Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

Pages: 1 2

Hoss, hopefully the seller is not a forum member. Don't feel like you are alone. Brenda and I did the same thing 10 years ago. It was a DOA coach from the beginning. Worse- we had to go to lunch with the seller to discuss his perfect coach. Took me a case of Tums to get over that meal.

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Livingston, Montana

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What a disaster! Found what was described as a "very good
condition" FC-35 for sale just a few hours from our house in Florida.
Talked to the owner who confirmed the nice condition of the coach and
sent pictures. All looked great.

So, I pack the not-so-excited wife and kids into the car for a 2.5
hour drive to see the coach. Well, let's just say it will be a LONG
time before I will be able to convince the wife to look at another.

Turns out the pictures are a few years old. The coach is
effectively left-for-dead at some super low rent consignment dealer.
Actually all the other units for sale on the lot were junky. The
thing was a disaster. After *expressly* asking the seller about rust
(assured there was none), found the thing to be a lump of rust. The
body, the frame, the racks, etc. The interior was falling apart and
full of mildew. A wreck.

Drove home 2.5 hours with an angry family.

PLEASE, I beg of you, if you are selling, PLEASE do not mislead your
prospective buyers. They will certainly discover all your lies in due
time. And, with today's gas prices, there is a non-trivial cost to
come for an inspection.

Let's hope I can convince the wife to keep looking...

Hoss

Hoss,

Please do not dispare most owners do not misrepresent their Birds. Ask the group about any birds you are looking at if we have any info we will share itwith you. There may be a member nearby that could give it a walk through and save you a trip.And remember if the deal sounds to good it is probably bad.

Keep looking don't get the fever take you time this is a big investment. You will be much happier with a well maintained coach than one you have to spend 10,000.00 to 15,000.00 dollars on.

Howard Truitt

Camilla, Ga.

86 PT40

----- Original Message -----

From: "ho5s@yahoo.com"

To: "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com"

Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 11:48 AM

Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Misleading Info from Sellers

What a disaster! Found what was described as a "very good
condition" FC-35 for sale just a few hours from our house in Florida.
Talked to the owner who confirmed the nice condition of the coach and
sent pictures. All looked great.

So, I pack the not-so-excited wife and kids into the car for a 2.5
hour drive to see the coach. Well, let's just say it will be a LONG
time before I will be able to convince the wife to look at another.

Turns out the pictures are a few years old. The coach is
effectively left-for-dead at some super low rent consignment dealer.
Actually all the other units for sale on the lot were junky. The
thing was a disaster. After *expressly* asking the seller about rust
(assured there was none), found the thing to be a lump of rust. The
body, the frame, the racks, etc. The interior was falling apart and
full of mildew. A wreck.

Drove home 2.5 hours with an angry family.

PLEASE, I beg of you, if you are selling, PLEASE do not mislead your
prospective buyers. They will certainly discover all your lies in due
time. And, with today's gas prices, there is a non-trivial cost to
come for an inspection.

Let's hope I can convince the wife to keep looking...

Hoss

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.4/1309 - Release Date: 3/3/2008 6:50 PM

Sounds like the real error was bringing along the wife and family. With 20/20 hindsight, it might have been better to take the trip on your own to check out the vehicle first -- then, if it was really good, put a small 'hold' deposit and bring the family for final approval. As you found, they're very willing to let you know if it _isn't_ satisfactory!

There's no way to avoid the unscrupulous seller. It amazes me that someone might think lying about the condition of a vehicle might result in a sale if it is obvious that it isn't what it's represented to be. But, common sense isn't always exhibited by quite a few folks.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Mar 5, 2008, at 8:48 AM, ho5s wrote:

<snip>
Â So, I pack the not-so-excited wife and kids into the car for a 2.5
hour drive to see the coach.Â Well, let's just say it will be a LONG
time before I will be able to convince the wife to look at another. Â
<snip>
Drove home 2.5 hours with an angry family.
<snip>

"What a disaster! Found what was described as a "very good
condition" .... All looked great...Turns out the pictures are a few
years old."

This reminds me of a few Match.Com experiences I had before I met
Lisa!

When we started looking for a Bird we drove a couple hours to see a
1992 PT40. This was after seeing photos and having a detailed
conversation with the seller. It was advertised as "you won't find a
nicer 92 anywhere". When we arrived we almost did not get out of the
car. I'm too polite Although the interior seemd pretty good, the
outside was a real mess. Paint was terrible, all tires badly rotted,
batteries leaking onto rusted trays all gaskets dried out and on and
on it must have been rotting in a back yard for some time....
seriously, I think the seller was delusional.

