I had to sell a beloved mid-1960s car a couple of years ago because it was almost twenty feet long and I had to rent a storage space to park it inside because our garage at the time wasn’t big enough. I can’t imagine owning a 37′-long vehicle like this 1988 Winnebago Elandan motorhome. It’s posted here on craigslist in the Butte, Montana area and they’re asking $6,500. Here is the original listing – this one won’t last long – and thanks to T.J. for sending in this tip!
The seller lists both 1988 and 1989 so I’m not positive what year this Winnebago is, but the 1989 model has a different grille as opposed to the egg crate grille on this motorhome so I’m going with it being a 1988 model. They also say that it’s 38 feet long but Winnebago lists the length as 36′-11″ and they refer to it as a 37RQ (37-foot, rear queen bed) so that’s what I’m going with.
Motorhomes came in different types or classes. Class-C motorhomes were based on a truck or van chassis with the truck/van cab in tact and basically a big camper on the back of the frame. Class-B motorhomes are based on vans, and Class-A motorhomes, such as this Elandan, usually don’t have any identifying truck manufacturer cues, such as front ends, grilles, etc., they’re based solely on the design that each motorhome company comes up with. 
Winnebago offered several styles of motorhomes on different chassis from a 19-foot Minnie-Winnie 319 Class-C on a Toyota chassis to the bigger 20, 21, 24, and 26-foot Ford chassis Class-C Mini-Winnie to the 31-foot Superchief Class-A, the 27, 31, and 34-foot Chieftan, and finally the Elandan with a dizzying array of sizes and floor plans in lengths of 22, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, and 37-feet as seen here.
The interior appears to be a time capsule back to 1991 which in some ways would be fun to go back to, and in some other ways, not fun at all. The seller says that this motorhome “was hardly used” and stored inside for 35 years – although it’s only 34 years old. It only has 15,000 miles on it which is amazing, I drive over twice that far every year so for this 34-year-old Winnebago to have been driven only 15,000 miles is a foreign concept for me. Although, with gas prices today… (as people have said since the early-1900s)
They don’t show the engine compartment which is unfortunate, but it should have a Chevrolet 454 cubic-inch V8 which would have had 230 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. It has “like new” tires, new batteries, and the seller is getting rid of it only because they received it as payment for some legal work and they aren’t RV people. This looks like an absolute steal for $6,500. Would any of you grab this Winnebago and drive it more than 15,000 miles? I sure would.
Nice find – gone already
It’s weird how so many of these things are for sale at RV dealers. When you drive down the interstate, you just don’t see that many of these. They are super expensive. So where are all these RVs, if not on the road?
I have dear friends who don’t like to travel. They won’t fly. Yet, they keep owning these expensive RVs, and they barely use them. No lie, they store the thing in the winter (as opposed to driving it South to escape the Northern winters), and then come spring they pull it out of storage and clean it up and park it on their property. Once a month they drive it 30 miles to the shopping mall, have dinner, and drive it home.
Even if you do take road trips, I just don’t get the appeal of lumbering one of these monsters down the road, and then pull in to some crummy RV park along the interstate, next to some joker blasting terrible music and his tattooed pit bull barking at you when you pull in.
We’re flying to Rome next week. No $6 diesel, no crazy drivers, no maintenance, no pit bulls. Just amore.
Safe Travels, Rex!
Thanks Big_Fun.
I find motor homes fascinating, but still agree with Rex on this one.
You’re correct that the price of a gallon of diesel in Italy is not $6. It’s $7.50.
That’s a good observation, Rex, I never thought of that but you’re right. It could be like buying a big boat and then never using it because it’s such a hassle.
Safe travels in Italy!
Thank you Scotty. I’ll be keeping up with BF while I’m over there.
That’s one of the reasons I like the old cars as a hobby as opposed to a boat let’s say. I can jump in one of the cars and off I go….no prep, no trailering to somewhere else. Or, I can relax with some wobble sauce in the garage and tinker on the cars, no lake necessary. It’s therapeutic!
@Rex- Yep, no $6 diesel. It’s probably $12 by now. If you are flying United, say “Hi” to my son. He will be in the right seat making sure you arrive safely. Watch out for the crazy drivers,especially the ones headed out for some “amore” in the early evening. Ciao, baby!
Don’t forget 12 hour flight delays and canceling and rescheduling your flight without asking u like DELTA did to me!
