If you haven’t noticed, we absolutely adore the GMC Motorhome here at the Autopian. So when I saw this at the RV/MH Hall of Fame during the RV Open House I was drawn in like a mosquito to a bug zapper.
The exterior alone looks like it could have rolled off of a General Motors factory line in 2008, and the interior looks better than most of the far newer rigs that were at the show. The level of craftsmanship put into it is staggering. As the Family Motor Coach Association’s Family RVing writes, this Motorhome (some GM publications write the name as “MotorHome”) was the creation of Bob and Janet Prince and a designer, Josh Gifford. As the publication writes, the Princes traveled in a 45-foot Prevost coach and decided that they wanted to downsize. But they didn’t want to just go smaller; the Princes wanted the small RV that would replace their Prevost to be just as luxurious. That’s a tall order, as in the RV world you won’t often find small rigs with the hyper-luxury of a big bus.
That’s when the Princes found their candidate. Found next to a dumpster, this 1977 GMC Motorhome sat on flat tires with a rotting awning, peeling paint, some rust, and even current furry residents eating things up. The Princes picked up the broken Motorhome and started brewing up a plan that reminds me of when the Bishop, our own Daydreaming Auto Designer, reimagined the Motorhome. Here’s a quick reminder of why the Motorhome is so important for RV history: Sadly, if you want one of these, the newest ones you’ll find will still be at least 44 years old. Production ended in 1978 after GM ran out of Oldsmobile Unitized Power Packages to mount into the Motorhome. And if you’re not into vintage campers, that means buying something newer. Or, like the Princes, you get on the horn and call your designer acquaintance of several years. GM took a clean-sheet approach, and attempted to make something that was better than driving a giant shed, and at least attempted some degree of aerodynamics. The company took its tidy front-wheel drive V8 powertrain from the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado and plopped it down in a bespoke chassis with a nice low floor, no driveshaft, and plenty of room for fuel, fresh water, and disgusting water tanks, and then dropped on that an extruded aluminum frame covered with fiberglass and aluminum body panels. The rear had twin axles with independent air suspension, and the result was something roomy and comfortable and not horrible to drive.
Gifford, the president of Ohio-based Creative Mobile Interiors, specializes in custom vehicle interiors. The company makes all kinds of custom vehicles from mobile offices and rolling retail showrooms to custom RVs. CMI will even build up an RV from just its bare body, which is pretty much where Gifford started with this Motorhome. The Princes called up Gifford right before Thanksgiving 2013 and informed him that the GMC was headed his way. By the time that the GMC arrived, GMC Motorhome specialists Cinnabar Engineering had gone through and restored the chassis and the entire drivetrain. That left Gifford to build out an interior, and the Princes were looking for something state-of-the-art. The couple let Gifford run free, so long as the finished product had a full-size washer and dryer as well as a bathtub. Gifford offered the Princes some layouts to choose from, they chose one of them, and the project was given the green light.
Given the size of the washer and dryer, Gifford started there, using CAD software to find the optimal spot in the RV. From there, he built out the rest of the rig. Of course, scaling a 45-foot Prevost down to a 26-foot GMC is a pretty huge task, and certainly, something is going to have to get written out of the design. The back of a GMC Motorhome would typically have a bedroom, but that wasn’t going to fit given the laundry and bathroom needs. Thus, the bathroom takes the space where the bedroom would be and the Princes had to settle for a dinette that turns into a bed.
Instead of the wood veneers that you’d normally find in an RV, Gifford opted to give the interior a high-gloss finish. I love this move, because even though this was built over seven years ago, the interior feels like it could have been ripped right out of one of the million-dollar monsters I toured at the show. Most of the bits not covered in the high-gloss finish got cushy, fine leather.
Even parts of the ceiling are leather. Gifford seemingly made sure that any piece that you could look or touch felt like a quality piece. Aside from the small bathtub and laundry equipment, the Motorhome includes a wine refrigerator and LED lighting. HVAC is controlled by a smart thermostat, and the TV, satellite, lighting, HVAC, and generator can be controlled from an iPad, just like a modern rig. It even has a heated floor. Outside, the GMC was also modernized. Up front, Gifford grafted on front end bits from a 2008 Silverado.
Cadillac parts bring up the rear. Gifford says that to fit the smaller front end of a Silverado on the Motorhome, he had to widen the Silverado’s fascia by eight inches. Gifford then made custom end caps and fairings to further build out the design.
