This one took a bit of research, I’ll admit, but going down into the rabbit hole of history of the Beaver Motorcoach company shows there are enthusiastic user groups for almost every make and model. A company not unlike Avanti in terms f how many times it went bankrupt, was sold, and acquired, only to disappear under another corporate masthead until it vanished entirely, Beaver made motorhomes with distinctive paint jobs and a respectable amounts of luxury and quality despite its financial failings. Find this 1984 diesel-powered model listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $12,000.
That’s a lot of scratch for a motorhome, but it does run and it has a horn that plays 50 different notes and songs! That could be reason enough to take on this lovely vestige of RV history. The Beaver Motorcoach Corporation started as an Oregon company, which helps lend some logic to the company name; after all, the Beaver is the Oregon State University mascot. What began as a small operation began to get larger and larger, eventually building Class C motorhomes before moving up to Class A. The company prided itself on designs that incorporated a generous list of features and luxurious accommodations for the era. There’s even a Beaver Ambassador Club you can join!
Perhaps its most distinctive feature was its color pallette, as Beaver seemed more adventurous than other manufacturers when it came to exterior paint colors. The red/brown and cream scheme you see here was the standard configuration for a spell, and it remains quite distinctive. The seller rolls through some of the more notable features of this Beaver, starting with the fact it only has 15,500 original miles, a detail that seems evident based on the interior condition. A suspension featuring active hydraulic leveling, two sinks, a freezer, skylights, wood blinds, blender, master bedroom with a closet, a backup camera, and indoor/outdoor speakers – this baby was loaded when it was brand new!
Engine-wise, it features a CAT 3208 diesel motor, and while the seller doesn’t mention whether it’s turbocharged, it would seem likely given how big this coach is. Most research indicates once the Beaver reached this length, a higher-output CAT engine was used. If so, it should produce around 250 b.h.p. and close to 600 lb.-ft. of torque. The seller does confirm that the motorhome just went through $2,500 worth of work, and the mechanic will attest to how strong a runner this vintage RV is. Thanks to Barn Finds reader NW Iowa Kevin for this unusual find.
It will take 40 acres to turn this rig around. The Ultimate Behemoth, indeed. For the record, this was one pricey unit. I read, new, this rig cost $206,000! That’s almost $670,000 today. Mostly for rock stars that were afraid to fly. The turbo on these is on the back( front?) of the motor, and more than likely there is none. Typically, these applications didn’t require them, and I bet this thing does 100 mph without it. Great for when diesel fuel was .79/gal, but may I remind you, current diesel nationally is $6.38/gal. ( $6.09 by me) That, my friends, could curtail your forwardly progress. Never in my wildest dreams did I think diesel would ever be that high. They used to throw it on the gravel streets when I was a kid to keep the dust down. I’d find a nice lot overlooking Lake Gitchegummie, sell the motor, pull the wheels, heck, it’s better than my apt. here.
Given its size and weight, there’s no way in hell I’d be able or willing to drive this. I imagine you’d need a commercial driver’s license to drive it.
Drivers licensing never made sense to me and it’s not the same everywhere. I had a military license in the 60s to drive various track and wheeled vehicles in the states and Germany. I think the same license let me drive cars on the autobahn. In the states it was only for military vehicles not civilian. CA license for my cars. Back to WI, surrender CA license, pass written test and go out for road test. You cant take the test, this car doesn’t have snow tires. “Drove 25 miles in snow to get here!” Doesn’t matter. Agrued for an hour to get my CA license back to drive legally.
In WI in 70s before CDL, I drove a semi sometimes at structural steel job. Fabricating job in milwaukee drove longest legal straight truck on freeways and city streets with a mack b61?
Both had air brakes and because it was a very small part of my job my regular license was all I needed. Then along came CDL. I HAVE TO PAY FEES, TAKE TESTS AND.MAYBE CLASSES T O DO WHAT IVE SUCCESSFULLY DONE BEFORE?
I didnt need to and wouldnt.
Now I can:
Drive 1949 Mack eht with farm license for 26k with zero restrictions.
1945 flxible clipper with air brakes on motorhome plate. Last time i looked it could pull a 32′ trailer.
Much more weight on farm use only farm plates.
