I laughed out loud several times at this sorry but that line was the loudest. And you know it’s true because older guys can be the funniest people you ever meet.
John is, hands down, my favourite contributor to VinWiki. He has great stories and he tells them all superbly. The way he choked up while waving goodbye to Julius? That's what this channel is all about! LOVE IT!
UUhhh where are the night walkers, and accidents in this WIKI story? Im owed those in extra in the next story. seriously though this was a good one. Hit different "
The curse isn’t just automotive. I tried to fly from Tulsa to Dallas once. We pulled away from the gate, sat on the runway for what seemed an eternity, eventually took off, and spent hours in the air. About five hours after pulling away from the gate in Tulsa, we finally landed...in Tulsa!
Funny Story. Happened to me leaving Vegas to Boston. Landed back in Vegas with flaming breaks supposedly. Guess it just landed from a short flight without adequate cooling time.
That dude is hilarious. He knows how to tell a good story, just the right amount of extraneous stuff without going around the Cape before getting back to the story. I swear my mom will start a story, I can go take an hour nap, grab something to eat, and take a shower, pick the phone back up and she will just about being getting back to the original story. I love her but she's not the person you want to be giving you instructions to defuse the timer on a bomb unless it is set in centuries.
I believe you mine does the same. Teling ordinary unportant storys about people I've never met nor will I ever met. However her sense of dirrection and lack of detail would make for an amazing navigatior as inspite of GPS and SATNAV combined she'd still make you lost. "Oh make a left turn, by that white thingy next to that black car" - Translation: "Go RIGHT, after the next crossroad into the allyway that has a black SUV parked on the left side of the road which is next to a small chapel next to it."
"okay so how boutcha cut the red wire, and then, well first speaking of red, this woman at work with red hair, we call her Red? Well, anyways she...." *massive, almost passive aggressive explosion* ".......hello? What was all that racket? Anyway, so that girl at work was..." etc etc etc
That sounds like my ex wife, she could waste a whole afternoon just to tell me she ran into person X at supermarket Y. It would take the whole afternoon just to get through the preamble before getting to the point, and when she finally tells me why she has been talking my ear off about first this person whom I already know, what she did before going to the supermarket, how our son behaved earlier and how it made her feel etc etc, the "point" is so inane I just want to strangle her right then and there screaming I DON'T CARE WHO YOU RAN INTO FFS. I stopped listening to her BS and hence she is now my EX wife. Some people really.
I believe you. My vans transmission always sounded weird in Oklahoma. I attributed it to the 113 degree summer heat, but the witch curse seems more realistic to me.
Sorry to butt into a private conversation, but since I’m here may I suggest a simple remedy? Thank you, here goes… Get yourself an F-350 truck or bigger. Buy yourself a flatbed triple axle trailer. Put the ramps down. If you can’t drive the GMC motorhome up onto the trailer ... either push it with a garbage truck or use two winches to pull it up onto the trailer. OK, are you still with me? Good! Now you want to tie the GMC down real tight to the trailer, use every ratchet strap, chain and bungee cord you’ve got. Best to wrap a little duct tape around every connection just for good luck. And now you just go get in the truck and start driving, go on a road trip! You now have a deluxe travel trailer. Don’t ever take the GMC off that trailer. You will find a great improvement in gas mileage with this motorhome if you follow my instructions to the letter. No just one question, who do I send the invoice to for my smart consultation? Happy travels tin canners!
@@davidhollenshead4892 The issue is that the youngest of them are now over 44 years old. Unlike a car, an RV usually sits for months on end, is driven hard, and then sits again. Rinse and repeat for 40 years, if lucky. Most have at least one decade long stint as driveway art. At that age, all systems must be checked and rebuilt before they can be considered reliable. It can be difficult to find someone to work on them out on the road - All the guys that worked on these back in the day are retired. But, the GMC's are not difficult to service or repair. The good news is that the vehicle is 60's technology - dead simple and designed to be repaired and rebuilt. Drivetrain parts can mostly be found at your local Napa. They are fixable by the average home mechanic with basic skills and tools. There is an active online community, with a list of owners across the country that are willing to help if needed. Dragging a 40 year old vehicle out of the weeds, gassing it up and hitting the road, is just asking to pay big bucks at repair facilities along the way. When asked how much a reliable GMC motorhome costs, the standard community answer is about fifteen to twenty-five thousand dollars ... all at once, or a little at a time. Looks like the author hit that while in Oklahoma....
I had my works box truck break down in the middle of Oklahoma and I had to fix it at a gas station cause a mechanic couldn’t get there for 4 hours and I figured it out in 2. This has got to be a real curse
As someone who spent the 90's in the RV business, reminded lots and lots of owners of late 70's and early 80's model motorhomes that the highway speed was 55. That's the speed the engine and transmission were engineered for.
@@FilosophicalPharmer Indeed. They're like hot-tubs. People buy them thinking they'll use them all the time, then six months goes by and they're not usable any more.
Still waiting to find that out myself.... But as someone who has spent years keeping much less expensive and valuable "sh1t" running just so it isn't rotting in the yard, i can understand!
Absolutely great story! I think most of us can relate to the range of emotions and unintended consequences occur with old vehicle purchases. This one has them all--long searches, great finds, protracted pain, huge expenses, befriending older people, unexpected and unwanted parts-car procurement, entangling generous friends, suspected curses, more huge expenses, and finally letting go. Nicely done.
I’ve lived in Oklahoma most of my life. I’ve lived all over the US since I was 18 but 3 times (including the last 7 years) I always get sucked back like a black hole. I’ve said this for years but everyone says I’m crazy. This video proves me right and I will forever reference Vinwiki when referencing the black hole of Oklahoma.
That was great - brought about a solid twenty minute smile. Every country has an Oklahoma - here, in the U.K., I have one that follows me around wherever I go.
