I Bought A Classic Winnebago Today

[khantroll]

Hello Everyone! My name is Jeff, and today, I finally got a Winnebago. A 1972, D24CL to be precise. So I thought this would be a good time to introduce myself, and my Winne that we have decided to call "Wiley".

As for me, I am an IT guy by trade. I primarily do roll-outs and system design consultations. My family have always been travelers; we started out as Arkies moving to California, and  for three generations we haven't stopped moving. When I was a child, we had a 1974 Zodiac, a motorhome built on a Ford chassis by a company here in Arkansas. As time went on, it became cheaper to drive our cars or (in later years) fly, so my parents sold the motorhome.

On a recent family trip back to California, though, we realized we may have come full circle. My parents are older now, and have health problems that make long car rides a hassle. The same things make flying problematic. Plus, you miss so much. We genuinely love the road, so I decided another motorhome was in order.

After doing a little research, I finally decided on a 1970s Winnebago for many of the same reasons I'm sure many of you did. For one, you can't beat the personality of these rigs. The other reason was nostalgia.

Then, I had to find one. I spent months checking craigslist, ebay, and following TJ's list here on the website. I stayed within a reasonable distance of home, though, because I didn't want to risk being stranded trying to get something home. Unfortunately, the pickings here in NW Arkansas proved kind of slim. Most were overpriced (IMO) for their condition, or they didn't run and were in ridiculous  places. I remember one that I went to look at near Eureka Springs, I honestly have no idea how they got it in there in the first place. I would have had to cut trees to get it out of there!

Then, last week, I found a listing on craigslist for a 1972 Winnebago motorhome. It ran and drove, though the add said that it had been sitting and did need some work. The photo looked a little rough, but  I thought, what the hay, I needed to be near there anyway for business. So I emailed the guy and decided to go look at it.

I got my brother to go with me, and after we got off the Interstate and headed off into the valleys (near West Fork, for those that know the area), we got lost. We rarely get lost, but the winding trails and access roads through here got us turned around. But one thing was for sure, we were in 'Bago country. We found Winnebago trailers and motorhomes at many residences throughout this area. I stopped counting at 12.

Anyway, eventually we find the meeting place, and the guy leads us back into this hallow. Cue the Deliverance jokes. About five miles back from the access road, we see it. I am sorry that I don't have picks, but I will try to paint you a picture:

Here in this small clearing, sits this 1972 Winnebago. She's got reasonable good tires, and she's three tone (beige, white, and silver where some one had replaced the siding). The guy tells me that he test drove it and it ran, drove,  and stopped. I check it out (using the check list and trying my best to remember the things that I've read). The coach is more or less intact, only needed some roof work and cleaning otherwise. I ask how much, and the fellow says $600. I told him I'd think about it.

I talked it over with a buddy of mine, showed him picks of a roof replacement on here, and we decided to go for it. So, today, I went back up there and bought her. I also took about $200 in car parts and such, just in case. Everything goes fine, until we get to the first big hill coming out of the valley. I suddenly have no power for climbing hills. I creep on, and then I get stuck behind a group of bicyclists!So, it takes me an hour to get back to a main highway, which as anyone who has ever driven old US 71 knows, isn't a whole lot better.  Nothing but hills north or south.

I pulled off the road and tried to figure out what was going on, but even after further stopping and part replacing, I still didn't manage to get more power. On the straight aways, though, man she glides over the road. Her brakes are kind of touchy, which I'll be researching shortly, and that touchiness gave me a few white knuckle moments coming out of the mountains (and a carpet littered with tools).

Anywho, though, she's at my friend's shop, and I am grinning ear to ear. I'll try to get some picks tomorrow. She ain't perfect, that's for sure; she's got some dings on the side and her trim is bent in a couple of places. But then, I'm a little over half her age and I've got probably just as many scars on me. But I think with some TLC, some ingenuity, and a little luck, I can fix the lady up nice.

Thanks for listening,

Jeff

P.S. I apologize. After re-reading, I realize that I sound like one of those middle school writing assignments, "What I Did Over The Weekend". It's been a long day, though, so I hope you'll forgive me. I'm just excited about finally getting this Winnebago and the projects ahead.