Excellent point Motorcityman. And we are flying Delta. I’ll let you know it turns out!
After many, many nights in hotel rooms as a pilot, I can tell you that even $200.00 a night doesn’t buy you peace and quiet. And the breakfasts are monotonous and awful. The beds are a crap shoot. So a motor home is actually a good value. Skip the flight issues, arrive when you expect to. Rest well in your own bed and eat food that you choose at 1/5 restaurant prices. If you get of the interstate there are a lot pf places to park, and you can choose where to stay if you plan ahead. I have NOT had significant mechanical issues with mine. As for your Europe trip, bring at least a 5 day supply of underclothes in your carry on. It takes 10 days for your bags to chase you down and there isn’t a walmart to buy inexpensive replacements. It is easy to spend $200.00 on a couple of changes of underclothes. Trust me on this one. Nice to have the Euro in the toilet for your trip.
Hey Motorcityman et al,
Made it to Rome just fine via Delta. Good flight, good food, no issues.
Got a great rental apartment thanks to my wife’s excellent travel skills. Just had a fabulous dinner with our daughter and her awesome Italian boyfriend, a 1st officer for Carnival. Next couple of days we do Rome, then on to Ischia. We love our Italian tour guide.
Salute to all my BF friends.
Agreed. Most RV parks are in very unfriendly paces. funny how the ads for these have them sitting on a pristine lake all by yourself. It would be nice if you were allowed to pull off the road and park anywhere you want in America, but u can not. My wife and I looked at the numbers and decided that for the cost of purchase, the maintenance and storage, the high fuel costs, the hardship driving and parking these things anywhere yo might want to stop for a while……so we decided that just for the interest on all the money saved, we could rent an awful lot of wonderful and comfortable hotels. I think it is a lifestyle either you like or do not like. RV people maybe like to spend time with fellow RVers. We must not be friendly people. I do agree though that it might be a good deal to live in cheaply while building a permanent residence. Then again, a fifth wheel trailer might be a better idea (as long as you have a truck to haul it) as it wouldn’t have the other coosts.
go to any major city in the US and the streets are lined with the homeless living in them by the thousands …they line every major street in the San Fernando valley area of Los Angeles until the police move them along and they go somewhere else ..the city comes in and cleans up the tons of trash they accumulate and then they are back 2 weeks later when they get kicked out of their new spot
I prefer driving to flying any day. Won’t go to Rome because you can’t drive there.
Ah ah ! In Italy diesel is at 2€/ liter and this IS the country of crazy driving !!! Have fun, good food and wine and amooooore !
No crazy drivers?? Have you been to Italy before?
Nice rig, and the price is right, but it would probably cost $6500 in fuel to drive it from Montana to Pennsylvania, lol
Amazing rear hangover.
I actually am in the market. This would’ve been the ticket for my soon to be adventure. I’ve got to start accessing the early birds posts. $6500 would pay for the generator, water storage and pump, driver and passenger doors and rooftop A/C. The rest would have been free. I have been amazed at the ones I have seen. It isn’t unusual to find a ’79-95 with a fill-in-the-blank gas big block and 25k miles or less. This I’m guessing this was in truth a $20,000 retail vehicle. Especially if everything actually did work.
I’ll bet the oil companies are rpetty happy this is still on the road.
Gas station owners must smile ear-to-ear upon sight of it.
Why don’t people just buy transport trucks with semi-tractor trailers instead?
I think transport trucks would fetch better milage via the fuel source.
Bob [glad I don’t own a Winnebago]
Believe me Rex you will see crazy drivers in Italy.
Oh yeah, I know Rw…I’ve driven there. Difference this time is I don’t plan to rent a car this trip. Cheers!
I have always wanted to buy a few acres of land and put a small cabin on it. Would a big RV like this suffice until you could get a cabin built.? Especially if you had shore power and a place to dump the waste tanks?
There seems to be a good supply of older, large A Class motor homes available. Many have low-ish mileage, and seem may seem to be cheaply priced for what you get. As always, there is usually a catch….. Many have been stored a long time, and require significant investment due to deferred maintenance: cracked tires, suspension, brakes can really add up on these large vehicles. They are generally too big/heavy for DIY, and often require specialist, or heavy truck type shops to do the work.
