Blue Bird - 1983 Wanderlodge FC33SB

SOLD 1983 Blue Bird Wanderlodge FC33SB

If you came looking to buy this coach, it is too late. She was purchased by a fine fellow with a nice family. They have plans to use her well. However, you can still read about this wonderful coach below. Looks like this coach is for sale by the person who bought it from us--there is a Craig's List ad you may have arrived here from (if not, look in the Seattle-Tacoma section of craigslist). If it is still available, jump on it--that is one nice 'Bird!

(NOTE: click on the images for a larger view.)
1983 Blue Bird Wanderlodge FC33SB
(See more pictures below...)
- Specifications -
  • 1983 Blue Bird Wanderlodge
  • 33' Forward Control
  • 225hp 3208TA Caterpillar engine
  • 4-speed Allison transmission
  • Jacobs four-position electromagnetic driveline retarder
  • 7.0kW PowerTech CD7000SI generator with a Kubota D905 diesel engine
  • side bath
  • twin beds in rear
  • interior remodeled in 2003
  • extra 30 gallon fuel tank for refueling toad/toys
- Details -
  • 128,792 miles (3733 engine hours)
  • 494 generator engine hours
  • new belts
  • rebuilt alternator
  • low mileage (~7000 miles) steer tires (11Rx22.5) with EQUAL balancing compound
  • four, low mileage (~4000 miles), matched Michelin rear tires (11Rx22.5) with EQUAL balancing compound
  • leather pilot and copilot seats
  • built-in vacuum
  • Zip Dee awnings all around
  • two, large roof-top storage pods
  • custom maple hardwood floor in kitchen
  • new fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen
  • new ShurFlo 4.0 Extreme water pump
  • new Culligan whole-house water filter
  • new hot water heater
  • new generator starter battery
  • - New since 2004 -
  • 4 New Michelin tires on drive axle (summer 2004)
  • new PowerTech diesel generator and battery with Racor 500 fuel filter
  • new oversized 8 cu ft Norcold refrigerator
  • new water pump base
  • upgraded electrical to headlights/tailights/trailer lights for brightness
  • multiple new marker lights
  • 4 new 6-volt deep cycle batteries
  • new Iota DLS 45 charger with smart charge circuit
  • 2 new 20,000btu Suburban propane furnaces (of three)
  • new Fantastic vent in galley
  • 2 new Dupree dump valves (complete assemblies)
  • new bearings and seals in all engine pulleys
  • rebuilt engine fan and pulleys
  • new 195 degree engine fan thermoswitch (replaces 185 degree switch)
  • new engine belts
  • new engine coolant hoses
  • new swing radiator kit (Holland Motor Homes)
  • new engine mounts
  • new engine 'dog house' insulation and gasket
  • fresh fluids in rear end, engine, transmission, and radiator
  • rebuilt AD-2 air dryer
  • rebuilt power steering pump
  • engine valve-lash adjustment
  • new throttle cable encased in heat shield, new throttle return springs
  • new Ramco power heated mirrors in body color with BB logo
  • new VIP burled walnut, black leather and chrome steering wheel
  • new chrome hub caps with Blue Bird logo

  • - New since 2002 -
  • new Bendix engine driven air compressor
  • new steering box
  • rebuilt HWH leveling jacks


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


A view of the front shows the classic lines of our 1983 Blue Bird Wanderlodge 33' Forward Control class-A diesel motor coach. You can see that the Imron paint is in great shape after 25 years. The clear indicator light lenses and the body-colored heated/power Ramco mirrors give it a clean look. There is a radiator swing kit and radiator hose extensions installed that allows easy access to the belts and the front of the engine. You can see the largest of the Zip Dee awnings and the sturdy goat rail around the edges of the aluminum diamond-plate covered steel roof.

Now let's walk around the coach. Here is a view of the swing radiator. To open it, the four, stainless bumper bolts are removed, and the bumper is swung down out of the way. After that, a handful of bolts that hold the grill to the front of the coach are removed. A couple of additional bolts holding the radiator closed are removed and the radiator is opened. This allows easy access to the front of the engine and makes it easy for belts to be replaced or adjusted. You can see the extra-length radiator hoses and the insulation in the engine compartment.

Moving around the coach to the roadside, here is a view of the front bin, which holds the battery tray. In the slide out tray, there are four, six-volt golf cart batteries (two sets, each with two batteries connected in series). Golf cart batteries are used because they have thicker plates and so last longer.

Moving toward the rear of the coach, you can see a the left front tire. The Michellin ZXA-1 tires are five-years old and in excellent condition. They are mounted on Firestone aluminium rims with new, Blue Bird logo caps. You can see there are no cracks in the sidewalls. The tires all have EQUAL balancing compound in them, which keeps the ride very smooth and reduces wear on the tires.

Here is the awning over the window located on the roadside, just behind the driver's sliding window and above the front tire. All of the awnings are in the same great condition.

Further toward the rear of the coach, you can see the middle bin. This one contains the smart charger (the one on the left; the unplugged one on the right is a new OEM battery charger, and was left there as a backup charger), the accessory air chuck, which you can use to fill the tires, and the storage spot for the sewer hose. You can also see the engine exhaust pipe, the generator exhaust pipe, and the drain for the black and grey waste tanks. The Dupree dump valves were new in 2004.

The rear tires are in excellent condition as well, and the sparkling Blue Bird caps really finish off the look.

