How Fast Does the World’s Fastest RV Go, Costing a Whopping $95,000?
Motorhomes are about as synonymous with speed as Oklahoma is to producing fine wine — that is to say, not at all. However, if you put an engine into anything, someone is bound to see how fast they make it — and there’s even more motivation to be found when the final product supports a good cause. That is how the world’s fastest RV came to be, and its speed and story are both hugely endearing.
A 1977 RV pushing 700 horsepower
According to RecPro, the MoHo, as it’s been dubbed, is a 1977 GMC Kingsley 26-foot motorhome that looks a world apart from the RVs you see meandering along the slow lane of the highway. Its attention-grabbing livery, aerodynamic side panels, and front fascia aren’t the only things that set it apart, though. Underneath its bulking frame is a Chevy 502 Ram Jet Motor pushing out a staggering 700 horsepower.
The MoHo is completely stripped of anything typically found in a motorhome. In their place are features like a full racing cockpit, a fire suppression system, a racing data logger, tires rated for up to 150 mph, and other goodies that make this once camper/cruiser a speed demon.
And it’s not all show and no go. In August 2016, the MoHo broke the world record for the fastest Class A RV on the planet with a run of 122.156 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats, a mind-boggling speed given its size, age, and, not to mention the fact it was created as a mobile living space.
For reference, most motorhomes are limited to 75 mph due to their tires, according to Escapees RV Club. RV organization Camper Report suggests the speed goes no higher than 65 mph in modern motorhomes. So, the MoHo can travel about 50 mph faster than most motorhomes and nearly double the speed recommended, just to underscore how ludicrously fantastic it is.
The MoHo promotes a great cause
The MoHo is the brainchild of Britt Palmer. Palmer was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth Disease (CMT). This inherited neurological disorder can damage peripheral nerves and lead to progressive muscle weakness, according to the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Palmer wrote that he “wasn’t about to let this disease slow [him] down anymore,” and, while scrolling Craigslist, he saw an ad for the ’77 GMC Kingsley. After some research, he found the world speed record for such a motorhome was 102.7 mph. Palmer became determined to best that figure with the MoHo to help bring awareness to CMT.
Dennis McCarthy of Vehicle Effects led the “go fast” treatment of the RV. In addition to its Ram Jet engine, it’s fitted with a limited-slip final drive, a Magnaflow exhaust, an NX wet nitrous system, aluminum floors, walls and ceiling, 80mm front brake calipers, a high-performance air filter, applied GMC front and rear sway bars, a 360-degree camera system, and aerodynamic exterior panels.
In 2013, the MoHo reached 120.8 mph during the 2013 Speed Week on the Bonneville Salt Flats, and three years later, the RV bested that figure and set the new benchmark for the world’s fastest Class A motorhome.
The MoHo motorhome recently found a new home
The MoHo was listed on Facebook Marketplace — of all places — earlier this year. It was sold for $95,000, a respectable price for a world-record-holding vehicle and one that seemingly has about that much invested into it. Though it isn’t clear who purchased the MoHo, a post on its website in April suggests the company RecPro, an RV restoration firm, now possesses the RV. Palmer wrote that RecPro assured him the company has “big plans in store for the MoHo.”
We anxiously await what that may entail for the world’s fastest RV.
