Friday January 26, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 04 |
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Monday, Oct 06, 2008
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The Journey Begins: Prologue - Mariah and Me, a Love Affair |
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| The Journey Begins: Prologue - Mariah and Me, a Love Affair | ||
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by Rev. Barbara Allen, CMP -
SGN Contributing Writer Sometimes things experienced earlier in our lives that seem unrelated to one another converge to affect us later on, although we may not quickly recognize the connection. From childhood the music and lyrics for the song "They Call the Wind Mariah" from the Lerner and Lowe musical Paint Your Wagon enchanted me. The song goes: "Away out here they have a name for rain and wind and fire. The rain is Tess, the fire's Joe and they call the wind Mariah...Mariah. Mariah. They call the wind Mariah." Decades later, in their premier year, 1973, I got a passing glimpse of the most beautiful motor home I'd ever seen as it whooshed past me on the highway. It was love at first sight, but there was no way I could afford one. These GMC Class A's became known as the Rolls Royce's of the RVing world. They were sleek, well designed, and featured elegant simplicity and functionality. I settled for an affordable but much used 17' long Oasis brand trailer, which could sleep 7 (optimistically), and pulled it behind the family vehicle. Whenever I saw a GMC on the highway, I quietly sighed with unrequited love. Showing dogs throughout the Northwest was easier with an RV. For a while there was a Southwind Class A, comfortable enough inside but lacking oomph, muscle or grace. It crept up hills at slow walking speed, steered like a garbage scow -- even with retrofitted front wheel stabilizers. One would use a hand held spray to "shower" while sitting on or straddling the tiny toilet in the tiny "bathroom." Eventually, I bought a used Airstream 21' Safari trailer, which was aerodynamic but uncomfortable to pull or live in. However, it had a rear bath with shower and tub. In 1995, I bought my current car, a gently used 1994 Saturn SW2, metallic gold, TwinCam engine. It still gets over 30 mpg, runs well, has front wheel drive with optional traction control, a rocker switch to put it into performance mode if needed or desired, and is pretty much trouble free. She's beautiful, sturdy, sporty to drive. She has also protected me during accidents, including one from which I've not yet recovered. On Aug. 25th, 1995, a huge 18 wheel semi pulling two trailers left its lane, came into mine, and wedged the Saturn beneath one of its trailers. Allstate totaled the vehicle, which had saved my life. I bought her back from them and had her restored. I mention this so you'll understand my personal relationship with the entities that provide transportation and shelter to me. The Saturn's name is Golden Girl after the ladies, particularly Bea Arthur, from the television series now in syndication. One day a decade or so after the major accident, Golden Girl and I were proceeding south on the road, which parallels the Skagit River from College Way towards old Mt. Vernon, when she veered off the pavement into an RV sales lot. She'd never done anything like that before, but, I'd been thinking about getting a Motorhome again, which would be easier for me to handle than the Airstream trailer. So, I got out of the car and ambled in the rain through the newer vehicles on display, unimpressed. The RV salesman ignored me as he tried to sell something to a middle aged couple who were vaguely interested, but soon left. I got the feeling that he felt he was wasting his time dealing with a middle aged woman not accompanied by a husband. Although it was unlikely -- unable to resist -- I got his attention and asked if by any chance there were any used GMC Classics. Yes, he answered unenthusiastically, they had two of them! Out back in the mud there were indeed two worn, forlorn GMC's, sitting cold and lonely in the rain, both priced at $17,500. The first had attractive pale blue velvet upholstery, good furniture grade cabinetry and appointments, but felt cold and dead to me because it had no positive energy or vibration. We went to the second vehicle, which lacked on the exterior some of the things the first coach had, but the moment I stepped inside, there was a welcoming feeling; positive energy, like coming home! The cabinets were a poor grade and the upholstery was striped ugliness but she herself felt good. I asked to test drive her. For some reason, the salesman wasn't thrilled about this reasonable request but if he was going to make a sale that bleak day, this might be his only chance. He got the keys and we were off, heading onto I-5 with me at the wheel. She drove as easily as my '78 Ford Country Squire! None of the Southwind's