Rounding out the exterior are mostly-flush windows, new awnings, and a killer paint job. The Princes decided on a paint scheme featuring a metallic black that shines like glass. The paint is accompanied with some graphics. To me, it really does look like a GMC Motorhome built in 2008. The build reportedly took over two years, and despite the challenges, Josh Gifford calls the GMC build a dream job. After touring it myself and witnessing the quality of this machine, I think you can tell that he really put his heart in it. This Motorhome has a fit and finish better than many million-dollar houses that I’ve toured.
The Princes apparently spent over a half million dollars on it, and $100,000 alone went to the exterior paint. Honestly, this is one of those few instances where I think you could track where every dollar went. That’s how good it’s built. Unfortunately, while Gifford’s work was awesome, the GMC didn’t ride as comfortably as the Princes expected. And instead of selling it, they just donated it to the museum. Now, RV enthusiasts on their way through Elkhart, Indiana get to see this incredible work in person.
– diesel swap. Cummins? Ford 7.3? Idk, something torquey and diesely. – Ditch the oddball 16.5″ wheels, go to 16s with all terrains – Air suspension all around, like stock, but maybe taller bags for more clearance? – Gotta stay that Hi-C bright ass orange, it looks sick – The rear shell cap is fiberglass. Modify that to be a rear fold down door, or swing open with a ramp. – The interior wheel wells are JUST WIDE ENOUGH to fit a vintage 911 in between them, I’ve measured. – Build all interior components to fold out of the walls, so that when you’re carrying the 911, they aren’t in the way. Bathroom up front, behind driver’s seat. – Loft/Bunk bed area above the 911
Yeah I mean I’ve def spent some time pondering this build. 😛
The THM425 was originally developed for the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado.
Who else is going to pony up 6 figures for an RV with no bedroom? They screwed themselves from the jump on resale, so better to cut your losses as best you can.
And if the former Prevost was similarly bespoke ($1-3Mil) this was considered a budget build.
An idea solution might have been something like a 4×4 Duramax drivetrain, locked in 4 hi with no rear driveshaft.
HOW?
You haven’t lived a full life until you taken a nap in the back room of a GMC between sessions at a race track only to be woken up by the sound of a race engine firing and the call of your group number over the PA.
You haven’t lived until you’ve camped out at the beach, and fell asleep with the windows open to the sound of the ocean and the sea breeze on your face.
You haven’t lived until you set yourself to rest with your head on a pillow on a clear night and peered up at the heavens though the curved back and looked with a great sense of wonder into the cosmos. Because you’re remote camping far from cell, wifi or even TV / radio signals and there is nothing left to do but just be.
https://www.dwell.com/article/the-gmc-rv-motorhome-remodel-kathleen-and-justin-brady-c5e0f642
Check this one out. This is how you do it. https://www.dwell.com/article/the-gmc-rv-motorhome-remodel-kathleen-and-justin-brady-c5e0f642
Imagine having $500,000 to throw at a custom RV and coming up with THAT. Imagine having a full washer-dryer but having to sleep on a thin mattress where your dinette goes. Imagine spending that money and getting floor tile that look like $1/sf VCT tiles from Lowes. Imagine taking a dump next to a shitty table lamp. Imagine having $100,000 to paint the damn thing and not doing an amazing retro paint job.
This thing sucks so hard.
I do love any kind of weird or interesting RV and I think the complete goofiness of this rig is pure awesome. FWIW, the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum is a VERY worthwhile roadtrip stop. So many weird and awesome campers. Cadillacs, house cars, all sorts of stuff. Its absolutely better than you expect.
American RV’s are huge because everything is big there & fuel is cheap, try touring Europe in something the size of a rock & roll tour bus and see how much fun that is.
HOW many million-dollar houses have you toured?
They took the body.. and smacked it with all new parts and running gear. THEN THEY TOOK ALL OF THE SHIT INSIDE.. and layers the slop ERR leather ALL OVER IT. So the veneer of shitball is everywhere. The front end is a traffic accident, while the rear is one waiting to happen.
I dont care how much they spent.. and they didnt widen / stretch it, or re-engineer it? They used the same shit.. with more hoity toity.
I like this Okey Phanokie-ness as it is.. but dont tell me its snowing when its clearly sunny out! They went from a PREVOST… err a TOP END SHIP for 2022.. down to the MAURETANIA.. from 1908! This thing LOOKS AWFUL!
Someone spending $500k isn’t going to be comfortable on a shitty little bed like that. They mad some bad interior design choices on this one.