This guy might be the best storyteller on VinWiki he's got a welcoming vibe just like the person you meet at a random party who is insisting you come and smoke with him and his boys despite just meeting you a second ago
In the 90s, when I was 12, our parents packed us five kids in the back of an 82 Dodge Mirada and set off across the country in search of a place to live. (Ed, where's my Vinwiki story invitation?) We started on the East Coast, doubled back at the West Coast, and the car broke down just over the border from Texas to Oklahoma, where our family all still live. My father recently passed away, having never left Oklahoma again. Regarding John's Oklahoma witches curse theory - my wife, who is Ponca, quipped it's Indian medicine.
I don't believe a word of the Oklahoma curse. I used to live in OKC and commuted four times a year for 5 years between there and a small town called Coppell, TX. In a creaky, rattly Jeep Cherokee. I never had issues getting out even as I was merging off the Northwest Expressway exit onto I-35. No issues.
Funny, I was born in Oklahoma, and we literally used to joke about it being cursed, or a black hole. Breakdowns are fairly common when people try to make it out.
Or try to make it back in, as an Oklahoman, I can confirm, it has a curse on all vehicles not made In the state. Recently bought a jeep from Kansas, literally 40 miles from home in Oklahoma, blows the clutch, after that had been fixed, blows the radiator, later in, I blew the muffler, all of this in a two month time span, when we bought it there had been nothing wrong with it (with the exception of a loose clutch) but I’d been driving a clutch for two years so I don’t believe it was me who ruined the vehicle lmao
We cheated. We left Tulsa, went to the very corner of the state and camped for a week, then slipped across the border before the curse could catch us. Never wanna go back.
@@custosnox y’all got lucky and left before you could get stuck here, god wish I hadn’t been raised here and settled down before looking to live elsewhere
One inaccuracy of the story is Tulsa is not a place to have to be. There is some things to be doing in Tulsa. He is acting like he is in Olkmulge or something.
@@okcboomer87 the hilly bits out by Catoosa are fun. My grampa had a '57 Ford truck that'd get air off some of the crests. I do think the culture and class of Tulsa took a hit when they closed that Mexican restaurant with the zipline and the mariachi band, though... Ahh, childhood.
One of my hot rod buddies picked up a 52 chevy cabover flatbed truck. He stuffed in that 455 olds front wheel drive set up and made the coolest car hauler ever.
Julius leaving Oklahoma is a lot like the book from Farley Mowat called "The Boat that Wouldn't Float" . The guy buys a Schooner in Newfoundland, to take to Montreal. Every time he went west from Newfoundland it took on water. If he sailed east, it was happy...
Funny thing about those RV's is that they had an olds 455 with a quadrajet, and they were front wheel drive with the trans from an olds Toronado. You don't need a specialized mechanic for that rig (other than the engine removal tool). My parents had a couple of those over the years, plenty of memories to go along with them. Always an adventure, time spent on the side of the highway was just part of the trip.
Yes. Toronado transmission. We had one come in to our shop to get us to restore it, the engine was shot, and and the only removal "tool" - was in Oklahoma. It was lime green, and in excellent condition, otherwise..
I used to live in Texas. In one camping trip to OK, I had a massive blowout in my truck, and one of my exhaust hangers broke loose , dropping the exhaust on the highway. Yes, there is curse in Oklahoma for sure. Thanks for sharing your story
😂 If you can’t make money hand over fist in Oklahoma City, you’re not trying. That’s for sure. And the state Medicinal Mary Jane law is more like a recreational use tax.
My friend was given Ted. An older RV that was sitting in storage. The plan was to drive it to his desert property for guest to stay. Bad tires, rebuilt carb on a 440, no registration so the plan was a midnight run. No stopping, especially on the last few miles of off road trail. It sits there to this day, keeps you comfortable on a cold winter night.
"RV 'nb" is actually a decent idea. I was in high school in 1972 when GM introduced the GMC motor home. It debuted at "Transpo '72" at Dulles Airport near DC. I still have slides of the show model there somewhere. I always thought it was a neat looking vehicle. My parents had a 22' Winnebago Indian at that time, which was a lot less sophisticated. Basically a wood frame box on a Dodge truck chassis with the beetle-brow nose where the overhead front bunk was. I long ago decided that I'm not a "Happy Camper", and much prefer small station wagon/cheap motel as a travel strategy, saving money by eating out of a cooler two meals/day and getting over 30 mpg, instead of 9 to 12 mpg. Works for one, maybe two people, but not a family.
Im northeast of ya 20 min i agree ive been here 36 yrs born n raised my dads from jersey he passed last year still trying to figure out why he stayed here after my mom left
I was born in Tulsa... Wound up in Arkansas. Not sure which has worse traffic! The family still lives in Catoosa, out by the casino. I always wondered why they didn't flee 20 years ago...
Another ok story. Many years ago I drove my first car, a 74 Malibu classic from Jersey to Arizona. One of the wheels started wobbling a little but I said I'm just gonna keep driving. Well, in Oklahoma, the front wheel bearing disintegrated completely, causing the car to get pulled all the way into the next lane when the rotor would shift. I didn't know anything about cars back then. Some people heard me squeal into a rest area, drove me to a parts store, installed a new bearing for me, all for $40 and a little black hash!
This story reminds me of stories of my friend who loves triumph spitfires and he has had these hellacious adventures getting them home from all over the US . He’s literally almost died getting spitfires back home . I felt like you might have cried a little talking about selling Orange Julius .
I worked for a machine shop in CO a long time ago, we had a client who did upgrades on these things. I have done a boatload of Olds 455 work. He was an old Marine 25 years ago, and for the life of me, I cannot think of that brother's name.
I love this story! Years ago, I worked for a PBS TV station at my college. Yes, it on our college campus. I was a Broadcast Communications major and I worked for a number of years while in college. We had this old very tired '84 Ford bread truck with a Mom's Attic that was converted into a TV production truck. It was time to retire the old girl. The station manager ended up buying on of these 1978 GMC Transhome RVs converted into a TV Production vehicle. When we got it it was devoid of any equipment so myself and the production engineer built-out this RV for TV production. This truck was the most fun vehicle I have ever driven in my life! It was a total boat and it floated down the road wherever we went. It gave us very little trouble except for one time where the alternator died AT NIGHT about 200 miles from home. A friend drove the truck while shined a flashlight out the massive windshield until we got home and the batteries died on the flashlight. This all happened about 37 years ago and they were the best memories of my life until I got married and had kids. But that old RV was my hero at the time! Thanks for this video and allowing me to relive the similar experiences with ours.