I dont know of any restrictions in any states to drive toterhomes and pull 53 foot stacker trailers.
Howard 🎯
The mention of the 50 tunes brings back memories. Whenever the in-laws would leave on a road trip in the Wanderlodge, they always played “On the Road Again” on their The Horn, as was aptly named. It played through an outdoor horn loudspeaker and it was LOUD. Whenever we took it on a trip, I gave in to the kid’s whims and played what they wanted.
While I am rarely a fan of vintage RVs, and I’d never buy it, this might be the exception with only 15.5k miles and all the pieces seem to be in place. This one looks barely used.
The $12k asking price puts it at the low end of the class A used RV market, where most of stuff at that price is usually total skank bait.
If only more exterior pics were posted of this Beaver RV. There’s lots of interior pics to look at, although I’d also like to see the cockpit but not much to show of the exterior. Let’s see more!
1984 model? By motorhome standards this thing is ancient. I can’t get past the front overhang, looks like it could wipe out a few unseen objects in a sharp turn. Color combination might have been stylish back then but now it’s just ugly. I had a 3 axel class A, 35 foot motorhome by Newmar. Tried to sell it in 2015 but could get no takers. So I offered it for $500.00 down balance due in 6 months. One guy came out down the money then disappeared, I never saw him again. Motor home just sat at my house until finally I offered it to anyone who would come get it. A crew of 5 guys showed up and away it went. Point is: these old motorhomes are a hard sell. Even 20 year old ones are hard to get rid of. Besides most buyers these days want slide outs.
God Bless America
To quote Lt. Frank Dreben… Nice Beaver.
😂
I worked in the Beaver Factory in Bend for about 5 years during the Class C heydays. Once a year we would run about 40 slide in pickup campers because of dealer demand even though Beaver lost money on every unit. When it was decided to go into Class A construction they bought a well known upscale Class A brand coach and disassembled it in the engineering dept clear down to the floor. When it was reassembled, one like it was being reverse engineered along side. During one of the many national gas and financial crises Beaver shut down and when it came back up it was with luxury busses on the Gillig platform having hired away a Gillig executive to become the CEO. I was gone by then but have fond memories of the fine people who owned and ran the company. I came back from Fleetwood to Beaver once more when they bought a 5th Wheel RV trailer plant in Springfield Ore. The high end 5th wheels we built in the Collins plant were assembled with laminated sidewalls, front and rear caps, cabinets etc that were built in the Bend Ore. Beaver factory and trucked over the Cascades to the Willamette valley facility. :-) Terry J
Interesting history. My sister lives in Bend; even though she and hubby are avid RVers she’s never mentioned RV manufacturing in her area.
Howard the turning circle might be much smaller than many modern coaches. Much of the length is front and rear overhang.
I think Newell coaches were $500k in the 80s. Steve Miller bought one.
Wow! I never heard of or seen one before. You drive a quality unit like this and the campground won’t let you park it there. Nothing older than an old RV or last year’s model motorcycle. This one has depreciated to the point where it is almost affordable, but still undesirable. Too bad.
The 10 year rule at campgrounds is subjective, and not at every campground. Usually the upscale ones have it. You can send photos and ask for exceptions. It’s a huge hassle, no doubt. With this rig, you are kind of borderline. You might get rejected some places.
There really is a very narrow market for vintage RVs. There’s about 4 types of buyers:
1) Experienced campers that want a vintage RV. This is a *very narrow* market, since most truly experienced campers want modern gear. Cute and quaint only means trouble ahead to most seasoned campers.
2) Inexperienced campers who want to get into the camping scene and think that camping would be even better with a cute and quaint rig. Like I said, inexperienced.
3) Festival goers and enthusiasts that attend events that require camping. Festivals let anything in the door. This is actually a superb festival rig for the hippie with a few extra bucks. Most hippies want to spend about $2000 max for something that runs.
4) The alternative housing market. That’s where viable old RVs go to die a horrible death, either in a public lot or on a public curb or hinky campground or on private property out in the country. This one is priced above that market, but who knows. It’s very vulnerable to that outcome.
Comment #3 instantly made me think of Burning Man. Whaddaya think?
David Nielsen – certainly. I’ve never been to it, but the more odd and outlandish the better at Burning Man is what I gather.
