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!
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.
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.
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.
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 RU-vid 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 RU-vid 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.
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.
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.
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: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JpmzhKFDqGI.html
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.
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 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.
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.
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...
@@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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.