awkwardness and wandering! The salesman almost panicked as I found an open stretch and accelerated to see what she had in her. This coach could move like the wind! He started sputtering at me to slow down, looking like he was going to have a coronary. So, I returned to the lot and agreed to pay their sticker price once they got the emergency brake in proper working order and rectified a few other things that were unsafe. (I wouldn't learn until later that there was almost no lining on the brake drums, something that the salesman knew but didn't tell me, which is why he likely panicked when I opened her up on I-5.) They said they'd have her ready later in the week. I went by to check on their progress during a heavy rain and the vehicle that was "almost ready" had water gushing down the drivers side in the front kitchen area. Gallons per minute! The same salesman insisted that was OK. I told him to get it taken care of and if they couldn't pull her inside to get a tarp over it; then, clean her up, check for water damage, and dry her out. The next week, I returned to see if she was ready, not quite. I waited to check her out. A handsome pleasant young man who was working as customer relations came over to chat and shared with me that he'd planned to buy the same coach himself. I asked him why that one, instead of the prettier one which also had less mileage on it, and he shared -- when no one else could hear -- that the energy he felt from her was wonderful! I quietly told him that the energy was what motivated me to buy her. He was pleased that if he didn't have her, she'd be with someone appreciative. I appreciated his validation of what we'd both experienced. A few days later, a friend and I picked her up at the dealership and brought her home. Driving down the freeway, learning how to become "one" with her, knowing she could and would fly like the wind with her 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado 455 felt good. But I also knew that she would need some work before the friend and I could take her down to Mexico and across the continent. I learned that there was a special interest group via GMC International and FMCA, the local branch being the Cascaders, who were going to have a rally shortly at Mt. St. Helens. I was advised to go and get as much information as I could about the coach and, perhaps, learn where experienced and knowledgeable mechanics might be found to work on her in advance of any long journey. I went, learning a great deal, including how congenial, interesting and helpful these GMC owners were. It was marvelous as we approached the Mt. St. Helens rally site to see dozens of Mariah's relatives side by side, together from a distance. Their proud owners had modified their original purchases, some of them doing exact restorations, some of them applying interesting modifications. The National Park was also fascinating as we toured it in a charter bus with a naturalist guide provided. Mariah was soon headed south to Beaverton Oregon for many weeks of restoration by the area GMC Motorcoach Guru, Bob Fry. There was nothing restored on the interior. Thousands were invested in unseen mechanicals such as brake drums and cables, proper shocks, new hoses and belts. The bill ran into the thousands, but he must have done a good job, because there were few problems with her on her first long journey into Mexico as far south as Guadalajara, then, up into Texas, across to Florida, up to Washington D.C., and then west through the Rocky Mountains -- racing ahead of oncoming blizzards. I'd been warned she guzzled gas and oil, needing a quart of 10-30 every 500 miles, and she did. (The only problem I recall was a thin rubber transmission fluid tube failing on our way home (in Kansas, I think it was, on a Saturday evening) but we were able to get her repaired by a mechanic who stayed open to do it and were under way within two hours. (This, of course, after literally thousands of miles, some over rough roads.) My relationship with Mariah was probably similar to that of a human and the horse upon which they depended, or a boater and their beloved watercraft. You know you're there for one another, although there are those that have never bonded with animate or inanimate -- dog, cat, horse, boat, car, home, land, RV, or human being -- who may never understand this. I was there for her, I felt she'd sensed this from when we met, and was there for me. About 12,000 GMC motor-coaches were manufactured by a special, independent, GMC Division from 1973 to 1978. They came in two lengths, 23 or 26 ft., with various interior styles. Mine was the cheapest in every way. Eventually, when in Mexico, she'd be re-upholstered in earth tones; passing through Texas, she got new Sealy Posturpedic mattresses; and, later, when in Arizona, she received new curtains, shades -- inside and out -- and interior lining. I'd also begun to paint native graphics from the