Looking at a 1985 Wanderlodge Bluebird 40 ft.

[Ryan Wright]

John,

All due respect, John, you're talking about emotional value. Just
because you wouldn't sell your coach for $75k doesn't make it worth
$75k. Actual market value of an item is comprised of two things - (1)
What a seller will let it go for, and (2) What a buyer will pay for
it. When buyer and seller agree on a number, then market value has
been established for that particular item. When this happens many
times over similar vehicles, then general market value has been
established. Nobody is going to give you $75k for an '87 PT-36 no
matter how nice it is. I wish they would, but there are newer, nicer,
cheaper coaches on the market. Thus, the coach isn't worth that kind
of money.

Many of us here keep track of coach prices and have a general feel for
the market. I personally look at all eBay auctions for Wanderlodges
and keep mental notes of where the market is going for these coaches.
Now, I only have a segmented view of the market as I'm not watching
dealer sites, but eBay is as close to "street price" as you can get.

All numbers that I give out are based on my gut instinct from watching
segments of the Wanderlodge market over the past several years.
Numbers assume a clean coach that doesn't need any work. There are
always exceptions, but most clean, well cared for '86 PT-40s should
fetch somewhere in the $50k range. If there are any items that need
attention, you deduct from there. A torn up one might only be worth
$20k. A sweet one with all sorts of fancy extras might fetch as much
as $60k. In this market, we probably have to deduct between $5k and
$10k from those prices - but the market should recover.

It's nice to sit back and say, "Well, I wouldn't sell my coach for
$75k, I love it so much." I could make the same statement but, truth
be told, if somebody was on my front porch with $75k in hand, I'd hand
him title and keys and go buy myself a mid nineties coach to replace
it. I'd even let him take the crystal glassware and 30 year old scotch
in the liquor cabinet.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 10:14 AM, bubblerboy64 wrote:
>
>
> My opinion for what it's worth is that there is absolutely no way to put a
> price on a coach of this vintage sight unseen. Condition means everything. I
> have a 36 PT for which I would not sell today if I was offered $75K. But
> realistically if something happened and I had to sell who knows what I would
> end up taking. If I was buying I'd pay $60K for one in near new condition.
> There are likely some out there that I wouldn't take if they were free. I
> know that's not much help but it's pretty much the entire truth.
>
> John Heckman
> 1987 PT 36
> Shippensburg Pa
>
>>
>> NADA value is meaningless on this coach. Assuming everything is
>> working and in excellent, clean condition, an '85 PT-40 should be
>> worth ~$45-$50k. Deduct from there for any items that need attention.
>>
>> That being said, the current market is terrible. $35k-$40k would be a
>> more realistic price for a seller to get. Again, assumes coach is
>> clean and doesn't need a lot of attention. Given those assumptions
>> it's doubtful you could pick the coach up anywhere in the NADA range
>> unless the seller is extremely desperate.
>>
>> -Ryan
>> '86 PT-40 8V92
>>
>> On Wed, 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
>> >
>>
>
>