I had a 1967 Volkswagen camper van, for a few years. So many fun adventures, I had in it. When it was time to sell, I cried for days. Actually sold it to a couple I met on the road, a few years earlier, who rode with me to a Grateful Dead concert, in it. Never knew I could become so emotionally attached, to an inanimate object. Sometimes a car/RV, is more than just something, that gets you from point A to B :-)
I cracked up the whole story. Okie born, raised and escaped 15 years now. Unfortunately I am now having to go back (family drama induced) but hopeful to slip back out. Loved the story. 😁
I really enjoyed your story. I live in NJ and I think I know the “guru” you went to in PA. I took mine there once. I been relatively lucky with mine. I only wish someone would gift me one like you experienced. I have heard of several people being in the right place at the right time. Buying mine was a horror story. The weasel I bought it from lived on his own private island SE of Washington DC in the middle of a river connected to the rest of MD by a narrow rickety pot hole strewn bridge that he drove the Motorhome across at full throttle during my test drive. When I got mine 25 years ago I was surprised to find in the small town I live in (population about 4,000), there were 4 others! Today, I am the sole GMC MH survivor. The others have one by one gone to that big campground in the sky.
I have a similar story and we blew every tire we left with, and why oh why did my friend put headers on the damn RV before we left... headers which turned out to be wrong for the engine... we broke down and partied in the same small town in South Dakota coming and going!!
@Joe Smith I’m really enjoying AZ. Been here 8 years. Yes it’s hot for a few months, but it’s glorious the rest of the year! As far as the secret to getting out, John gave it in the video, petal to the metal and just power through! 🤣
Just to let you know there's a guy selling a running and driving one in Owasso which is right down the street from Tulsa for $1,000 right now on Craigslist ill drive it if you buy it and pay gas
I was in Owasso one time with my buddy and we came to an agreement that Owasso is the Saggy Tits capital of America. I'd never seen so many tits hanging bellow bellybuttons in my life.
I have owned one for 4,5 years now. no family. But i have also kinda wanted to get rid of it for 4, but i needed something that was both comfy to drive regularly, and that could tow a car trailer :P (2011 vw Sharan 2.0tdi with dsg)
OMG the silhouette sucked I mean it sucked and nothing performed well nothing performed well at all but God damn it I drove it through 4 f****** houses and f*** you it's still moving, it sucked it can suck
My grandfather has an '84 Ram B250 conversion van. I love it. He gave it to me just a few years before he passed away. I love driving it, I love how easy it is to work on, but holy crap is it tricky to source some of those parts. I feel bad that I don't have enough money to keep it in as good of condition as it deserves, but I do try to keep it running. Funny thing is there's a transmission shop about 1/4 mile from my house and it has one of those GMC RV's that's been sitting there for about 7 years. It never moves. I would speculate it's the shop owner's project vehicle.
@@claudespeed277 as somebody who moved here from California...I laugh at you. You have no idea how bad it can really be. At least here you can have a gun without paying the Sherriff $5k to his "reelection fund" to be able to carry.
@@willyhearrell9060 who says I want it that way, I want gun control as much as the next liberal. And ure California problems aren't because of poverty, its because of insanely high cost of living, if u were to implement those same laws into oklahoma, including the vehicle inspections and stuff oklahoma will drown, have u even seen the statistics for the state of ok, near the bottom for everything. For once id like to live somewhere where less than half of the population isn't on crack or something.
My father bought the 26.5 version of this called the Sequoia if I recall correctly. It had a Lime green stripe on white and green interior. Interesting note. It had explosively charged bumpers. If you hit the bumpers hard they detonated a small charge in each cylinder tube that was attached to the frame, and pushed the other car away from you. We traveled across the US and back through Canada as a family trip. And yes, someone hit us at one point and it did exactly that.
7:37 "He rejetted it for 'special traveling' and what that meant is it sent so much fuel through the carburetor and into the engine that it washed out the cylinders and the oil and such that it made the cylinder walls were just shiny and polished". BRUH THIS MAN ACTUALLY MADE THE ENGINE HAVE NO COMPRESSION WTF AHAHAHA!!!!
This one went into my archives. Respect! Laughs! The kids and grands will have this to marvel and chuckle over years from now! The GMC Mobile is one serious piece of USA automotive history. Respect for availing yourself (and your finances) to its hypnotic allure. North Texas here... you're aversion to OK cracked me up! A GMC went up on Craigs List a few years back. Went back and forth with Wifey about buying it. You just confirmed the lessor sex's intellectual superiority. To this day... sadly, I've never owned a GMC Mobile. "STRIPES"
Look up Cannonball Travco- it is talked about in a round table forum of some of the original guys. BTW, they got that Travco 270 up to 107 MPH. If you use a Travco 220 with a 6BT and an Allison OD transmission, airbag suspension (or stuff on a Ram 3500 dually chassis) you could eclipse that
I love this guy's stories. My dad and I spent lots of time fixing up our families first RV and we had many interesting trips in it. It was emotional to see it go. But, we did sell it to a friend of mine's dad. So, it was still in our little town and I go and visit it anytime I wanted. hahaha
I loved this story, I was laughing so hard only because my friend had the one just like "Bill". What great funny times we had, but your stories are supreme. Thanks and Happy Trails, hope you get that $4000 back 😂😂😂🔧🔨
"She doesn't trust me with money" I just spit laughed my breakfast, thank you for the wonderful story.
I laughed out loud several times at this sorry but that line was the loudest. And you know it’s true because older guys can be the funniest people you ever meet.
After reading ur comment I was waiting for it. Still got me real good haha
Im glad I was not eating. I laughed So Hard. :)
Haven't laughed like this in a while.
