auto parts store just as they do on their show cars. We did our best to answer all the questions, but one that was repeatedly asked was, “Why isn’t anyone making a smaller Type A motorhome like the GMC?” That one we couldn’t answer.
We were so busy talking to visitors that we never even had time to stop for lunch. It was so much fun hearing people say, “Oh, I remember these,” or “We always wanted one of these,” or “My grandparents had one and took us everywhere.” It was just as exciting introducing the GMC to people for the first time. We had business-size cards printed with the phrase “So you want to learn more about the GMC motorhome?” The cards listed several Web sites where those interested could find additional information about this iconic motorhome, and many people took a card with them after their visit.
Those who seemed particularly interested in finding out more about GMC motorhomes or who indicated that they were interested in buying a GMC were given copies of a brochure about the coach, full of pictures and information. It was fun to open the brochure and point out to the “car guys” that the GMC holds the current land speed record for a motorhome. One couple told us that they were actively looking for a Type C motorhome, but after seeing our coaches and talking to us, they were going to start looking for a GMC. We gave those folks one of our personal cards so they can call us if they have further questions about the GMC.
Only time will tell if our car show outreach program yields any new GMC owners, but it certainly didn’t hurt. We just may have introduced the GMC motorhome to a new generation that will keep our amazing coaches rolling for another 30 years.
At the conclusion of the event, the car show manager came over to tell us that he received many comments about how interesting it was to have us at the show, and he urged us to come back next year. We really started something, didn’t we? Whatever your marque is, take your vintage motorhome to a car show in your area and display it. We guarantee that you will have a fun and interesting day.