Complete newbie seeking advice

[Scott]

Hey Eric, Ryan. I too have an 86FC35RB. Eric and others have some
good advice as it relates to costs of upgrades fixes etc. I have had
many of the same things done to our coach. BUT my experience seems
more expensive as well as a longer list. :>( I have met some of the
best folks as a result of this whole experience, some have become
great friends. This community is made up of truly great folks with
common interests and give of their time and knowledge freely.

I just put a new PowerTech geset in as well (10/05), I installed a
12kw, the way it was configured from the factory to run "everything"
in the coach at one time. The price tag was a bit higher

The Michelin tires are new 12R 22.5 XZ2 tires purchased within 90days
of production, with equal. Cost appx $525.00 per tire with everything
included.

I really think that the underlying message here is two fold. Expect
the unexpected, and be prepared for a new hobby. I spend alot of time
doing "stuff" to the coach. Many things I have had done
professionally. I am not well set up to work under the coach in the
driveway,(how bout it Ralph) and certainly do not want to get hurt.
Lifting a 34,000 lb coach on our sand driveway is out. We live at the
beach.

The other side of the coin is I know that most of the
repairs/upgrades are going into a coach that will be here for years
to come. That can not be said about 95% of the coaches on the market
today. Folks talk about an "investment" well do NOT look at it like
that..it is a poor investment. Who can say their 20 yo coach has
apprecated. BUT it really comes down to how much you value your free
time and enjoy quality older toys? That comes with a price. To try
and evaluate each and every expense is extremely difficult. Driving
habits, quality of repairs, so many terms/prices here are individual.
The previous owners care, and desire to fix things correctly are in
most cases simply and totally unknown. I do not know how the original
owner handled repairs.

I have seen many BlueBird coaches, some nicer than others, every
coach has a wow factor. For those "wannabees" out there I gotta tell
ya..you will NOT find a better product, heck there are not MANY 15/20
plus year old SOB's out there. That speaks volumes.

Just got back from a FMCA rally and looked at some mid 80's Vogue's
(they are pretty cool) great exterior lines, but extremely faded
fiberglass. But they still can not hold a candle to a well kept
BlueBird of the same vintage. We had tons of folks saying they had a
coach just like ours at one point, "best coach we ever had" almost
everyone stopped to look as they walked by, remembering the old
days..all the shiney chrome, straight sides, wheels you can see
yourself in, great looking original paint..THAT is the Vintage
BlueBird coach experience. Made the many hours of
attention/labor/expense all worth it.

Best of luck in your quest Ryan, get educated by the forums. I am
sure it will pay off.

ScottB
86FC35 "RUBY" 4SALE
Murrells Inlet SC "right next to heaven"


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Eric Johnson"
wrote:
>
> Hello Ryan,
> You're likely to get many different answers to your question on
maintenance costs because
> of varying mechanical skills, some of us have more or less things
done by others,
> condition and degree of use have big affects as well. With your
shop capabilities you can
> save a lot of money.
>
> Personally, we have logged a little over 40,000 miles on our coach
since we bought it in
> 2000. Our total operating costs per mile, including indoor
storage, insurance, fuel,
> repairs, upgrades and PM are about $1.25 per mile. Repairs,
upgrades and PM alone have
> run about $0.93/mile. Sounds like a lot but we have a better coach
now than when we
> bought it. I do some of the work on my own but avoid major engine
or transmission work
> due to lack of training, tools and facilities.
>
> Major cost items over the past six years have been:
> New Powertech diesel generator - $6,000
> Cat 3208 Valve adjustment + new injectors - $2,800
> New set of Michelin tires - $2,800
> New cruise control system - $2,000
> New front suspension air bags $1,000
> New set of AGM batteries - $1,000
> New A/C units - $700
> New icemaker - $600
> New spin-on air dryer system $400
>
> In summary, BB coaches are a wonderful way to travel, but not a
cheap way to travel. I
> hope the above is helpful. Certainly don't want to scare you, but
look carefully before you
> buy. The more of your own work you can do the better off you'll be.
>
> Regards, Eric
> 84FC35SBWL2
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
wrote:
> >
> > Hi Folks,
> >
> > I'm looking to buy a nice coach and stumbled across an '83
Wanderlodge
> > on eBay (item #140017325224). I was incredibly impressed with the
list
> > of features and the huge capacities! The "modern" RVs we've
looked at
> > don't come close! I mean, 200+ gallon fuel tanks; 12+kw
generators; 3
> > A/C units and 50 amp electrical service; remote door locking,
heated
> > waste tanks, etc, etc. I am very, very impressed.
> >
> > However, I don't like the layout of this particular coach - my
wife
> > and I don't sleep in separate beds and I'm not fond of the
bathroom
> > taking up the center area (seems claustrophobic to me) - but this
> > really got me looking at the Wanderlodge coaches. From looking at
> > other ads, I think I want a PT 40. My budget is modest: I prefer
to
> > spend around $30k, though I can stretch to $50k for the right
coach.
> >
> > As you can guess, I have a lot of questions.
> >
> > 1. Can someone orient me a bit? Tell me the ups and downs of
buying an
> > early eighties Wanderlodge. What should I expect? Do the various
> > systems hold up? Seems like a lot of parts to go wrong; do these
> > coaches tend to be money pits, or can the old parts be expected
to, by
> > and large, last for another 20 plus years? Should I expect to do
a lot
> > of work on an old coach like this, or can I simply enjoy it with
only
> > the occasional maintenance and repair item?
> >
> > 2. Do most of the models in this era have such an extensive list
of
> > features as indicated in that eBay auction?
> >
> > 3. I've noticed many of the ads are showing rebuilt engines at
~100k
> > miles. What's with that? I thought these diesels ran "forever"?
> >
> > 4. How do these drive? I have a '66 Dodge Travco 27' I'll be
getting
> > rid of if I buy a newer coach. It's a great rig but I get real
tired
> > after traveling for a few hours, which isn't fun. I can drive my
SUV
> > for a dozen or more hours virtually non-stop; I ought to be able
to do
> > the same with an RV, right? Local RV dealers tell me I'll have the
> > same problem with any coach made before about 1999. Of course,
they
> > may just want to sell me a new rig.
> >
> > Thank you all for your time. Perhaps I will become a proud new
> > Bluebird owner one of these days.
> >
> > -Ryan
> >
>