Then there are the “surprises”, like some parts made of unobtanium, especially any glass that is curved or otherwise unique to that make and model. Most auto glass companies to Not make replacements for old, relatively low production motor-homes. My buddy has been looking for over a year for a replacement windshield for his older Bounder. “If” you can find replacement glass, it can be very expensive.
If you really are going to only use it a few times a year, rent a nice new one, and save yourself some $ and aggravation. BTW, I have a few friends who did that, and then decided once was enough.
If you really want one, get a “motor-home guy” to inspect it pre-purchase and determine needs And parts availability.
The big ones with the gas truck drive trains are terrible. With the weight and the aerodynamic loading, the drivetrain is all used up by 60,000miles. This is usually when they get sold, for the next owner to put a transmission and/ or engine in it.
Good points.
U THINK, $6,500 is a good deal but u don’t know what you’re in for!! 😆 Old RVs like this r almost CONSTANT money pits with stuff breaking down frequently.
The problem with RVS is that most of them sit for long periods of time like this one did, that’s why the miles r so low. ANY vehicle ESPECIALLY RVs with MANY components and parts will need a LOT of maintenance. You’ll find plumbing leaks, AC or Heat issues, bathroom issues, stove issues, electrical issues, shower issues, the roof needs to be sealed to prevent leaks in the ceiling and walls, MOLD….and this isn’t even the suspension or engine or trans…….u think old cars/trucks r money pits? Buy a old RV if u REALLY want to spend money!! 😆
I can attest to the experience of buying an old motorhome and towing an old boat. Breaking down in the middle of nowhere is not fun, but should be expected. Expensive maintenance and repairs are a sure thing. Love the comment concerning parts made of unobtainium!
It is nice to sleep in your own bed, save on food, and hopefully enjoy the camping lifestyle. Kids love it, but for the one in charge of M & R, setup and takedown, not so much.
D’oh! Why was the Craigslist ad removed?! I would think that people would want to see what was for sale! I know I would. The more pics posted, the better.
Low miles on a vehicle like this is an instant turn off for anyone who knows RVs. Every major component of the chassis will require major work. Tires have a 5 to 7 year safe life so figure about $3K for tires. Brakes will need a complete rebuild so figure another grand there. Every plumbing part including the holding tanks will need a complete flush and sanitation. If you do it yourself it won’t cost much but if the tanks are bad, good luck finding new ones, Winnebago made their own tanks and were made to fit the space available. Wiring is probably shot and the transmission will very likely need an overhaul. And the list goes on and on. That $6500 price is the down payment. Did I mention that many RV parks have an age limit on what can stay there? Generally no older than 10 years old. They have an image to maintain, and at 38 feet it will not fit in most State Parks. Whoever ends up with this will have a project on their hands.
Talk about a road hog!
What is the future for these RV’s? I see a different type of permanent (mobile) home parks sprouting up due to gas prices and electric vehicle industry. We have one in Naples, Fl. The place is high rent with $200,000 plus RV’s.
Whoever is interested in this monster had better drive it first. I only drove one motorhome like this in my life & it was similar, but shorter. I don’t know the length. It had the same 454 Chevrolet drivetrain. Slow to get rolling & you needed a considerable distance to stop. It felt like it needed a better chassis under it. You would probably have the advantage if it were parked more than driven & you lived out of it.
It is probably an 1988-’89. My Allegro is a 1990-1991. The GM P30 ( 1 ton) chassis was manufactured in 1990 and the coach built and installed in 1991. The 67,000 mi. 454 / Turbo 400 is a great runner and though I have done many improvements to it including some electrical, little was required. It’s a 24 footer and gets about 8 mpg but we only go to the (Oregon) coast about 5 times a year (150 mi round trip). There are several very good RV parks there, Federal, State, County and private. Pretty much quiet,friendly folks. Would we save $$ by just getting a $200 a night motel for 3 nights at a time x 5 ? Maybe, but the fact is we wouldn’t. It is also comforting to have a mobile living space with a generator in the event of grid or social disturbance. 2 years ago this area was overrun with forest fires and schools,Malls, and private residences had folks camping out in their RVs. The City planners even changed the zoning codes temporarily as an emergency. I know a couple who lived in their motor home for a month in the Safeway parking lot, with many others. :-) Terry J
Hotels suck, $200+ a night/day. We had MH’s for 15 yrs,only had one breakdown, alternator on the chassie died, parked in a Walmart and they fixed it the next day, being a diesel didn’t need it . Had our own”stuff”, bed, AC, food, underwear etc. love it 95% of the parks were great, perused them ahead. Really miss ’em
Occasionally I find myself thinking owning a vintage RV would be cool. After about thirty seconds, reality sets in and I realize I don’t want anything of the sort. It’s like a boat: great for someone else to own, and I’ll tag along enjoying it for the day.
