I have many friends that worked at Bluebird in Ft. Valley Ga…including a couple that worked specifically at Wanderlodge(which was across the street from the school bus plant). In the early 90s, I was a videographer for a tv production company that did some work for BB. I remember being stunned by the luxury(and the price) of the Wanderlodges.
Amazing piece of history. Everything looks quality built, switches, trim, gauges, seats.. Nothing like that today... !!! Plus all the features it has that are now common like heated mirrors, backup camera, radar detector. That was luxury back then and even now..
The GM motor homes have always been a favorite of mine but your Wanderlodge is my new favorite vintage rig. Thanks for showing all the switches and instruments in detail! LOVE IT!
awesome Coaches and Tours ! I’m 60 years old and have been Camping in one form or Another since I was in my early teens I’ve Always known the WanderLodge and Airstreams were considered the Better or Best of Luxury Camping I’ve owned a Antique Airstream pull behind and had some fun with it my favorite thing was it was over 25 years old all the original item worked and the roof never had a leak ! The only thing I ever fixed or replaced was the thermo Coupler on the Water heater and that was a off the shelf item for $7 bucks at a Campground store fixed in less than 10 minutes in the rain !? Can’t complain about that one and I replaced the plastic slide piece on the Screen Door kids got too rough with and cracked it mostly due to age and getting brittle ?
Yours looks like a PT35 and the other bus is an LXI 43. So more than 3ft diff in length. Also explains why your weight expectations were off. Best descriptive video of a vintage Wanderlodge that I’ve seen. The gauge by gauge description is awesome.
Hi Steve - I'm sure you can find a locksmith to open the safe, but if you're interested, you might contact a fellow on TH-cam known as The Lockpicking Lawyer. He loves a challenge, but I don't know where he's located. It would be fun to see him explain how to pick that old safe!
@@ThisWeekWithCars Yes, that's my thought... if you got in touch with him he might want to come to your location to attempt opening the safe, while recording a video for his TH-cam channel. Just a thought... ;)
I’m not sure he knows how to open vaults. He usually only does things with keys. I have the key for this vault but it is used only for changing the combination and not for opening it. It is also useless without first putting in the previous combination.
@@ThisWeekWithCars LPL did a couple safe cracking videos. He had a device that does a brute force crack, trying every combination. Fascinating to watch it in action.
Wow what a wonderful rig. It's crazy but it all still works without digital computer overload. If it was computer controlled it would probably be all screwed up by now.
You never cease to impress and amaze. Of all the features the most impressive one was the switch to control the outside temperature. Instant solution to global warming!
What a wonderful vehicle... I'd absolutely love one of these but, living in the UK, never will. What an amazing dash. That is the very best video and explanation of a Wandelodge I've ever seen. I much prefer the old vehicles to the new RV's.
I'm pretty sure a lot of you are familiar with the bus Grease monkey. The peanut bunch of these come through to be worked on and by far this thing is cleaner than any one of those I've ever seen come through to him. You really have one nice sweet ass rig very jealous.
I have traveled through England from Toddington to Silverstone in a motorhome. Very different experience than traveling here in the States. I show a bit of that in this video: th-cam.com/video/JpmzhKFDqGI/w-d-xo.html
I thought that bus looked very much like the one that my mom and her husband bought new. I realize the color schemes on Bluebirds and many of the features are pretty much std even though the customer has a lot of say as to the floor plan and other features. When I saw the safe I became more curious, I helped install that safe and in the same location. it did not come with the coach. Bluebird installs the owners name on a plague 'expressly made for'.... their name was 'Day' both are now deceased. Just curious, it is a small world.
Don't Crack the safe. Pick the bypass lock. Way easier :) neat vehicle! Picking locks like that is relatively easy. You can get basic kits for little to no money on Amazon, ebay, Ali express. Plenty of youtube tutorials to get you started.
That is not a bypass lock it is the hole for the change key. I have the key and the original instructions. You need the old combination and then you can insert the key to change it. The key does not open the vault.
Nice cottage, always like the looks of them, had a dealer S of here. Did see one with a MG Midget,with a fold down windscreen in the basement, lol. Thanx for the tour, never did see the insides before...
