Should we even be looking at Old Birds?

[Leroy Eckert]

Based on your description, he would have to give it to you. For starters a top quality paint job would cost 12-15K. And it goes up from there. It would be best to pay a little more and buy one someone has modified and loved. JMO Leroy Eckert 1990 WB-40 Royale Dahlonega, GA Smoke N Mirrors --- On Tue, 6/24/08, campingleroy wrote: From: campingleroy Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Should we even be looking at Old Birds? To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 11:25 PM Wow tons of great feedback and fast! This forum definately seems very helpful, and really helps me feel more comfortable about making a step toward an older coach, and knowing i have a team to help me figure things out. I think that I'd be better at actually doing the repairs/maintenance than troubleshooting problems at least on the mechancial stuff, until I got to know things a bit more. A bit more background on us. We're late 20s, early 30s, with 2 girls under 3 years old. We currently travel about 1 big trip a year and 2- 4 more smaller weekend trips. We expect that will increase again as the girls get older (read out of diapers and crib). I work in IT with computers for a living, and have done nearly every type of work around the house and my RV, with only limited mechanical work. I think we'd like an 83 or 84 FC based on all i read. They have the power of the Turbo, and also air suspension, but still aren't too pricey. We want the diesel engine and the diesel generator. We want the one with twin couches up front, and a double bed in the back. I dont have an exact budget at the moment. Obviously the less I could spend the better, but I want the most reliable coach I can get too. I would like to spend near $20K. Thanks for all the great feedback. I had heard a lot of good stuff about this place from the RV.NET group, and it definately seems like you've got a great group. We actually went and checked out an 83 this weekend. Floor plan was cool, perfect. But it left me with a lot of questions. Here's an excerpt from what I wrote on RV.NEt about it. "Late last night I found a deal on an old 1983 Wanderlodge an hour or so south of me. We've been thinking for a few years that it would be very nice to have an old Bird. This deal seemed too good to be true, $12,000. I'd never personally been inside a vintage bird, so i figured now is a good time to go see if they'd really be a good fit for us. The seller was selling on behalf of his brother and didn't know much about it. Engine started right up, but the smell of diesel was extremely strong outside the front end, passenger side. Is that normal? The diesel genset didn't want to start up, he thought it was fed by a separate tank, but I dont think that is the case. Outside was rough, definately needed a new coat of paint. Inside was decent. Was nice being in an older unit with not a signle sign of a leak. Much of the uppolstry needed to be replaced, couchs, chairs, dinnettes. And the carpet was ugh-riginal. 12V electrical system was great for lights, but nearly everything on the dash was dead. Gauges seemed to work, but switches were all useless. A/C, Heat etc didnt work. As for the 110V stuff, I couldn't test with no genset and no shore power. Awnings needed some help, but I was about done by the time I got to them, that I didn't even check them out. Man, this thing could be nice to someone who wants to put a bit of time into it, just not sure I'm really up to it at this point in the game. Question is, should I lowball this guy? And see if I can get it at a price where I could pay someone else to fix the broken "stuff"? Any factor sound like sign of something much worse? " --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Jack & Donna Smith" wrote: > > > Old Bird or Newer?? Well, as some say, "You Pays Your Money, and > Takes Your Choice"... > Our 1973 Bird lacks some of the items that are standard on Newer > coaches, but also lack some of the headaches..What is a "Sporlian > Valve", anyway, or "Air Operated Sreps"? > As my old pappy said, "What ain't there, cant break". > Some costs are less, such as my yearly DMV fee of $67,(even here in > the Land of Arnold), and lower Insurance costs, and it afforded me > my unique method of financing, One Payment & walk away with the Pink > Slip.. > But make no mistake, repairs may be necessary, and as Jeff Miller > said, "Pay Now, oor Pay Later". > The old coaches are much simpler and therefore easier (read Cheaper) > to maintain. > The great thing about Bluebirds is that they practically never wear > out. A lot of the original items on our coach are still working, > while I imagine my old "Sticks & Staples Tioga is probably in that > Big KOA in the Sky... > We also like to visit the various RV dealers and look over the > current crop.. It is real interesting to see the look on the > salesmans face when he asks us if we have an RV and we reply, "Yes, > a Bluebird". We are usually left alone after that...... > Jack Smith > 1973FC31 > SoCal > > > --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Michael" <mike.putz@> > wrote: > > > > I also agree with everything I've read here. I own a 63 Bluebird > > conversion and just recently purchased a 78FC35. I choose this > bus > > to upgrade to a diesel, leveling jacks, bigger generator, etc.. I > > did not want air bags as I like to go off road often with a > trailer > > full of quads and dirt bikes. I wanted something