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Mike, I recently started the series from the beginning - and I can help with Solar. Let me know what you're thinking - and can help answer questions, direction, whatever.

Great Lakers are awesome peeps!

Mike, we’ve been following you for a while and are so thrilled to see that you were able to take your GMC to a GMC Great Lakers rally and hook up with several GMC’ers while you were there. Thank you for mentioning the fact that our community of owners is a very supportive and welcoming one. It’s this fact that helps keep these vintage motorhomes on the road 45-50 years later. We hope you enjoy many years of membership, mutual support, and friendship with the GMC Great Lakers community. Please consider joining our national organization and, if time allows, register for the 2024 Fall rally in California this October. Some folks choose to leave their GMC’s behind if they consider the travel distance too far or too risky (or too expensive!) and either drive in a modern vehicle, travel by train, or fly to the national rallies instead. For more information about the Fall rally, please visit our channel www.youtube.com/@VintageGMCMotorhomes.

Great to meet you Saturday! Good People, Good Times!!!

Do you still have all this stuff?

Hi Mike, Great to see that you have your coach on the road and you had a fantastic experience at your rally. We only have about a half a dozen couches in this neck of the woods, so we’re not very organized. I just got back from a four day trip with my girlfriend and our three dogs. We only did 250 miles but we’re in two locations. Traveling the back roads at 40 mph, for the most part.My mileage per gallon is probably pretty good but I don’t let myself worry about that. Although I did have one mishap where I got my rear bumper hooked on a tree and peel part of it away. The tree and the bumper. I use the tree to push it back in place and will have to replace it in the near future. We had two days at beachside and one in a pine forest, so overall, it was a great short vacation. All the best. Keep up the great work.

Was great to finally meet you.

7.5 mpg is in the ballpark for sure. Without EFI, you're unlikely to see significantly better.

I couldn't believe my ears when you said you were going to Centreville. I grew up there until I went to MSU and now live in Adrian, MI. I wanted to come see you in Centreville as I have a 77 Royale I got in April of last year and almost everything works except the Onan as the Onan experts can't even figure out why. That is why I escaped the 90 degree weather and came closer to your home as I am across the bridge in St. Ignace until the 24th rather than take the coach to Centreville. Hope to see you sometime and ask you the obvious questions as is there anything you can't repair and is there any tool you don't have. Safe travels back to Up North (Traverse City? Kingsley?).

Nice work Mike. Cruise is very handy. Enjoy!

Hey Mike, been following from the start on this build. I'll be in Centerville as well with my new to me 78 Royale. If you have no further use for the generator I could use it.. I know it would be PITA to haul but if able to bring it I'd GLADLY put it to good use and help unload. -Pete Carney

Mike, You may already be aware, and see post below - but on either side of coach, in about as far as the windshield is a body panel seam - between roof, front cover, and side - popular for leaking there I guess. and a lot of people add sealer to the gasket before install I understand. I haven't done that to mine, but I'm sure if I own it long enough, will have to explore.

Jim Bounds has a video on leaks that the water drops on the steering wheel. The seam meets in the windshield there and it’s not sealed.

Hey Mike, Are you going to be at the Centreville Rally for the whole duration? I would like to come to the rally to meet you. If you get a minute, let me know. Thanks. Toni Clark.

Sounds like a trip that I should take. Was in Lansing last week from Canada. Love the area. If I get back there, I’d like chat with you and tour your coach in person. I feel that I know your coach already but would be great to see the real deal that has kept you occupied for the past year. Oh, and you should think about the rally at the Pinery in Ontario in August. Not far from you. I could bring the beers. 🍺

Sounds like a trip that I should take. Was in Lansing last week from Canada. Love the area. If I get back there, I’d like chat with you and tour your coach in person. I feel that I know your coach already but would be great to see the real deal that has kept you occupied for the past year.

Mike - I hope to make the rally in June at centerville - I'll be coming as a guest - on saturday ... so I'll be sure to look for you. I may be bringing my semi-retired ase certified master mechanic with me (dad) for any questions. lol

Are you going to make it to the GMCMI Fall Convention in California in October? 100+ coaches supposedly.

Funny, I have all the same "extra" parts, I will roll in to Centerville sometime Friday, I will text you as it gets closer

Jim Bounds just did a 4 part series on drivability. In one of your recent videos, ride height was mentioned. Jim gives a good talk about how things should be.

cruise control is mounted top rear of engine. some vacuum hoses are under the drivers side hood.

Hi Mike. Great job on your project. I liked the way built the channel covers. I found the company you referenced. Could you please post the part number you ordered? Thanks in advance.

Get a barn cat.

How do they get up into your car to begin with? Do they climb tires?

