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$800 Brave: 1972 Winnebago Brave

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Here’s a cool little rig, it’s a 1972 Winnebago Brave and it’s on Craigslist in East Bethel, Minnesota, about 30 miles north of Minneapolis. The seller is asking a very reasonable $800 or best offer for this one!

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I think this is an D-18 model, as in an 18-footer, but I’m not positive and there is no mention of it in the ad. Winnebago Braves came in three models, but with a twist: 20-footers had the option of either Dodge or Chevy drivetrains. The D-18 (18-feet, side dinette, Dodge 318 V8), the D-20/C-20 (20-feet, side dinette, Dodge 318 or Chevy 350 drivetrain), and the D-20RD/C-20RD (20-feet, rear dinette, Dodge 318 or Chevy 350 drivetrain)! I may run and look at this one as soon as I can get in touch with the seller, just for my own curiosity.

No matter which configuration, length, or drivetrain choice you settled on, these came standard with power brakes, power steering, dual rear wheels, and on the interior they had a water heater, shower, pressurized water system, 3-burner stove with oven, forced-air furnace, gas/electric refrigerator, etc. A heck of a camping machine for $6,700 in 1972! In 1973 they modernized the look a bit with rounded window corners (rounded corners?!) instead of the square corners seen on this one. I like the look of these square-edged windows, it just adds to the vintage feel for me. We had a 1969 Winnebago pickup camper that my mom and dad bought brand new but we secretly always wanted a little Winnebago motorhome like this one, that would have been quite a step up.

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There are no interior photos or engine photos, unfortunately. This one, being a D-18, has the 318 Dodge V8. Expect to get around 7 mpg with this l’il rig. They mention that the roof has a bit of damage which you can sort of see in this photo. Hopefully that wouldn’t be hard to repair. A bonus is that it comes with a fairly new Generac generator with just 250 hours on it. They say that this motorhome “starts and drives”, and it looks like it has 99,331 miles on it, or that’s what the odometer currently shows. It has good tires and a 4-year old awning that’s probably worth a good portion of the asking price. Have any of you ever owned an older Winnebago like this? Or, any motorhome?

Comments

  1. Avatar Francisco

    This looks like the rolling meth lab in “Breaking Bad.” Cool find.

    Like 3
    • Avatar RichS

      That one would be a Fleetwood Bounder – ’87 or ’88. I only know this because I owned one for about a year.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Francisco

        Like this.

        Like 3
  2. Avatar grant

    My grandma had one of these when I was a kid. Mostly the kids had sleepovers in it lol. Nice.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar DanaPointJohn

    No interior or engine photos? Should be free.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar MikeG

    Not exactly streamlined, but as a kid my family had wonderful times in ours!

    Like 0
  5. Avatar RoselandPete

    Never had one but always wanted a small one like this.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar BradL

    “Brave”. Describes the person who would buy this.

    Like 7
    • Avatar CarlyJ

      Thanks ;) it’s actually turning out to be quite a nice little camper.

      Like 4
      • Avatar Shane

        Did you buy it?

        Like 0
    • Avatar Sequa Randall

      Weak describes people who wouldn’t .

      Like 0
  7. Avatar angliagt

    What could possibly go wrong?

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Brad C

    Buy this, fill it with friends dressed as zombies… and you’ll win Halloween!

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Wayne

    That roof damage looks like water has entered, and swollen (rotted) the timber frame, causing the roof cladding to lift. I agree with BradL, you would be very “Brave” to buy this.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Jesper

    Brave?
    Its a 800$ camper.
    If nothing better, use it as hunting cabin, or garden house for kits.

    Like 3
  11. Avatar JW

    If you have a pool this would be great for a changing room and or a party house so your home stays dry and clean. A guy on the edge of town bought a caboose just for that reason. For $800 you can’t go wrong.

