Just Donated: 1975 Winnebago Indian
This 1975 Winnebago Indian was recently donated to a national charity, and the acquired by a seller on eBay that specializes in selling donation vehicles at no reserve. Old RVs and campers are a common sight on the no reserve auction block, certainly not helped by their relatively low values despite the collectibility of preserved or restored examples. This Indian model looks to have a very clean body and fair interior, but the seller notes the engine needs work and it doesn’t currently run. Find it here on eBay with bidding at $1,000.
The trouble with RVs of this vintage is that they are tremendously needy if not maintained. Values are low for project-grade models, and the West Coast is swimming with them thanks to a climate that makes living out of your old van by the ocean seem completely doable. Then, once the money truly runs out and the vagabond owner realizes this rig he or she bought for next to nothing still needs thousands of dollars in work, it’s dumped at the salvage yard or just abandoned in place. This Winnebago is too nice for scrapping, and cosmetics appear quite good.
I believe most of these were equipped with Dodge-derived 440 V8s, so if the engine has issues like the seller seems to indicate, finding a replacement engine shouldn’t be too tall of an ask if you know where to look. Thankfully, even if someone did run out of the funds to keep this Winnebago on the road, it didn’t turn into a homeless encampment. The interior actually still looks quite fair, with good seating surfaces and door panels, along with carpeting that doesn’t appear too filthy from here. The seller notes it is equipped with a bed, sink, shower, stove, toilet, and more.
The swivel seats are a nice touch, and make it possible to spin around to chat with your passengers while the driver continues to log heavy miles. The seller doesn’t typically go into great detail about the mechanical health of the vehicle, and I don’t blame them since they primarily feature cars and trucks that sell for the high three-figures or low four-figures. These vehicles are usually donated for a reason, with a very few sneaking through that are good cars with low enough values that the tax write-off seemed appealing. Would you take a chance on this non-running motorhome?
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Comments
If ALL it needs is a motor replace it with a new Hemi crate engine and go camping! This looks to be really clean for a 35 year old RV, and even if you have to tow it to your 2 acres up in the Sierras or Rockies you can park it as the vaca home instead of buying one of those ridiculous “Tiny House” trailers that can’t really be towed for any distance regularly but get stupid money for.
Better yet, if you make it a runner you can get five times your money back by having it festooned with absurd bits of “art” ( painted mannequins in pirate costumes, Area 51/Roswell/Star Trek type theme, stuff of that kind) and sold to a “Burning Man” regular attendee..
Its actually 45 years old.
What type of engine would I need to swap it. Something worth it
Poker shack in the woods, demo derby, but as a viable motorhome today, few will go for this. While a motor change is probably pretty easy on this, even fewer have the facilities to do so, and then what. My old man had a Winnebago like this, his 1st motorhome after the travel trailers. I remember, it was a miserable ride. It’s basically a Dodge straight truck, and rode like one. Strong cross winds will make you change your underwear, as kids, we liked it, because we got to stop for gas so often. The old man was not amused and didn’t have it long. Be a cheap place to live, if you’re into that.
I’m just waiting, Howard, for someone to say “Just take it off the frame and rebody it onto a Cummins chassis/drivetrain!”…🙄😂
The 22′ model could have a 318. It has hipster cache but looks pretty tired. Fixing it up could be worthwhile—a very nice restored 17′ footer with the Ford six recently sold on BaT for $28,000.
Steve R, here is your bug out vehicle!!!!
My much smaller RV blew out its radiator last month and I got quoted $985 to get it towed four miles. I let it cool down and drove it. Point being, almost any old RV will cost more to make roadworthy than the purchase price, but if it doesn’t run you could have an extra big expense just getting it to where it has to be. Still a cool rig though.
I watched a series of youtube videos made out East where the guys pulled the old 440 in one of these and installed a turbocharged LS. It looked like a lot of fun to cruise around in. It sounded nice and looked plenty quick. This one will take some $$$ but it has plenty of uses…
Ring brother Winnebago
https://youtu.be/918nQqzsK2A
Does not start or run and they have no clue about what the drive train is ?
And get a load of bidding rules. You must send them your first born. In a crate.
Looks like stuck at a grand. Was that their bid or soneone that got past their 3 page bidding rules ?
This is the same bunch auctioning off the green 1977 Ford F-100 step-side from a few days ago. These guys don’t seem to know much about vehicles at all judging by the descriptions. The auction requirements are a turn off, too. You’d think they were selling million dollar exotics rather than low value projects.
What a time capsule this is!! I think I would opt for a 5.9 Cummings under the hood and use the 440 on another project!! Increase fuel economy with more power and torque!!!
Hi Tim
I still have a 318 with auto fitted.
Any idea which is the prefered auto gearbox with the Cummins?
There are quite a few!! You can actually look it up!! There was a torque flight and the getrag and the 47rh or 47re those were the older ones that I prefer cause there not computer driven!!
these boxes were extremely noisy with the 440,i dont want to know the noise level that the diesel would create
these were not any fun to drive ,no brakes ,no handling,no comfort so the best place for it is the junkyard
ask me how I know ,,,
I agree. I had one just like this. No thanks.