After 2 VW campers and 3 motor homes, the 27 footer being the largest and the present one we own, we’ve gotten huge amounts of use and fun out of them. Used them for traveling, just touring, towing race cars, evacuating hurricanes, and as we did after getting cleaned out by Hurricane Irma in 2017, lived in it 9 months until we could get the house livable. Fun and necessity all in one package.
In 1978 I joined 10 other owners in a group-ownership of this new 27′ Pace-Arrow motor RV. Each owner had up to a month of use per year [with a month set aside for repairs, etc.]. I used it for the Carlisle and Hershey meets for 2 years, until one of the other owners entered an interstate exit ramp at twice the posted speed and turned it on it’s side, whereupon it simply fell apart, and was declared a total loss.
Back then it could be real difficult to find an RV spot or a flea market space to park a 27′ RV in, especially when the typical flea market space is 30′ long. I can’t imagine attempting to find spaces to park a 37′ long RV.
RVs make no sense. Buy a travel trailer! With a TT, you arrive, you unhook and you have a vehicle in which you can get around. No separate maintenance, no separate insurance, no car towed behind., and you can use your tow vehicle (truck) for other things. I think most people buy RVs because they can’t back a trailer.
MikeH….Notice the car on trailer for transportation. The trailer is our “patio” complete with table, chairs, and two positions for 9 foot umbrellas. Had an electric failure on the motor home once and had to have it towed. they couldn’t tow with the trailer so we hooked the trailer to the Mini Cooper’s hitch and followed them into their shop.
That’s damned clever.
I often see this RV term used incorrectly. It stands for Recreational Vehicle which includes all motor homes, pull travel trailers, 5th wheel trailers & pickup campers. I don’t usually see it used to describe a horse trailer with a built in camper which are often referred to as “living quarters”. Also don’t usually see RV used to describe a folding tent trailer. The age old debate on the merits of a motor home vs a travel trailer/5th wheel goes on and on. Disadvantage of an RV trailer? You still have a powerful and heavy tow vehicle that gets poor fuel mileage so really doesn’t fit a dual purpose as your daily driver, and therefore it sits much of the time costing licensing fees,insurance and maintenance. Catch-22. :-) Terry J
An advantage of living in Michigan: You can park your RV on state land anywhere you want – no need to find a park. And motor home or tow-behind, it’s more fun than a hotel, and what if you want to go someplace that’s having a big event and all the motels and hotels are booked? Pros and cons of owning, just like boats. If you like the lifestyle go ahead and enjoy. There will always be naysayers and fault-finders.
Much cheaper to RENT one when u want to use one!
45 comments! Great shades of the Big Boy locomotive a few years ago.
RallyAce, (by the way, what kind rallying did you do? I am ex-pro rally) you beat me to it on the year limitations. I made a reservation where they had the 10 year requirement and figured it would be a very nice place, it was a hole.
I have driven and used many class A motor homes (family units) but have never owned a motor home. But because they were “family units”, guess who was in charge of maintenance? I currently own and have owned many travel trailers and 5th wheels. If you only have $6,500 to spend on and older RV, then you better get it for free. I currently have a 20 year old high quality 5th wheel that we purchased last year to live in while our new home is being built. In the last year, we have installed 4 new tires, a new water heater, power center/inverter, a new water pump and now the roof top A/C has given up. Luckily, the previous owner had replaced the roof covering a couple of years ago. And, just as a note unless you are purchasing a very high end unit (Motor home or travel trailer) Most are built like crap. My previous 3 units were purchased new and they spent a total of about six weeks at the dealer just “getting made usable”. The best Class “C” out there is Lazy Daze. you will never lose money on one and the owners group is a very proud group. The best class A (In the medium price range) is a Holiday Rambler. (they also make/made great travel trailers) If you can locate one of these units used. You will greatly diminish the continual cost problem.
Beware “like new tires” hope the new owner checks the date codes!