• About Us and this machine
    • Where did we come from?
  • MRR ranch news
  • Restorations
    • Gallery
      • GMC Motorcoach Projects
    • Conversations
      • Why do this?
      • Is the GMC Motorhome a Good Choice for Young Families? 
      • What’s it Worth?
      • How to get a restoration going
    • Mechanical Work
      • Mechanical Review
      • Mechanical Pitfalls
    • Interior work
    • Exterior work
  • Parts. <<<<<< Sorry, we are no longer in the parts sales business
    • Fire Suppression
    • Electrical Parts
    • Mechanical parts
      • Frame & Suspension Parts
        • Quad Bag System
      • Engine & Drivetrain Parts
        • Custom Build Crate Motorhome Motors (455 & 403)
      • Brake parts
    • Interior Parts
      • Dash Parts
      • Seating
    • Exterior Parts
      • Windshield Replacement
  • MOTORHOME REHAB RANCH
    • How to Tow?
    • Mechanical Tips
    • Exterior Tips
    • Interior Tips
    • Electrical Systems
  • Coaches for Sale
  • Video Blog
  • Stories
  • Stories from the Road
  • Non GMC Stories

Cooperative Motor Works

Vintage RV & Motorhome restorations - "The GMC Coop"

You are here: Home / Stories

Stories

No 2 are alike and we all have at least 1!

                        Jim-n-Jim-Show      This is what can happen if you keep reading this page– before then after…

I love to tell stories, most of you know that who have talked with me.  What can I say, I like to talk about GMC’s and being in the position I am in, I run into some pretty wild stuff.  Not having anywhere else to put these stores, I came up with this page for me to put some of them.  I’ll do my best to dump stories here as I put them together.  This will probably make this page rather long and the web site guys tell me this is a “no no” but hey, when did I ever listen to them!    Bear with me on the length but I think you will enjoy the reading.

Jim-CoachThere are some stories that must be told, some that are simply so important and meaningful to our human condition that they just need to spread their word, this is one of them for me.  Written before his death, this is a true account of someone who really knew the value of friendship, knew what it meant to show affection and was such a strong spirit that he and his value will live on long past his years.   This is the Story of Jim Greer and how I came to have “JG” (a 1973 GMC) in my life hopefully forever.  Jim asked that I not spread around his name and the fact that he had pancreatic cancer but shortly before his death he read this story I wrote about the day I drove up to him outside of Spartenburg, SC to gather his coach because you see he knew of his fate and wanted to think those that had made an impact upon his life.  I may write a “page 2” of this story and give more background and information surrounding the story but for now, please read this part of the event and appreciate Jim’s spirit and his dedication.  Go to I’ve Been Waiting for You and take a read. Follow the next step with JG’s First Night

Go to Driving Mrs Bea    This is a true story of the recovery driving a 1973, 26′ GMC from Pa. to Fla..  A 1002 mile ride proving these machines will drive broken!  Understand please that this is what can easily happen when you pick up a coach that has been sitting.  I personally made this trip so this is a first person account.  This is not the exception but the norm.  Enjoy, it was not so fun doing the drive but hey, we made it.  This is also proof there is a God and he has a sense of humor…

I’m in Love again is a true story of the unreal feeling I get owning and driving my GMC.  You may find you feel the same way about your coach. See what ya think In Love again

Duquion or Bust  Where the heck is DuQuion?  Well, this is a story of a white knuckle ride there and back– we stayed 24 hours and bugged out– were we crazy?  So, what’s your point?  Take a read and see if you can answer that queston!  DuQuion or Bust

Let’s Cross the Intersection Please  This story is about even though the plumber says” his pipes always leak” is it right for the plumber to have to wear rubber boots to walk through his house?  Of course not and that plumber needs to set a better example for his customers to see he appreciates how to do things.  I’m not ashamed that sometimes I fall into that trap and here is a good lesson of what you should NOT do when trying to keep your coach on the road and reliable.  Enjoy and after reading this try to apply the concept to all aspects of your coach– and your life for that matter!  Cross that intersection

The Palm Beach Delivery  I love to drive a GMC, don’t have the chance as much probably as you have the chance to– I mean here I am at the shop– we get a coach road worthy and the owner picks it up and away it goes.  Here we are still at the shop working on another while that other machine is out there having fun– hay wait, it that fair?  I need to reap the benefit of the hard work at least once in a while!  Here is a short story of a trip delivering a coach, a good looking pea green palm beach.  Take a read on what I call a day well spent  Palm Beach Delivery

