August 13th, 2011
My wife was reading an ad for an estate sale in our area. She indicated there was a 1984 Blue Bird motor home “project” available. I was pretty excited about the prospect of a Blue Bird Wanderlodge so I spent some time researching the Blue Bird Wanderlodge motor homes.
After a morning of hitting local garage sales, we hit the road to go see the 1984 Blue Bird motor home. When we arrived, we noticed a very large metal building that housed many vehicles including some vintage 1930′s Fords and Chevys. Upon entering, I saw the front of the Blue Bird coach. Not wanting to show any excitement, I calmly walked around looking at the coach. It was quickly apparent this person’s project was a mess and they had very little experience doing this! It had a patchwork of very poor exterior panel work.
We then went inside to find a very awkward floorplan and a partially completed wet-bath (which I would not expect in a Wanderlodge). I did notice some very commercial items such as the bus route device above the driver. It occurred to me that a Wanderlodge would never have seem passenger service.
Come to find out, it was an old city bus that the current owner was attempting to make into an RV. The partially completed project was a mess. This Blue Bird bus was basically salvage. There were no bids on the unit. I bet I could have gotten it for less than $50. The problem is that I’d have to spend hundreds to get it started and able to be driven. This bus is destined for the scrap yard! Oh well, my quest for another RV continues!
The positive side to this is that I plan to develop new sections for the Blue Bird Wanderlodge units in the new future.
Happy Travels,
Fred
ViewRVs.com
Tags: blue bird wanderlodge bus
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May 23rd, 2011
Question from Joe:
Hi Fred
At some point each and every man must find his mind in an RV. And when that first thought floats to our lost mind, we next get to an Airstream Classic RV. Well here I am. Don’t know where I’d go, but alas I’m gone. Please coach me. I’ve never had an RV. I like the thought of pulling a convertible either on a trailer or tow. I’ve dogs and kids and an adventurers basic matrix. Diesel? No Diesel? Please tell me what to do….can’t afford much.
Thanks Fred.
Joe
Fred’s Answer:
This is a great question and requires a long answer! Not every situation is the same so I will give you a few things to ponder.
- Do you own a tow vehicle? This makes a huge difference. Having a truck or large SUV allows you to buy a used trailer. Right now, many of the 1980-1995 Airstream trailers are a real bargain.
- Where do you plan to “camp”? If you will always be at parks, a trailer makes a lot of sense. If you plan to “boondock” or “dry camp”, a motorhome makes sense although many trailer folks tote along generators.
- Do you have somewhere to store an RV? Many subdivisions do not allow RVs. A storage facility will run you $40 to $100 per month.
- How much time off do you have each year? If you only have 2-3 weeks of vacation, I suggest just renting cabins or hotels. You really have to have some time available to use the RV.
- How old are the kids? Teenagers are a lot less likely to want to go camp with Mom and Dad. Also, the convertible sofas and dinettes are really made for little ones. Most teenagers and adults find them hard to sleep on.
- How many activities are the kids in? If you are one of those folks with the kids doing things all week, an RV may not be for you. If you like to spend time together and are not involved in 10 clubs, you will have lots of fun.
- What kind of things are you close to? I once lived in Jackson, Mississippi and there was NOTHING within 3 hours of Jackson! Here in West Virginia, I probably have 100 places to go within 3-4 hours.
- How much money do you have to spend? The trailers can be much less expensive. The Classic diesel motorhomes can run from $19,000 to $39,000 depending on the model and year.
- How handy are you? Most RVs, just like an older car, need some work to keep them going. You either need a pile of cash or be pretty handy.
- It sounds like you want a diesel classic motorhome. The classic diesels from 1983 to 1991 do not tow much of anything without modifications to the hitch. The factory tow weight is 2,000 pounds. The 1994-1995 Classic diesel pushers can pretty much pull any car.
