Blue Bird Wanderlodge
| Blue Bird Wanderlodge | |
|---|---|
"Large Marge" a 1980 Blue Bird Wanderlodge FC33 on Sanibel Island Causeway, Florida
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| Overview | |
| Type | Luxury Recreational Vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Blue Bird Body Company (1963–1992) Blue Bird Corporation (1992–2007) Complete Coach Works (2007–2009) |
| Also called | Blue Bird Transit Home (1963-1967) |
| Production | 1963–2009 |
| Assembly | Fort Valley, Georgia |
| Designer | Blue Bird Corporation |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Class A |
| Layout | Front-engine 4×2 Rear-engine 4×2 Rear-engine 6×4 |
| Platform | Blue Bird |
| Related |
Blue Bird All American (1957-1988) Blue Bird LTC |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Gasoline Diesel |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 31'–43' |
| Width | 96"–102" |
Wanderlodge is a high end brand of Class A motorhome recreational vehicle that was built by the Blue Bird Body Company (now Blue Bird Corporation) in Fort Valley, Georgia, from about 1963 until 2009. Production started with a 31-foot (9.4 m) gasoline-powered forward control (front engine) model and expanded to include larger diesel engine powered pusher (rear engine) models up to 43 feet (13 m) in length. They remain highly prized by their owners and have an extensive service network.
For many years, the Wanderlodge was in a separate class of motorhomes alongside brands like Prevost and Newell. Until the latter years of its production run, Blue Bird priced many examples comparably to a medium-sized American home. Features of the Wanderlodge that were unique when introduced included a built-in safe, redundant heating and hot water systems that used electricity, engine heat or diesel, and fuel tanks offering a driving range in excess of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).
Through its production run, examples of the Wanderlodge were sold around the world to celebrities, dignitaries, and heads of state. Notable owners include the former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, country music superstar Johnny Cash, and King Hussein of Jordan, among others.
By the early 1960s, Blue Bird Body Company had expanded from its beginnings in rural Georgia to become the fourth-largest manufacturer of school buses in the United States. While the company had become an industry leader, Blue Bird company leaders sought to create new product lines in order to generate consistent revenue streams. As motorhomes became distinct from trailers in the 1950s and early 1960s, Blue Bird saw an opportunity to develop its own motorhome.
In 1963, Blue Bird designed the prototype for the Blue Bird Transit Home, based on the Blue Bird All American school bus. Built in Fort Valley, Georgia, the Blue Bird Transit Home was manufactured by subsidiary Cardinal Manufacturing. In a tour to market the vehicle, Blue Bird showed off the prototype to potential dealers and buyers at a number of campgrounds and RV parks throughout the United States. The Transit Home received little attention until a 1965 article featuring the vehicle was published in House Beautiful magazine; soon after, the company secured five orders for the $12,000 (approximately $81,000 in 2010 dollars) vehicles.
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Wikipedia