[GMCnet] Yellowstone Trip Report

[Jared & Stefanie Kohl]

We have returned from our 3 week adventure to the west. Apart from the Transmission issue, we had an absolute blast. And even that ended up being a
blessing in disguise as it allowed us to witness the awesomeness that is the GMC community. We were lucky to have broken down just mere miles from a
great transmission shop that had experience working on our beauties. Bob Donaghue just happened to have an "extra" Manny Tranny in his possession a
mere 2 hours away in Iowa. The weather was PERFECT for "camping" on the side of the road for 18 hours while fighting with Allstate and the crooked
Chicagoland tow truck companies. The transmission shop owner allowed us to camp behind his shop for the weekend until he got back Monday to install
the new trans.

Making phone call after phone call to Allstate and Black List members. Thankfully we had a nice spot away from homes and the cops were fine with us
making arrangements where we were located.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7063/medium/20170622_110423.jpg

Making the best of our time at the Transmission shop.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/20170622_193334.jpg

The bad was I almost got in a fight with the first idiot tow truck driver who tried to lift the front end by the front bumper. He got all pissy with
me when I politely informed him that isn't an option. Literally took his toys and started to leave bec he apparently knew better. (Cop that was there
watched him google "how to tow GMC motorhome" and called him out on his assholery. My awesome wife ended up sending me off somewhere else to stew
while she dealt with the dumbass. (which was good cuz I was ready to have it out with that guy). He apparently didn't have the correct "equipment"
to tow by the wheels. When the next tow truck finally came around 18 hours later he had the exact same style truck. But the front wheel lift
equipment was heavy as hell and was a PITA to haul from truck to RV. So my guess is 1st guy had it. He just didn't want to pull it out and use it.


http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7063/medium/20170622_173914.jpg

We drove 5230 miles. Consumed 652 gallons of fuel for an average MPG of 7.98 miles per gallon (average cost was 2.30/gal) This while towing a 3000#
Honda Civic. It was a lot easier coming east than going west. We took the northern route into Yellowstone (which IMO is the ONLY route to Yellowstone
that should be used for Motorhomes... there were literally zero mountain passes that we needed to tackle.) I kept waiting for that mountain pass to
come around the bend and before I knew it, we were at 5500' entering Yellowstone. Yellowstone itself is around 7500' and we topped out at 8200' in the
motorhome. It performed flawlessly throughout once we got the new transmission in Illinois.


http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/IMG_20170627_193219_182.jpg


http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/20170627_165757.jpg

Great little campers

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/20170703_083710.jpg

Barking at furry cows

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/20170702_120348.jpg

Our site in Yellowstone.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/20170629_092001.jpg

Our view out the back window.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/20170629_105624.jpg

We got to meet up with several GMCers across the country. Ken Burton in Indiana, Bob and Pam Schilling in South Dakota, and Bob and Linda Donoghue in
Iowa. (And talked to numerous others on the phone. Can't believe how amazing this community really is.)

Bob Schilling allowed me to change the oil in his driveway and showed us his beautiful coach. Can't thank him enough for that hospitality. Bob
Donoghue allowed us to "borrow" a Manny Tranny he happened to have and hadn't installed in Ken Schaefer's coach yet. Thanks so much to both Bob and
Ken for allowing us to take this transmission and order another one to be delivered to Bob. Ken Burton let us use his hanger to check a few things
before we went home. Namely making sure the axel bolts were tightened to the correct torque. (they weren't). and making sure the transmission stick
was right. (It was. Pulling the modulator right after shutting off the coach did the trick to determining the correct fluid level.)

Thanks so much to everyone who assisted us. We had a blast crossing this beautiful country of ours. Can't wait to do it again.
--
Jared & Stefanie Kohl
Rappahannock County, VA
1973 Painted Desert "Onslow"


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[Jim Kanomata]

I'm really happy for you all.

Sent from my iPhone

[Jared & Stefanie Kohl]

Our route west and east.


http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/Route.JPG

[Terry]

37 more days...! Glad you guys made it back...quite an eventful trip :)
--
Terry Kelpien

ASE Master Technician

73 Glacier 260

Smithfield, Va.

[Jared & Stefanie Kohl]

How could I forget to mention Terry Kelpien... Without his help, we'd have been cooking in the coach the whole trip. He helped get the AC unit
installed in the coach before we left. The AC froze us out of the coach. Combined with a curtain behind the seats, it kept the cockpit nice and icy
cool even in the 100 degree temps we ran into on the way back.

Thanks so much Terry!

[Rob Mueller]

Jared,

I'm glad your trials and tribulations came to a happy end and that you NEVER have to go through the situation again, however, if you
download and print out a copy of this document I believe it will make your life easier:

http://www.gmceast.com/technical/Mueller_GMC-Towing-Guide.pdf

Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
USA '77 Kingsley - TZE 267V100808

-----Original Message-----
From: Gmclist [mailto:gmclist...@list.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Jared & Stefanie Kohl
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2017 3:04 PM
To: gmc...@list.gmcnet.org
Subject: [GMCnet] Yellowstone Trip Report

We have returned from our 3 week adventure to the west. Apart from the Transmission issue, we had an absolute blast. And even that
ended up being a blessing in disguise as it allowed us to witness the awesomeness that is the GMC community. We were lucky to have
broken down just mere miles from a
great transmission shop that had experience working on our beauties. Bob Donaghue just happened to have an "extra" Manny Tranny in
his possession a mere 2 hours away in Iowa. The weather was PERFECT for "camping" on the side of the road for 18 hours while
fighting with Allstate and the crooked
Chicagoland tow truck companies. The transmission shop owner allowed us to camp behind his shop for the weekend until he got back
Monday to install the new trans.

