Meet the Once Famous 8-Wheel Buick Motorhome!

If you love Buicks, you’ll surely love this motorhome built out of scrapped Buicks (yes, you read that correctly). Meet ShamRockAway, the 8-Wheel Buick Motorhome built by none other than an RV enthusiast with much time on his hands.

Dennis McGuire, from Alma, Michigan, a member of the Family Motor Coach Association, took his love of Buicks to the next level by converting them, three to be exact, into a full-functioning motorhome. He chose Buicks for their style and handling on the road.

His creation started in 1948 with a 1948 Buick for the chassis. Then two 1962 Buick models were added; the middle one being left intact and placed on top. The other one was cut in half and split to cover the front and rear. “I didn’t build anything, I just reassembled,” exclaimed McGuire. He didn’t work alone, however. He had the help of his son Michael, who built the gearbox in order for the four wheels in the front to turn.

ShamRockAway, weighing in at a whopping 9,960 pounds, was built solid and was very much drivable. The engine’s power came from none other than an Electra 225 Buick V8. It also used Dynaflow transmission, power steering, two large gas tanks, and rear-axle air shocks to get moving.

This unique motorhome was also very much livable and was comprised of a spacious 6-foot high and 28-foot long interior, two air conditioning units, two heaters, and a customized floor plan complete with a kitchen and bathroom. McGuire finished ShamRockAway at age 69, in just enough time for him to experience traveling in it with his family across the U.S., from Arizona to Pennsylvania.

ShamRockAway, also known as Noah’s Ark, had made its public debut in the 1970s and remained popular through the early 1980s. However, as time expired, so did the motorhome’s mechanicals and exterior, and it was left abandoned. ShamRockAway never quite made its comeback.

What a shocking difference between the “old-school” Buicks and the new Buicks we see on our showroom floors today! Check out Ewing Buick GMC’s new Buick lineup. Feel free to shop our new and pre-owned inventory. The team at Ewing are always happy to assist you with all of your car-buying questions and needs. Are you feeling inspired? We look forward to hearing from you!