00:00 One of the coolest things about the DecoLiner is the fact that you can drive it from the
00:05 roof.
00:06 I always get asked, "Is that legal?"
00:08 Well, it's not illegal, and it's a very fine line.
00:23 I was never a big motor homer.
00:25 I always thought it was kind of weird driving around in a big box and sleeping in it.
00:29 Then I built the DecoLiner.
00:30 It's really cool.
00:31 We had a lot of fun with it.
00:32 I put over 15,000 miles on the DecoLiner.
00:34 The wife and I drove all over America.
00:37 While building the DecoLiner, Randy invested over $100,000 in parts and a whole lot of
00:44 time.
00:45 The DecoLiner was a 6,000-hour build executed over an 18-month period.
00:52 I know, do the math.
00:53 It's a serious medical condition.
00:56 It's seven days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day.
00:59 There were only 15 days taken off.
01:02 Yeah, I have issues, obviously.
01:05 It's not based on anything else.
01:07 The chassis under the DecoLiner started as a 1973 GMC motor home.
01:13 That motor home was a very iconic motor home.
01:15 It was way ahead of its time.
01:18 The DecoLiner has a 455 Oles and a front-wheel drive system in it.
01:26 Most motor homes, you walk up a flight of stairs to get above the engine and the drive
01:30 train.
01:31 Because the DecoLiner is front-wheel drive, the frame is only 14 inches off the ground,
01:35 and it allowed me to stack the roof and still keep it under the 13.6 legal max here in the
01:41 States.
01:42 The vehicle was recently sold for half a million dollars.
01:46 I had seen the DecoLiner on a couple of television shows and always loved the design of it, the
01:53 art deco aspect of the vehicle.
01:55 By happenstance, I met somebody who knew Randy, discovered that the vehicle was for sale,
02:00 so we arranged a meeting and worked out a deal.
02:03 It's an amazing vehicle to be involved with because everybody smiles profusely at it.
02:10 It just brings a lot of joy to people.
02:14 I've always thought of the DecoLiner as Flash Gordon's motor home.
02:17 One of the coolest things about the DecoLiner is the fact that you can drive it from the
02:20 roof.
02:21 I always get asked, "Is that legal?"
02:27 Well, it's not illegal, and it's a very fine line.
02:30 For a policeman to pull you over and write you a ticket, he's got to put down what vehicle
02:36 code you violated, and there's nothing on the books about driving a car from the roof.
02:44 And it'll probably come as no surprise that this isn't Randy's first build.
02:49 This is what I do for fun and profit.
02:51 I actually make a living building these crazy vehicles.
02:55 A lot of people know me for the Jay Leno tank car.
02:58 That was the very first car that I built, and that really put me on the map.
03:02 Believe me, when Jay Leno buys your car and gives it the thumbs up, you're a hero.
03:08 So here we are in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
03:11 There's this giant car show.
03:13 Really had fun bringing the DecoLiner and letting everybody see it and experience it
03:18 firsthand.
03:20 When I negotiated the deal for the DecoLiner, I also negotiated a deal for one of the DecoPod
03:24 motorbikes.
03:25 And after I got to know Randy better and got to experience the quality of his work, we
03:30 created a new vehicle, a Roadster.
03:32 The DecoLiner is the center of attention wherever it goes.
03:37 One of the lessons that I learned very early on about the DecoLiner is that there's a certain
03:42 responsibility that comes with driving it.
03:44 I was driving it to its debut in the Portland Art Museum up in Portland, Oregon, and I was
03:49 late.
03:50 It's showtime.
03:51 And I'm mobbed at the gas station with everybody wanting to know what this crazy thing is.
03:56 So I finally get fueled up and I'm like, "I need to go.
03:58 I need to go, you guys."
04:00 And then here comes a bus full of 30 deaf kids.
04:03 They all surround me, and the guy, he's asking me questions and he's signing to the kids.
04:10 And I'm in a hurry and I gotta go.
04:12 That's when it really hit me.
04:14 Wow.
04:15 You don't have time for 30 deaf kids?
04:19 What's wrong with you, guy?
04:21 That's when I realized, when you bring the circus to town, you better have the patience
04:28 to deal with the response, the smiles and the joy and letting the kids go up on the
04:34 upper deck.
04:35 That's what floats my boat.
04:37 It's really an honor and a privilege to drive this thing and make people smile and laugh
04:44 wherever it goes.
04:45 I'm a lucky guy.
04:46 I'm a lucky guy.
04:53 (upbeat music)
Comments