    Like 1
  12. HoA Howard A Member

    Scotty and I share a similar upbringing. Both our families had campers of some sort. So to see this from him is no surprise. The old man pulled trailer campers for years when I was a kid. When I was a teen, he “graduated” to the motor home set, with a unit EXACTLY like this. I had just gotten my license, and the old man “threw” me behind the wheel. “If you can drive this, you can drive anything”, he said, and he was right. It was a beast. A box on wheels. The chassis is a truck chassis and it rode like one. Bias ply tires (radials would have helped) was all over the road, and hang on to the steering wheel in a stiff cross wind, or semi coming at you on a 2 lane. I remember it had a voracious appetite for gas, seemed we were always stopping for gas, which was fine, to get out of that thing. Motor homes have come a long way, however, if you want to go somewhere, you have to take the motor home, or pull a small car, lowering the mileage even more. This unit is probably pretty rough, but for a local jaunt,( or dad’s pad when mom’s mad) the price is right. Remember, this has truck components, so while parts are plenty, it’s going to cost you. Cool find.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

      I think you’re right, Howard, maybe just for a hundred miles or so, to the local lake or state fair or something. I’m not sure about taking it cross-country, at least without a pretty thorough rebuild on the mechanicals. And, then there’s that 7 mpg.. but no hotel costs if you stay in wally-world parking lots.

      Like 3
  13. Avatar dj

    It’s an $800 camper, not a $800.000.

    Like 3
  14. Avatar Another Bob

    Why be homeless?

    Like 1
  15. Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

    Soooo, I talked with the seller, a super nice guy. He bought it a few years ago and drove it to some land that they own, I think basically for a weekend hunting shack, and it’s been sitting there for three years. It ran like a watch when he drove it there but now with 3-year old gas in the tank it runs rough off of the gas in the tank, but runs great when running from gas in a can with a hose to the carb.

    The roof did, and does, leak, unfortunately. And, they have had a lot of rain, so every weekend or two he goes up and opens the windows to let it dry out, so expect possibly some mold and water damage. The interior is classic early-70s colors and patterns as you’d expect, and want, hopefully. It sounds like a great project if the water damage isn’t too severe, that’s really the only wild card. He’s had a lot of calls on it and is taking appointments (!) for people to see it next weekend! It will NOT last long; just a guess. I’m going to check it out on Saturday morning if the person before me hasn’t already nabbed it. He even had a guy who wanted to gut it and turn it into a food truck, but when I said that I’d rather restore it to original spec, he said that’s what he was hoping for.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Roger Rinehold

      got one for free if you want it I live Albion Ind. come and get it

      Like 2
      • Avatar Greg

        Is your Winnie still available? I’m in Indiana. Not a member of this group though. Just looking for a rebuildable Winnebago. 317-903-0161

        Like 0
    • Avatar Todd

      I know this is an old thread, but I just came across it looking for some info on old winnies. My parents have an old ’72. Not the brave though, the next size up. (Maybe a 21 footer?) They replaced it last year with a pull type. {They are in their 70’s, and wanted something a little more usable for them. With the pull type they always have the pickup to use wherever they go) They mostly only used it for going to a couple thrashing shows each year, so they would drive it there and park for the weekend, etc. My grandfather had bought it in the early 70’s, but I cannot remember if it was brand new or a year old when he bought it. Mom and Dad have had it since. Pretty decent shape, and all original except the fridge was replaced with an electric only. They also added an a/c unit. It has a couple of water stains on the roof panels from minor previous leaks (they have been fixed), and I think the rear panel of inside paneling has a couple marks on it, but doesn’t really look bad. It spent most of it’s life inside. The driver’s seat the cushion the threads are starting to seperate. Has a cracked exhaust manifold that Dad didn’t want to deal with. (Did I mention he is mid 70’s?) He said the tires are getting hard to find too, and I think a couple of them could use replaced. I think he also had to add some brake fluid to it a couple years ago. Not sure if there is a wheel cylinder leaking in the rear, but I don’t think he ever added anymore since either. If I remember when I drove it last time I thought maybe they had a little air in the system. They drove it to a couple thrashing shows yet two summers ago, but last year they had their newer pull type, and so they quit using it now. It would be a pretty good candidate for a resto. Any ideas on what they should be asking for it? You can Email me at sdtrker@gmail if you can help. Thanks, ….Todd
      Winne is located about 2-1/2 hours west of Minneapolis just across the border into South Dakota.

      Like 0
  16. Avatar geomechs Member

    Hey, what’s with all the thumbs down stuff? Just making an observation.