[cosmic]

AH. I do remember the day I bought mine. I had the same love for it as you have explained. Now 8 or 9 years of blood sweat and more blood. I hate her some days. LOL  Changing this, fixing that. she has everything working perfect with some added extras for entertainment.
all and all it was the best purchase I have ever made. I truly just love driving my rig, and watching the looks on peoples face, when they notice what they are seeing.
Best of luck with your build, and welcome to the nut house.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Ahh, many of us remember being a babbling kid the first day .....

Welcome and enjoy you new prize!

Dave

[joanfenn]

Welcome to the gang Jeff.  I loved your story and I am sure that there will be many more to come.  Any questions, just ask.  There are a lot of people on this site that love to help out a newbie.  We have all "been there, done that".  Oh and we love pictures.

[Lefty]

Welcome and congrats on your first purchase.
as mentioned, there is very little you could ask about here that somebody cannot answer.
Cant wait for pics!

[Elandan2]

Welcome and good luck.  As you get things fixed and take it on new adventures, it will be your most fun "roll out" ever!!  Rick

[joev]

I bought mine last year and I am sure my friends are sick and tired of listening to me talk about our winnie
Good luck with yours and welcome to the club 

[LJ-TJ]

  Ditto Mate, glad to have you aboard. She'll be an adventure. All the time your cussing her,getting Piss at here, kick'n the tires, you'll fall in love with here just like the rest of us have done with ours.

[Stripe]

Welcome to the club! 

PICTURES!

[moonlitcoyote]

Welcome and congrats on your find.

[khantroll]

Hello Everyone! Thank you all so much. I'm sure this is going to be a hell of a ride, and I can't wait.

Here is a picture of her from the side:



And from the front:



The darkness of the picks make her look a little rougher then in real life. You can see in the pics though, there is only like one or two areas of trim more then 2 inches long that don't have serious dents in it. The roof trim is what makes the wavy line across the top on the side picture ( not the roof).

As for the front, something smacked her bumper and her nose, so I have to fix that corner and the nose. The roof is going to be done first, of course, but then this stuff. Paneling is rough in some places too.

She has the 413 engine, and of course the 727 transmission. She has two 30lb LP tanks, and according to the manual a 66 gallon water tank.

Thanks Again

Jeff

[LJ-TJ]

Awww shoot, piece of cake. You'll have that old girl up and running in no time. We've seen worse. A little white trem clad paint on them thar wheels and she'll look like a million bucks.. Got any shots of the interior. Hm?

[khantroll]

D'oh!  D:oH! Never even thought about pics of the interior. I will post them tomorrow. It's rough, but more or less complete. I had never actually seen a CL (the one with the office chair and the dresser) before buying this one. Wiley is missing her office chair, and I think I am going to go ahead and pull the dresser out in favor of another goucho. I think the additional seating/sleeping space will serve me better then the dresser.

White rims sound great! I may wait on it though; I think I am going to swap them for 16s before too long.

We had two little hiccups today. The first was that there is a problem with the shift linkage. It didn't do it on the way to the shop, but today when I went to move her I couldn't get her to shift into reverse. I thought it was a transmission issue, but everything seemed to be fine. I even checked the linkage, and it seemed to be moving. Finally, out of frustration, I grabbed the shifter and started jerking hard through all the gears. It finally went into reverse.

The second problem was the generator. I finally got it to start and run, but man, oil comes out it as fast as it goes in. There also appears to be some cracks in the cast pieces. I think it may be time for replacement. But then, I've also heard that you can rebuild these onan engines forever. So, we'll just have to see.

Thanks!

Jeff

[Stripe]

P.S. I apologize. After re-reading, I realize that I sound like one of those middle school writing assignments, "What I Did Over The Weekend". It's been a long day, though, so I hope you'll forgive me. I'm just excited about finally getting this Winnebago and the projects ahead.

Don't you dare apologize.. And HOLD ON to that excitement and you use that to keep you going through the good AND hard times that may come your way restoring that Rolling work of Beautiful Art!  And to be honest, your writing style is just fine.  Better than mine, lol..
And thanks for the photos.

[TripleJ]

That front end is amazing  . Welcome! This place is great, and nobodies kicked me out yet so I think you'll be fine 

[tiinytina]

HOpefully the can of worms you just bought and opened will not be too large... LOL.... then again half the fun of owning one is the constant learning curve... you'll be up to speed and on the road in no time! Lots of us on here been there fixed that so you won't have to reinvent too many wheels......  all of us will say.. Cost of purchase, cost of maintenance, time involved, curse words learned... worth every minute and penny! - Welcome aboard!
tina

[legomybago]

The shift cables are known to freeze up.

