Winnebago Industries has been around since 1958 and is likely the market leader in recreational vehicles (or at least that’s my perception). The hobby took off in the 1970s, when the seller’s RV was built. We don’t know the year, model, or size or what it looks like inside. And it doesn’t run, either, but did until recently. Located in Redgranite, Wisconsin, this forlorn family camper is available here on Facebook Marketplace where it is priced to sell fast – just $500. There is no mention of a title. And it’s a tip brought to us by “Lothar… of the Hill People.”
One side of the RV here doesn’t look bad at all, though at least the front tire is flat, helping the large unit make closer contact with the dirt. But the other side is quite dirty and may have some mildew, suggesting a long period of inactivity. The seller describes its condition as “fair” and it would be drivable if you can get the engine to create “spark” (electrical, fuel, or mechanical issue?). We’re told the roof has some leaks, so there’s no telling how much work you’re going to have to do inside. And, sorry, only two photos for your review. Is this a good buy or a goodbye?
Total junk! These things are framed in wood, you can bet the walls are barely standing. And don’t think about buying it to scrap out, I recently scraped out a 18’ travel trailer, keeping only the frame to build a utility trailer on. Hundreds of rusty screws, nails and staples await you! I got $25 for the outside aluminum sheeting, and &15 for the steel pipes and water heater. Would have been in the hole if it hadn’t been given to me to get it out of the yard.
Now, some of the old streamlined campers like Airstreams have a devoted following and even crappy ones bring big prices. These breadboxes though? Be as well off to burn it where it sits and bury what’s left.
Bama, wrong. Winniebago Motor homes had steel frames in the body. This was an advertising point that they mentioned often in their advertising. I had a 73 Winnie and it was solid and comfortable.
Typical of what you see at the homeless encampments in the area. Eventually they are either cleared out by the city or catch on fire from a faulty propane gas connection or a short where they tapped into a nearby power line.
Steve R
Never ridden in a Winnie but can only imagine the amount of wind and road noise. The firmness of those tires and the shape of a brick is about all you need. Now maybe someone can tell me that they were well insulated but I’d have to wonder. Nevertheless at the time this was living!
Yep….have the smaller Mini Winnie that looks just like this one that will need to go down the road soon. Ran last time I parked it with a new trannie in it…I’ll be lucky if it disappears.
Wow, they should be paying me $500 to haul it off for them, the only benefit would be typically the engine and transmission have lower miles so if you need to transplant into a different rig otherwise if you don’t strip it down for the metal most scrap yards will discount because of the wood and glass weight
I do declare, as Charles Dickens once said, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, and could apply to this site. I get upset, “no more comments”, then stuff like this comes along. Memories are too powerful to ignore. This was the 1st motorhome my folks got after the pull trailers. Fact is, being in Wisconsin, I wonder? This one is ready for the prop in a monster truck show, but at the time, this was the next big thing in traveling. It simplified camping to one unit, a big plus. The downside, is you had to take the motorhome everywhere you go. Back then, nobody thought of pulling anything.These are crude, noisy and basically a Dodge mid range dump truck, and rides like one. Gas mileage? We, as kids liked it, because we got to stop so often. The old man, not so much. Shame, but looks like it’s monster truck crushing time for the old Winne.
It should be noted, Redgranite( named for its color of stone) is in central Wis. and home to one of the most popular swimming quarries in the state. Apparently, while mining limestone in the 30s, the crew struck a water vein, came back in the morning to find the quarry filled with water, common with many quarries. Rumor has it, all the equipment is still down there.
My parents bought one of these new in 1972. It was in this color scheme, but shorter and with the “BRAVE” model name in the back end of the brown stripe. Other model names seemed to be size related and had different color stripes… “Indian”, Chieftain”, etc.
I believe ours was powered by a Dodge 360. We had many camping trips in it, both local and out of town.
Fortunately I was not on the trip with my parents around 1976 when it met its demise on an icy bridge in Virginia, or it likely would have been my demise as well.