The Rolex 24 of 2008 Here’s an account of the road trip to the Rolex 24 at the Daytona Speedway.  Hooked up with some other GMC owners and made a weekend experience you can’t find many places– of course you may not WANT to find an experience like this in many places but anyway this is what happened and we made the best of it.  Enjoy– we did!  Rolex 24 2008

The Tear Down is an investigation, a learning experience if you will that every race team does to their cars to find out how to make their cars better.  What did 500 miles of racing do to the motor, how did the brakes hold up and can we make it better.  The “weekend warrior” races cannot afford this level of investigation and opt to “run here til she stops” then pick up the pieces and see what happened, hey you can get better that way but wouldn’t it have been better if we could have known that brand of main bearings was failing prematurely or that piston could not handle the heat?  OK, well that’s that we’re going to do.  go to The Tear Down

There are many that report of wonderful trips in their GMC where not broke and everyone enjoyed their trip.  These coaches are much more than  classic vintage vehicles, the engineering and design that went into them makes them a dream to drive when they are right.  Ah, but there in lies the rub, being 25+ years old it is likely there are at least a handful of issues on any coach that could prove to be catastrophic when those parts reach the end of their usable life. 

It can be scary to think of taking out onto the open road with a unit with these hidden morsels of doom.  So how can we, in good conscience, rely upon such a vehicle.  How can you expect to operate a GMC from point A to point B and have hope to get there?  This, my friend, is the question and after a first hand experience of just such situations, I now feel totally qualified to help with this question.  There is an answer and its one we all can live with, live with and feel confident that our coach will get us there.

I have had a first hand experience on the road with a coach that had issues.  To be quite honest, even though we work on GMC’s every day and there is not a moment that passes that I am not thinking about them– I do not have the road miles under my belt that many of you have.  I have been traveling the roads and experiencing things vicariously through your traveling, helping you from the outside.  I can now speak from first hand experiences on some issues and have discovered lessons I feel important to pass on.  

Driving a  coach with a fresh injected 455, new transmission, 4 air bag system, many new suspension parts and mechanical enhancements, we had issues.  Issues in that everything did not go perfect but because of backups and understanding the situations— the ending was good.  Lessons for all, I would have to say and lessons for me too that gives me renewed enthusiasm to help you by exposing these threats and giving you the knowledge to deal with them and succeed.  For what I feel is must reading for any GMC owner, go to So now what do I do for the story.

Another’s Words


Roll With It


The Captain and the Governor


Boost Solenoid problems


“Beauty didn’t kill the Beast”


I enjoy telling stories, I don’t limit myself to GMC stuff either.  If you need a little entertainment, click here Stories (non GMC) for some of that.

Wonder why so many people are interested in having a GMC? Go to Stories from the Road for some input from real, card carrying GMC owners.  I asked them to show some of the fun they have with their coaches— enjoy

Tags

Airstream Countertop Demolition Door Electrical Engine Exterior FiTech Generator Honda Intake Interior Kubota LED MacDaddy Mechanical Molds Parts Redman Ruby Senden Summit Texas Tux

Video blog

Support Cooperative Motor Works on Patreon!

Daily Pose Blog

  • Just checking to see if the MRR backline is hot February 20, 2023
  • (Updated below) I can see from the hit counter you guys are making it over to “Motorhome Rehab Ranch” on Patreon February 11, 2023
  • ok, I got an IPhone today February 1, 2023
  • Again, the main Patreon feed is up…. January 30, 2023
  • The main feed from the Ranch is back up January 29, 2023

GMC Land Speed Record

Search This Website

Hours & Info

6101 Anno Ave
Orlando, FL 32809
(407) 857-5777
9am - 5pm

Social

  • View cooperativemotorworks’s profile on Facebook
  • View gmccoopwebsite’s profile on Pinterest

Top Posts & Pages

  • The Co-op: Road Test- 1973 Revcon 250.........
  • GMC Motorhome: Windshields
  • GMC Motorhome: Transmissions...it's gonna be a long 1
  • Lets talk fuel tanks............ Another part on out classic coach that's outlived their usefulness.........
  • GMC Motorhome: It matters what air bag rear suspension you have.....UPDATED!.
  • GMC Motorhome: A dash AC discussion
  • GMC Motorhome, why do you need a 4 bag rear suspension?
  • GMC Motorhome: A GMC will never work good as new ..... today (UPDATED)
  • GMC Motorhome, Ruby's windows (updated)
  • GMC Motorhome: Mac Dashes

Copyright © 2023 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...