I like yours better than the newer one. I could definitely live in that thing. I think it's bigger than my apartment. I can barely fit a queen bed in my bedroom.
For the age that still looks good. I would say only modernise things if you need to for example if parts are nolonger. Thanks Steve for the interesting video. 👍
I just bought a 1981 Wanderlodge a few months ago. I had just previously hurt my back pretty badly, so I was just able to get it home and parked. Feeling better now and ready to do some traveling. Batteries are all dead and won't take a charge. Generator slid open on my way home and rubbed against something and was a bear to get back in. Any advice is appreciated
Awesome bus! Would love to see more on this, similar to my ‘82 PT40. Are you sure yours is 40’ long? Looks like a PT35 or PT38..? The fan above the engine I believe is to cool the engine down after you stop for the day (most of them are seized). Engine block heater is in the coolant, near the dipstick.
@@ThisWeekWithCars I’ve been looking at one almost identical to yours but I believe it’s a 35’ coach, and it does need some interior upgrades but it is priced at $10k which is a bargain compared to $300k+ when new
Isn't the Bluebird factory in Indiana like the Fort Wayne area? I can remember driving from Ohio into Indiana and seeing a huge area of yellow busses parked outside of the Blue Bird factory.
The wiring of this bus must be miles long. amazing. I wonder if this was fully optioned or were there more accessories available? Driver would take a long time to learn them all. Beautiful buses and I prefer the decor of yours. Thanks for sharing.
PT36, and that fan in the engine compartment is not the engine heater. I have a 1985 PT36, identical to yours except my Detroit is 350hp. Yours may be 350, check the blue tag on the left valve cover.
Have you found a tag anywhere on the bus that tells you exactly which model it is? The vin tag doesn't say anything, neither does the owners manual or anything else I have found.
If you want the safe open you could get someone to lockpick the safe's key bypass and open it, instead of trying to crack the code which would be be more expensive and labor intensive
I’ve worked on many a Detroit 71 series. They are fantastic runners with a unique ability to excrete their own corrosion resistance fluid. Never had experience with the 92 series though.
Hi Steve . I guess this was a much cheaper way to having a very well equiped motor home . Some of the prices are outragious !! So can you drive this on a normal licence or do you have to have a special licence ? Over here l think you'd need an HGV ( heavy goods vehicle ) As always Steve you pull something out of the hat to entertain us ! Thankyou .
You can drive this motor home with a regular license. Any size vehicle you get registered as a motor home you can drive with a regular drivers license in the United States. I assume your law are more strict but here in Iowa if you are driving for farm/ranch use you can drive any vehicle on the road with a regular license even a large semi (lorry) with a grain trailer within 150 miles of the farm.
For those wondering the base price of this motorhome in 1985 was $325,420 which is $896,148 in todays money.
Good grief! Wii they knock off the 148$ if you pay cash?
wow, everything still works. I doubt a new modern RV Bus will still be working 40 years from now. Very cool indeed.
A million dollar bus would.
@@yolo_burrito the $2 million dollar bus might but the $1 million won’t be. A million dollar bus is not what they used to be unfortunately
Ha, they all need lots of attention. Many of them spent most of their lives in garages so many look really good for their age.
I’m always amazed at the vehicles he pulls out of the hat!
Thanks Steve for always making us discover new vehicles. As a European this blows my mind
All those controls buttons and gauges I bet you feel like a dam space shuttle captain when driving that beast it's way nice great build quality
I have many friends that worked at Bluebird in Ft. Valley Ga…including a couple that worked specifically at Wanderlodge(which was across the street from the school bus plant).
In the early 90s, I was a videographer for a tv production company that did some work for BB. I remember being stunned by the luxury(and the price) of the Wanderlodges.
Amazing piece of history. Everything looks quality built, switches, trim, gauges, seats.. Nothing like that today... !!! Plus all the features it has that are now common like heated mirrors, backup camera, radar detector. That was luxury back then and even now..
That's astonishing. It's survived really well!
