RIV Report?

[Rob Robinson]

Can't get a more frank and honest evaluation than that. For all the reasons you have detailed Lloyd I am truly thankfull I own a BB with rivets and without slides.

2008/10/28 Lloyd Chaffin <"lnchaffin@charter.net">

David, I know we are getting off subject here for this RIV thread but I
must respond to your slide comments. I agree with everything you are
saying. Once everybody went to slides Bluebird had to or they would have

never sold any coaches. And they did do what you just explained to a
point. They desinged a great slide structure into the coach but a slide
is only as good as it's weakest link. No matter how strong it's

structure is if it won't slide in and out or leaks like a water falls
when it rains then it would be best not to have it. If I'm not mistaken
doesn't your 02 LXI have the air seal on your slide. How many times have

you had it replaced because it leaks? The air seals and the electronics
were a very weak link on the LXI and M380 and since they never worked
right the slide was a major pain. I don't no about the LXI owners but

alot of M380 owners actually got rid of it because of the slides and
some other issues. If you had a 80 thousand dollar Lexus that ran like a
swiss watch but the driver door would not stay shut and leaked when it

rains would you say you had a great car? The differance in my example is
that I bet Lexus would have fixed my drivers door the 1st time I took it
to them. I know people who have had their air seals replaced 5 or 6

times. The 1st time I drove my coach all the way to Georgia to have my
air seals fixed they put some supper glue on them and gave it back to
me. Said it was fixed. Lasted about 2 weeks before they started leaking

again. But, the good news is I have worked on my slides so much now that
I just about know how to fix them myself if I could just get the parts.
Some of the electronics are real hard to fix but the air seals are made

by HWH and the newer seals are lasting must longer now,,,knock on wood.

I hope you have a great day, I'm fixen to get the Bird ready to go to
the Nascar races at Texas Motor Speedway,

Lloyd Chaffin


2004 M380

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", David Brady wrote:
>
> But one could also argue that someone invented electronics which

> resulted in a demand for dvd players, televisions, computers,
> electric refrigerators, gps units, hi-fidelity sound systems, etc. The
> customer then demanded all of these features in their motorhome

> which unfortunately required heavy batteries and heavy generators,
> which then resulted in heavy chassis, axles and tires; culminating in
> a coach which overloads it's suspension. The list goes on. People

> invent things which are cool, the buying public demands cool things
> in their motorhomes, and manufacturers scramble to accommodate
> these cool things. If the manufacturers delay, they lose market share.

> Slides are in this category.
>
> It's not the demand for features that damaged/ruined the
> motorhome manufacturer, it's the manufacturer's rush to
> accommodate these features without first doing the necessary

> engineering.
>
> BB actually stands out amongst these manufacturers by their insistence
> on doing the necessary engineering. Every slide equipped BB was
> designed from the ground up to accommodate a slide. Never did BB

> simply take an existing bus and chop a hole in the side of it. In all
> cases the overall superstructure from basement triangulation, to
> subframes, to side and roof construction was designed to support

> slide technology. This can not be said of every manufacturer. By
> providing slides in their coaches, BB brought it's product line into
> the 2000's and sustained (for a few additional years) it's Wanderlodge

> business. This is what I mean by "slide-outs saved 'em".
>
>
> David Brady
> '02 LXi, NC
>
> Don Bradner wrote:
> >
> > David, as someone who moved from slides to no-slides deliberately, I

> > would say there is a big difference between demise and ruin in this
> > instance.
> >
> > A lot of manufacturers were dragged kicking and screaming into the
> > slide business because they had to (because demise was the other

> > choice). Slides did a lot of damage (ruin) to many coach models, and
> > it is likely an M450 wouldn't have weight problems without them. We
> > would all have been better off (in my opinion) if the slide had not

> > been invented so the public wouldn't have insisted on them.
> >
> > Don Bradner
> > 90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
> > My location: www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1

> >
> > On 10/28/2008 at 7:55 AM David Brady wrote:
> >
> > >Actually, slide-outs saved 'em. Imagine trying to sell
> > >a motorhome today w/o a slide out. Impossible. The

> > >buying public demands expandable rooms. There are
> > >many things that may have spelled the demise of Wanderlodge,
> > >but please, let's not single out the expandable room.
> > >

> > >David Brady
> > >'02 LXi, (Living room slide, works great)
> > >
> > >
> > >Lloyd Chaffin wrote:
> > >>
> > >> John,
> > >>

> > >> I will keep my M380 because I do like it and I have put too much
> > >> blood sweat and tears into it now to give up. Alot of M380 owners
did
> > >> give up and got rid of it. I enjoy reading about you guys who

have
> > >> the older "Real" Birds and I am kind of envious. My father-in-law
> > >> owned 10 Birds in his life. His last was a 97 and he said he
wouldn't
> > >> buy another one because they where going to start putting slide

outs
> > >> in them and that would ruin em. Ha, he was so right!
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ----------------------------------------------------------

> > >>
> > >>
> >
> >
> >
----------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
> > Checked by AVG.

> > Version: 7.5.405 / Virus Database: 270.8.0/1715 - Release Date:
10/9/2008 12:00 AM
> >
>

--
Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson

94 WLWB