The reports from Burning Man these days give me a creepy vibe. It now sounds like a bunch of over-the-top role playing. Groan. Whatever trips the trigger, I suppose.
IDK, people say it’s changed quite a bit from the original intention.
100% correct, Bluesman. Living in Northern Nevada we see The Burners infest the area annually.
Burning Man has changed so much so that the guy starting it walked away, said to have done so with disgust. Its original inception as a yearly personal reincarnation of oneself has become a financial annual juggernaut with illicit drug use as a norm. The first couple years after moving to the Black Rock dry lake bed there was a $15 suggested donation. Now ticket cost is in the $3000 range.
That said, this is a well preserved RV but as everyone said it’s a very underscored market. If that is a regular aspirated motor like Howard said-and he knows these engine types-it’s worth about$7000-$10,000 is good condition at best.
GLWTS
May be a good one for “glamping” too.
I love this thing. It’s HUGE, LONG and we’ll appointed. The problem is that if I wanted to park it in an RV park for a winter most in the states now won’t allow you to because of the year. That’s about as stupid as it can get.
The “10 year old rig” campground rule does not apply to every campground, but it’s there for a reason where its enforced by the campground owner..
To be blunt, people with $250,000 class A rigs do not want to go to a campground that is half full of people trying to live as cheap as possible.
That all may rub some people the wrong way, but that’s the reality in the fancy RV campground world. The 10 year rule is basically a quick and dirty “means test” that is legal.
There are politicians who may feel that the rules are elitist, but they are not trying to make it illegal to deny service based on the vehicle age. At least, not yet.
Matt, my reply is above, misplaced under Wayne post. .
I live about an hours drive from where Burning Man happens. I’ve never been, but have the desire just to experience it once. They have been doing it so long that it is pretty organized with different areas, like family areas, nudes areas, different music areas, etc. There are rules for not selling anything there. You may barter, but no cash is allowed to change hands. The number 1 rule is to take as much water that you can possibly consume in 4 days. And you will still run out. Number 2 rule be prepared to get dirty. The dirt on THE PLAYA is so fine it gets in everything. When Burning Man is over you can easily tell what vehicles have been there. They are covered in a very fine gray dust. I once had to run down to L.A. for business at the same time Burning Man was over. All the way to L.A. I could tell where the vehicles had been. Now I don’t know if the participants just toss stuff out of their vehicles on the way home or are just so buzzed that they don’t tie the stuff down. But all the roads leading out of Burning Man are just covered with litter, coolers, furniture, and trash. It takes weeks to get the road sides cleaned up after that event. But some return year after year. Even my dentist who is about my age goes every year. He has an art car that he is allowed to drive around in. (once you get there with anything but an art car, you do not move it) Definitely an experience from what I have been told. My B I L had to take coworkers from their Switzerland office to kind of watch over them.
I love it! I would have no problem driving or camping in this rig, at all. I don’t like the new, fancy RV parks anyway, just because they think that all RV’s have to be new and fancy!! I’m not that arrogant, I go to state park campgrounds where the only limitation on your camper or RV is if it will clear the overhead limbs and if it will fit on the camping spot! This would be a perfect fit.
That’s a big Beaver 🦫
I think that age restrictions if enforced are a rule of private campgrounds. As far as I know there are no such rules in Federal (like Corps. of Engineers), State or County campgrounds. Suz and I RV’d for 5 years in a nice old 1993 Class A Allegro and now we have a one owner 2011 Summit pull trailer. We go out about 5 times a year for 3-4 day campouts and have never had the age issue come up. However we always are careful to research each space we then reserve since that trailer though listed as a 26′ plus the 3/4 ton GMC truck is about 50 feet long and it’s way easier if I don’t have to unhook the truck and park it elsewhere. :-) Terry J
It’s an upscale RV thing these days.
There are now “resort” style campgrounds that are built to appeal specifically to Class A and large 5th wheel campers. They only want “shiny and new” in their campground and they charge accordingly. The riff raff is not really wanted there.
You are right that government run campgrounds generally do not have such bougie restrictions. But they often have “stay limits” to keep the homesteaders away.