I heard one of those 2-stroke Detroit diesels in '75 and thought it was an orchestra. Fabulous bus, I'd use it as a first home and travel.
The GM motor homes have always been a favorite of mine but your Wanderlodge is my new favorite vintage rig. Thanks for showing all the switches and instruments in detail! LOVE IT!
That thing is amazing. If I had one I'd probably just live in it and travel around different states depending on the season.
I mean, that's the point of it, so I guess so.
awesome Coaches and Tours ! I’m 60 years old and have been Camping in one form or Another since I was in my early teens I’ve Always known the WanderLodge and Airstreams were considered the Better or Best of Luxury Camping I’ve owned a Antique Airstream pull behind and had some fun with it my favorite thing was it was over 25 years old all the original item worked and the roof never had a leak ! The only thing I ever fixed or replaced was the thermo Coupler on the Water heater and that was a off the shelf item for $7 bucks at a Campground store fixed in less than 10 minutes in the rain !? Can’t complain about that one and I replaced the plastic slide piece on the Screen Door kids got too rough with and cracked it mostly due to age and getting brittle ?
That Wanderlodge RV might be vintage but sure isn't outdated !
It would cost 750k to build today
I have a 2004 Blue Bird, But I've always liked the exterior of that generation the best.
I bet that was peak luxury back in the 80's! Even compared with todays. This thing has a lot of features newer busses don't have.
Yours looks like a PT35 and the other bus is an LXI 43. So more than 3ft diff in length. Also explains why your weight expectations were off. Best descriptive video of a vintage Wanderlodge that I’ve seen. The gauge by gauge description is awesome.
Great looking coach. I love the classics!
Thank for the very detailed tour! You have a wonderful coach in great condition for its age!
Hi Steve - I'm sure you can find a locksmith to open the safe, but if you're interested, you might contact a fellow on TH-cam known as The Lockpicking Lawyer. He loves a challenge, but I don't know where he's located. It would be fun to see him explain how to pick that old safe!
Unfortunately it is bolted to the frame from the inside of the safe so the person would have to do it inside the bus.
@@ThisWeekWithCars
Yes, that's my thought... if you got in touch with him he might want to come to your location to attempt opening the safe, while recording a video for his TH-cam channel. Just a thought... ;)
I’m not sure he knows how to open vaults. He usually only does things with keys. I have the key for this vault but it is used only for changing the combination and not for opening it. It is also useless without first putting in the previous combination.
@@ThisWeekWithCars
Thanks Steve - it would have been interesting...
@@ThisWeekWithCars LPL did a couple safe cracking videos. He had a device that does a brute force crack, trying every combination.
Fascinating to watch it in action.
Old hornet nest in the electric plug area. This is a beautiful piece of history you have there
What a genuinely beautiful coach! take care
I had a '90 Wide Body 40.
Extremely well built. But very complex.
That's pretty cool to see them both together.
Wow what a wonderful rig. It's crazy but it all still works without digital computer overload. If it was computer controlled it would probably be all screwed up by now.
Great Rv....thanks for the walkthrough.
Nice bus, no doubt about that. The changes you have Kevin made are functional and in keeping with the original visual appeal.
Great job really enjoyable video! So in depth nice to see someone go take the time to explain all of those wonderful switches and buttons
You never cease to impress and amaze. Of all the features the most impressive one was the switch to control the outside temperature. Instant solution to global warming!
Im not living in the Usa, but I really love this Vitage RV they are beautiful!!
Well done mate!!! Thanks to share.
Greetings from New Zealand
WOW !!! That is awesome !!! True craftsmen designed and built that Wonderlodge. Absolutely incredible.
What a wonderful vehicle... I'd absolutely love one of these but, living in the UK, never will.
What an amazing dash. That is the very best video and explanation of a Wandelodge I've ever seen. I much prefer the old vehicles to the new RV's.
This wanderlodge is beautiful
Never thought I’d want this, but now I do
I love all the switches! Nicer than many homes!
Love that dashboard!
Steve, I like this video almost as much as the Lectra videos.
