Friday, April 21, 2017

Meet Laverne


This is my new, to me, 1987 Chevy Winnebago.  She is a Minnie Winnie!  And she couldn't be more perfect for us.



I've never been one to name their vehicles.  Unless you count "Little Truck" and "Little Car" as names.  But this one just popped out and for some reason it stuck.



She is 20 feet long so she is considered a micro minnie which is fine by me.  I love that she drives more like a full sized truck, turns on a dime and fits perfectly inside a standard parking spot.  Not to mention my driveway.  She also has everything I was looking for.


The layout is great.  A large bed over the cab, a nice convertible sofa and a dinette to seat four.  Indoor potty with a shower, very important.  A/C and heat.  Stove. microwave and refrigerator.  The cab even has a newer stereo system.  And the interior isn't loud or gaudy as some RVs can be.  In fact the upholstery is quite tame by 80's standards.  Nothing has been modified or monkeyed with (meaning I don't have a bunch of stuff to fix).  I'm just amazed.


I am the third owner.  The first owner kept her well maintained and in pristine condition for 25 years.  The second owner, a self professed clean freak with a touch of OCD, went through her from bumper to bumper, top to bottom, expecting to keep her and use her for many years to come.  He presented me with all of the maintenance records which I poured through before taking her in for a mechanical inspection.  She passed with flying colors. 


She is in amazing condition.  For the most part, all original with little to no signs of wear.  The refrigerator was replaced by the original owners when they got it ready to sell.  Everything works.  Professionally checked over and winterized every fall.  Routine maintenance done each spring.  She had two owners that really cared about her.  And now she has another one!


So what do I plan to do with her?  Lots!


For now we pretty much plan to enjoy her as she is.  We'll be outfitting her for some weekend excursions so we can get to know her better and become familiar with how she operates.  Then as time goes on I imagine I'll be doing a few things to continue to keep her in such fine shape so I can have her for many years to come.  The bathroom needs a little bit of work and I'd like to spruce up the kitchen area a bit, but nothing over the top to detract from her original style.  I really love her as she is.


So what do you think?  I think she is great!



24 comments:

  1. Fantastic.. such a great find.. Know you and the girls will really enjoy it.

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  2. Wow, how sweet!!! Congratulations!

    Tania

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  3. This is great. TheHub and I have been talking about getting something similar. Let us know how it works when you take a few excursions.

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  4. Looks fabulous!! You lucked out with the previous owners, awesome!! Can't wait to read about your new adventures! :)

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    1. Thanks Carla. I have so many plans. Can't wait to get started.

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  5. This is wonderful and in such good shape. I had a friend years ago who had one that was very similar. We lived for the weekends. By mid week we were picking the direction we wanted to head in and checking supplies. By Friday after work we were stocking the perishables and away we went. We very rarely had a destination in mind just a go and see what happens attitude. We me interesting people and saw some great places. One time we stumbled upon a group of people who panned for gold on a river. They had camps set up for a month at a time. Such interesting people. We had no fear I guess. That's what happens when you are young. We saw many towns, thrift stores and community events. I hope you and your girls have many happy memories in your Laverne. One of my favorite things was taking a Take - n- Bake pizza with us for the first night. I say camping is much better in one of these vehicles. Oh yeah, and we stocked it with a few fun games for rainy weekends. Take care.

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    1. We are very much looking forward to our new adventures. I can hardly wait to get started. I love the take & bake pizza idea. I'll probably try that out! ;0)

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  6. oooh, I'd love a Minnie Winnie. I love that it's al self contained. Did you find it locally?? and can you give an approx. price range. We want to upgrade from our tent trailer and am thinking @ $15,000??
    You are going to have such fun!!

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    1. Aren't they great?! While looking I found the range to be $2,800 to $20,000 between 1978 and 2008 so you are right on the money (no pun intended). With that budget you'll have plenty to choose from. And yes, she is a Boise find. :)

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  7. I LOVE LAVERGNE!!!!!! You have done great! She looks perfect, especially the bathroom, such luxury.

    We had a pop-up camper when the boys were small then sold it when we moved here to help pay for the house. By that time they were growing too big to fit into the beds. I do miss it but it will be fun watching you travel.
    Jeannie
    GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com

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    1. Isn't she cool?! I am so in love with her I cannot even begin to tell you. Now the fun of getting her packed up and ready to roll! Whooo hoooooo!

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  8. wonderful find! love the history of the two previous owners...looking forward to the reading about the adventures you and the girls will take...I'm 100% a homebody but a great arm chair traveler...

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    1. I'm a bit of a homebody myself. The nice thing is I'll be taking a piece of home with me when I travel. I really like that. Looking forward to loads of adventures.

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  9. I love her too! She is exactly what my hubby and I are looking to buy for ourselves in the next year or so. We want to be able to take our dog and possibly cat with us when we go somewhere and still have room for the grandkids to come along also. Great find!

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    1. She is pretty dang awesome, let me tell you. This one sleeps up to six. The way it is laid out makes it seem much roomier inside. We had five of us in there the other night and it didn't feel cramped at all.

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  10. I AM IN TWIN FALLS and I just bought the same exact model!!!! We should get together! I am in a group of vintage campers! This years sisters on the fly event got cancelled in Twin Falls. I cant wait to redo my minnie! I would love to meet up and compare notes!

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    1. Hi Katie! That would be fantastic. So many fun events have been cancelled, such a shame. We definitely should compare notes.

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