Right price for a used bird

[mrdonut12]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "lemco3" wrote:
>
> Does anyone have an idea what the correct asking price should be for a
> used 80 to 83 FC35 in average/decent mechanical condition??? Have been
> looking around on the internet and seen many for sale all over the
> country with asking prices that vary by as much as $25,000. It is all
> very confusing for a 1st time buyer. Any help in this regard would be
> greatly appreciated. I am looking for a good running unit that may need
> a little cosmetic fix up or interior work. Thanks.

The reason the prices are all over the map is that the mechanical
conditions of the buses vary all over the map.
There are about a million and 3 gizmos on a Wanderlodge. A
meticulous and conciencious owner will be right on top of anything
that breaks and fix it right away. At the other extreme is the owner
who just puts gas in it and lets things slide when they go.
When I was calling and talking to owners of units for sale, I'd
ask about the maintenance history, what was good about their unit and
what all didn't work on it.
The answers were very interesting, indeed.
I'm a mechanic and do almost all my own work on mine. In 2 years
and 30,000 miles of ownership I've learned more than I ever wanted to,
if you get my drift. ;o)
Don't buy any unit that hasn't been thoroughly checked by an
expert. Once they've done a check, you'll have a "list" with some
prices on it. This will give you a baseline from which to make a
decision.
Most experience Wanderlodge owners will tell you to have an extra
10 grand available after purchase to take care of things that either
need attention now or will shortly. :o)
I read every single post on all the Bird forums for 4 months
before I bought, just to see what commonly breaks on these things.
For the most part, it's just little stuff, but it adds up. It's
rarely major, like engine, transmission or rear end.
I'd suggest Ralph Fullenwider, Randy DuPree or Jeff Miller for
the pre-purchase check.
If it's nice and the list is short, mid thirties can be very
reasonable. If the list is longer, start subtracting from there.
There are some that may approach negative net values...
Welcome to the group. We're all supposed to sign our names, year
and model (in your case "wannabe" works fine) and location.

George Witt
81 FC 35
Lincoln, Nebraska