Northwest as well as one or two from the Southwest on my rolling "lodge". The graphics are spiritually meaningful to me besides making her a unique easily recognized as the "only one like it". Of the original 12,000 or so GMC coaches, over 9,000 are still in service. I do not believe any other RV comes close to this record of quality, endurance, reliability or performance, love and devotion by their people. The original purchasers of these vehicles were physicians and pilots. Indeed, the step-up area in front with driver and passenger seats is known as the "flight deck," and feels like that. It's my understanding that GMC closed the unit in 1978 because the cost of the quality that went into the coach couldn't be returned at the price offered and they felt the market wouldn't tolerate a higher tag. They could produce smaller vehicles in the same space, for more profit, and the gas crunch was on. Other manufacturers emulated her exterior design somewhat, but none were ever equal in quality to the best of my knowledge. Those who appreciated these classic "orphans" evolved into something of a "cult". Today, you can still find a few for sale here and there in the United States, usually at ridiculously low prices considering the quality and potential. Too good to be true? Consider that most of these units are owned by retirees, who eventually pass away. Their heirs having no idea of the value of the coaches, race to sell them to their nearest dealer for quick cash. The GMC's therefore are classics, which are not appreciating in value because ignorant and disinterested heirs sell them too cheap, don't know how to find their value, and get only a few thousand for what's truly worth much more. Those who interested, however, find great bargains! Last September, a sibling of my GMC broke the RV land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats: over 102 mph, in second gear! (This summer they may try again and see how fast they can go in third gear!) GMC Classic motor homes became fondly known as "Antique Hot Rods with Plumbing." (I'd driven my rig over 90mph on some Mexican highways a decade ago, while towing a car behind.) Mariah and I had many travel adventures from the late 1990's up to the past few years, when I could no longer drive her, as spinal injuries necessitated undergoing long deferred spinal neuro-surgeries. You cannot safely drive a big rig on pain killers, or laid-out unable to move for a few years, healing painfully, slowly. Meanwhile, as things needed attention, she was cared for locally, with friends who could drive her safely to and from mechanics when I could not. Mariah, though patient, longed to travel like the wind again. I wondered if I'd ever be able to do more than pilot her close to home. When a friend invited me to travel with her up the ALCAN last summer, on a trip she'd originally contemplated making alone. I considered the idea. She'd had some experience with a handicapped RV group when she'd soloed from Washington to Maine the prior summer in her shiny new Triton 10 crew-cab Ford, with 12' cab-over camper on it, but her friends and family were concerned about her doing the ALCAN by herself. I watched her rig go down an excellent level road, top heavy camper swaying the unit vertically from side to side. I'd had to use a fold-away step ladder getting in and out of the camper, and climb monkey like into the cab-over bunk, experiencing the claustrophobia inducing cramped interior lay-out, the tiny toilet which allowed neither comfort nor privacy, and declined, politely, to travel in it for more than a day trip. I wished the friend well on her journey, asking that she stay in touch. Seeing her disappointment, I thought awhile, then offered the use of my rig as the most viable alternative if she wanted my company. She eventually agreed and my expensive, extensive preparations began. There would be months of work ahead for me, preparing for the ALCAN adventure, which would have its ups and downs, but those are other, additional stories to come. Meanwhile, for more photo's, illustrations and stories about these Classic's: www.gmcmotorhome.com. For further information about GMC mechanical and repair matters, visit: Applied GMC (www.appliedgmc.com), owned by Jim Kanomato, in Fremont, California, is known as "GMC of the West," they repair and work on GMC coaches. GMC Co-op (www.gmccoop.com), owned by Jim Bounds, in Orlando, Florida, is known as "GMC of the East" and also repairs and works on GMC coaches. If you're not familiar with the different types of RV's, I'll cover that in a subsequent article, clarifying my personal historic preference for Type A's. I'm no expert on all RV's and there are many wonderful new A's, B's and C's on the market today; if you can afford them. They're also often available in good used condition, which might be a more comfortable option for most of us. |
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