I'm pretty sure a lot of you are familiar with the bus Grease monkey. The peanut bunch of these come through to be worked on and by far this thing is cleaner than any one of those I've ever seen come through to him. You really have one nice sweet ass rig very jealous.
Thanks Steve , they made em to last back then ! Cheers from a UK motorhome
I have traveled through England from Toddington to Silverstone in a motorhome. Very different experience than traveling here in the States. I show a bit of that in this video: th-cam.com/video/JpmzhKFDqGI/w-d-xo.html
Very cool RV, hope you get a chance to use it a lot
great stuff Steve thanks love to see it all
That is truly ace.
That looks like a very solid motor home.
Classic Wanderlodge are the best
Very nice bird 🎉 we have a 2000 40 ft LX WB named “ BeachNest “. Love our Bird !
Love it. Solar seems like a good idea tied in with those electric generators you have. Tie it into a rack for your electric bike on the back.
Great idea
I thought that bus looked very much like the one that my mom and her husband bought new. I realize the color schemes on Bluebirds and many of the features are pretty much std even though the customer has a lot of say as to the floor plan and other features. When I saw the safe I became more curious, I helped install that safe and in the same location. it did not come with the coach. Bluebird installs the owners name on a plague 'expressly made for'.... their name was 'Day' both are now deceased. Just curious, it is a small world.
Nice boat, they are a class act.
I really enjoyed this video.
Don't Crack the safe. Pick the bypass lock. Way easier :) neat vehicle!
Picking locks like that is relatively easy. You can get basic kits for little to no money on Amazon, ebay, Ali express. Plenty of youtube tutorials to get you started.
That is not a bypass lock it is the hole for the change key. I have the key and the original instructions. You need the old combination and then you can insert the key to change it. The key does not open the vault.
Nice cottage, always like the looks of them, had a dealer S of here. Did see one with a MG Midget,with a fold down windscreen in the basement, lol. Thanx for the tour, never did see the insides before...
I like yours better than the newer one. I could definitely live in that thing. I think it's bigger than my apartment. I can barely fit a queen bed in my bedroom.
For the age that still looks good. I would say only modernise things if you need to for example if parts are nolonger. Thanks Steve for the interesting video. 👍
Very nice, enjoy it
Really cool 👍
Wanderlodges Rule!
I love your bus. 🙂
🤩 so cool! Thanks for the tour
Wow! Just wow!
I just bought a 1981 Wanderlodge a few months ago. I had just previously hurt my back pretty badly, so I was just able to get it home and parked. Feeling better now and ready to do some traveling. Batteries are all dead and won't take a charge. Generator slid open on my way home and rubbed against something and was a bear to get back in. Any advice is appreciated
Its cool very cool, it cool use some paint and rejuvenation.
Great video thanks
Haha! That endless amount of switches and controls. Finding a problem in the electrical wiring could be a nightmare.
Awesome
Interesting video I enjoyed viewing it!
I wonder if bluebird still makes a high quality motor home like this one still!
Not since 2003
love it so much clasic
Love it.
Cool thing is saddam hussein bought several of these, shows how quality they were when they were built in Georgia USA.
Hey I just saw at CVS in Lagrange Ga! I am a TH-camr (The Rambling peach)
There is dual engine airliners with less wiring and controls
Awesome bus! Would love to see more on this, similar to my ‘82 PT40.
Are you sure yours is 40’ long? Looks like a PT35 or PT38..?
The fan above the engine I believe is to cool the engine down after you stop for the day (most of them are seized). Engine block heater is in the coolant, near the dipstick.
Great vehicle, it must have cost a fortune back in the day with all that equipment.
Base price: $325,420 which is $896,148 in todays money.
@@ThisWeekWithCars Thanks for the info, these must be hugely collectable and valuable now?
Collectible yes but their value is a bargain today.
@@ThisWeekWithCars I’ve been looking at one almost identical to yours but I believe it’s a 35’ coach, and it does need some interior upgrades but it is priced at $10k which is a bargain compared to $300k+ when new
Isn't the Bluebird factory in Indiana like the Fort Wayne area? I can remember driving from Ohio into Indiana and seeing a huge area of yellow busses parked outside of the Blue Bird factory.
