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This Big Bird!

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  • Guest

    This Big Bird!

    Thought I would use a pun on our Ford Birds but this one is my Wanderlodge Blue Bird. Its my big ride and believe it or not I almost get the same miliage as my 60 T Bird. But that would only be in town driving against hwy. I average about 10 to 11 MPG on the open road and thats not bad for something that weights in at 14 tons. Jon
  • Guest

    #2
    And here is the inside of Big Bird:

    Last edited by Guest; May 3, 2007, 01:52 AM. Reason: adding pictures

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    • Guest

      #3
      That would be nice I bet you have seen alot of the country side and had alot of fun I did notice it the back round your house on the hill and all your other vehicle in your parking lot.
      Have Fun in the sun
      Bob M.

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      • Guest

        #4
        The main controls of Big Bird

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        • frank58
          Super-Experienced
          • May 28 2006
          • 524

          #5
          thats a beauty..... what year is it and was it built as a motor home or is it a bus conversion?

          that first picture looks like your towing the pickup and trailor

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          • Dan Leavens
            Moderator / Administrator


            • Oct 4 2006
            • 6376

            #6
            Big Bird

            Jon that is one sweet looking unit and I am sure it cruises down the road. It looks like on your adventures with this, it would be like the movie " Meet The Fockers ". I on the other hand with my wife have that problem solved as if it doesn't have " room service" it doesn't get done.

            Dano Calgary,Alberta Canada
            Dano Calgary,Alberta Canada
            Thunderbird Registry
            58HT #33317
            60 HT (Sold )

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            • Guest

              #7
              Big Bird is really called a Blue Bird Wanderlodge and its made right at the factory that builds the school buses. Its a 1978 Model and was order special with a back door so the original owner could carry her prise show dog's in the back. It had a kennel back where my bedroom is now! Her show dogs were Great Danes and now you can tell why she needed this size coach.

              The coach itself cost 90,000 dollars in 78 money and that probably would mean in today around 250,000 to 300,000.

              It is powered by a Cat 3208 and has a automatic four speed transmission. Surprising enough this big coach get 10 to 11 MPG.

              It is completely self contained. It has a 6,000 watt generator that runs on gas and I have used it to power up part of my house during blackouts we get up here in the northwest once in awhile.

              The Diesel tank holds 160 gallons and the gas tank holds around 90. It has a 60 gallon propane tank for those cold night and a fresh water tank that can hold I think around 75 gallons. Now as for the waste water system it has two tanks one for black and one for gray water.

              It has three types of heating for the coach. The first one is a self contain heat transfer system from the engine and it has pipes that run all the way to the back of the coach and so you can heat the whole coach with your engine. Second is propane system and that works when your just camping out in the boon docks and the last is plugged in electrical heat.

              The hot water heater either works oft of 110 or that heat transfer system I was talking about and that tank is around 15 gallons.

              Lots of other stuff but that enough for now.

              If you are interested in locating one of these older Wanderlodge units they can be found on a site that I'm going to attach. They are almost hidden treasures as there is not that many onthe open road but probably were and still are the best build coaches in America.

              Finally I paid a whole 21,900 dollars for big bird and it was money well worth spent. I have invested probably between a new brake job and tires maybe 3,000 over that figure and why pay 100,000 or more for a cheap throw together coach when a guy can have a beautiful peice of machinery that will last and last and last!!

              PS. It has around 140,000 miles on it and these Cat diesels will run up to 350,000 or more without any troubles.

              HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE REAR END AND MY 81 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SUBARU (NOTICE THE REAR DOOR!)
              Last edited by Guest; May 4, 2007, 06:24 PM.

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              • Guest

                #8
                This is a picture of the original owner with one of her huge show dogs! Boy she must have had them trained well but now she has past on as I have tried to get a hold of her. There have been four owners of big Bird and I have kept in contact with the previous two.

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                • Guest

                  #9
                  Here is just one of four sites that deal with Wanderlodges

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