Fell right out my damn chair. My back forgot its injuries for that one!
John is, hands down, my favourite contributor to VinWiki. He has great stories and he tells them all superbly.
The way he choked up while waving goodbye to Julius? That's what this channel is all about! LOVE IT!
Guess Ed didn’t love your comment lol
i was thinking the same about John he's entertaining also
He did pull me in with his story
UUhhh where are the night walkers, and accidents in this WIKI story? Im owed those in extra in the next story. seriously though this was a good one.
Hit different "
I noticed that as well, just a genuine character. One of the best!
We have a saying in Tulsa. You come to Tulsa on vacation, you stay in incarceration, you leave on probation, and you return on extradition.
😂
I work for melton in tulsa, it is better there
Lived in Tulsa my entire life. Literally no one has ever said that. 👍
@@brianfarris5676 it used to say it in every holding tank in David L Moss and court basement
@@RecipesOfHope been in David L. Haven’t seen it
The curse isn’t just automotive. I tried to fly from Tulsa to Dallas once. We pulled away from the gate, sat on the runway for what seemed an eternity, eventually took off, and spent hours in the air. About five hours after pulling away from the gate in Tulsa, we finally landed...in Tulsa!
What the hell happened haha!?
Funny Story. Happened to me leaving Vegas to Boston. Landed back in Vegas with flaming breaks supposedly. Guess it just landed from a short flight without adequate cooling time.
Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUN!!!!
Flew in to Tulsa one time when winds on the ground were so high the plane was not allowed to come to the jetway
Whoever said the tits or motor thing will give you problems was ahead of their time.
That dude is hilarious. He knows how to tell a good story, just the right amount of extraneous stuff without going around the Cape before getting back to the story. I swear my mom will start a story, I can go take an hour nap, grab something to eat, and take a shower, pick the phone back up and she will just about being getting back to the original story. I love her but she's not the person you want to be giving you instructions to defuse the timer on a bomb unless it is set in centuries.
I believe you mine does the same. Teling ordinary unportant storys about people I've never met nor will I ever met. However her sense of dirrection and lack of detail would make for an amazing navigatior as inspite of GPS and SATNAV combined she'd still make you lost.
"Oh make a left turn, by that white thingy next to that black car" - Translation: "Go RIGHT, after the next crossroad into the allyway that has a black SUV parked on the left side of the road which is next to a small chapel next to it."
then your mom reminds of my mom ... and myself too! :D
my mom was famous in her entire family and relatives to tell the story (and act it as well!) of a 2-hour movie in 5 hours! :D (me too!)
"okay so how boutcha cut the red wire, and then, well first speaking of red, this woman at work with red hair, we call her Red? Well, anyways she...."
*massive, almost passive aggressive explosion*
".......hello? What was all that racket? Anyway, so that girl at work was..." etc etc etc
That sounds like my ex wife, she could waste a whole afternoon just to tell me she ran into person X at supermarket Y. It would take the whole afternoon just to get through the preamble before getting to the point, and when she finally tells me why she has been talking my ear off about first this person whom I already know, what she did before going to the supermarket, how our son behaved earlier and how it made her feel etc etc, the "point" is so inane I just want to strangle her right then and there screaming I DON'T CARE WHO YOU RAN INTO FFS. I stopped listening to her BS and hence she is now my EX wife. Some people really.
“They are just there for the cheap gas”. As an Oklahoman, I can confirm.
Lmfao your cars run a little funny unless your heading instate?
Did u know that u could just have a vehicle with good mpg.
As an Oklahoman I concur.
It sure as hell beats $6 a gallon dont it. Lol.
@@RylaDarkstar my car runs funny regardless
Always be sure to ritualistically sacrifice a trailer tire when crossing the border into oklahoma for good luck
and nearly kill a biker with said tire
@@dirtpounder what else would the ritual entail if not that?
We lost the spare under our truck at night somewhere in Oklahoma. Mission accomplished.
Norman used to eat a tire every single trip, anywhere else was fine
I believe you. My vans transmission always sounded weird in Oklahoma. I attributed it to the 113 degree summer heat, but the witch curse seems more realistic to me.
It's that Trail Of Tears curse.
And the 1921 Tulsa riots.
This guy is one of the best story tellers I have ever heard! Great voice, Great delivery, and excellent humor! Now I want a GMC RV 🤣
They are great except for the service issues, as it is a pain to work on them...
Sorry to butt into a private conversation, but since I’m here may I suggest a simple remedy? Thank you, here goes…
Get yourself an F-350 truck or bigger.
Buy yourself a flatbed triple axle trailer.
Put the ramps down. If you can’t drive the GMC motorhome up onto the trailer ... either push it with a garbage truck or use two winches to pull it up onto the trailer.
OK, are you still with me? Good! Now you want to tie the GMC down real tight to the trailer, use every ratchet strap, chain and bungee cord you’ve got. Best to wrap a little duct tape around every connection just for good luck.
And now you just go get in the truck and start driving, go on a road trip!
You now have a deluxe travel trailer. Don’t ever take the GMC off that trailer. You will find a great improvement in gas mileage with this motorhome if you follow my instructions to the letter.
No just one question, who do I send the invoice to for my smart consultation?
Happy travels tin canners!
BK Completely agree with the great stories!!
@@davidhollenshead4892 The issue is that the youngest of them are now over 44 years old. Unlike a car, an RV usually sits for months on end, is driven hard, and then sits again. Rinse and repeat for 40 years, if lucky. Most have at least one decade long stint as driveway art. At that age, all systems must be checked and rebuilt before they can be considered reliable. It can be difficult to find someone to work on them out on the road - All the guys that worked on these back in the day are retired. But, the GMC's are not difficult to service or repair.
The good news is that the vehicle is 60's technology - dead simple and designed to be repaired and rebuilt. Drivetrain parts can mostly be found at your local Napa. They are fixable by the average home mechanic with basic skills and tools. There is an active online community, with a list of owners across the country that are willing to help if needed.
