DecoLiner: The $500,000 Double-Decker Motorhome

Ridiculous Rides

A RENOWNED automotive artist has built a $500,000 motorhome that you can drive from the roof. Randy Grubb, from Oregon, is well-known for building beautiful and unique chrome vehicles. Some of his masterpieces include the Blastolene Indy Special, Jay Leno Tank Car, Decoson and the $500,000 motorhome - the Decoliner. Inspired by the 1980s sci-fi space traveller Flash Gordon, Randy spent over $100,000 in parts and 6,000 hours in manpower on the stylised mobile home. Using the chassis of a 1973 GMC motorhome which sports a front-wheel drive, it allows the frame of the Decoliner to be very low to the ground, around 14 inches. This means that Randy had enough space to stack the vehicle as a double decker and for an additional driving position on the roof low enough to fit under most bridges and overpasses. Randy and his wife drove the Decoliner all over America, putting over 15,000 miles on the camper without being stopped for the unusual driving position.

Transcript

00:01One of the coolest things about the DecoLiner is the fact that you can drive it from the roof.

00:07I always get asked, is that legal?

00:09Well, it's not illegal, and it's a very fine line.

00:23I was never a big motor homer.

00:25I always thought it was kind of weird driving around in a big box and sleeping in it.

00:29Then I built the DecoLiner. It's really cool. We had a lot of fun with it.

00:32I put over 15,000 miles on the DecoLiner. The wife and I drove all over America.

00:37While building the DecoLiner, Randy invested over $100,000 in parts and a whole lot of time.

00:45The DecoLiner was a 6,000-hour build executed over an 18-month period.

00:52I know, do the math, it's a serious medical condition.

00:55That's seven days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day. There were only 15 days taken off.

01:02Yeah, I have issues, obviously.

01:06It's not based on anything else.

01:08The chassis under the DecoLiner started as a 1973 GMC motor home.

01:13That motor home was a very iconic motor home. It was way ahead of its time.

01:17The DecoLiner has a 455 Oles and a front-wheel drive system in it.

01:26Most motor homes you walk up a flight of stairs to get above the engine and the drivetrain.

01:31Because the DecoLiner is front-wheel drive, the frame is only 14 inches off the ground

01:36and it allowed me to stack the roof and still keep it under the 13.6 legal max here in the States.

01:41The vehicle was recently sold for half a million dollars.

01:47I had seen the DecoLiner on a couple television shows and always loved the design of it,

01:53the art deco aspect of the vehicle.

01:56By happenstance, I met somebody who knew Randy, discovered that the vehicle was for sale.

02:00So we arranged a meeting and worked out a deal.

02:04It's an amazing vehicle to be involved with because everybody smiles profusely at it.

02:11It just brings a lot of joy to people.

02:14I've always thought of the DecoLiner as Flash Gordon's motor home.

02:18One of the coolest things about the DecoLiner is the fact that you can drive it from the roof.

02:22I always get asked, is that legal?

02:27Well, it's not illegal and it's a very fine line.

02:31For a policeman to pull you over and write you a ticket,

02:34he's got to put down what vehicle code you violated.

02:38And there's nothing on the books about driving a car from the roof.

02:42And it will probably come as no surprise that this isn't Randy's first build.

02:48This is what I do for fun and profit.

02:52I actually make a living building these crazy vehicles.

02:56A lot of people know me for the Jay Leno tank car.

02:58That was the very first car that I built and that really put me on the map.

03:02Believe me, when Jay Leno buys your car and gives it the thumbs up, you're a hero.

03:07So here we are in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

03:11There's this giant car show, really had fun bringing the DecoLiner

03:15and letting everybody see it and experience it firsthand.

03:20When I negotiated the deal for the DecoLiner, I also negotiated a deal for one of the DecoPod motorbikes.

03:26And after I got to know Randy better and got to experience the quality of his work,

03:31we created a new vehicle, a Roadster.

03:33The DecoLiner is the center of attention wherever it goes.

03:37One of the lessons that I learned very early on about the DecoLiner is that there's a certain responsibility that comes with driving it.

03:44I was driving it to its debut in the Portland Art Museum up in Portland, Oregon.

03:50And I was late. It's showtime.

03:52And I'm mobbed at the gas station with everybody wanting to know what this crazy thing is.

03:57So I finally get fueled up and I'm like, I need to go, I need to go, you guys.

03:59And then here comes a bus full of 30 deaf kids.

04:04They all surround me and the guy, he's asking me questions and he's signing to the kids.

04:10And I'm in a hurry and I got to go.

04:13That's when it really hit me.

04:15Wow. You don't have time for 30 deaf kids?

04:20What's wrong with you, guy?

04:21That's when I realized when you bring the circus to town, you better have the patience to deal with the response.

04:30The smiles and the joy and letting the kids go up on the upper deck.

04:36That's what floats my boat.

04:38It's really an honor and a privilege to drive this thing and make people smile and laugh wherever it goes.

04:46I'm a lucky guy.

04:51So yourself in aרים with me one, so I'm your accountant.

04:54I'm your accountant.

04:56Friday is the beginning, so I'm your accountant.

04:58And I'm your accountant at work.

04:59They're all happy to act.

05:11You have and my accountant have a good job.

05:14That's what I'm working on.

05:16This is something that I wanted to convince myself.

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