At the rearmost end of the coach is the last of the bins on the roadside. This one is the largest of the basement bins.
From the roadside rear of the coach you can see the Class-IV trailer hitch, the ladder that leads to the roof, the rear-view camera and the two, large storage pods on the roof.

After climbing up the ladder you can see the roof of the coach. The already sturdy steel top is covered with aluminum diamond plating. The roof is an excellent vantage point for airshows or the races. The largest portion of the roof is bounded by the steel goat rail, which has cargo tie down hooks. From here you can see the two, large storage pods, the two roof air conditioners and the numerous roof vents.

After climbing down the ladder and moving to the curb side, you can see the rearmost basement bin. To the right of the bin you can see the fold-down helper step used to reach the large awning's locking hardware.

Moving forward, you can see the generator. The original gasoline-fueled generator has been replaced with a quiet, PowerTech diesel generator. The sliding tray was rebuilt when it was installed, and a new muffler, exhaust pipe and Racor filter were added as well. There is a hush kit lining the generator compartment. The Kubota engine that powers the generator draws fuel from the main tank. The original fuel tank is still in the coach (in the curbside rear corner), and would make a perfect toy/toad refueling station, or could be used to help turn the coach into a waste-vegetable-oil-burning rig.

Now, skipping past the entrance to the coach's interior, you can see the bin that holds the propane storage tank, the Racor filter for the engine, and the bulk oil tank. The propane tank holds 45 gallons (that's right, gallons! Depending on the mix of propane and butane used to fill the tank, this translates to a little over 200 lbs of fuel available to cook, heat and run the fridge. Yes, it will last quite a long time). This bin also contains two 110-volt outlets, and an outdoor faucet. The Racor filters the fuel, will capture water that may be in the fuel and warms the fuel before it gets to the engine. The bulk oil tank can be filled with engine oil, and then pressurized to allow oil to be added using a metered, hand-held delivery device found in the engine compartment.

Moving a bit forward, there is the smallest of the basement bins (two toolboxes fit in it rather nicely) just behind the front tire. You can see the curbside rear "landing light" in this view as well.

This is the last curbside bin. We use this one to hold fluids, tools, jacks, fire extinguishers and other things we want to access quickly.

Now let's go inside. Here is the entrance to the coach. There is a screen door in addition to the main door. Just at the top of the stair is the entrance to the bathroom. This is a great feature of the mid-door floorplan of this coach: kids with dirty feet don't go tracking through the livingroom to get to the bathroom! The carpet and the bathroom floor and fixtures are all barely used. You can see the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door and, on the right, the stair cover that can be folded down to keep people from falling down the steps in the middle of the night.

Here is the instrument panel. You can see the new VIP burl and leather steering wheel. If you click on the picture to open the larger view, you will see the small lever between the steering wheel and the gear shift lever--this is the control for the 4-position, electromagnetic driveline retarder. This amazing device is excellent for those long descents in the mountains. It slows the coach without overheating the transmission or making awful noises like the engine compression-release brakes you may have heard on some large trucks on the highway, or the third-party exhaust brakes you may have heard on smaller diesel engines.
By the way, sometimes people call all of these types of brakes "Jake brakes" because the majority were originally made by Jacobs Vehicle Systems. People started calling all of them by this name no matter who made them (sort of like a "Brownie" transmission or a "Kleenex" tissue or a "Band-Aid" bandage). This can be confusing, because some people advertise their Wanderlodge as having a Jake brake, which it technically does, but it is an electromagnetic driveline retarder made by Jacobs, and not an engine compression-release brake.

From this view of the salon, you can see the roadside couch that makes into a double bed. The curbside couch is also a single bed. The removable, collapsable table is custom made, and can be turned to allow usage from either or both sides of the coach.

Here is the salon with the table stowed. You can see the airplane-style overhead storage that lines the coach and the overhead console that holds the monitor for the rear-view camera, the stereo head, the altimeter and one of the generator starter controls.

This is the Corian sink. There is storage underneath, behind the sliding mirrored door.

This is the spacious shower. There is a step down into this one, which means tall people can actually use it comfortably (try that in your average RV) and it can be used as a tub as well.

This is a shot of the new Thetford toilet and the spotless vinyl floor. There is storage behind the sliding mirrored doors and a medicine cabinet above the toilet.

This is the view aft of the kitchen and bedroom. The dinette can be converted into a bed. There is airline-style storage above the dinette, and more storage above the sink. There is also storage and a sturdy safe for your travel cash under the dinette chairs.

Here is a view of the kitchen. You can see the four-burner stove, the below-counter storage, and the door to the icemaker. Just beyond the stove is the door to the bathroom. You can also see the beautiful maple flooring with the custom-curved threshhold.

This is a view forward from the bedroom. You can see the folding door that allows you to close the bedroom off from the rest of the coach. To the right is the door to the closet. The dark doors to the left belong to the refrigerator.

Here is a view of the bedroom. The beds have 3" memory foam additions on top of the mattresses. There are airline-style storage cabinets on the sides and rear, above the beds. There are two large storage drawers under the curbside bed and two drawers in the nightstand between the beds.

Here is the extensive "Blue Box" which contains all of the blueprints, wiring diagrams, owners manuals, parts books, etc., etc. associated with the coach. There is also an extremely detailed maintenance log containing all work that has been done since the coach was restored/refurbished.