Bill 1983 FC 35 "Coach"

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "ho5s" wrote:
>
>
> What a disaster! Found what was described as a "very good
> condition" FC-35 for sale just a few hours from our house in
Florida.
> Talked to the owner who confirmed the nice condition of the coach
and
> sent pictures. All looked great.
>
> So, I pack the not-so-excited wife and kids into the car for a 2.5
> hour drive to see the coach. Well, let's just say it will be a LONG
> time before I will be able to convince the wife to look at
another.
>
> Turns out the pictures are a few years old. The coach is
> effectively left-for-dead at some super low rent consignment
dealer.
> Actually all the other units for sale on the lot were junky. The
> thing was a disaster. After *expressly* asking the seller about
rust
> (assured there was none), found the thing to be a lump of rust. The
> body, the frame, the racks, etc. The interior was falling apart and
> full of mildew. A wreck.
>
> Drove home 2.5 hours with an angry family.
>
> PLEASE, I beg of you, if you are selling, PLEASE do not mislead
your
> prospective buyers. They will certainly discover all your lies in
due
> time. And, with today's gas prices, there is a non-trivial cost to
> come for an inspection.
>
> Let's hope I can convince the wife to keep looking...
>
> Hoss
>

When I found an ad for the 77FC35 we bought I drove out the first time with two of my boys but not with my wife in tow, just to verify it wasn't a hunk of junk.

I paid $18K and i've spent about $8K so far in repairs, but the engine/transmission/drivetrain didn't need anything, it runs great.

I feel pretty happy with what I have for $26K so far Smile

Dorn Hetzel
77FC35
Hogansville, GA

On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 4:12 PM, Bill Garamella <"billgaramella@yahoo.com"> wrote:

"What a disaster! Found what was described as a "very good

condition" .... All looked great...Turns out the pictures are a few

years old."

This reminds me of a few Match.Com experiences I had before I met

Lisa!

When we started looking for a Bird we drove a couple hours to see a

1992 PT40. This was after seeing photos and having a detailed

conversation with the seller. It was advertised as "you won't find a

nicer 92 anywhere". When we arrived we almost did not get out of the

car. I'm too politeâ¦ Although the interior seemd pretty good, the

outside was a real mess. Paint was terrible, all tires badly rotted,

batteries leaking onto rusted trays all gaskets dried out and on and

onâ¦ it must have been rotting in a back yard for some time....

seriously, I think the seller was delusional.

Bill 1983 FC 35 "Coach"

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "ho5s" wrote:

>

>

> What a disaster! Found what was described as a "very good

> condition" FC-35 for sale just a few hours from our house in

Florida.

> Talked to the owner who confirmed the nice condition of the coach

and

> sent pictures. All looked great.

>

> So, I pack the not-so-excited wife and kids into the car for a 2.5

> hour drive to see the coach. Well, let's just say it will be a LONG

> time before I will be able to convince the wife to look at

another.

>

> Turns out the pictures are a few years old. The coach is

> effectively left-for-dead at some super low rent consignment

dealer.

> Actually all the other units for sale on the lot were junky. The

> thing was a disaster. After *expressly* asking the seller about

rust

> (assured there was none), found the thing to be a lump of rust. The

> body, the frame, the racks, etc. The interior was falling apart and

> full of mildew. A wreck.

>

> Drove home 2.5 hours with an angry family.

>

> PLEASE, I beg of you, if you are selling, PLEASE do not mislead

your

> prospective buyers. They will certainly discover all your lies in

due

> time. And, with today's gas prices, there is a non-trivial cost to

> come for an inspection.

>

> Let's hope I can convince the wife to keep looking...

>

> Hoss

>

The first Blue Bird I checked out was a Wanderlodge II. I just about wrote off Wanderlodge entirely after that experience.

My coach should be up on Traderonline in the next day or two. Loading the pics has been a big hassle.

BradBarton00LXiDFW bbartonwx@...

To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
From: erniecarpet@...
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 15:16:58 -0500
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Misleading Info from Sellers

Hoss, hopefully the seller is not a forum member. Don't feel like you are alone. Brenda and I did the same thing 10 years ago. It was a DOA coach from the beginning. Worse- we had to go to lunch with the seller to discuss his perfect coach. Took me a case of Tums to get over that meal.

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Livingston, Montana

It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money Finance.

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Hello Hoss,

I had to look at a long list of rigs in 2000 before I found one that I thought
was the right
one for us. It was a Wanderlodge II found just South of Chicago and we still
have it 8 years
later and are happy owners. A lot of factors involved in finding the right
combination of
features/condition/price that fits your needs and situation. I encourage you
and the wife
to hang in there until you find the one for you.

FC's are good coaches, including the Wanderlodge II's. They offer low front end
cost,
better mileage than larger coaches and a quality motor home experience for the
first
timer.