Dragging a 40 year old vehicle out of the weeds, gassing it up and hitting the road, is just asking to pay big bucks at repair facilities along the way.
When asked how much a reliable GMC motorhome costs, the standard community answer is about fifteen to twenty-five thousand dollars ... all at once, or a little at a time. Looks like the author hit that while in Oklahoma....
@@loafingjoe These things were front wheel drive with 455 olds motors. You ain’t finding parts for that at a Napa
RV and B is a stroke of genius 👍....
shockingly good idea.
“Sometimes My Genius… It's Almost Frightening"
This was such an amazing running of The 2904. The Olds never had a chance!
Can't wait for car treck!!! @Ed Bolian how about a sneak peak? Please?👍
Oh come on ed you know noone was going to see that sleek silhouette 😂
those RV's are great... Front wheel drive w/ a 454 and a low boy floor plan I love em... Wish I had one!
Many Blessings , SMR
The Shuttle could have done it! Rematch! Sounds like a good episode for CarTrek.
@@TheSmreeder 455 oldsmobile
Ladies and gentlemen, the man who needs no introduction...
Man, I love Ficarra. 20 minute story about RVs flew by.
I totally agree!
I read this after watching and was like: "nah, this was only a 10min video! Still good, but..." until at that moment, I glanced at the clock...
Excruciating storry teller. I guess he likes 3 axles
@@dustinreed944 it’s a story so long it took him three axles to deliver it to us!
I had my works box truck break down in the middle of Oklahoma and I had to fix it at a gas station cause a mechanic couldn’t get there for 4 hours and I figured it out in 2. This has got to be a real curse
As someone who spent the 90's in the RV business, reminded lots and lots of owners of late 70's and early 80's model motorhomes that the highway speed was 55. That's the speed the engine and transmission were engineered for.
pfft. RVs are engineered to park and have grass grow around them, and we both know it. Driving is a gimmick.
@@jeremykothe2847 Worst thing you can do for the engine and transmission of a motorhome is to leave it parked long term.
My 1980 blue bird school bus is exactly that... 67 down hill... rear end gearing all"slow" doesn't help.🚎
@@FilosophicalPharmer Indeed. They're like hot-tubs. People buy them thinking they'll use them all the time, then six months goes by and they're not usable any more.
The two greatest day of RV ownership , the day you buy it and the day you sell it .
Just like a boat except the boat has a hole in it and you can dump truck loads of cash in that hole and it never gets full.
This man knows
@@stevefarris9433 , BOAT ,bust out another thou.
@@victorringe9404 That is before you cast off the first line. Then it doubles and then triples during the trip.
Still waiting to find that out myself.... But as someone who has spent years keeping much less expensive and valuable "sh1t" running just so it isn't rotting in the yard, i can understand!
What John really means is that he wanted an EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle.
Yes! The references I was looking for.
Word
Is this the same RV? OMG I just realized why it looks so familiar!
THIS!
Name it Francis.
When this man speaks we listen, awesome stories and story teller.
Absolutely great story! I think most of us can relate to the range of emotions and unintended consequences occur with old vehicle purchases. This one has them all--long searches, great finds, protracted pain, huge expenses, befriending older people, unexpected and unwanted parts-car procurement, entangling generous friends, suspected curses, more huge expenses, and finally letting go. Nicely done.
My grandfather bought a GMC motorhome new, and he accumulated 1 or 2 spare drive trains but never a second rv. Great memories in that thing
In Atlanta we call this, "Running dem pockets" those mechanics saw dollar signs for your caller id.
Some VinWiki stories are interesting , some are educational and some are just hilariously perfect , like this one!
I’ve lived in Oklahoma most of my life. I’ve lived all over the US since I was 18 but 3 times (including the last 7 years) I always get sucked back like a black hole. I’ve said this for years but everyone says I’m crazy.
This video proves me right and I will forever reference Vinwiki when referencing the black hole of Oklahoma.
That was great - brought about a solid twenty minute smile. Every country has an Oklahoma - here, in the U.K., I have one that follows me around wherever I go.
This guy might be the best storyteller on VinWiki he's got a welcoming vibe just like the person you meet at a random party who is insisting you come and smoke with him and his boys despite just meeting you a second ago
He's good, but he has some incredibly stiff competition.
I was significantly more invested in a 20 minute video of a dude talking about an RV than I was during the movie RV
"She doesn't trust me with money" That got a good laugh outta me. This is an amazing story
In the 90s, when I was 12, our parents packed us five kids in the back of an 82 Dodge Mirada and set off across the country in search of a place to live. (Ed, where's my Vinwiki story invitation?) We started on the East Coast, doubled back at the West Coast, and the car broke down just over the border from Texas to Oklahoma, where our family all still live. My father recently passed away, having never left Oklahoma again. Regarding John's Oklahoma witches curse theory - my wife, who is Ponca, quipped it's Indian medicine.
I don't believe a word of the Oklahoma curse. I used to live in OKC and commuted four times a year for 5 years between there and a small town called Coppell, TX. In a creaky, rattly Jeep Cherokee. I never had issues getting out even as I was merging off the Northwest Expressway exit onto I-35. No issues.
@@largol33t1 Well, that’s because you were driving a Cherokee in Indian territory. Duh 🙄
My dad is Choctaw/Chickasaw...32 years in the military, commander. It was a unique way to grow up
@@largol33t1 Wow, I grew up in Coppell, TX well 5th to 12th grade. Had to leave after 1988 and never back. Glad you made it.
I'm surprised your parents got 5 kids in that car, it's not small sure, but 5 kids is a lot
People:"Oh, you´re the crazy GMC RV guy!""
You:"NO! I DON´T WANT TO BE THAT GUIY". Hilarious, buddy. Thanks for that.
Thats how that is lol
"... I was very emotionally invested in Julius..." well, that's why we tell the kids: you DON'T NAME THE MEAT BIRDS xD
Funny, I was born in Oklahoma, and we literally used to joke about it being cursed, or a black hole. Breakdowns are fairly common when people try to make it out.