tough with > ground > > clearance. I had the pleasure of driving my friends 90SP36 from > > Texas to Arizona not long ago. It was very nice, plush, fancy, > and > > strong with the 300 HP Cat. However, it was just not for me. So > old > > or new.. you can't go wrong with these busses. I'm a "bang-for- > buck" > > kind of guy on a small budget so the FC's were perfect! > > Just another 2 cents... > > > > Michael > > 78FC35 "Putz'n Around" > > Mesa, Az > > > > --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "bubblerboy64" > > wrote: > > > > > > Leroy, I think everything that has been said is on target. You > > > certainly want the best that you can buy. No doubt the later > FC's > > > are considerably improved and being newer should in theory at > least > > > be in better condition. That being said there is always the > debate > > as > > > to how much a guy should spend on an FC before he considers a > PT. I > > > have never ridden in or experienced a late model FC but my > thoughts > > > are if I was going to spend upwards of 50K would I add to it a > > little > > > (or a lot) and go with a PT. These are things you have to > decide. > > I > > > was there a year ago and I am certain all of us would agree that > > you > > > should invest in some travel and time to investigate a number of > > > these coaches before you buy. I think personal preference and > how > > > you are going to use the coach are the critical things to > > consider. > > > I love my old 1973 but if I was intending to make a lot of long > > runs > > > I would consider moving up. My coach is also smallish for more > then > > > two. I consider it like buying any vehicle you want to match it > to > > > your use as well as your pocket book. > > > John Heckman > > > central Pa > > > 1973 FC > > > > > > > > --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "michaelhohnstein" > > > > <MHOHNSTEIN@ > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "campingleroy" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I have experience with quite a few mid 80s Birds, buying > > selling > > > > > and "fixing on." My 83 rear bath suits the wife and I real > > well > > > > and > > > > > I wouldn't trade it for a triple slide anything. Not even a > > > Newell. > > > > > That being said, I recommend 87 and newer FCs for those who > > wish > > > to > > > > > get into a vintage Bird. The engine and accessories are much > > > easier > > > > > to maintain due to improved design engine cover and swing > > > radiator. > > > > > 86 and older are a pain to adjust valves on, and that's not > > good. > > > > > Moreover the 87 up has a charge air cooler and 300 hp., a > very > > > > > welcome feature when trying to get down the road. The ZF > trans > > > is > > > > a > > > > > great piece and features OD. > > > > > My 83 has been upgraded to 87 specs. Fiberglass engine > cover, > > > > > charge air cooler and inlet air enhancements. The Allison > is > > > > backed > > > > > by a drive line OD transmission in front of the Jake > retarder. > > > > > I was able to do all this 'stuff' to my Bird due the line of > > work > > > > > I'm in. Much easier to just pay a little more and get the > > newer > > > > > version, and it's all done for you. > > > > > MH > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > My wife and I really like a lot of things about vintage > > birds, > > > > > > including the safety, reliability, and durability. I > think a > > > mid > > > > > 80s > > > > > > FC would be about the best fit for us and our budget. The > > one > > > > > with a > > > > > > double bed in the back, and 2 couches up front. > > > > > > > > > > > > I dont mind tinkering and working on a lot of projects. > Our > > > > > current > > > > > > coach is a 1989 Class C, I had to rebuild the entire cab > over > > > on > > > > > that. > > > > > > But I'm by no means a mechanic. I do consider myself to > be > > > very > > > > > > mechanically inclined though. I can follow directions > really > > > > > well, if > > > > > > there are procedures on doing projects though. And based > on > > > what > > > > > I > > > > > > know or believe things to cost, I can't afford to have a > > > mechanic > > > > > do > > > > > > every bit of maintenance these things need. The > electrical > > > > > problems > > > > > > concern me much less than mechanical ones. > > > > > > > > > > > > My question is, should I steer away from these old birds? > Is > > > the > > > > > > majority of the work something that an average person > could > > do > > > > > given > > > > > > patience and research/reading? Don't want to get myself > in > > > over > > > > > my > > > > > > head. > > > > > > > > > > > > I would DEFINATELY want to hire someone to look at a unit > > > before > > > > > > purchasing, to make sure I understood what I was getting > > myself > > > > > into. > > > > > > If I get to that point, I'll be asking here for > > recommendations > > > > on > > > > > who. > > > > > > > > > > > > I would just say this and that is buy from a person who loves > his > > > old > > > > coach! Pay a little bit more but then most of the work has > been > > > done. > > > > As far as Vlv adjustment that only happens every 50,000 miles > and > > > my > > > > coach has only had that done two times. Yep and beside my old > > coach > > > > gets 10 mpg (1978) and the newer ones well we all know they > were > > > made > > > > for cheap fuel prices in mind. Jon > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >