Looking for 60's or early to mid 70's Wanderlodge

[Gladiator70]

Hello,
I am currently on the hunt for a very vintage Bird.
64' thru 75'.

I would really like to get my hands the 1965 31' pusher that was for sale in San Antonio a couple years back.
http://www.viewrvs.com/motorhome/blue-bi...e-31-a.php

[Freightdog66]

Hi, there is a 64 Bluebird on the harrisburg PA craigslist you might take a look at. I looked at the san antonio listing you posted, the pictures indicate a forward engine compartment, like all the early birds i am aware of, either chevy or ford gas engined, manual transmissioned. They appear to have made a nice diesel / automatic conversion though!

[Bigbear]

Hi there,I have a 1975 wanderlodge with the big ford gasser Allison automatic transmission it has 79,000 miles on it,and is in decent shape.more less for parts I imagine..as it sat around for quie some time.im located in Oregon.. contact me if you are interested or have questions.thanks

[Arcticdude]

BB-
Did you realize these posts were almost 4 and 5 years old? I doubt you'll get a response from either. You can certainly post in the Wanderlodge Trader, found just under the pictures at the top of the screen.

[Sam T.]

I wish you were closer. I'm in the SE. It would be nice to have some pictures and a link from here to the pictures. I'm super interested in just how the interior would look after all these years. Does it have good tires and does it have air bags or springs?

[Arcticdude]

Air springs didn't arrive until part way through the 1980 model year.

For much of that type of information, the Vintage Birds website has a great history section. You can look at most of the individual years, as well as a comprehensive list documenting the changes that occurred as the years went by.


See:
http://www.vintagebirds.com

While traveling currently can be an extreme exercise in patience, you need to plan to travel to get a good look at prospective candidates. I've been all over the country in my search for my 2. Pictures are only a starting place. You have to see it.

[Sam T.]

"...Air springs didn't arrive until part way through the 1980 model year...."

"http://www.vintagebirds.com"

Much thanks for the data.

"...Pictures are only a starting place. You have to see it..."

Much thanks for the data. You have an outstanding mass of data here. Big thanks for having it. It's much appreciated.

The only way I will be able to afford one of these is a distress sale type, "someone get this out of here" type sale. Where they just want it gone.

I've been looking at RV's lately. I just missed a a older Winnebago a couple weeks ago. The guy told me he had no calls then...that night he sold it. Perfect shape indoors but won't run, but used to.

Anyways the only reason I missed it was because I couldn't tow immediately. So I'm in the process of building a A-frame tow bar for my F-350. Old truck but it will tow a lot.

I would feel comfortable towing a short distance maybe 450 miles or less but not over. Any further or in hilly areas would likely be the death of my trucks transmission and they are expensive.

And yes I know a F-250 to tow 25,000 lb. or so is really iffy but I think it could easily done if done, very, very ,very slow and methodically.

I saw a few examples of bluebirds and wow they are really nice. Super nice. Exactly what I would like.

I'm capable of working on them. Not in any way a perfect mechanic but I can do so and also I'm fairly competent on electrical stuff. If I can just get the thing to my property then I can take my time to work on it. It does not have to run.

[patticake]

I hope you realize that you will be towing at least more than 30,000lbs.
If it has air brakes, you cannot move it without air pressure to release them or if it's fluid brakes they may be frozen from sitting.

[Arcticdude]

"....Anyways the only reason I missed it was because I couldn't tow immediately. So I'm in the process of building a A-frame tow bar for my F-350. Old truck but it will tow a lot....."


Take the $500 you'll spend on building a towbar, add another $500 to it and pay for a landall to tow what ever you find home. EVERYBODY will be MUCH safer.

Depending on the vintage of F series, you've only got a 12,500 tow rating. I had a 2000 F250 and currently have a 2013 F250. Both had/have the heavy duty tow packages and the newer one is rated at 12,500#. The older one was 11,200#.

[Sam T.]

"...Take the $500 you'll spend on building a towbar, add another $500 to it and pay for a landall to tow what ever you find home. EVERYBODY will be MUCH safer..."

Than you for responding. I know you're trying to help me out and look out for my best interest. I appreciate it very much. Thank you.

Well doesn't matter the bluebird I wanted is gone. It went very fast.

This one. Maybe someone here bought it. I spent a bit of time figuring out the loads on tow bars and what steel to use, how to tow, who might could tow, prices,etc. and someone snatched it up. Sigh, very sick feeling for missing it. I doubt I'll ever see a deal like it close enough to get at that price. I wasted a huge amount of time finding a way to tow and lost it. That's two I missed in two weeks because I didn't have a tow bar. I have two heavy duty trailers but not heavy enough for RV's.

https://pensacola.craigslist.org/rvs/d/p...54640.html

I bet this is the interior of the same Bluebird when it was sold earlier. The outside looks the same.There's not many of these and the likelihood that there's two in the region that look so similar it good odds. If that was it I would have LOVED to have it.

https://www.smartrvguide.com/L52477163

I've called the tow companies and for a lower mileage(like 150 miles away) they wanted $2,000 at one place and $2,500 for another. I bet it would have been minimum $2,500 but more likely $3,000 and that's too much for me. If I could have got someone to tow it for $1,000 I would have jumped on it. I expect that price is unreasonable for say 250 miles. If you have a source for that I would like to know about it in the Southeast, mid-Alabama.

And yes I know it's sketchy to tow it with a F350 and do know about the air brakes. My plan was to take a generator and a air compressor and keep it running the whole time. I would have built a pintle hitch, which I have the receiver for and used chains to connect. It would have been tough on the truck I acknowledge but let's say I destroy the transmission. Likely I could replace it for the $3,000 tow fee.

I'm fairly good with working on things. I worked on generators, primarily, for Caterpillar for a couple years and went to school on their engines. While working for them I worked on all kinds of stuff, trucks, heavy equipment, mining stuff. If I have a reasonable manual of sorts I can usually figure it out. I also took two years welding high school(long time ago) but I can stick a couple pieces of metal together with AC welder and I own one. I also have a class A drivers license and drove 18 wheelers for a year or so so I'm not completely in the dark but I'll admit I'm far from knowledgeable about everything. So I don't claim super competency in any of these but I know enough to get by.

What convinced me of using a A-Frame is videos of people pulling really heavy stuff with it. Dump trucks and heavy equipment.

I don't argue with you about the tow rating but to tow on fairly level ground(Southeast) with four wheels on the ground would not be that much stress. Does it fit the requirements of a full time, all the time towing in any conditions, no not at all but just to move something to where I can work on it could be done. There would have been some risk (the major problem I could see would be someone pulling in front of me and slamming on the brakes. I would likely plow into them) but if you don't have lots of money, and I don't, then to get some things risk goes up.

There's a reason millionaires don't work in coal mines but working people will.

And there's always the possibility I could have got it running down there and drove it back.