Or try to make it back in, as an Oklahoman, I can confirm, it has a curse on all vehicles not made In the state. Recently bought a jeep from Kansas, literally 40 miles from home in Oklahoma, blows the clutch, after that had been fixed, blows the radiator, later in, I blew the muffler, all of this in a two month time span, when we bought it there had been nothing wrong with it (with the exception of a loose clutch) but I’d been driving a clutch for two years so I don’t believe it was me who ruined the vehicle lmao
We cheated. We left Tulsa, went to the very corner of the state and camped for a week, then slipped across the border before the curse could catch us. Never wanna go back.
@@custosnox y’all got lucky and left before you could get stuck here, god wish I hadn’t been raised here and settled down before looking to live elsewhere
I'm from Oklahoma and can confirm. Family wasn't from here but somehow never left lol
My dad was from New Jersey but he met my mom here at a truck stop so here I am 36 years later still stuck here
One inaccuracy of the story is Tulsa is not a place to have to be. There is some things to be doing in Tulsa. He is acting like he is in Olkmulge or something.
okcboomer87 amen
@@okcboomer87 right on. Tulsa is a pretty nice place to be. There are some great twisty streets etc to run a car around if you know where to look.
@@okcboomer87 the hilly bits out by Catoosa are fun. My grampa had a '57 Ford truck that'd get air off some of the crests.
I do think the culture and class of Tulsa took a hit when they closed that Mexican restaurant with the zipline and the mariachi band, though... Ahh, childhood.
This has to be, honestly, one of the best tales I have heard / watched here.
Left with a smile for the love of these GMC RV’s.
One of my hot rod buddies picked up a 52 chevy cabover flatbed truck. He stuffed in that 455 olds front wheel drive set up and made the coolest car hauler ever.
Best VINWIKI story ever... I put head gaskets on one of these when I was 21 and learning about the mechanic world.
Julius leaving Oklahoma is a lot like the book from Farley Mowat called "The Boat that Wouldn't Float" . The guy buys a Schooner in Newfoundland, to take to Montreal. Every time he went west from Newfoundland it took on water. If he sailed east, it was happy...
Great video and excellent reading book . . . The Boat that Wouldn't Float. Now that was an adventure.
Oklahoma still functions on the buddy system. If you don't "know a guy," you're gonna get shitty service.
Source: guy who escaped Oklahoma.
Can confirm. 🤣
As someone who was once a mechanic in Oklahoma, can confirm.
I really like this guy. He is a great story teller.
Funny thing about those RV's is that they had an olds 455 with a quadrajet, and they were front wheel drive with the trans from an olds Toronado. You don't need a specialized mechanic for that rig (other than the engine removal tool). My parents had a couple of those over the years, plenty of memories to go along with them. Always an adventure, time spent on the side of the highway was just part of the trip.
Yes. Toronado transmission. We had one come in to our shop to get us to restore it, the engine was shot, and and the only removal "tool" -
was in Oklahoma.
It was lime green, and in excellent condition, otherwise..
I used to live in Texas. In one camping trip to OK, I had a massive blowout in my truck, and one of my exhaust hangers broke loose , dropping the exhaust on the highway. Yes, there is curse in Oklahoma for sure. Thanks for sharing your story
I moved to Oklahoma from Georgia. I’m trapped by cheap gas 😂
😂 If you can’t make money hand over fist in Oklahoma City, you’re not trying. That’s for sure. And the state Medicinal Mary Jane law is more like a recreational use tax.
The law enforcement department gets the tax money as well on the green
We moved here from AZ
Couldn't be a better statement
I moved to Georgia from Oklahoma. Then I promptly moved back to Oklahoma.
Being someone who lives in Tulsa. We aren’t all RV witches.
I concur as a former Tulsan
He never said we were all witches. Just a lot of them. Im convinced they put a curse on our roadways. They are terrible.
@@sethwooten5678 a curse would be better than the reality lol
Truth.
IMHO the anti-roadway witches are the politicians who continually misappropriate road taxes for everything else possible but roads.
I love when you guys have John Ficarra on, the racing history he knows and his storytelling is awesome
My friend was given Ted. An older RV that was sitting in storage. The plan was to drive it to his desert property for guest to stay. Bad tires, rebuilt carb on a 440, no registration so the plan was a midnight run. No stopping, especially on the last few miles of off road trail. It sits there to this day, keeps you comfortable on a cold winter night.
"I escaped the witches of Oklahoma." Best sentence ever!
"I just don't care anymore." How I'm feeling about one of my projects.
that's the ONE reason why my E46 diesel still lives 😃
John is the best story teller on here :)
WE NEED MORE STORIES FROM HIM PLEASE!!! This is definitely one of my favorite vin stories
I've watches so many VINWiki videos, and this is one of the absolute best.
What a great story... rough day today..... listening to this..... just changed the vibration. Thank you
I ended up in Oklahoma once back in '89. Still haven't made it out. At least now I may know why. Thank you.
Ed, John is one of the best you have had on this channel. A very genuine car guy. Does John have his own channel at all?
"RV 'nb" is actually a decent idea. I was in high school in 1972 when GM introduced the GMC motor home. It debuted at "Transpo '72" at Dulles Airport near DC. I still have slides of the show model there somewhere. I always thought it was a neat looking vehicle. My parents had a 22' Winnebago Indian at that time, which was a lot less sophisticated. Basically a wood frame box on a Dodge truck chassis with the beetle-brow nose where the overhead front bunk was. I long ago decided that I'm not a "Happy Camper", and much prefer small station wagon/cheap motel as a travel strategy, saving money by eating out of a cooler two meals/day and getting over 30 mpg, instead of 9 to 12 mpg. Works for one, maybe two people, but not a family.
I did a lot of camping with a 1998 dodge caravan.
The best story I have heard so far on this channel, it was as if I was there, talking with him, very funny, I laughed at the whole story
One of the Best stories on the channel! I might be a little bit biased, these Rvs are beauties.
It's always a great day when John Ficarra, the gentleman scholar of Vinwiki, makes an appearance.
