I see this alote and I just can’t understand why folks do it….. what’s that? If you had Revcon motorhome… got an Email yesterday from a guy who in his words “bought my new passion”. Hey that’s great but unfortunately for him he picked a tough row to how as they say. Revcon folks do not have one thing that totally stands the GMC motorhome far above even any other RV………. this guy had both exhaust manifolds cracked and was forced to jump out on his own to figure out what to do. He bought a set of headers for a GMC….. didn’t fit. He reached out to me for help.Revcon folks wouldn’t know what to do if they could pick up the phone and get anyone on the other end that could answer questions and maybe have or could get a part he needed. The amazing part to me is the GMC community has suce information and parts network and still folks do their darnest to try and find thing out and find parts from generic sources that have no idea even your coach has 6 front duelly wheels!
What those guys motivation and direction of their business is making money on selling parts. They could care less about you, your coach or solving any mysterious thing you bring up…. they are there to sell parts pure and simple. A enthusiast community seeks more that that …. or at least they should!
Not only are we loosing talent and knowledge in our GMC community now,we are also loosing parts. You may think to yourself heck, I don’t need any help…I can keep this thing going….then I read that someone was desperately trying to find a power steering pump with no results. “Which one fits, how do you get to it and where do I get the part” and “no parts house has any idea on how to help…….. OF COURSE THEY DON’T….. they are only interested in selling you a part!
So no next the guy looking for the PS pump goes up on social network asking the question to answers that were really very little help… most of the comebacks were supposed Gurus posturing. Bunky, all you need to do is call up any GMC specialty dealer and they will help you, get you the part and help you install it! It’s all you have to do… Revcon folks would go crazy if they had that type of support!
WHY do new folks coming into this community don’t use an awesome asset that makes the GMC really that only viable vintage RV to use because you can get parts to fix it!
In an effort to help that person…. I would not have space or patience to put up with people making remarks……… there were 2 PS pumps used in the GMC….. I call them “innie and outie”. Mounting the original pulley on the pump is the issue. One pump has a threaded hole on the end of the shaft the other has a threaded stud sticking out…. thus the names. Look at the front of they PS pulley and see which one you have. Give me, Jim K. , Jeff S. a call and the pump will be at your door as fast as you wanna pay UPS to bring it to you.
Another guy is looking for an early style entry door lock assembly…. if he had called me, I have them no problem.
Another guy was on the road driving and was concerned about a clicking noice he feels coming from his CV joints. The thread on the social network site was giving him no really pertanent information… the guy is on the road and has a question. When you are in a serious situation like that and are concerned about your safety…… don’t go to the soap opera digest…. call someone that can help you! Don’t listen to people who are just trying to assert their supposed knowledge…. enthusiasts are great but chances are they have never done anything to anyone elses coach.. only their own so are they where your important information should come from?
You GMC owners have assets others would covet but instead there are wrong decisions being made. One guy said he stopped and found he was 5 quarts of oil low…… that means there is maybe 1 quart of oil in the motor? It will not run on the highway on 1 quart of oil….. there’s something serious going on….STOP DRIVING and get to a mechanic….fast! Don’t pose the question to ametures…. you will never find the true problem! Ask a GMC dealer that question!
I’m sorry guys but yes, I’m strapped in on this soap box…. why? I know the other dealers are too…. we are struggling to focus a business on a very narrow niche community that does not use your services as first choice. How long do you think you will have the luxury of having a GMC specific dealer base? How long would a parts store stay carrying a part if only 1 guy a year buys that part? Easy answer…. they won’t carry any part they cannot “turn” or sell in a reasonable amount of time. Same for us specialty GMC parts places……. we will leave, we will go to another market and customer that appreciate the service you have and are willing to pay a fair cost to do those services. And the foklks will be happy to have someone to work on their stuff.
Currently we are building an Airstream trailer into a wedding photo booth, he may want more. No One woulod even talk to him about such a project. We are trimming out a 57 Belair stretch limo, 2 Ford 4wd trucks and these folks are estatic they don’t have to go to some dungy specialty shop only interested in charging more for their “special knowledge”.
