This 1982 GMC General, now owned by the Shaw Family of Byron, NY, did not start its life as a camper. Although Corky Shaw is not sure exactly how his GMC began its career in trucking, he can account for its whereabouts since he bought it for only $300 in 2004. He decided to stretch the frame six feet, then removed the camper from his old International 4070B and installed it on the GMC. He built a frame under the camper from five-inch channel steel and then used four U-bolts to hold it onto the truck. The camper has a 5000-watt generator plus lots of storage and tool boxes. The walk-in sleeper has a bunk bed, chemical toilet, and closet. To ensure a comfortable ride while driving to shows, Corky installed air-ride on the rear, taking a Meritor 3:70 rear axle from a 1998 Freightliner, and then made a driveline to fit. The air-ride system, along with the 270-inch wheelbase, gives it a smooth ride, and a hitch on the back allows Corky to pull a trailer loaded with his other trucks to shows. The General is powered by a silver 6V92TA Detroit engine hooked to a 13-speed overdrive transmission. The Shaws like being in the middle of things at shows, and with this camper, they don’t have to stay in a hotel or campground away from the action. Speaking an obvious truth, Corky said, “The GMC is fun to drive and a real attention-getter at shows.”
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John & Shirley Sponholtz
John & Shirley Sponholtz have been involved with old trucks for over 20 years. Shirley was editor at Wheels of Time for 12 years before going out on her own and starting Old Time Trucks magazine in 2004. John is an avid photographer who enjoys taking pictures of odd and/or rare trucks (he provides most of the pictures for this article and their magazine). John & Shirley, who are from Richmond, Indiana, have been regular contributors to 10-4 Magazine since 2006.