It’s really all about keeping out the homesteaders who have limited resources, as they may also have other personal issues and habits that don’t make them good neighbors in a campground.
Camping has a long history of “you leave my stuff alone that’s sitting around my camp and I’ll leave yours alone”.
Unfortunately, there are now elements of society that look at RVs purely as affordable housing. Old school campground traditions may not apply to their way of thinking.
Nice beaver!
Thank you! I just had it stuffed!!
With apologies to The Naked Gun
Built about 50 miles from me. Ernest Borgnine bought one.He and his wife flew in to pick it up. They drove it over to our little town and had lunch. Pretty big deal for us. Lol
My 1997 Foretravel U320 has no problem with the age restriction. As long as it’s well kept and shiny, they let it in.
That’s how it should be. It shouldn’t matter what the age of the RV, whether it’s 5 yrs or 50. What matters is how well it’s been cared for by those who use it. 🙂
Where is this beaver located.
For a vehicle of this size and approximate weight, this needs way more power than 250hp.
Not really, I crossed the scales at the dump gross weight #73300 with a 210hp 3208 Cat.
Farmer knows best, Jim is right. Typically, motorhomes aren’t heavy, maybe 25,000 empty, and the 3208 has a lot of torque, almost 500ft.lbs. or as much as a 454. Thing about the 3208, it had a wide operating range. Power was from 1400rpm to almost 2800 in some cases,( compared to a Cummins 1600-2100) almost Detroitish, and the V8 sounded sweet. Reason some say they were “throw-away” motors, was because we pushed them too hard. They were meant for 43 kids in a school bus, city rigs, or marine applications, but 35,000lbs. of asphalt, not so much.
Remember, it’s torque that gets it going. Horsepower is just a mathematical equation. Jim is correct. Our first Wanderlodge had a n/a 3208, and at 30,000 plus lbs, it moved it….. albeit slowly.
I think the extremely long almost bizarre front end overhang is just the camera angle. Maybe they had to use a wide angle lens to get it all in. I don’t recall seeing any Beavers as such. If you see the link on FB Marketplace there is a 3/4 rear side shot that looks more normal.
The Cat 3208 is not a particularly robust unit. We had one in a grain truck and it liked to put coolant into the crankcase. Finally found an oil cooler that held.
My friend was a heavy mechanic for the nearby large city. They kept several spare 3208s on pallets, ready to replace a broken one. He called them “throw away engines”.
Oh sure, I like this thing, but what
would I really do (other than touring) with it? Seeing this makes me wanna come out of retirement (36 years) and play a few shows for old times sake. But yes, Howard’s right. There were some big name folks that actually used them as tour buses.
When I played for Midwest Entertainment in the ’70s, we had
buses but they weren’t as nice as
this one. Our buses were converted Greyhounds where you
slept in shifts as there were only
4 bunks if you were lucky. Much the way sailors sleep on a submarine. And man were we happy to find a Motel 6 where Tom Bodett left the light on for us. As for this coach, it’s far better than the ones you see for sale up here at the Barn. Would
sure make a great tiny house for
me or a spare bedroom when your in laws show up for a visit.
And sadly for me, this one’s DEFINITELY a pass no matter how much I like it.
The comments regarding limited markets for older coaches are pretty much spot-on. That doesn’t mean there are no buyers around, they just can afford to be extremely selective. Older coaches often languish in the owner’s side yard until they won’t move under their own power, then they’re towed away and scrapped.
Finding one in good condition that is actually usable is worth the time and effort spent. In 2017, I picked up a 1991 Foretravel Grand Villa, and am still using it. Big plans for 2027 trips.
Vintage coaches are “fully depreciated” and like the Beaver shown here, available for 10% or less than the original price, even if hardly used and with so much more life left. Whether or not one would work for you depends on needs and desires.
I have replaced the tires, the refrigerator, the water heater, and the bathroom sink. A permanent, lifetime roof coating was applied this spring. There are some other things, most of them minor, and I will be using this until I shuffle off this mortal coil. Love it.
I’ve never been one to turn down a good Beaver but that one is just too darn big. I would just rattle around inside and probably fall out of the darn thing.
For being a 1984 this one is in great shape. My grand father had one . Him and Grandma lived out of it for about 5 years traveling around the US .