If the GMC community doesn’t do something to support the GMC professional dealer network they will be gone and you my friend will be screwed. Oh now I did it…. I can hear it now “I don’t need him, I can do it all”. Good luck with that, put a barn latch on your entry door…. itl be OK!
We have more new GMC owners bringing their coach in because they understand they need help and want their machine to work. You’re out there messing with a system you know nothing about and you decide to not seek help or information? I don’t want Henry Fords first car or fly in the first airplane! I want to have someone work on my junk that’s done it before or at least knows how to ID and get the part! Come on guys… why do so many do this? Is it you are trying to get the part cheaper? I saw an invoice a guy got dash AC work done…. he paid $458 for an AC compressor that has a reasonable cost 1/2 of that! And this was a descent general RV dealer! He should have gotten in touch with someone more knowledgeable on GMC’s and we could have found someone better suited to his special needs or at least tried to keep them honest.
Guys… you can’t be an island to your own if you want to do a good job at being a steward for your motorhome….. We come and go, the motorhome stays so do the right thing by it.
Boy, some burr really shot up my butt… right? It’s just I’m sitting here with just about every tool and knowledge needed to fix, update and restore a GMC , we do have ample work to keep everyone sweaty down here but there could be so much more done to help folks if they just understood. How many more weekends do you have in your viable active life. Young people truly feel they will live forever, never thinking that month they took to replace that PS pump could have been so much more cost effective…. and a better outcome. You do what you do to make they money you make, let a qualified dealer do things they know how to do well to keep your coach in good shape. Give them a little of the cash you made doing your special purpose in life and love even more the time you have on this earth. Hey isn’t THAT what we were put here to do?
OK, I’m better, I had to get that off my chest. I mean I come in here every day hoping to have a little fun, do some things for folks they appreciate and do things others would not attempt because they just don’t know……. that’s why we are here…. that’s what we do and those are the folks we’re here to help.
It’s 8:30, I’m outa here and back in the shop…. see you guys later and thanks for the visit and your ear….. hope I didn’t twist it too much……..
VERY WELL SAID !
There’s a time and place for the do-it-yourselfer and I guess it’s part the genetic make up of most guys to not want to admit they need help.
I’ve learned a lot just reading your blog and only recently joined FB to try to learn more.
Someday my 23 foot side bath ship will come in ( I”m still hunting ) and at least I’ll know the right questions to ask.
In no small part thanks to your free classes on here.
Thank – you !
If your shop weren’t on the opposite side of the country you’d have to put me on payroll – I’d be there all the time! Thank you for all that you do, your passion and knowledge are priceless! I have learned so much from reading your blog and speaking with you, why anyone would take this for granted is beyond me!? Keep spreading the gospel of the GMC motorhome, the world could use more evangelists like you!!
All good points Jim. I too see questions on Facebook or the net asking about parts and someone chips in an Autozone ##### will work. Well who knows, maybe. I buy parts from you or Jim K and know it will fit and do the job. Thanks for being there!!!!
Nice post, I like that. I can actually hear you dictating that and I understand your Lament.
However nothing was said on the GMC Facebook page about a guy paying over $400 for an AC compressor, to my knowledge.
I totally understand where you’re coming from with all of our pooling our knowledge, to get our rigs fixed admittedly for the best value for the buck, with parts that will actually function for the Long Haul. Please do not close your mind off to the fact that we are trying to put together the best parts for the use.
However, I totally believe in what you are saying and would gladly have you do work on my GMC any day of the week. I have confidence in your ability, and your knowledge and having seen what parts work perspective, which parts are better than spec, and which ones aren’t worth wasting your time thinking about.
In short, it might be an idea to do a follow-up to this letter that you wrote, and try a better way of drawing in new customers from the huge pool of GMC fanatics. I can see that you are passionate about the mark, and that passion is what everybody on social media feels for theirs. Don’t mistake that passion on our part, for being inept. Rather, appeal to the GMC community, on all levels, with the same passion that we all share.
I fully believe that you are a master of your trade. Your confidence speaks through your words, as does your frustration. Take that passion for the marque, and go get yourself some more customers! I’m with you!