You wouldn't shop for a new car with the expectation that you're going to buy
the first
one you see. Motor homes are at least 4-5 times more complex than a car so take
your
time and learn what's out there before you make your decision.

Eric in San Antonio
84FC35SBWL2

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "ho5s" wrote:
>
>
> What a disaster! Found what was described as a "very good
> condition" FC-35 for sale just a few hours from our house in Florida.
> Talked to the owner who confirmed the nice condition of the coach and
> sent pictures. All looked great.
>
> So, I pack the not-so-excited wife and kids into the car for a 2.5
> hour drive to see the coach. Well, let's just say it will be a LONG
> time before I will be able to convince the wife to look at another.
>
> Turns out the pictures are a few years old. The coach is
> effectively left-for-dead at some super low rent consignment dealer.
> Actually all the other units for sale on the lot were junky. The
> thing was a disaster. After *expressly* asking the seller about rust
> (assured there was none), found the thing to be a lump of rust. The
> body, the frame, the racks, etc. The interior was falling apart and
> full of mildew. A wreck.
>
> Drove home 2.5 hours with an angry family.
>
> PLEASE, I beg of you, if you are selling, PLEASE do not mislead your
> prospective buyers. They will certainly discover all your lies in due
> time. And, with today's gas prices, there is a non-trivial cost to
> come for an inspection.
>
> Let's hope I can convince the wife to keep looking...
>
> Hoss
>

Hoss,
You hit it on the head "Low rent consignment dealers", are the worst.
Ebay ads are the worst yet & put the two together your screwed. I see
ads almost on a daily basis which describe the perfect machine and they
are far from perfect and most need $10K or more to be perfect if there
is such a thing. I too had to drag my wife screaming to look at
another bird, but after several bad eggs we did find the perfect bird.
Or should I say she found the perfct bird, she's happy & I've got my
dream bird & I found a cure of a 10 year obsession.
Good luck, just wait she'll find it.
John 88FC35 Louisville, KY

On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 1:00 PM, Pete Masterson wrote:
>
> Sounds like the real error was bringing along the wife and family.

I second that. Of course, had the seller not been a lying scumbag (I'm
being polite), Hoss's decision would have been fine. Smile

I flew my wife, two kids and my dog all the way down to Texas for my
coach. Thankfully I was dealing with a reputable seller and the coach
was in excellent condition, exactly as described and we were all very
happy. It's a good thing, too: Imagine, for a moment, you get up at
five in the morning; spend several hours in the air, plus 13 hours
stuck in the Phoenix airport, with two children, a wife and a dog,
finally landing in DFW well after midnight. You call every hotel
imaginable and they're all full, since the tornado that delayed your
flight also delayed every other and now a whole barrage of aircraft
have landed at once and weary travelers have packed the hotels.

Finally, you find an available hotel but they don't allow pets. You
book the room anyway and sneak the dog in, since you don't exactly
have a choice in the matter. Oh, and the driver who takes you to the
hotel rips you off, $40 for a 15 minute ride. By the time you get
checked in, get the kids settled down, etc, it's 3 in the morning and
you're lucky to get 4 hours of sleep, then it's time to get up, find
some breakfast, and hook up with your ride.

Now imagine the coach is junk. Oh, and you spent $1,200 on one way
airfare. And your ride from the airport hotel was the guy selling the
coach and he's not taking you back to the airport after you argue with
him over the misrepresentation. So now you all get to figure a way
home.

Yeah, that's exactly my trip, except the "worst nightmare" last
paragraph didn't happen. The guy from Mr. Oliver's picked us up from
the hotel and everything was smooth as butter after that. We settled
into our new coach and finally were able to relax and enjoy the
experience and a huge thanks to Mr. Oliver's for their hospitality.
They turned the experience right around for us. I'll tell you what
though, the nightmare of that final paragraph was going through my
head non-stop from the time I made the offer until we saw the coach in
person. My wife was already just luke-warm on the whole idea to begin
with, and was ready to go home after the first couple of hours stuck
in Phoenix. If the last bit had come true she'd have never come along
on another - ever.

If I were to do this again, I'd definitely go down alone, then fly the
family down after I checked the coach out. Although all turned out
well, it could have been a disaster had we been dealing with someone
else. It also would have been infinitely easier to outfit the coach by
myself (we went to Costco and Kohls and a few other stores and loaded
up on bedding, towels, food, toiletries, etc for our two week journey
home). Also, the dog stays home next time, too. That was probably the
worst decision of the whole trip. It was hard on both him and us.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

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Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

erniecarpet@...

ho5s

Howard O. Truitt

Pete Masterson

Bill Garamella

Dorn Hetzel

brad barton

Eric Johnson

John McGinnis

Ryan Wright