Yes, I’m back in the saddle here at the shop, Cal & Roberta are off to see what’s in front of them ….. and the beat goes on….
I would like to take this time today to talk about one of the most important aspects of living in, loving and having a GMC Motorhome for your very own. You say… bullcrap, why would that be important. OK….. I’m glad you ask as the walls close in around you and you once again find yourself sitting here listening to what the heck he’s saying…. I hope it will be helpful to you:
So you pick up one of these turds…. looked likea good deal…. it looked like it was in great shape…. got it from the original owner with all papers….. whatever made your insides say “I want that” it did and now you have it. Will it end up a focus of your frustration… a formidable foe and will you one day…. could be sooner or later… you get the beast where you can use it…. I say sooner than later because now think about this….. seriously, if you were to take an average of 5 years maybe never to get a GMC into the “complete experience” that this motorhome can offer you… is it worth having? Or would you have had a greater number and more enjoyable GMC experience if the coach had been completely gone through to your spec. and level of preparidness right away… you go do the things you have found best suited to your happiness and profitability and have the coach done and use it that…. sooner… than later?
That is the question you need to ask yourself. I mean how many fun weekends DO you have left ustil your enjoyment starts to diminish. I have one GMC owner that fully understood this… he is deep into the Boy Scout program with his sons… he wanted to get out there so we got her mechanically sound and as together as it needed to be for a pile of screaming BSA members and he was off! I get a call now and then when something happens but also he calls just to tell me he’s having a great time and thanks….. sorry but dang that feels good!.
“Long, long time ago in a place far away…..
OK, so there sets the scene for this next story, well not exactly but whatever you go after be sure you know what’s on the other side of that brass ring. Could be crap…. you never know but we still reach for it and here we go….. A couple find each other and together start chasing that dream together. On the subject of retirement they agreed to get out of Reseda and go see some stuff before we get too old and feeble ….. Scrubbing pools for what 37 years for those that could afford his services at the top of the Pool Guy pole He picked up a GMC Motorhome… a one owner I think was hit deal but anyway they both felt it would work for that “lets go see stuff” concept.
Phone call…. Jim…. I can’t believe it…. a back wheel just came off…….. (my answer) “Bummer dude, sure glad I’m not you”. See when someone calls in a sticky wicket like that the first thing they need to do is “download” then “calm down”. After that Cal ran down the tire, got back off the ground… towed to an RV park and parts were airlifted in…. Mission Accomplished and on goes the journey. See through the time of owning one of these something can always happen and that’s why you build in countermeasures to give you emergency options. Now Cal has a 4 air bag system and THAT will not stop him again… and it goes on from there.
I know… too much verbage and I’m watching be there were no pictures of all that…. well, here’s one of Cal & Roberta’s coach at their place in Reseda some time ago 
We’ve always joked about this but we call those colors “Cal Tan”. Over the decades doing pools for the rich and famous up in the hills….. that’s Beverly Hills….. I mean I still can’t say who but one time I came out to “push a pole” with cal up in Beverly Hills… here is a selfie sitting on the throne in the guest house of a very well and loved master Comedian 
Yeah, I know that’s stupid. Well, you get the picture… well maybe you shouldn’t but the fact was Cal was at the top of the Pool Guy game… nationwide… how many can say that…. certainly Cal won’t so please let me spill those beans. Don’t think though Cal is that unique… I have made friends with the Prex of the HD Dealers association… on Legends of Speed…. the guy who patented the best Ice Cream Scooper… there really IS one best…. and engineer from Los Alamos, well a bunch of them…. how bout a Secretary of Agriculture for the Great State of Florida!
Yes, those are folks who appreciate the GMC Motorhome… what it stands for and what they can do for folks who have them..
So yes, Roberta & Cal made a very good first decision…. over the years with their eye on the ball, while having an affinity for Volvos…. yep he still continued the relationship and bringing back to service his GMC. Oh it ran and did well… until the generator went, the 403 motor took a crap. The rear wheel fell of as I point out before, but still through all that Cal & Roberta kept the faith feeling if we can just get out of Reseda in any sort of viable health with a GMC motorhome under our feet the world will remain at peace. Hey, they drove the wheels off the coach 
and enjoyed their passion along the way… BUT the exterior of their coach stayed “Cal Tan”… Why… to be honest it looked pretty much like…. Cal Tan. I mean here is Cal at my shop a number of years ago 
here is his coach 
Call me crazy but the colors worked for him.
Flash forward to today…. Cal & Roberta both just retired….. sold out and moved lock, stock and barrel to Prescott to enhance their living experience. And it worked!!! Cal & I drove his coach out from Reseda last year on the last trip of the OLD “AOK II” 
. We stopped at Dean W. place for some new Hot Wheel GMC’s 
and a fair trade was made!
Oops… off topic… so we drove her out for the final touch on their dream machine… the paint. OK, now there have been some really good decisions made to get them to this point in their lives but…. what about the paint job???? “Cal Tan” has fit their lifestyle for soooooo long how can we top it. Yes, the paint was flaking off and the surface felt like sandpaper… it looked great! 
. Cal Tan Volvo, house and motorhome… it all came together….. but here we are and now we had to put on new paint onto AOK II.
This was a traumatic time… what colors, what stripes,,,,, what can or are we willing to change… and I dig it. This is always a problem with a finish cause brother once it’s done man it’s done!
So we started in, body repair, sanding and prep gave them time to figure the colors out 
Then one night… the paint fairy came, sprinkled some magic dust on to coach 
and BOOM, it was done 
Actually not “done” it now had to be put back together, accessory parts painted and reinstalled 
(oh tea he got the front sliders…) and a buff out 
Can you tell what the wet sand and buff is doing? And then it was done 
Then Cal & Roberta flew in last week and the circle was complete and Cal Tan was preserved 
A lighter shirt for the sun but still…. Cal Tan
and their Lovin it 
Fell in behind a Police Escort for the Ghost Busters command vehicle heading to Tomoka Park 
Yeah, mine is the one up front if you couldn’t tell 
But just look how clean, simple and outstanding AOK II is. Yep, Cal Tan was accomplished
So we camped the night.. …. 
Had some good times 
Got eaten alive from the (no seeums) but their journey had begun…. AOK II was again Cal Tan and they were off on their first retirement adventure 
Oh isn’t that cute…. Cal, thanks man for being my friend over the years and thanks for letting me use your coach as our first “Lab Rat” in our new shop. Damn I’m a lucky man! 
… and Call too!
Guys really, THIS is how to do it…. get the use out of your coach… all the time, don’t wait until it’s ready… brother it will always and never be ready! You need to use it, you need to make it your own and you need to do it all before you can’t!
These are the dreams I like to help make come true. It’s a great day when another GMC has found it’s purpose and folks grab that brass ring and find gold on the other side!
See ya tomorrow…. oh and yes, it was good for Janie & Me too… having a GMC Motorhome for your bidding is a great thing 
. and mine fits me
What can I say other than we’ll see ya tomorrow….
