As a large part of the nation’s energy savings begin at home, it would seem twice as great an idea to combine home and transportation into one self-propelled futuristic automobile. If we could send men to the moon, we could most certainly motor around our great nation in a modern home! But wait – don’t we already have recreational vehicles? Not so fast. Rolling like space-age fiberglass and aluminum Conestoga wagons into a ’70s-conceived future that never arrived are the legendary GMC Motorhomes. While it’s fun to think the automakers can tool up and produce an atomic-powered RV of the future in the time it takes to update the Facebooks, there’s a lot more engineering to it than one might think. The model shown here appears to be a 1977 23-foot Birchaven. To learn more read this account on the development, testing, and production of the Oldsmobile V8-powered front-wheel drive pie-wagon that eventually became the GMC Motorhome.
More: The GMC Motorhome by William Bryant
2 Responses
One of the few futuristic things from the 70s to actually make it to market. I bet somewhere there’s a (very earth-tone-y color pencil) rendering of one of these parked next to a mid-engined, rotary-powered Corvette.
Posted on May 20th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Turbine-powered Mr. Science. With a mono-rail overhead…and maybe some moon suits.
Posted on May 20th, 2009 at 1:49 pm