Yes that is where this was built.
Bluebird factory is in Fort Valley Georgia.
So dang cool!!
What hight would the panels take it to? could put updated air conditioning one motor multiple outlet's, all the best to you and your loved ones
The wiring of this bus must be miles long. amazing. I wonder if this was fully optioned or were there more accessories available? Driver would take a long time to learn them all. Beautiful buses and I prefer the decor of yours. Thanks for sharing.
@6:25 LPL you have a road trip.
Back to the future
What if bluebird wanderlodge would look like as a Time Machine?
PT36, and that fan in the engine compartment is not the engine heater. I have a 1985 PT36, identical to yours except my Detroit is 350hp. Yours may be 350, check the blue tag on the left valve cover.
Have you found a tag anywhere on the bus that tells you exactly which model it is? The vin tag doesn't say anything, neither does the owners manual or anything else I have found.
@@ThisWeekWithCars on the rear frame, aft of the engine, has all the data. There’s another tag up front, above the windshield with the vin, etc.
With all of the cars, motorcycles, RV, so many toys, I have to ask, what do you do for a living?
splendd picture!amigo~
That Sir is a motor Coach. We own one .
If you want the safe open you could get someone to lockpick the safe's key bypass and open it, instead of trying to crack the code which would be be more expensive and labor intensive
That is not a bypass that is the key for changing the combination and I have the key. It is useless without the old combination.
And to think, a lot of RV parks wouldn't let this bus stay at their park because of its age.
Yep I don't support RV parks, I'd rather stay the night at a rest stop.
The only anti theft device you'll ever need is to keep the manual separately...
How did you get the thumbnail of my blue and silver Wanderlodge to show up and link to your video?
How much mpg does it get?
That's not an engine heater at the top. That is a cooling fan for the engine compartment.
Now I’ll bust out laughing if you clean out the chemical toilet and yell, “Sh(tter’s full!!”
Did they start life as a Leyland in the UK?
Can't find the light switch; did you try clapping your hands?
How many mpg on a run?
8-10mpg whether I am pulling a trailer.
With today's 350-400W PVs, you should be able to cover your power budget.
You can never have enough underground storage
"The Blue Bird Wanderlodge was an RV out of a School Bus!"
- Doug DeMuro
That is not correct, it was built by a bus company but it was built from the ground up as a RV.
@@ThisWeekWithCars No, it is based on a SCHOOL BUS! Look at the design and tell me that doesn't scream VERY AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS????
No school bus ever used this chassis. Why would a school bus have a tag axle, a huge 2 stroke detroit, and a generator that slides out of the front.
@@ThisWeekWithCars Well look at the body at least. It's very fucking School Bus.
Wow. I wonder how much this cost when it was new?
Base price: $325,420 which is $896,148 in todays money.
It’s technically not super charged as it’s a scavenging pump because the engine would not run without it.
I’ve worked on many a Detroit 71 series. They are fantastic runners with a unique ability to excrete their own corrosion resistance fluid. Never had experience with the 92 series though.
Hi Steve . I guess this was a much cheaper way to having a very well equiped motor home . Some of the prices are outragious !! So can you drive this on a normal licence or do you have to have a special licence ? Over here l think you'd need an HGV ( heavy goods vehicle ) As always Steve you pull something out of the hat to entertain us ! Thankyou .
You can drive this motor home with a regular license. Any size vehicle you get registered as a motor home you can drive with a regular drivers license in the United States. I assume your law are more strict but here in Iowa if you are driving for farm/ranch use you can drive any vehicle on the road with a regular license even a large semi (lorry) with a grain trailer within 150 miles of the farm.
Envy your bus
Dang!!! I'm just lookin' fer a large motor home🤪😱🤮
If only😺🤔🤔 A bus would work🙉🙈🙊
THNX👍💪🍻🦅🦅🦅🦅
A bus will be far better build. The chassis will be made to go a million miles and it won’t be made of sticks and staples.
Cool back in the day but cost to much to run these days.
The new ones get the same mileage.