The Return of the Blue Bird

It's not spring, and our feathered friends are still fluffing out in southern climes. But the return of the BlueBird is certain--that is, the Blue Bird Motorcoach.

Considered by many to be the pinacle of fulltiming RV luxury, Blue Bird Wanderlodge was the first $100,000 motorhome to hit the market. If you rode 'the big yellows' to school as a kid, you may have rode in one Wanderlodge's parent company school buses--Blue Bird was (and still is) a major bus manufacturer.

But last year the bus folks sold out the venerable motorcoach side of the business to CoachWorks Holdings in Riverside, California. Would it mark the end of the luxurious line of Wanderlodges? The answer rolls out in Florida this week: CoachWorks' first Wanderlodge will debut at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa. At present all that's available for viewing on the web are teaser photos of color swatches and glimpses of high grade stuff like golden bathtub fixtures. Seems only appropriate--since the new Wanderlodge Premier XL will price at just under a cool million dollars.

What we know is the rig is all stainless steel, has plenty of marble and granite, and plenty of expensive stuff built in. To move all that weight, it's probably only appropriate that there's a 600 horsepower Cummins "under the hood," as standard equipment. What we don't know--at least today--is what the thing really looks like, inside and out.

The Wanderlodge website has a digital clock ticking off the days, hours, and minutes leading up to the rollout. When the clock hits zero across the board, will they let us see real pictures, or will we have to hold our breath and head to Tampa?