The GMC Great Lakers, a club of GMC motorhome owners, are camping at the KOA in Granger, Ind., on Saturday, May 6 to celebrate the 41st birthday of the group. Hosted by KOA owners Patricia Schenk and Thomas Jetzer and the Great Lakers’ wagon masters Phyllis and Steven Thornburg, a group dinner in the Pavilion at the KOA campground will be held to celebrate one of the longest running motorhomes.
The GMC motor homes were manufactured in Pontiac, Mich., from 1973 to 1978. These classic/antique Class A motor homes are still in use across the U.S., Canada, and several foreign countries.
The GMC Motorhome was produced by the GM Truck & Coach Division for the 1973 through 1978 model years in Pontiac. It was the only complete motorhome built by a major auto/truck manufacturer, producing what GMC hoped would be their “halo” vehicle. Part of the reason this vehicle is so different from other motor homes of the era is that it was not conceived as just a “camper,” but as a vehicle for comfortable travel as well. The design was radical for the day with front-wheel drive and a low profile, fully integrated body.
Of nearly 13,000 vehicles manufactured, over 6,000 are thought to be still in operation.