Blue Bird Wanderlodge WB

Wikipedia explains that federal rules limited school buses to 96 inches of width while motorcoaches could be 102 inches. For 1988 Blue Bird used the wider limit for a new Wide Body pusher. It was based on the 96-inch PT but had new aerodynamic roof caps and bumpers and, in Wikipedia’s words, almost no resemblance to the All American school bus. Vintage Birds lists it in 38- and 40-foot lengths and notes a new 475-horsepower Detroit Diesel 8V92TA with DDEC for the pushers that year.

By 1990 only the 40-foot Wide Body remained, and for 1991 it got a new exterior and major equipment changes. From 1993 the club lists the 40-foot coaches under body codes such as WLWB, WBSA, WBDA, WTOS and WBSD, which no opened source explains. For 1995 a 42-foot coach was added with a Detroit Diesel Series 60, a six-speed Allison and Aqua-Hot heating. For 1997 the engine was lowered to make room for a walk-in closet, the 42-foot became a 43-foot, and the 40-foot became a 41-foot with the Series 60.

For 1998 the restyled LX and LXi took over, and the club’s list drops the Wide Body name, though it keeps WB in the new model codes (WB-40 LX, WB-41 LXi, WB-43 LXi). Owner-preserved owner’s manuals for the 1989 Wide Body Pusher and the 1994 Wide Body are listed on ManualsLib.