Making phone call after phone call to Allstate and Black List members. Thankfully we had a nice spot away from homes and the cops
were fine with us making arrangements where we were located.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7063/medium/20170622_110423.jpg

Making the best of our time at the Transmission shop.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/500/medium/20170622_193334.jpg

The bad was I almost got in a fight with the first idiot tow truck driver who tried to lift the front end by the front bumper. He
got all pissy with me when I politely informed him that isn't an option. Literally took his toys and started to leave bec he

apparently knew better. (Cop that was there watched him Google "how to tow GMC motorhome" and called him out on his assholery. My

awesome wife ended up sending me off somewhere else to stew while she dealt with the dumbass. (which was good cuz I was ready to
have it out with that guy). He apparently didn't have the correct "equipment" to tow by the wheels. When the next tow truck
finally came around 18 hours later he had the exact same style truck. But the front wheel lift equipment was heavy as hell and was a
PITA to haul from truck to RV. So my guess is 1st guy had it. He just didn't want to pull it out and use it.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/7063/medium/20170622_173914.jpg

We drove 5230 miles. Consumed 652 gallons of fuel for an average MPG of 7.98 miles per gallon (average cost was 2.30/gal). This

[Thomas Phipps]

One off the ole bucket list. What a great story! Too bad about the bad tow experience. Even the dogs had a great time.
Tom, MS II
--
1975 GMC Avion
KA4CSG

[Johnny Bridges via Gmclist]

You put the tach to the left of the clusters. I put it between them :)
See you in Dillard next month.

--johnny
--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased

[James Hupy]

Jared, we ran into the same bunch of GMC owners in 2014 when we retraced
Route 66. Plus we managed to hook up with a Rally at Potato Creek and met a
bunch more great GMC ers. Stayed for a couple of days at Margie and Randy
VanWinkle's where the Flatlanders treated us with great Midwest
hospitality. Headed south where we met up with Hal St Claire and his lovely
wife. They traveled with us a couple of days. You will never in your life
meet a nicer, more helpful group of people than those in the GMC community.
Glad you got to Yellowstone. Everyone should see it. Mount Rushmore too.
Bob and Pam made that a very special event for us, limo, steak dinner,
nighttime light show and tribute to Veterans. Great Memories. Something we
are not likely to forget anytime soon.
Jim Hupy, Planning on Tucson 2017
Salem, Or
78 GMC ROYALE 403

On Jul 10, 2017 6:29 AM, "Johnny Bridges via Gmclist" <

[Dennis Sexton]

Jared

Thanks for talking us along for the ride!
Love the photos of the four fur kids. Looks like they had fun.

Dennis
--
Dennis S
73 Painted Desert 230
Memphis TN Metro

[Bryan Hayes]

Glad you enjoyed your trip! We went to Yellowstone a few years ago in our GMC. Though it was a little tight with six of us, I think the GMC is just
about the perfect size RV for exploring inside the park.
--
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah

[Ty Hardiman]

What campsite did you take that picture in? Was that considered a "double wide 30 foot" site or something? I've never been but I'm planning a trip and
it seems hard to figure out the most secluded place to dry camp while still having enough space for the GMC and a towed having a combined length of
over 40 feet. Looks like you had a wonderful spot. Did you stay in multiple sites or just one while in YNP?
--
Ty Hardiman, Norman, OK
Member FMCA / GMCMI / GMC Classics
1977 Kingsley TZE167V102390
Build date August 1977
26'/403/3.55/16" Wheels/Quadrajet/HEI
Previous Owners: Basil LeBlanc, Dan Ramker
Original owner: William Strahm, Loveland, CO

[Jared & Stefanie Kohl]

Hi Ty,

That was at the Canyon Campground. Very nice place. No hookups but you need to make reservations a year in advance to get a spot there. (Same goes for
the other 5 or 6 reservation only campgrounds in the park) There are something like 12-15 campgrounds in the park. Canyon campground is huge but
very wooded. All the sites we saw in this campground were very similar to ours. Our site was K238. We stayed there the whole time. Nice and quiet. The
trick is to get up really early, skip breakfast and do all the cool stuff. Then come back to the campsite around 11 for late breakfast/early lunch.
That's the time when things start getting really crowded due to all the people coming in from outside the park. Then head back out around 3pm and
stay out till 9/10.

--
Jared & Stefanie Kohl
Rappahannock County, VA
1973 Painted Desert "Onslow"

[Jared & Stefanie Kohl]

Also, if you make reservations for camping, be sure to also make reservations for the 2 hour horseback ride and dinner at Roosevelt Corrals.
Absolutely incredible experience. And they have a 1 hour horseback ride and a stage coach ride to the same place followed by a huge steak dinner with
all the fixins. It sells out very early so I'd highly recommend booking it early. It was the highlight of our trip there.

http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/things-to-do/summer-things-to-do/wild-west-adventures/old-west-dinner-cookout/

[Ty Hardiman]

Thanks for all the great info. There's a lot of advice out there about how to visit YNP, but what I really wanted was to hear from a fellow GMCer. I
just hope Bob D. has another spare tranny up there in case I need one next summer LOL.
--
Ty Hardiman, Norman, OK / Member FMCA-GMCMI-GMC Classics / August 1977 Kingsley TZE167V102390 / 26' / 403 / 3.55 / 16" Wheels / Quadrajet / HEI /
Previous Owners: Basil LeBlanc, Dan Ramker / Original Owner: William Strahm, Loveland, CO