We are Troy & Erica Tikalsky
That’s our baby below a 1985 Blue Bird Wanderlodge PT40.
It’s a 40 foot diesel pusher and its pure vintage from 1985.
We’ve owned it since 2014.
To date we have owned 3 motorhomes, 1 fifth wheel, 1 tent trailer and several tents.
Our first real motorhome was a 1983 Blue Bird Wanderlodge FC33.
We purchased this coach off ebay and picked up in South Dakota.
The drive home was an adventure that we can laugh at now and will share with you very soon.
Our second motorhome was a 1986 Newell 40 foot wide body with a Detroit 8V92 diesel in the rear.
A light weight coach with a torquey motor and deceptively fast.
Next came the 2003 Excel 38 foot fifth wheel.
With 4 slide outs and 3 axles it was spacious and heavy.
We should have named it “Leaky”.
Now we own the 1985 Blue Bird Wanderlodge PT40.
It’s a classic beauty powered by a Detroit 6V92 diesel in the rear.
A modern motorhome includes everything found in a automobile.
Along with the guts of your modern house.
The first order of business after we brought our new baby home was a deep thorough inspection.
Get to know our new RV.
Verify the critical systems were safe for travel (brakes, tires, steering, suspension etc).
I needed to know this coach was safe to travel.
I needed to understand every system and how they functioned.
I needed to be prepared for potential problems that could strike while we were traveling.
With a 33 foot Wanderlodge parked in my driveway I dove into the rabbit hole.
I read every manual stashed inside that first Wanderlodge.
Included with every Wanderlodge are blue prints for system built into the coach.
From the electrical diagrams, plumbing, entertainment system and more.
Hours, days and weeks faded away as we studied each system function and design.
From the roof mounted air horns to the basement mounted built in vacuum.
And every system between.
I felt like a kid with the keys to the candy store!
Each door revealed something different.
After countless hours we finally felt comfortable with our first motorhome.
And it was a good thing.
Because when the toilet doesn’t flush there’s a problem that needs immediate attention.
After several local trips and minor incidents.
We ventured further out.
We traveled to the Badlands and the Black Hills of South Dakota.
And the upper peninsala of Michigan.
And Disney World in Florida.
Each trip brought with it new adventures and new challenges.
Much of what we learned was thru first hand experience.
Some advice came from fellow RV owners.
A small part of my learning we gleaned from the internet.
What follows began with a strong desire to travel the beautiful country.
To introduce our children to the world outside the community we lived.
A quest that began it our new to us Wanderlodge.
Through it all we managed to keep going, stay married and enjoy each adventure.
Owning and traveling in a Vintage RV can be daunting.
Traveling in a Vintage RV is exciting.
Each new trip is an adventure.
Adventures in new places.
Adventures in new discoveries.
Adventures in new challenges.
Challenges that other RV owners have conquered.
The Birth of “The Vintage RV”
After 20+ years of RV ownership and traveling the highways we have decided its time to give back and help others.
Its time to quit wishing and start doing.
Its time to get to work.
And so in 2020 we launched this site with the goal of sharing the good steps, the mis-steps, the “Oh Shit!” moments.
And best of all the “Let’s do it again!” triumphs.
The goal is not to discourage you from pursuing your dreams.
But, to encourage you to follow your passion, pursue your dreams and explore the world.
Because everyone of us has one life to live and time is the one finite limitation we all face.
It’s time to pursue that passion, follow those dreams and explore the world.
Welcome to The Vintage RV!