Looking at a 1985 Wanderlodge Bluebird 40 ft.

[David Brady]

The only thing I would add to Pete's excellent response is that
the Wanderlodges built before 1989 on the narrow body "All
American" chassis are not NHTSA roll certified. The All American
chassis is roll certified in school bus trim but not in Wanderlodge
trim. Blue Bird never crushed any Wanderlodges.

David Brady
'02 LXi, NC

-----Original Message-----

From: Pete Masterson

Sent: Apr 22, 2009 7:42 PM

To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Looking at a 1985 Wanderlodge Bluebird 40 ft.

You have come to the right place to get information about Bluebird Wanderlodges.

Complete Coachworks bought out the Wanderlodge company -- but recently, due to the financial crisis, their lender pulled the plug and the WL division went bankrupt and is officially out of business. The plant and inventory was auctioned a couple of days ago.

However, Bluebirds basically use off the shelf parts from a number of vendors, so most of the items you might need are readily available. The only things that might prove troublesome are body parts. The Detroit Diesel 8v92 is an obsolete engine, but there are tens of thousands of them in use in boats, busses, and trucks, so parts are still available and are likely to be so for some time.

NADA prices are very unreliable for vehicles with a "thin" market. The value of any particular coach depends very significantly on the condition. One '85 might be overpriced at $15,000 and another '85 might be a tremendous bargain at $30,000 -- condition trumps age and miles. Raw miles aren't a big concern as these are built on a tough school bus chassis that was intended for years of service for hundreds of thousands of miles. Indeed, a too-low mileage coach might have been sitting (and rotting) moderate use is a sign that the coach has been taken care of and kept in good running condition. (I have 140K miles on my coach.)

To get a feel for "going" prices, take a look at Birdconnection.com, VintageBirds.com, andBuyByeBluebird.com. Keep in mind that asking prices may be higher than actual selling prices. Also check out eBay and search for "Bluebird" and/or "Wanderlodge" to see what's currently on the market. Search for recent sales.

This is an excellent time to buy as prices have softened considerably during this economic situation.

Note, I purchased my BlueBird because I wanted a solid-riding, highway coach. I also appreciated the safety of the all-steel construction. The "narrow body" coaches (built before 1989) are built on a school bus chassis and have been "roll certified" under DOT standards. After 1989, the "wide body" models were built on a highway bus chassis made by Blue Bird, and while they were not roll certified (as it wasn't required for intercity busses, only school busses) they were built to the same engineering standards as the school busses.

One final point, the Wanderlodge was a high-end RV. It has many features that less well appointed RVs do not have. As a result, they are complex vehicles with many systems to learn. This list (and other Wanderlodge online groups) provide excellent support especially for the newcomer. Stick around for awhile and you'll learn a lot about these coaches.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Apr 22, 2009, at 5:00 PM, Cheryl wrote:

We looked at a 1985 Wanderlodge Bluebird 40ft RV today. It is my first experience in looking at this brand. In doing a google search, it appears that Complete Coach Works bought out the Wanderlodge company.

How difficult is it to get replacement parts and what would be a fair price for an '85 with 81K miles? The NADA is between $22K to $26K.

Any advice or information regarding this brand, make and model.

We have a daughter in Tucson and plan to use the motorhome for travel as we are not campers - yet! We'd like to tow our motorcycle and car.

Feel free to email me directly.

Thanks!
Cheryl
Massachusetts



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