It would only be years later that they told me why they returned home in a forest green four-door Plymouth Fury rental car.
Perhaps they thought my “Final Destination” escape from death might have been too traumatic to handle at the time.
A friend’s widow had one in better shape than this and asked me to help getting rid of it about 5 years ago when she went to sell their home. She had tried to sell it locally starting around $2K, after a few weeks dropping down to $500, after a few more it was Free. No takers. As I knew all the auto-wreckers in the area, I began making calls. None would take it, even for free. A couple said they might, if she paid dismantling/disposal costs (minus scrap value).
I finally found a guy that wanted it for the low-milage, running, big-block drivetrain. He paid his teenage sons to strip it.
Knew a guy with one of these shorties, sporting a 440. Used it to pull is dirt bikes, never lost any speed in the hills. This one looks like it might tear apart at speed, though LOL. If you could get it to a permanent location, might be able to turn it into a “cabin”?
Imagine the look on your neighbors face when you tow this beauty into the drive, and begin the “restoration.”
I had a friend that had one in thew ’80’s. What a terrible mistake to buy one, it had every known problem.
Wow, someone is crazy optimistic here. You cant scrap it without a title. Even if you could, the scrap value is virtually is less than the transport fee. All the comments above apply and even of they offered to pay to have it removed, there might not be a taker. Tow truck companies HATE these as they are required (to stay in rotation) to remove them from public lands and it takes months of storage to clear the paperwork so they can be crushed.
Bury it. And bury the shovel.
Funny, you pay them, to haul their junk away, ha…………
I bought one a few years ago, for the wheels/tires. It had the same bolt pattern as my 1952 F 6 COE. Swapped (5)new tires 19.5 radials for the snap ring 20 inch ancient bias ply. Sold it. (Should have kept the front/ rear axle with disc brake all around.)
Sold it to a guy wanting the 383 and tranny. He stripped it, chainsawed behind the driver seat, ran a tow chain hooked to a telephone pole through, and drove out from under.( Wish I had seen that!).
Someone posted that on YouTube several years ago and it was funny. 😁
Recently, a wealthy guy in England gathered up a bunch of non-running RV’s like this. He towed these to one of his vacant warehouses , and donated them to the homeless to live in. He called it “ an indoor trailer park”. Nice gesture!
I’m thinking this would be a good candidate for an-expired RV demolition derby. What fun that would be!
Those are very popular these days among the homeless. Especially in that condition.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s hiding a Mopar 440 and torqueflite for your next hot rod project??
A number of years ago a friend had 2 abandoned RVs on his property. I could have them for getting rid of them. I took the 78 Winnebago with a 454 and 400 them and GM P30 chassis. I drove it 75 miles to my farm and parked it in the barn with the idea of pulling the chassis out from under it. It has remained intact in the barn since then but I can use it as a recreation area when I’m out the (65 miles from our home)
I didn’t take the 413 Mopar powered one, should have as it was nicer inside and the 413 Torque flite drive train was worth keeping. Can’t save them all!
I knew a guy who owned a marina and was given a motorhome like this in the early 80s. He was able to separate the body from the chassis and he cut out sections of the frame to shorten the wheelbase to about 6 feet between front and rear tires. He welded a 5th wheel hitch with supporting structure behind the driver’s seat and used it as a mule to move his boat lifting equipment. The body ended up in a boat hull that had lost its cabin to a fire. Imagine seeing a Winnebago boat on the Detroit river.
I am astonished that it was sold, according to its current status on Facebook!
A lot of traffic created by this posting would be the reason for sure.
Still shocking, ha…….
No inside pix…no title it’d be better suited and more worthy of a chicken coop.
Maybe Uncle Eddie bought it –
“That there’s an Rrrrr Veeeee”
Cousin Eddie.
Forget it doesn’t run, forget no idea on the insides. It’s ugly as sin.
Might be useful for a chicken coop.
My pal Jessie and I traveled all over New Mexico in one of these. Good Times!
Ha……………..