Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

Hi Gang,
After a break in the action, I'm back and seeking some assistance. You folks
probably remember I sold "Pokey" and built a new rig out of a Thomas
Transitliner. I still have that bus, but have purchased a 97 Bluebird bus to do
another conversion. I am hoping to find a 80's Wanderlodge to transfer the
interior from and into the 97. After doing a full ground up conversion, it seems
that pulling the insides, tanks and whatnot out of a similar rig to install in
the new bus would be lots easier than trying to re-invent the wheel like I did
with the Thomas. I found an 80 Wanderlodge that has body damage in Grand
Junction, Co (about 150 miles away), but it sems that he has commited to selling
it to another person. Anyone know of a donor Wanderlodge available that would
like to be reborn in an late model Bluebird body?? Any and all help is greatly
appreciated. Best to you all, Doug

Doug Engel
1990 Thomas Transitliner Conversion
Gunnison, CO

Hey Doug, Welcome back!

Someone has too much time on his hands! LOL! But how about some new pics of
the Thomas conversion project and the new project Bird?

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "doug_ngl" wrote:
>
> Hi Gang,
> After a break in the action, I'm back and seeking some assistance. You folks
probably remember I sold "Pokey" and built a new rig out of a Thomas
Transitliner. I still have that bus, but have purchased a 97 Bluebird bus to do
another conversion. I am hoping to find a 80's Wanderlodge to transfer the
interior from and into the 97. After doing a full ground up conversion, it seems
that pulling the insides, tanks and whatnot out of a similar rig to install in
the new bus would be lots easier than trying to re-invent the wheel like I did
with the Thomas. I found an 80 Wanderlodge that has body damage in Grand
Junction, Co (about 150 miles away), but it sems that he has commited to selling
it to another person. Anyone know of a donor Wanderlodge available that would
like to be reborn in an late model Bluebird body?? Any and all help is greatly
appreciated. Best to you all, Doug
>
> Doug Engel
> 1990 Thomas Transitliner Conversion
> Gunnison, CO
>

Hi Mike,
Too much time or too much Corona...could be either. Here is a link to the bus
project, I think I posted it before, but it does have finished pics:
http://ImageEvent.com/reddog/1990thomasbuiltbusdogbus
I've added a King Cruise cruise control (nice unit), flat screen TV/DVD and
switched the original EB3KW Honda for a 4KW Honda RV genset (liquid cooled,
remote elect. start). Took it to Llano last fall for Thanksgiving, Moab twice
this year and to Miller Motorsport Park in Utah for the World Superbike races.
Got interviewed by the local paper about the project and they wrote a nice
article about it with pictures and everything, Thomas is famous! (to me at
least).
The new Bird has the same 8.3L Cummins but has a 5 speed Allison World with a
6 stage tranny retarder, runs and drives great. I'll get some pictures this
weekend. Pretty loud paint job, but a clean rig overall.
I was really dissapointed to miss out on the BB in Grand Junction and have
considered the gas BB in AZ that is posted on Buzzys (so is the GJ Bird).
I think the new pusher with the engine/tranny setup combined with a classic FC
interior would make a first class combination.

Thanks for the shout,
Doug Engel
1990 Thomas Transitliner Conversion
Gunnison, CO