The World's Fastest Motorhome

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1. It has a very light rear end with front wheel drive.
2. It has a lot of length to provide a bottom surface that enhances lift.
3. They did the calculations --if it didn't help, it wouldn't have been used.

They reportedly tweaked it and entered the offical test area at 107+ but blew the engine before compleating the required distance.

The GM wind tunnel designed body sure helps!
 
That doesn't seem like that big of a feat. My dad's 86' Winnebago Elanden 34' with a 454 was all stock and pulling a 20' enclosed trailer with 4 quads in it I had it up to the low 90's several times on the flats between Phoenix and Yuma going to the dunes. Of course it took miles to get there, and I don't know how much track he had to get up to 102. I think with just a few thousand in engine and tranny mods I could beat that. With miles of road in front of me. I'd like to watch the motorhome class run at the flats. That's be a fun day.
 
Bob,

Supposedly, they were making several attempts at the Bonneville time trials.  They were clocked
at that speed on their best attempt prior to the time trials getting rained out.

Incidentally, it was reported that when they made the speed run, they didn't get out of 2nd gear
( Super, in a Turbo HydraMatic transmission )

Larry
 
HoosierGMCRVer said:
Incidentally, it was reported that when they made the speed run, they didn't get out of 2nd gear
( Super, in a Turbo HydraMatic transmission )

Larry

If true, that might explain why the engine grenaded. Olds engines are easily starved for oil. Don't ask how I know.  ::)
 
A class B+ that in it's stock form is something I'd gladly park in my drive!

They did modified the Hymer body and windows and it's significantly lighter than the  stock GMC, 26' class A. The airport provided less resistance than the salt flats --it all helps! I couldn't find a weight in the Hymer literature.

The GMC spoiler was added, the 454 dyno tuned and the more than 5 ton Class A headed down the salt flats.

I found more of the story yesterday at the Orlando Co-op that found the GMC used for the class A record.

http://gmccoop.com/land_speed_record.htm
 
glockholiday said:
My dad's 86' Winnebago Elanden 34' with a 454 was all stock and pulling a 20' enclosed trailer with 4 quads in it I had it up to the low 90's several times on the flats between Phoenix and Yuma going to the dunes.

Thanks for the warning.  Yet another reason to avoid that stretch of road.
 
I liked the article where they pulled up to the race line at the Salt Flats and the man says 'Motor homes park over there" and they explained they were there to set a speed record.

I mean, how many salt flat record setting race vehicles can you
1: Drive to the track (As opposed to transport)
2: Live in.
 
A Class B+ in stock form I would gladly park in my driveway

I made that mistake, I was totally unhappy going from a 5'er to a HR Augusta 29TSX. Inside nice but the storage I lost was unbelievable, plus HR picture was very misleading about the rear compartment. Now with a New/old Class A  (2009) Bounder Diesel Pusher. Set on Lot 2 years and has 6000 miles on it. Bought it at used price.  I can now carry what I had in the 5'er plus the ride is so much better.
 
glockholiday said:
That doesn't seem like that big of a feat. My dad's 86' Winnebago Elanden 34' with a 454 was all stock and pulling a 20' enclosed trailer with 4 quads in it I had it up to the low 90's several times on the flats between Phoenix and Yuma going to the dunes.
WHY?
j
 
Why not?

We go to the dunes a lot just west of Yuma. Just east of Yuma there is a big hill and at the campfire it's come up a few times about what speed we can pull the hill with our rigs going west bound so I wound her up on the straight before the hill to see how the old 454 compared to everyones new diesels. She held her own.
 
A note on the Olds oil starvation. I can't speak specifically about the olds engines but the caddy 472 and 500's have bearing journal so large in diameter they tend to wipe the oil film off the bearings at high rpm's. I mention this because I had heard they used some caddy motors in the GMC motorhomes.....don't know that to be true and hope someone might enlighten me.
 
Some GMC owners so enjoyed the 455's power and speed that they replaced the the 455 with the Caddy 500.

When the GMC first came out in '73 I was living in Elkhart IN and working for Coachman. That fall, we were returning at about 10am from my in-laws in Merrillville IN on. the Indiana Toll Road. Somewhere between Portage and Laporte, A new sleek motorhome appeared in my rear view mirror. I was doing 78+mph. As we got within 10 miles of the US 31 South Bend exit, it blew by me at about 90 mph, full of green wearing men and I saw them get off. . .  They must have been running late for a tailgate party. And that would have been a stock 455.  ::)
 
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