Blue Bird - 1988 Wanderlodge FC35SB

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1988 Blue Bird Wanderlodge FC35SB

(See more pictures below...)

- Specifications -

• 1988 Blue Bird Wanderlodge, Silver Edition
• 35' Forward Control
• 300hp 3208TA Caterpillar engine
• 5-speed ZF transmission
• 8.0kW Onan diesel generator
• Side Bath
• Queen-size island bed

- Details -

• 152,799 miles (3937 engine hours)
• 2817 generator engine hours
• Corian counter tops and dinette table
• Leather pilot, copilot and dinette seats
• Memory-foam mattress
• Skylight/sun roof
• Zip Dee awnings all around (large one has Blue Bird logo)
• 1500W inverter
• JVC FM/AM Stereo with 6-disk CD changer
• Low mileage, matched Michelin XZA steer tires (12Rx22.5)
• Four, low mileage, matched Bridgestone rear tires (12Rx22.5)
• Roof-top storage pod
• Four new wet-cell house batteries
• New generator starter battery
• Two new engine starter batteries
• Steel slide-out battery tray for the engine starter batteries
• Plumbed for airing up with shop air
• New belts
• New engine heater
• Freshly insulated dog house
• New Thermo-Tec turbo charger heat shield kit
• AFE high-flow air filter
• New dash air condenser and compressor
• Freshly rebuilt alternator
• Freshly serviced
• Maintenance records and manuals in the full "blue box"

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- More Pictures -
(NOTE: click on the images for a larger view.)

Here is a roadside, front view of the coach. In these later '80 Birds, the grill and lights were changed to give them an updated look. Also, the windows got a black anodized treatment on their frames, which help make them look much more contemporary than the older 'Birds (take a look at the pictures of the '83 we once owned and you'll see what I mean). Here you can see the heated, electrically adjustable side mirrors, the driving lights, the dual air horns, the two remote controlled search lights, the new dash air conditioner condenser, and that all windows have Zip Dee awnings. You can also see that the paint is in great condition.

From the rear you can see that the rear window is covered with a blank, as were most of the later FCs. I think this was done to make the coaches look less like a school bus, and gives them a much more finished look. You can see the Zip Dee awnings, the new backup camera peeking out from under its cover, the ladder up to the roof (great for air shows!), and the secondary mud and spray flap under the rear bumper.

Here is a close up of the hitch. There is the option of both a receiver and a pin hitch. You can also see the badge that tells you that this coach has the pre-cooler and the turbocharger that helps kick out 300+ horsepower from the 3208 Caterpillar diesel engine.

Here's a shot of the roof taken while standing on the access ladder. You can see the diamond plated roof, the aluminum goat rail around the edges, the two air conditioners and the giant storage pod. The wiring over on the right and the aluminum bars forward of the rear AC unit are apparently from a satellite system the previous owner had installed.

Here is the forward-most roadside basement storage bin. In it are four, brand-new house batteries in a heavy, steel slide-out tray.

Here is the basement storage bin behind the left front wheel. In it, you can see the 1500W inverter. You can also see the lanyard pull that is used to purge any water from the forward air tank...pulling a cord is much easier than crawling underneath to purge the tank!

Here's a closer view of the inverter. The inverter powers the receptacle that the front television plugs into, and also powers the icemaker. This means that you can make ice going down the road without running the generator, or plug in your laptop to use as a GPS while driving.

This is the middle roadside basement storage bin. Attached to the wall of the bin, you can see the smart charger, which was installed to replace the older "battery boiler," and a trickle charger that takes care of the generator and starter batteries. The top air chuck puts out nice dry air, which can be used to fill the tires when the engine is running. The bottom chuck can be used to air up the coach using your shop air rather than waiting for the coach's compressor to do it. This coach used to have an auxiliary compressor, but one of the previous owners removed it. The cooling fans must have been added to keep the old charger cool--they still work when you plug them in.

Here is a shot of the 8kW Onan diesel generator. There is a new starter battery here, and there is a hush kit in the compartment that keeps down the noise.

This is a shot of the rear, roadside basement storage bin, which holds the power cables for the coach. This is the last bin found on this side of the coach.

In the rear-most storage bin on the curbside of the coach is the LPG storage tank. This tank holds 45 gallons of propane (that's right; not lbs, gallons). You can see the valve that is used to hook up a grill (no more little propane bottles!) so that you can barbecue underneath the shade of the big awning. There is also an outdoor faucet, and two 110-volt outlets in this compartment.

Here is the middle, curbside basement storage bin. There are both 12-volt and 110-volt receptacles in this bin, and the lanyard pull for the rear air tank.

This is the curbside basement storage bin just behind the front wheel. The boxes contain oil filters and an extra airbag. The lanyard pull for the middle air tank is located in this bin.

This is the forward-most of the curbside basement storage bins. You can see the starter batteries in their steel slide-out tray, the box with the emergency triangles, and the air filter.

This is the view forward standing at the top of the stair in the entrance. Immediately left, you can see the back of the forward dinette chair. Something you will notice if you have been in older 'Birds is that the floor plan of this vintage feels much more open due to the kitchen being on the curbside, and the bathroom being toward the back, behind the dinette. On the left in the picture is the couch, which has seat belts for three and folds out to a comfy, queen bed and has some storage underneath.There are airliner-style storage cabinets above, with plenty of lighting (both incandescent and fluorescent). The drapes throughout the coach are NOT the electric kind (one less thing to wear out and break down). There is a full-length miniblind that can be lowered in front of the windshields for privacy. You can see the full instrumentation and the new backup monitor. Both the pilot and copilot chairs swivel around to add more seating in the salon, and there is a sitting pad on the doghouse. Forward of the swiveling chair (also has a seatbelt), there is a storage cabinet, and another behind. There is more airliner storage above as well.