>>> *P E P P E R M I N T O I L* <<< Buy some pure Peppermint Oil Essence, mix a little up into a spray bottle and spray your whole engine compartment! This will stop them from chewing your wires and be sure to spray everything else! Works every time! Heck.....and that Vette will smell TASTY ...lol

You need to set out mouse bate boxes to eliminate any mouse that are in the garage. Tomcat has a prebated box on the market that keep dogs and cats safe but allow mice into feed. Could even put one under the seat of any car. Clorox makes a urine remover spray it is bleach free. it works well. Spray it in the duct.

Hey Mike, I have a question maybe you can answer. I have a 76 Palm Beach. My original gauge set for tanks, house batteries and gen start .. are a little wonky. freshly charged batteries show 8volts on the gauges, etc. Can you give any insight as to where the grounds are for the gauge pack? I'm going thru and cleaning up things like battery terminals, non-weather sealed connections, etc. someone added fuel injection and oh did they botch the wiring. that's all straightened out now thank goodness. but now the gauges by the fridge need some work. any tips? -- also where are you located? Michigan? I'm in NE Indiana - maybe we meet up sometime.

I have done the same thing to a 2001 Holiday Rambler vacationer I haven't gone to the extremes with the dash like you have Yet, I have removed everything ‼️😅 Sadly, at the dash I cut some wires I shouldn't have😢 I wish we could share pictures here.. I tried to see if I could take a course at one of the colleges with these small wires but there was nothing here in Rochester🥺 I look forward to following you, and seeing your progress🥂

Congratulations Mike your hard work and dedication has really paid off. 👍

Very happy for you! You're camping!

Pressure in the air bags goes by ride height not PSI. You want to measure the side trim to the ground at the front wheels and then set the air bags so the trim is 1-1/2 inches lower at the rear wheel. While you have it on level concrete, measure both sides in the front and make any adjustment with the bolts on the end of the torsion bars to get level. Then do the rear. The pressure from side to side might be different depending on the weight distribution in the coach. The reason for the squatted stance is it gives you a little more caster on the front end while going down the road. Having the backend up too high will make it feel like it's darting back and forth in the lane. More caster makes it self center and needs less steering input to stay going in a straight line.

Great job Mike If you have a leak that hits inside at the steering wheel, Jim bounds talked about this in one of videos. If I am not mistaken, he said that you have to seal the rubber gasket around the window where it attaches to the body.

Thanks for sharing the good, the bad, the ugly. This is going to help a lot of coach owners you’ve done an exceptional job documenting your journey. When I finally get the time to work on mine, you can be rest assured your videos will be referenced Great job.

Congrats on the first camp 👍🏻 Regarding the curved ramp style leveling blocks, maybe you'll have more luck than I did with my GMC but trying to lift half the rear weight up those relatively steep ramps was too much for the front wheel drive. Simply would not do it on the very slight incline I attempted it on. Also, I run 65# tire pressure all around and the suspension set in "travel" on the Power Level II. The rear sits slightly lower then the front when underway, intentionally (better tracking, according so some).

Good job, Mike! All in all, you put that bad boy together well 💯 I'll be taking my 1st trip in ours next year. I get lots of good info from your videos. Thanks!

Mike - will you have a follow up video tell us what things went well and what things you need to follow up on? Like I told you before, you are about 2 months ahead of me and I am hoping to learn from you to avoid mistakes.

Looking great! How did you get the historic plate? When I asked for one sos said they didn't do them for motorhomes.

Awesome Mike, glad to see you are out enjoying the coach, hope you had a great trip!!!!

You say you are camping, but your motor “home” says otherwise.

Looks Great!! BUT..... I would not attach the dog to the awning. All it takes is her to go chasing after a squirrel or other animal, OR get frightened by something and race off to bring that whole awning down, bending rails or snapping hinges, or joints or the mounting attachments.

How far did you drive to go camping?

That’s great! Well done. I know you’re gonna have a great time. Great choice of beer by the way. But being a Canadian, I’m partial. Enjoy.

Nice to see after all the hard work! Enjoy!

Have a great weekend

LOL, I have already done this with the shore line, I am thinking I need to make a sign to put on dash as a reminder!

Does the refrigerator doors have a way to secure them shut while going down the road?

When my late wife and I were camping in our '78 years ago, a mouse ran across her in bed during the night. That was exciting! These days, I have trouble with ants getting in mine, even though there isn't any food. I guess a solid week of rain is to blame.

I always keep mouse baits and traps in my shop. I have found that not all mice like every bait so I use a couple of different brands at the same time. Also, I use the block or larger solid ones. The mice have to chew it to carry it off making them ingest some at the bait site. The small piece stuff, they can carry off a lot without eating any and you will find stashes of it in places you don't want it to be.

Looking forward to going along with you on your camping trip via video. Great job!

At this point we are so familiar with your coach that upside down works just fine. You've done a great job documenting the whole process.