My first RV: a 1964 GMC 3/4 ton, 305 V-6 w/Alaskan camper

[skcyclist]

I'd seen this camper parked in Belmont Heights, Long Beach, CA when I lived there c. 1975. I'd never owned an RV, but this was a pretty cool looking set up. Then one day, I saw a for sale sign in the window. As I recall the owner was asking $750, which seemed like a very good deal. I don't even know if I drove it before buying it, but i had no regrets after the purchase. My first trip in it was to San Miguel, Mexico with some runner chums after I quit my health inspector job in the Spring of 1976. A few months later, my 64-65 year old Dad and I, took off for Montreal for the Summer Olympics that year. We went the circuitous route north to Butchart Gardens, Lake Louise, Bannf,Glacier National Park, friends and relatives in Iowa City, Chicago area and Long Island. Instead of going on to Montreal, my Dad decided to hitchhike on his own back to Long Beach and we parted company at Fort Lee, NJ. For the next several years my Dad made other hitch hiking trips around the US and Canada. Anyway the GMC/Alaskan was great little package. I don't recall exactly, but I think it got pretty good mpg, too, maybe 15mpg or so, and it didn't lack power at all. Ultimately I took the Alaskan camper off the the truck and used both while I pioneered 50+ acres of eventual avocado land near Santa Barbara, CA. In the 80's, I also owned a Ford pick up with a camper that also was good unit. I drove that back and forth between SB and Santa Maria where I camped overnight before flying my 1948 Bellanca Crusair hangared at SMX.