The Wanderlodge

 Already named Wander Woman, so there's that. Wonder Woman will also work. 

We were both overwhelmed with the hurricane and it's fallout, and the purchase of her was fraught (see previous post) so we have only made one trip to check her out in the last week. The plan is to switch attention to the farm, try to get the beds ready for next planting season, so we are moving slow on the RV front. 

The first, most urgent thing to do is to insure and register it. Tomorrow or the next day I will go do that. I had to pull out some $ from savings to pay the highway use tax NC charges (one time). 

Second, we have to get one of the bins unstuck. Unfortunately it's the one with the access to the tank system, so we can't go on a trip without fixing it. 

Third, we need to get the diesel engine and generator checked out. Normally I would have had a mechanic look at her before buying, but the hurricane blew up that plan. We knew we were going to get her anyway; the exacting detail the owner had provided, plus all the receipts, videos and references will likely be the best indiction of her maintenance. But it's good to know ahead of time. 

Now, looking back on my post about what our must-haves are, I laugh, because most fell by the wayside. First and most obvious, I didn't want a diesel, but here we are. It is a foot and a half bigger than I wanted, and I certainly didn't ask for a 34 year old rv. 

But I didn't count on finding a classic class A in amazing good shape. 

In houses, cars and RVs (furniture, clothing, et al), I lean towards older, better construction. As a former and current Airstream owner, I prefer the classic era, even when it's more work to maintain. I had never heard of Wanderlodges before, but they are a well-kept secret. There were only 4000 of them made by the Blue Bird manufacturer, and each one is custom-made. And they are solid. No coming apart at the seams in a wind. Remember, Blue Bird made school buses. Safety, something not really on my list, became it's number one asset.  

So, with the initial todo's determined, I can talk about her interior. 

Basically, I love it. It's modern and clean, but the overall impression is quality and craftsmanship. Other than the dowdy couch upholstery it's in immaculate shape. 

The leather upholstery is taupe-to-pink, changing in different lighting, My mother had a taupe leather jacket just like that color, and it calls up great memories. Her memory is always a blessing. 

Everything is well-designed and thoughtful. Also heavy - and the bus can take it. It's a 300hp Cat diesel, super heavy duty. This baby is not flimsy.

There are no slides, and both of us are happy about that. No slides means fewer headaches in and out of campgrounds. 

The kitchen is just big enough and has several space savers: built-ins include a blender base and a an ice-maker. The dinette, while not in  a C-shape, is super comfy. 

The couch is not original, and the upholstery is a little much for my taste, but we'll eventually replace it with something else. 

Lots of cubbies and storage, in the usual rv places.  It has a leather carpet cover, same as the upholstery. Sorry, that will be taken up and made into seat covers to protect the good leather upholstery from the cats. 

Speaking of the cats, a dedicated cat area is one wish list item that did not get provided. Still thinking about a solution.

Look at this control panel... more like a airplane cockpit. 

The cabinet pulls are little plastic birds in different colors. I don't know if they are original, and they are a bit hokey, but maybe a vintage rv needs a little bit of hokey.

A full size queen bed - definitely on my wish list. Tables and lights on both sides too. There's a mirror as a headboard. That bedspread is definitely going. 

Lynn getting the low-down on all the controls.  We are just starting to figure out which dial is which. 

There’s a nice, small bathroom, and a large closet, drawers, etc. The closet also has a W/D hookup, so a little less hanging clothes space if we add that. That is a loss from the requirement of 'lots of closet space' so that's a choice we'll make at some point. 

And yes, it seems  --very pink-- in these photos, but in reality, it's a very neutral background. I do wonder, though, that there were so many previous owners (4 of 5) that were men!