Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

I can tell you if its in as good a shape as the pictures look, and based on all the work done, that's a great price.



Randy Dupree has similar ones listed, maybe even be the same, don't know. You can check his listings and contact him via buybuybluebird.com.

Markus

John, I'm not active in Wanderlodge circles any longer, now that I sold our last coach. My first was a 35' 1984 'forward control' (front engine) Wanderlodge.
I had no trouble with it but traded for a more powerful rear-engine Newell. The 250-hp Caterpillar 3208 was just not enough power. Max speed was 65 mph. One other complaint was how the suspension frequently 'porpoised' on roads that weren't as smooth and even as they should be. Other than being underpowered and prone to porpoise, we loved the coach.

Our second and last Wanderlodge was a 43' single-slide 2000 LXi. Itlooked extraordinary but we had lots of problems with it.

Eventually replaced the Norcold refrigerator(should've been recalled) and one of twoHeart Xantrex3000w inverters, which caught fire. We also had lots of trouble with the air-flush toilet, the exterior entry door and the main electric transfer switch which had to be replaced. Incredible, but the transfer switch was placed just below the main water system manifold (bad engineering). A minor leak at the manifold flooded the transfer switch which blew out when AC power was turned on.And it, too porpoised badly. Conditionis everything. If maintenance was done properly and on schedule, it might be good coach, but be sure and drive it at highway speeds over rutted, wavy roads to see how it handles.

I'll probably never be in the market again, but if I were, I think I'd look for a 40'non-slide Prevost.

Brad Barton



http://www.weatherintouch.net

I've got a PT40 with 6V92. Prefer that to the 8V. Power is fine (I'm not drag racing it), and slightly better reliability, as the 8V's are more prone to overheating issues than the 6V's, being a smaller engine stuffed into the same space as the larger 8V.



Just my opinion.

Markus

86 PT40

Scott,



Have you had your compressor coolant hoses changed? Those are a prime culprit. On the 6V, there is actually room to get to them, on an 8V, much harder. I had mine changed when I bought the coach, from other forums and mechanics I know, they all warned of failure of those hoses, when they go, coolant gushes out and you can't shut the engine down fast enough, by the time the signal reaches the dash its too late. When the mechanic went to take mine off, they crumbled in his fingers, even though they "looked fine".



In the research I did before I bought my coach, this issue was more prevalent on the 8V's, I think because of the fact that its a larger engine in the same space, hence more heat generated in that engine compartment, plus, with the hoses harder to get to, they aren't always replaced by people, especially if they "look ok". Again, almost all stories of rebuilt engines I have read about are with 8V's, I only know of one on a 6V and that was a seriously neglected coach overall.

Markus