    A lot of these out west over the years. Drove the wheels off them despite them having the aerodynamics of an open parachute. Interiors well laid out; quality second to none, for an RV. My dad had trailers, then slide-in campers, then finally got a 23 foot Mini-home on a Chevy G30 chassis. They used it a lot till my youngest sister and her girlfriend (sweet 16s?) took it to Glacier Park for the weekend. They were visited by a couple of guys from school and despite my sister and her friend spending an entire day scrubbing it out before returning home, it still smelled like a cross between a brewery and marijuana smoke. Dad abruptly sold it.

    Myself I owned a 27 ft. 5th wheel. It was a lot of fun although I seldom took it anywhere; it was a home away from home at a lake/resort less than an hour away. I leased a pad there and parked the trailer on it for the season. Nice home away from home while it lasted.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

      I noticed that,Geo, I was hoping that it was a mistake maybe, using a phone and maybe hitting the wrong button?

      Ha, open parachute, that’s about it! I don’t have an indoor place to store this Brave but I would love to have it as a retirement-restoration-project. I think it’ll go for more than $800 with so many people making appointments to look at it, it could be a bidding war. I’d better bring more than $800 with me. A little “flex-seal” sprayed on the roof, badda-bing, roof leak solved! (according to the infomercials)..

      Like 1
      • Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

        Ha! Yes, a thumbs down for talking about thumbs down! Classic.

        Like 0
      • HoA Howard A Member

        Well, well, the squeaky wheel DOES get the grease. I see no more “thumbs down”. Thanks to Jesse and Josh. I just feel, we are losing touch with interaction as it is, and I want to hear from folks that don’t agree with me. I learn something new all the time here. And as a 62 year old, know-it-all, retired truck driver, that is pretty cool.
        Since I’m “spillin” here, BF’s is my #1 favorite site, just inched ahead of Hemmings ( which, I feel has gone downhill, interaction wise). The variety of vehicles that comes through here, is a varied as the author’s imagination ( in Scotty’s case, pretty wild) Thanks again for a great site.

        Like 2
  17. Avatar Jim Clark

    Having been in the RV biz here in Mn for a few years, consider this a project at best. There will more than likely be substantial water damage. The upside is construction for that time period was fairly simple. If sweat equity is your deal, you could have yourself a nice little camper that would make Cousin Eddie green with envy.

    Like 5
  18. Avatar John Alley Member

    We Honeymooned in the exact same coach we owned for 4 years. It was during the gas rationing time. I put headers on it with glass packs to help the mileage and it would backfire likes a shotgun! On the coast I was followed into a little town by a kid with a hopped up Mopar when a cop came by the other way. Just then it backfired and the cop did a u-turn and stopped the kid! I still laugh thinking how the kid must have blamed me in the motor home!

    Like 1
  19. Avatar Jeffro

    Make sure the sewage tanks empty

    Like 2
  20. Avatar Veloce33

    An old motor home is like an old boat: the most efficient way to blow tons of money with very little return when it comes time to move on. These things are cash vampires, second only to a race car. And unfortunately I speak from experience on both!

    Like 2
    • Avatar roselandpete

      Are moho’s cash vampires in general or just the old ones? I’ve never had one but I always thought about getting a small one.

      Like 1
      • Avatar JW

        Well my sister and ex brother in-law bought a 1992 model back in the late 1990’s for 14K then in 2005 they divorced and they can’t give it away. It’s still sitting at her ex’s country home. Now my neighbor and her husband bought a 1994 in 2006 for 16K just to take to their lake property 5 miles out of town, he died 2 years ago and she won’t drive it so she sold it for 8K last year. Both my neighbor and my sister & ex brother in-law;s motor homes never went further than ten miles from their homes. Seems a waste to me. My bank once told me they refuse to loan money on 2 vehicles which are motorhomes & classic cars because both take too look to sell to recoup their money if you default. Just my experiences with people who’ve owned them, I’ve always wanted a mini motorhome but the wife says NO !!!