Here is a better view of the swivel chair and the storage cabinet between it and the door. The storage cabinet has a lighted set of glass shelves and three drawers below. Just above the light switch, to the right of the chair, you can see the thermostat for one of the three propane furnaces in the coach. There are three electric heaters as well, and three "chassis heaters" that pulls heat from heat exchangers hooked to the engine cooling system that runs throughout the coach. This system also heats the water in the hot water tank as you go down the road.

Here is a view of the pilot's chair and the lower instrument panel. Both the pilot's and co-pilot's seats are 6-way air/electric adjustable, covered with high-quality leather, and are very comfortable. They will swivel to the rear to give additional seating in the salon. You can see the stereo head in this view, and, to the right of that, the CB radio.

The 6-disk CD changer is located in the overhead storage bin above the pilot's seat.

Here is a shot of the 300+ horsepower 3208 Caterpillar diesel engine. The doghouse has been re-insulated, and the turbocharger has had a heat shield applied. The extra doghouse insulation makes the engine sound even quieter (you can hear the odometer clicking as it advances), and the turbocharger wrap reduces the ambient temperature around the engine and transmission, and boosts the horsepower.

Here is the copilot's chair. It is a mirror-image twin of the pilot's chair, with 6-way electric/air adjustments, high-quality leather upholstery, arm rests and comfortable padding for stress-free, all-day travel adventures.

Here is a view looking aft, standing in the entrance next to the dinette. You can see the galley to the left, and can see back toward the bedroom. Above the double-bowl, stainless sink, you can see the three-speed Fantastic Fan. Just beneath the convection microwave on the left, there is a cover over the stove. There are overhead cabinets above the sink and more above the dinette.

With the cover off, you can see the two-burner, propane gas cooktop. It is self-lighting (no more tiny matches and hairless hands).

Here is a view of the galley. Just next to the hand rail that comes up the stairs is the icemaker (the ice-making apparatus can be turned off so that it can be used for a freezer). There are plenty of drawers and cabinets for storage, as well as overhead storage cabinets. The Corian countertops are in excellent condition. To the right of the convection microwave and stove, there is the refrigerator/freezer.

In this view of the kitchen sink, you can see the InstaHot water dispenser and the NuTone control, which will power a blender (we have one) or a food processor (we don't have one of those).

Just to the right of the refrigerator is a slide-out pantry with adjustable shelves. This will hold everything from soup cans to cereal boxes. Though it can't be seen in this shot, there is a cabinet of the same size just below the pantry that is used to hold the cover of the stove while you are cooking. Just above the refrigerator is another storage cabinet. In this view, you can see the bathroom door to the right of the pantry. The bathroom door can be opened and latched to the opposite wall at the edge of the galley in order to make the bathroom and bedroom a private space.

Here is a shot of the dinette. Folding the Corian tabletop down and rearranging the leather-covered seat cushions makes this into another bed. The seatbelts can be stowed in the cabinets underneath the seat cushions. There is a safe located on the road side under the forward dinette seat that can be used to store your travel cash. There is a storage drawer under this seat as well.

Here is a view of the spacious shower. The hand-held showerhead can be hung on its bracket. The pan is sunk into the floor to make a small tub that is very handy for washing little kids, dirty dogs or for soaking tired feet. There is a high-quality, folding glass door that can be snapped open for travel.

This is the bathroom sink. It is made of Corian, and the sink and counter are one piece. There is a large medicine cabinet to the right of the sink, and a drawer and cabinet storage below.

Here is a view of the dropped shower pan that forms the tub, and the Thetford toilet. Even if you're over six-feet tall, you'll fit in this shower.

 

Here is a shot of the bedroom. The bed has a very (very) comfortable island queen-sized memory-foam mattress. There are two storage drawers at the base of the forward end, and two bedside stands at each side of the head of the bed, with storage in them. There is an overhead storage cabinet, and, if you lie on the bed and look up, there is a set of controls that include an alarm clock, and controls used for locking the door, switching on the security lights, and controlling the generator.

In the bedroom, there are two large closets with shelves inside. Here is a view of the curbside closet and shelf. Next to the closet, there are six drawers that go all the way from the floor up to an opening that we use to hold our BluRay player, X-Box, PlayStation and media laptop.

Here is a view of the cubby we use to hold the electronic equipment. There is an HDMI cable that runs across the ceiling from this side to the roadside closet. You can see there is power and a coaxial connection here as well. A handy thing about the wall of this space being covered with carpet is that you can put some Velcro on your remotes and stick them to it.

This is the roadside closet. There is a full length mirror inside, and a shelf near the top of the closet, with a clothes rod just beneath that.

Here you can see the shelf and clothes rod. To the left is the reinforcement frame and electrical box used by the TV that is hanging on the outside wall of the closet.

Here you can see the TV hanging in the transport position. There is a Velcro strap that keeps it against the wall and a bungie that keeps it from spinning.

Here's the view of the TV spun so it is in the viewing position. Perfect for watching a movie from the comfy bed or gaming on your laptop.

Here is a view of the articulating wall mount for the television. You can see the rear thermostat and the HDMI cable from the media cubby coming out through a wall grommet.