- As far as pulling a car, most motorhome owners prefer to tow “four down” (a.k.a. “toad”) or all four wheels on the road with a tow bar rather than using a dolly or trailer. The dolly or trailer is just one more thing to drag around. First, the car is much easier to unhitch and drive. Second, the car is pretty stable on it’s own four tires.
Having an RV can be a great or horrible experience. You learn about AC and DC electrical systems, plumbing, heating, cooling, and gas systems. It is a complicated rolling house. It will take you a few trips to really understand your RV. Have a good mechanic check it out and also show you have the systems work.
I also highly suggest being active in an Internet forum such as Air Forums (http://www.airforums.com/) or the Open Roads Forum (http://www.rv.net/forum/).
The pets are fun to travel with. My two dogs absolutely LOVED the motorhome. My pointer mix would run and leap into the RV with such enthusiasm that she usually hit the dinette on the other side of the coach! They loved going on walks on the trails in the state parks! Smaller dogs are obviously better. You’ll need to check with the parks in advance for pet restrictions, fees, and requirements such as paperwork.
I hope that helps Joe!
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May 22nd, 2011
We just drove down to Disney and back. I spotted a few Airstream trailers, an Avion at Universal Studios, and two Casita trailers.
LOTS of RVs out and about on the roads even with gas at $4.00 per gallon.
Both Casitas were being pulled by Toyota Tacoma trucks.
The Avion trailer is being used as a concession trailer. I got a few pictures that I’ll post in my Avion section.
I did not see a single Airstream motorhome on the trip.
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July 31st, 2010
Hi,
have a ’94 airsteam land yacht LE 34 footer, need a couple rear tail light lenses, and tips for best place to buy?
thanks!
Tom S.
========================================
Tom,
I would try these two places:
Inland RV
http://inlandrv.com/
Colaw RV salvage
http://www.colawrvsalvage.com/
You could also just try an Airstream dealer!
-Fred
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July 23rd, 2010
Sid,
The Argosy 5th wheel you are looking at is not for sale. It is an archives exhibit. The units for sale will have a blue FOR SALE banner on the page. You can also check the home page to see the units currently for sale.
-Fred
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July 22nd, 2010
I know that most motor home owners will boondock (or dry camp) on a regular basis. I certainly did it when I had my motor home. Class A motor homes are great for catching a nap at rest areas, truck stops, or even an un-named big-box store! I was just on a business trip returning to Charleston, WV from Columbia, MD. when I saw a class A motor home parked at a rest area with the slide out extended. That was a clear etiquette violation in my book! Another time, I saw a family with their awning and chairs out at Wal-Mart.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am all in favor of boondocking. I have stayed at Wal-Mart and Flying J several times. Wal-Mart was great since I could take off pretty quickly having clothes and kitchen items already in the RV. We would take off on Friday evening, dry a few hours, and stock up on food at the Wal-Mart 2 hours away. Sure we slept in their parking lot but we also purchased $40-70 dollars in groceries. That’s a huge camp store!
When boondocking, I recommend following the Escapees Code of Parking Etiquette.
1. Obtain permission from a qualified individual.
2. Park out of the way.
3. No awnings, chairs, or barbecue grill.
4. Avoid using slide-outs if at all possible.
5. Do not use your leveling jacks on asphalt.
6. Limit your stay – one night maximum!
7. Purchase gas, food, or supplies as a form of thank -you
when feasible.
8. Always leave an area cleaner than you found it.
9. Practice safety precautions.
More information can be found at the Escapees Overnight Parking page.
Happy “Camping”,
Fred
Tags: boondocking, camping, dry, etiquette
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July 22nd, 2010
ViewRVs.com is a website dedicated to unique and hard to find RVs. There are some RV makes and models that people will fly across the country or even the ocean to purchase. The main focus of the site is NOT to sell RVs. The main focus is to be an online archive of pictures and information. As a result of the archives, many owners asked to sell their units here.
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