[DonD]

Welcome and congratulations!!

[chicknnhead]

congrats and believe it or not you will look back on these times as stupid and fun..lol

[Old Man Powell]

Congrats on your purchase! That's a great story. I really enjoy reading the history and experiences of these old beauties.

I'm a relatively new member to this site and I can't express how awesome it is. Great people with an amazing amount of knowledge. Jump on the manuals and wiring diagrams. They have been an absolute life saver for me. Or, just ask a question!

There is definitely a love-hate relationship with these RV's. We're on our second one but wouldn't trade it for noth'n. Just be patient and as everyone else has said, kick the tires one day  and then give the ole girl a big hug the next.     

[khantroll]

Hello everyone! I haven't forgotten about this thread; regular life has just been interfering.

First off, interior picks:









It looks a little better then that now, as I've been doing some cleaning. Those picks are from a few days ago, but I haven't had a chance to post until now.

Lego: yeah, I read that. At some point, I am going to have to look at the shifter and see if I can figure it out.

My biggest priority at the moment is the roof. I am frankly astounded that, given the state of the plywood ceiling, that there isn't more water damage to the cabinets paneling.

Based on a posting I dug up, I called the local outlet for Great Dane Trailers, and they are telling me $13.95 a foot for aluminum roofing. That comes to $362 and some change, plus tax. Not too bad, but I am going to call some of the local salvage places and see if I can come up with something cheaper. In this instance, it isn't that I am trying to cheap out necessarily, but rather that every dollar saved in one place can go to another repair/upgrade.

On the upside, though, everything works except the coach water pump and the dash air. I am pretty sure those are wiring issues, as neither one tries to come on. However, the water pumps are cheap enough that I'll just replace it anyway, and the dash air likely has other problems so I won't mess with it.

I also took care of the generator issue. My friend who owns the shop has a LeSharo, and part of the purchase agreement was that the previous owner wanted the genset out of the LeSharo. The problem with that is that the only reliable place to get a replacement would be another LeSharo. So, my friend is going to take mine, replace the engine with another electric start engine he has, and give it to the previous owner to save him time and trouble (the PO has already agreed to this). Meanwhile, I am getting a 5500 watt genset out of the deal. 

On the weird side, though, I am having trouble identifying the coach itself. The winnebago brochure archive for 1972 says that the D24CL is on a M375 chassis, but the plate in front of the engine says M400. Not 100% sure what's going on, and what the differences may be? Any input anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Also, another location to Vin number besides the front tag would also be great.

One thing I was amused with on both the ride home and when I cruised around the area near the shop was the reaction from other drivers. Generally, people over the age of 45 would hang out the window and wave at me with a smile on their faces, while those younger had this look on their faces that said, "What the heck is that thing?".

It's amazing the warm and fuzzy effect of these rigs. I've only just begun, but by golly, she's MINE, and I can't help but smile when I think of her or pass her by.

I got angry this afternoon when I dropped by to talk to my friend, and one of his clients made derogatory comments toward Wiley. He not only sniggered at her, but asked if I were starting a methamphetamine lab. The gentleman was driving a rather sad looking Saturn with a pillow in the seat and some sort of homemade heat shield in the rear windows, so my response was to compliment him on his "mobile home" and his perseverance during financial hardships. After the solid thirty seconds it took for it to dawn on him that I had insinuated he was broke and homeless, he got angry, stomped over to his car, called me a name, and then peeled out of the parking lot. I just patted Wiley on the nose, and went on about my business.

I would also like to thank everyone for your warm welcome. It is greatly appreciated.

Jeff

[legomybago]

 :)rotflmao

[Stripe]

I would also like to thank everyone for your warm welcome. It is greatly appreciated.

Jeff

You knew this was coming......  Say it ain't so...

W%

[khantroll]

Yeah, it was only a matter of time.   

Now all we can get on to the jokes about chasing me back under my bridge with fire or acid...

[LJ-TJ]

OK! So here's your first talking to. We the owners of CLASSIC Winnebago's do absolutely nothing on the CHEEP. Get that straight right NOW. We are FRUGAL and also very THRIFTY. We are NEVER CHEEP. Also you rude friend was just jealous. :)rotflmao