        Like 1
  21. Avatar Jay M

    This is a great family project. When our kids were small, we bought a 1979 C class Winnebago for cheap that needed work. Our whole family worked on it to make it ours, and we still have it.
    You can’t replace those memories.
    Of course, I had to “tune up” the 440 a wee bit…Cam, intake, carb, headers, MSD ignition, etc.
    Kids always grinned when the secondaries opened wide-passing slower MoHo’s.

    Like 2
  22. Avatar angliagt

    “That there’s an ARR VEE”.

    Like 2
  23. Avatar Glen

    Back in the 70’s, we would get picked up in one of these and head up to the dump and watch for bears. good times.

    Like 3
  24. Avatar Fogline

    We had a green one that was a little longer. Good fun for hanging out at swim meets and playing cards. Seems like that one leaked too and it was the early 80’s. Also seems like it had a double passenger seat that would spin around, but I could be wrong on that. We had a lot of fun in that thing but I think it drank gas like no tomorrow, which probably resulted in it being sent down the road.

    Like the idea of taking it and parking it somewhere if you could get it to stop leaking.

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Keruth

    We had one as I was leaving the teenage years. Dad took an extended vacation out to the left coast after he had me rebuild the front end on a larger (28′ maybe, not a Winnie) Dodge 300 chassis, just as square, 318 auto, larger wheels (19″?)
    Blew the motor a few years later, dropped (slid) a 360 w/HiPo parts from a 340.
    Now that made it “surprise” a few people, ha ha.
    He bought a van front one (also Dodge) later as my girls were younger and “Papa” didn’t like stopping except for gas. They even named it!
    Good memories of weekend jaunts for them.
    I’m not the vagabond he was! But if it were closer, hmmm !

    Like 1
    • Avatar Keruth

      Big plus on the roof air, too

      Like 0
  26. Avatar GRAY WOLF

    Best chicken coop you can find! Maybe a guest house??🙀

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Black Cat

    Still have fond memories of the family’s 18′ Brave. My father had the slightly later, rounded -window version. I remember going to the RV dealer while he was shopping, and that there were two floor plans: one put the loo amidship, and the other put it in the stern. The mid-ship loo design had the large bed In the back, while the rear-loo design kept all the living/sleeping area forward. We had the latter, and it was the better layout, I think.

    8 mpg was about right. At the transition from middle to high school, I played navigator, charting the routes on the maps and road atlas, calculating fuel economy, and enjoying the scenery. One trick was to flip the air cleaner lid to an inverted position, slightly improving air flow without totally bypassing the filter element.

    That tank took us to many great places: Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Yosemite, Sequoia, Tahoe, Crater Lake, most of the time towing a Honda CVCC Civic for runabout duty, and other times hauling my Honda QA50 mini bike. Good times.

    When the kids were grown and my father lost interest in road trips, it became a sideyard fixture. During college, I used it as a storage unit for the loads of NOS and repro parts acquired to restore my derelict XK-120 Jag. Like this one, the roof eventually began to leak, at which point Dad sold it cheap to an RV dealer, end of story.

    I saw one recently, parked out in the CA/NV desert, and it brought back memories and thoughts of making an offer. But that one may actually be a meth lab, so I’ll just stick to the happy, innocent memories circa 1974.

    Like 1
  28. Avatar SLUGGO

    Looks like a real mice RV.

    Like 0
  29. Avatar JW

    Here’s the one the Ring Brothers are taking to the Sema Show in Vegas.

    Like 2
  30. Avatar Sarina M Stone

    My honey and I own a running and mint interior 72 winne brave. Our roof does leak too. We have it protected for now and will be fixing her up in the spring. Paid $500 and love every minute in it!

    Like 1
  31. Avatar Phil Weimer

    I had a 20′ 1972 Brave with a wide block 318 from approx. 1999-2007. Painted it like a checkered flag and went to nascar races for several years. Took friends, family. Awesome rig. Miss it to this day. I used it to plow our 300′ long driveway in Cleveland winters. It was truly kickazz.

    Like 1
  32. Avatar Geoffrey

    Well, someone bought this and then sold it to me. It was rough to be sure. Now it has fuel injection and a completely new interior, fuel tanks, radiator, exhaust wiring, disk front brakes, suspension and on and on. :D I paid more than 800 and I’d do it again.

    Like 0

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