WORD TO THE WISE. READ THE SALE AND PICK UP TERMS FROM THIS SELLER
Not to go into too much detail….OK I will. I actually purchased a vehicle last summer from this seller. This is quite an outfit. If you are local then you need to inspect this or any other thing you are interested in that they are selling.
Once you win the bid the the clock starts now. You have to pay a buyers fee that is in the sale terms. If you are on the East Coast call your broker NOW.
You only have THREE days to get it. After that it is $20 a day until your transport shows up.
I alerted my broker before the sale ended. The load was for an inop car and it was HOT. The third day he found a guy but the fee I was quoted was $600 more. What could I do? Yes do it!!! He picked it up. If anyone has had a car shipped it could take weeks sometimes months. I felt lucky.
Three days later car arrives at drop off point. I always pick an area that is truck friendly and meet the transport. I do this so the wife doesn’t find out. I meet a huge Russian guy who looked like Apollo in the Rocky movie. He said the people were….well I won’t repeat his actual words.
He said they kept him there six hours before they produced the car and opened the gate to let him load it. It almost turned violent.
I looked the car over quickly and looked OK so I loaded it on my trailer. Once I got home I discovered the vin was not on the car. I reviewed the listing pics and discovered the vin sticker in the door jamb was freshly peeled off but was in place in the pics.
Here is the problem. You (at least here) have to get an out of state vehicle vin inspected to obtain title.
I call the contact who I originally spoke somehow didn’t work there anymore. I spoke to another guy and told him what was wrong. He was to call back. He didn’t then I talked to a woman. It’s started becoming a pattern. Each person can’t speak good english. Then I call back. It is now four days. A guy says I should have inspected the car before buying. Nothing he can do. It was donated that way. I am pissed.
I call Ebay Motors and explained. They send me to with a woman who represented the Ebay Buyer Protection Plan. She instructructed me to take the car and have it inspected anyway. Knowing that doing so without the vin plate will get impounded. She wouldn’t guarantee I would get refunded and certainly wouldn’t be entitled to my $2600 I paid for shipping.
I had to make a hard decision. I now own a parts car. I take the full blame. It is an expensive lesson. This may not happen to you. But the buying and pick up terms are the same. You bid and you are on your own. Buyer beware.
Sorry to see you got burned, it’s a gamble buying a car you can’t personally inspect. Sounds like these sellers are like the Russian Mafia, too. Ebay will get more complaints about this seller so maybe they’ll be banned at some point.
If you’re considering buying a car that’s too far away for a personal inspection, I’d suggest contacting a car club that supports the car in question and see if you can get a club member located near the car to check it out for you. I belong to the Ford Fairlane Club and the Ford Galaxie Club, both national clubs with members in every state so I’m sure if I was considering buying an out-of-state car I could find a club member who’d help me out by examining the car for me. Offer to pay them a little for their time, it would be well worth it. I know if a club member asked me to check out a car for them, I’ be happy to do it. Just buy me a six pack!
A sad story AMCGUY there seems to be a scam around every corner!!
Thank you, AMCFAN, for forewarning the rest of us of your hard-learned lesson. It’s unfortunate that scum like this are about their scam artistry, using “a charitable cause” BS cover to consistently rip people off.
Even if you don’t live in the state these ignoranus cretins do their ripoffs in, personally I’d still call the state AG Consumer Affairs and Protection Division to alert them to this, as well as the State DMV Investigation Division.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold”..Help others avoid the scam done by these dirtbags!
Well their are ways you can be protected. Its called fraud and anytime their is a money trans-action from wire services like Western Union or Money Gram it falls under FEDERAL LAW and you can bet the FBI can and may get involved. They arrested a man in Ohio who tried to pass of a 64-65 Chevrolet malibu for a rare car.He was facing 8 years in prison. Also their are state laws. If need to.Contact the State Attorneys Generals office in THEIR STATE —OR–YOUR STATE OR BOTH. Sorry you were done this way.
Last one I saw was in a friends junkyard. I asked him why it was there since it looked really great. His answer was “carpenter ants” the wood structure was eaten away. It sat in the former owners driveway for about six months and that gave the ants a chance to get in it and chew away.
I can’t even imagine buying this old turd. In fact you couldn’t pay me to take it. The toilet, shower, sinks, yuk. Would anyone really use those?
No thanks
Although I’m generally not a fan of Winnebagos of the 1970s, this is a nice looking RV. One upgrade I’d give this would be a Cummins 5.9 ISB Turbo Diesel. I’m also not a fan of where the aftermarket gauges are.
These days trying to take it to an RV park for the night can get a bit trying with the unit this age. Most higher end RV parks ( the ones with the pools and real rec. centers) have a minimum year that they will allow attendance. “They don’t want the burning man crowd type of units in their parks. 3 years ago on a 2 month cruise. I was pushing the limit on my 12 year old 5th wheel. And it still looked like new.
Just Sayin’
In Portland Oregon it would be great for a homeless person We see it all the time.
My family had a 1973 22′ Winnebago. It came with a 413 in it. Seems like Ford and Chrysler had a habit of sticking motors in commercial vehicles that had been put out to pasture in the automotive lineup.
The thing got 5 mpg. Lots of memories of being broken down at the side of the road.
Hi Tim
I still have a 318 with auto fitted.
Any idea which is the prefered auto gearbox with the Cummins?