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Welcome to our Trivia page!
See this most excellent article in the Vintage GMC Motorhome quarterly by Bill Bryant
Did you know..? The X80300 option, on the Service Parts decal, is the GVW identity. Like most "options", the last 3 digits change by year, i.e., 1975s are X80500, 1978s are X80800. Sometimes the options show as 801, or 802. In later 1973, when the GVW went to 11,200, they changed to X80400.
VIN Decoder
| Example: TZE167V102359
| T
| Manufactured by General Motors
| Z
| Three Axle Motorhome
| E
| Gasoline Engine
| 1
| Interior Code -
0 - GM Interior from 1973 to 1974
1 - GM Interior from 1975 to 1978
2 - Twin Bed Interior for 1976 and 1977
3 - Transmode (sold without interior or windows)
| 6
| Model Code
6 - Model 260 (26 feet long)
3 - Model 230 (23 feet long)
| 7
| Model Year
In this case it would be 1977
| V
| Manufacturing Plant Code
V - Pontiac, Michigan
| 1
| First Digit of Production Series Number
All production started with a "1" in this position
| 0
| Second Digit of Production Series Number
Since total production was less than 13,000, all GMC units had a "0" in this position
| 2359
| Production Sequence Number
Reset to "0" each year
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| Definitions ---
GMC Motorhome: a self-propelled vehicle with chassis and body manufactured and assembled by GMC with a serial number beginning with the letters
"TZE". This term is used to refer generically to the vehicle regardless of the upfitter and purpose (recreational vehicle, people mover, ambulance, etc.)
GMC Motor Home: This is the product name designating a vehicle completed totally by GMC, including the interior. These were purpose-built to include kitchen and bath facilities in a self-contained coach. Units completed by another manufacturer or upfitter, such as Coachmen or Navion, did not go by this product name, but would go by the name listed below or the one mentioned above.
GMC Transmode: This is the product name designating a vehicle whose chassis and body were produced in the GMC plant but delivered to another upfitter who completed the coach. For instance, some were completed as people movers and used by Hertz to transport customers from airport terminals to rental car lots. Some units were sold to government agencies and used as mobile labs. Still others were delivered and finished out with interiors for use as motor homes. In other words, a Transmode could have seen service as a motor home or as a special purpose vehicle without living facilities installed.
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| Service Parts Identification Label | | If the motor home was furnished with a GMC interior, the label in the glovebox identifies the interior finish model, except for
'73 & '74 models. | |
| 641 | Kingsley | |
| 681 | Glenbrook | |
| 683 | Edgemont | |
| 685 | Coca Cola | |
| 690 | Sequoia | |
| 692 | Painted Desert | |
| 693 | Glacier | |
| 695 | Canyonlands | |
| 696 | Eleganza SE | |
| 697 | Eleganza II | |
| 698 | Palm Beach | | Source - What's in a Number? by Dave Greenberg
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| Elegant Coach of Minnesota 9010 Pillsbury Ave, Bloomington, MN While we don't know how many Transmodes Elegant Coach upfitted, there is only one listed in the GMC Registry. What is interesting about the Elegant approach was the interior layout and choice of materials. For example, there was a toilet, but no shower. There was a huge entertainment center making a focal point, a leather-look ceiling, a hot plate instead of a stove and a wet bar, double facing couches in tan leather and lots of interior lighting controlled by a panel on the wall. The most noticeable exterior feature was the raised, brass wings about 2' wide with a red ball in the center. The body was painted an off white with a red stripe. The single Registry listing was last spotted on a car dealer's lot in Canton, NY in 1998. (Update: the coach was spotted again in May 2009, same place) TZE368V100034 |
| Engineering/Concept Models | Cape Cod 23' (used on shake table test stand)
The following were at the Las Vegas Transmode announcement. Only the Eleganza SE saw limited production).
- Mr. Realator
- Rainbows End 23'
- Luxury Limo
- Jetney 23'
- Medi Unit
- Eleganza SE (concept vehicle at show)
- Sterling Mist, later renamed Lake Placid, currently in Michigan
- Tiffany (proposed as one of new 75 models, produced)
- The Great Gadabout 23'
- RPI College people mover 23' (no name designated, built by GMC) | | Thanks to Bill Bryant for this information |
| | Sites for Production Changes and Model ID
by Interior Decor | PRODUCTION CHANGES:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3475
Bill Bryant has provided photos with captions of various changes to production that are of interest. For example, the door latch.
| MODEL IDENTIFICATION BY INTERIOR DECOR:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3516
The scanned images seen here are from pages of various brochures. Bill has assembled and grouped these making comparison relatively easy.
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Important sites for Production Changes and Model I.D. by interior decor PRODUCTION CHANGES: http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3475
MODEL IDENTIFICATION BY INTERIOR DECOR: http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3516
GMC MotorHome and TransMode Production
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| 1973
| 1974
| 1975
| 1976
| 1977
| 1978
| Totals
| MODEL & OPTION CODE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Beginning Models*
| 2,059
| 1,664
|
|
|
|
|
| Palm Beach - 698
|
|
| 253
| 920
| 543
| 194
| 1,910
| Edgemonte - 683
|
|
|
| 132
|
|
| 132
| Eleganza II - 697
|
|
| 488
| 930
| 562
| 267
| 2,247
| Glenbrook - 681
|
|
| 454
| 431
|
|
| 885
| Kingsley - 641
|
|
|
|
| 540
| 223
| 763
| | Coca Cola - 685 |
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|
|
| 50
| 5
| 55
| Motorhomes with Interiors by GMC
| 23-ft Models
| 461
| 168
|
|
|
|
| 629
| 26-ft Models
| 1,598
| 1,496
| 1,195
| 2,413
| 1,695
| 689
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| Transmodes (upfitted by other companies)
| 23-ft Models
|
|
| 36
| 549
| 253
| 178
| 1,016
| 26-ft Models
|
|
| 425
| 298
| 455
| 1,012
| 2,190
| Grand Totals by Year
| 2,059
| 1,664
| 1,656
| 3,260
| 2,403
| 1,879
| 12,921
| *The original models were Glacier 693, Canyon Lands 695, Painted Desert 692, & Sequoia 690
which were the interior decor schemes and available in four of six available exterior colors.
All interior schemes were available in White 532 or Camel 533. Other exterior choices
were Pineapple Yellow 527, Parrot Green 577, Bittersweet 575, and Sky Blue 554.
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Turning diameter for 26' coaches, curb to curb – 56.4
A Cartoon Favorite!
FMCA Article
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