Tendencies toward major problems?

[bbwlwb88]

Ryan, I have owned 5 Blue Birds since 1984 and 4 of them were used
coaches. Fortunately, I have never had a major problem with any of
them. Rotten flooring is highly unlikely to be a problem in a Bird
because of the 3/4 inch marine grade plywood. Assuming your Travco
is gasoline powered, you will find that diesel power requires more
attention to fuel filters and fuel treatment. If you decide to
purchase an older Bird I would urge you to have the engine and
transmission checked by a Detroit Diesel dealer. Those items can be
exceptionally expensive to repair or replace. While the coach is at
the Detroit dealer have them check the air brakes. Also you will
have an air suspension system which is very different than you may be
used to. The suspension air springs (air bags) can dry rot or crack
and may need to be replaced which will be expensive. Another
suggestion would be to get the coach body number and call the factory
to see if they can tell you if the coach has been serviced there for
any major problems. A final suggestion would be to have the coach
inspected by Ralph Fullenwider before you finalize the purchase.

It's likely you can find a Bird that is in good condition because
most of us overmaintain them, but still have it checked!!! You will
love the Bird compared to the coach you now have.

Royal Washburn
97 43BBWL
Conway, AR




--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
wrote:
>
> Folks,
>
> As I sit here debating whether to finish the restoration of my '66
> Travco or sell it to my neighbor and buy a Bird, some questions come
> to mind.
>
> Particularly, I am curious what the Bird's tendencies are toward
major
> problems. The Travcos, for example, tend to have rotted floors.
That's
> the case with mine and most Travcos I have looked at for sale seem
to
> have the same deal. This is, of course, an absolutely huge job
> requiring hundreds of hours of labor.
>
> I'd like to know what, if any, expensive tendencies a vintage Bird
> would have. I'd be looking at an '88 - '92 PT-40 w/8V92. Basically,
> are there any common issues that are going to cost me in excess of
> $5,000 to fix (for that single issue - certainly there will be a lot
> of $1,000 - $3,000 issues that pop up from time to time)? Anything
> major like the Travco's tendency toward floor rot?
>
> If I jump into this, I want to be prepared. I don't want to buy a
Bird
> that is going to bankrupt me and be too costly to keep operating.
>
> -Ryan
>