I have been stuck in Tulsa for 30 years. Still not fixed!
Im northeast of ya 20 min i agree ive been here 36 yrs born n raised my dads from jersey he passed last year still trying to figure out why he stayed here after my mom left
Jake Browne because Tulsa is awesome ( well broken arrow is)
Hello fellow Tulsan!
I was born in Tulsa... Wound up in Arkansas. Not sure which has worse traffic!
The family still lives in Catoosa, out by the casino. I always wondered why they didn't flee 20 years ago...
That's how they get you in Oklahoma: show up on Vacation, get your RV stuck on location. 😂
As soon as I saw it was John I knew I was in for a treat. Listening to his stories makes a day better. Great guy.
Another ok story. Many years ago I drove my first car, a 74 Malibu classic from Jersey to Arizona. One of the wheels started wobbling a little but I said I'm just gonna keep driving. Well, in Oklahoma, the front wheel bearing disintegrated completely, causing the car to get pulled all the way into the next lane when the rotor would shift. I didn't know anything about cars back then. Some people heard me squeal into a rest area, drove me to a parts store, installed a new bearing for me, all for $40 and a little black hash!
That is a good deal
Ah awesome people
This story reminds me of stories of my friend who loves triumph spitfires and he has had these hellacious adventures getting them home from all over the US . He’s literally almost died getting spitfires back home . I felt like you might have cried a little talking about selling Orange Julius .
I seen 2904 and knew john was gonna be telling an amazing story
The GMC Motorhome was a great design; all independent suspension, front wheel drive made it a very comfortable ride.
Can't believe you never mention the RV has a Olds Toranado drive train.
Uhhhmmmmm..... Was that supposed to mean Toronado?
Front wheel drive. Completely flat floor that is very low for a RV. Walking Beam rear suspension with no axle that goes from side to side.
I worked for a machine shop in CO a long time ago, we had a client who did upgrades on these things. I have done a boatload of Olds 455 work. He was an old Marine 25 years ago, and for the life of me, I cannot think of that brother's name.
Guess not important to him or doesn't even know. lol
I love this story! Years ago, I worked for a PBS TV station at my college. Yes, it on our college campus. I was a Broadcast Communications major and I worked for a number of years while in college. We had this old very tired '84 Ford bread truck with a Mom's Attic that was converted into a TV production truck. It was time to retire the old girl. The station manager ended up buying on of these 1978 GMC Transhome RVs converted into a TV Production vehicle. When we got it it was devoid of any equipment so myself and the production engineer built-out this RV for TV production. This truck was the most fun vehicle I have ever driven in my life! It was a total boat and it floated down the road wherever we went. It gave us very little trouble except for one time where the alternator died AT NIGHT about 200 miles from home. A friend drove the truck while shined a flashlight out the massive windshield until we got home and the batteries died on the flashlight. This all happened about 37 years ago and they were the best memories of my life until I got married and had kids. But that old RV was my hero at the time! Thanks for this video and allowing me to relive the similar experiences with ours.
Love this page! Great story! I had the HESS truck version as a child! It would make a cool food truck!
As an English man who lived in Stillwater Oklahoma for a year all I can say is it was one hell of an experience.
You haven't been to Texas yet!
@@NorceCodine : Maybe let someone else drive you through Texas.
Maybe an airline.
I've lived in California, Ireland and Oklahoma. California is by far the worst.
@@willyhearrell9060I agree. I didn't lose shit in California. They can keep that shit-hole of a state.
A dollar? That's some shrewd negotiating!
John as Commander Riker piloting the USS Silhouette shuttle craft literally made me spit my beer out.
Amazing story teller !!!! Watched this 3 times and I still laugh everytime I watch.. Best channel ever!!!
I had a 1967 Volkswagen camper van, for a few years.
So many fun adventures, I had in it.
When it was time to sell, I cried for days.
Actually sold it to a couple I met on the road, a few years earlier, who rode with me to a Grateful Dead concert, in it.
Never knew I could become so emotionally attached, to an inanimate object.
Sometimes a car/RV, is more than just something, that gets you from point A to B :-)
John and Chris, keep 'em coming!!
YES another John story.. Best way to start the day!!!!
"I don't want to be the GMC RV guy!" *starts crying*
I cracked up the whole story. Okie born, raised and escaped 15 years now. Unfortunately I am now having to go back (family drama induced) but hopeful to slip back out. Loved the story. 😁
I really enjoyed your story. I live in NJ and I think I know the “guru” you went to in PA. I took mine there once. I been relatively lucky with mine. I only wish someone would gift me one like you experienced. I have heard of several people being in the right place at the right time. Buying mine was a horror story. The weasel I bought it from lived on his own private island SE of Washington DC in the middle of a river connected to the rest of MD by a narrow rickety pot hole strewn bridge that he drove the Motorhome across at full throttle during my test drive. When I got mine 25 years ago I was surprised to find in the small town I live in (population about 4,000), there were 4 others! Today, I am the sole GMC MH survivor. The others have one by one gone to that big campground in the sky.
I saw Ficarra was on this one and couldn't click fast enough! great start to the work day
I have a similar story and we blew every tire we left with, and why oh why did my friend put headers on the damn RV before we left... headers which turned out to be wrong for the engine... we broke down and partied in the same small town in South Dakota coming and going!!
Which town?
@@LegendStormcrow Humboldt, if I recall correctly
@@aaronredbaron Don't think I've ever been there, but I bet that's East of the river.
A VinWiki story about Oklahoma... this okie is nervous.
Same
Amen to that
Same
Honestly it wasn’t the worst description of my home state that I’ve ever heard. Glad I managed to escape though! 🤣
@Joe Smith I’m really enjoying AZ. Been here 8 years. Yes it’s hot for a few months, but it’s glorious the rest of the year!
As far as the secret to getting out, John gave it in the video, petal to the metal and just power through! 🤣
As a married man for over 25 years I can relate! My wife don’t trust me with money either!
