8 April .. Our first visit to “the Bus.”
This was an EXCELLENT DAY on the RV front. We drove down to St. Louis to take a look at the offered RV. Many thanks to brother-in-law Paul Kokkin for coming along to provide another set of objective, mechanically-inclined eyes.
It is a 1981 Bluebird Wanderlodge FC-33. For the era (more on that in a minute) a PRIMO ride. Arguably the best available on the market at the time!!!! This one had all the features. Backup camera (in 1981!). Sound system (albeit with an 8-track tape!!!). 3 furnaces, 2 A/C units. Generator. Sturdy Caterpillar Diesel engine. An electronic air horn that plays 62 different tunes!!!! Remember, there were no iPhones with downloadable ringtones in 1981!!!! There is even an internal PHONE SYSTEM, I suppose so that the driver can call back to the kitchen for a snack? Or so the owners can call the chauffeur from the bedroom? One cannot make up this stuff!! This is an AWESOME (if a bit retro – and I mean that in a good way!!!) ride!
Some other key data about the RV: It is in PRISTINE condition. Has been in a garage since 1990. Has 47,000 original miles. The interior is in GREAT condition (though a little “beige” and 80’s-chic…Liz HATES the carpet, but that is an easy fix!). The tires still hold air and even the awnings and hoses and belts did not seem cracked and brittle. We have a mechanic who assures us this will be straightforward to put back in road-worthy condition.
And, perhaps best of all, this is SMALLER than we expected. It is 33ft and 10,000 lbs (We were expecting 40 ft and 20Klbs). That means NO SPECIAL DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIRED.
For those of you who are curious and know how to use the Google-machine, this is a 1981 Wanderlodge FC-33. It has a Caterpillar 3208 Normally-aspirated Diesel engine.