"I was very emotional about *looks at ceiling, trying to remember name* Orange Julius." LOL
Just to let you know there's a guy selling a running and driving one in Owasso which is right down the street from Tulsa for $1,000 right now on Craigslist ill drive it if you buy it and pay gas
You'll get stuck, getting out of the state from the sounds of it haha
I live in Owasso🤣
I was in Owasso one time with my buddy and we came to an agreement that Owasso is the Saggy Tits capital of America. I'd never seen so many tits hanging bellow bellybuttons in my life.
@David Wood lmfao 🤣 😂
Lol I just seen that on Craigslist
Always liked the GMC motorhome; Toronado drive train and all!
This should be a movie. BTW my mental illness has me searching for that minivan.
I agree, 👌👌👌✌✌✌👍
Have you ever seen the movie Get Shorty? It'll make you want a Silhouette even more.
I have owned one for 4,5 years now. no family.
But i have also kinda wanted to get rid of it for 4, but i needed something that was both comfy to drive regularly, and that could tow a car trailer :P (2011 vw Sharan 2.0tdi with dsg)
Let it go! They were rattle traps at 15,000 miles.
OMG the silhouette sucked I mean it sucked and nothing performed well nothing performed well at all but God damn it I drove it through 4 f****** houses and f*** you it's still moving, it sucked it can suck
My grandfather has an '84 Ram B250 conversion van. I love it. He gave it to me just a few years before he passed away. I love driving it, I love how easy it is to work on, but holy crap is it tricky to source some of those parts. I feel bad that I don't have enough money to keep it in as good of condition as it deserves, but I do try to keep it running. Funny thing is there's a transmission shop about 1/4 mile from my house and it has one of those GMC RV's that's been sitting there for about 7 years. It never moves. I would speculate it's the shop owner's project vehicle.
Can confirm the Oklahoma curse. Been here 30 years. Moved away three times to different states and yet here I am. Still.
Ohio is the same...sucks you back in.
@@wrenchpony9735 due Ohio has always been like that it's ohio
Great story . John is one of the few VIN hosts I wouldn't check for my wallet after meeting .
Love his stories. As an Oklahoman though, no curses here. Love it here. Especially car wise.
@mike d might be the cars they’re driving and lack of mechanical skills lol
@mike d I know it’s the Internet, but I’m just teasing btw.
Tulsa here.. it’s not too bad, however I wound up here from SoCal when I was 9.. so yeah I guess the Witches got me lol
Idk having lived right outside of Tulsa my whole life it’s not the best
Um. 100 miles west of Tulsa is not texas. It is Hennessy, OK. :)
Yeah no its the worst. Sick of all the drug addicts, criminals and jerks
@@claudespeed277 as somebody who moved here from California...I laugh at you. You have no idea how bad it can really be. At least here you can have a gun without paying the Sherriff $5k to his "reelection fund" to be able to carry.
@@willyhearrell9060 who says I want it that way, I want gun control as much as the next liberal. And ure California problems aren't because of poverty, its because of insanely high cost of living, if u were to implement those same laws into oklahoma, including the vehicle inspections and stuff oklahoma will drown, have u even seen the statistics for the state of ok, near the bottom for everything. For once id like to live somewhere where less than half of the population isn't on crack or something.
Dude , you are a awesome story teller, I’m in tears writing this. By the way friends of my parents had the green one lol
My father bought the 26.5 version of this called the Sequoia if I recall correctly. It had a Lime green stripe on white and green interior. Interesting note. It had explosively charged bumpers. If you hit the bumpers hard they detonated a small charge in each cylinder tube that was attached to the frame, and pushed the other car away from you. We traveled across the US and back through Canada as a family trip. And yes, someone hit us at one point and it did exactly that.
Foiled by the RV, it happens to the best of us.
"Come on vacation, leave on probation." Unofficial state of Oklahoma slogan.
7:37 "He rejetted it for 'special traveling' and what that meant is it sent so much fuel through the carburetor and into the engine that it washed out the cylinders and the oil and such that it made the cylinder walls were just shiny and polished". BRUH THIS MAN ACTUALLY MADE THE ENGINE HAVE NO COMPRESSION WTF AHAHAHA!!!!
Never heard of that.
Haha
This one went into my archives. Respect! Laughs! The kids and grands will have this to marvel and chuckle over years from now!
The GMC Mobile is one serious piece of USA automotive history. Respect for availing yourself (and your finances) to its hypnotic allure.
North Texas here... you're aversion to OK cracked me up!
A GMC went up on Craigs List a few years back. Went back and forth with Wifey about buying it. You just confirmed the lessor sex's intellectual superiority.
To this day... sadly, I've never owned a GMC Mobile. "STRIPES"
OMG such an amazing looking RV!!!! WOW and in my favorite color!! ORANGE!!!!!!!! WOW I love it!!!!! Nicely done!
OMG what a story!!!!! Thank you for doing this!!!! OMG BILL the RV!!!! RV&B!!! Brilliant! So whats your RV now?!?!?
I know this has been said 1,000 times, but I love the way he tells stories.
You cant just elude to "the great spaghetti incident" and move on as if its nothing...
Gotta save stories for later.
I did go search the Channel for that (doesn't exist at least by title/description) and google just returns Guns n Roses.
Look up Cannonball Travco- it is talked about in a round table forum of some of the original guys. BTW, they got that Travco 270 up to 107 MPH. If you use a Travco 220 with a 6BT and an Allison OD transmission, airbag suspension (or stuff on a Ram 3500 dually chassis) you could eclipse that
What a good story, had me smiling the whole time. Also I live an hour from Tulsa, F Oklahoma lol.
It's ok
I love this guy's stories. My dad and I spent lots of time fixing up our families first RV and we had many interesting trips in it. It was emotional to see it go. But, we did sell it to a friend of mine's dad. So, it was still in our little town and I go and visit it anytime I wanted. hahaha
I loved this story, I was laughing so hard only because my friend had the one just like "Bill". What great funny times we had, but your stories are supreme. Thanks and Happy Trails, hope you get that $4000 back 😂😂😂🔧🔨