4x4 Winnebago Lesharo......Hideous Awesomeness

[kerry]

There was a converter putting GM v-6's in the LeSharo for a while. (in Montana I think). That's the best use of a LeSharo I've seen. Both the original engines--gas and diesel typically failed in short order, but I've always been drawn to them, partly because apart from VW vans, it was the first European van chassis motorhome built by a US motorhome company (to my knowledge). (maybe Motoroam was first). I really liked the pull-out bath/shower arrangement in the LeSharo. Good use of space. Price seems quite good for what it is.

[jim65wagon]

I'd be able to see that from route 3 if it's sitting in your driveway......and you'd certainly never lose it in the woods......plenty of room for you.....and 350 Chevys are easy peasy motors to run and maintain, and parts are available anywhere in the states.....

new ride?

[Riptide]

Wow. That is actually pretty cool. The color is a little, um, jarring, but then again, the original vehicle was too.

Would love to see this one again on ExPo, in more detail.

[Overland Hadley]

Odd looking bugger, but I like it.

Would be great if somebody here on ExPo got it.

[CLynn85]

I really want to look at it in person, part of me wants to buy it, sell everything, and take off in it.

[G35Vortec454]

I love what the owner did to it. If it were 10 years ago I'd buy it for that price. I've had a love affair with 4x4 van motorhomes and after 10 years they got too small for me. Now I have a full Class A 4x4. But this really caught my eye. Wow! It's a great deal for someone to buy.

[flyingkilt]

Howdy all! Well, I couldn't resist it: I actually bought the "Hideous Awesomeness" itself -- the (ahem) YELLOW! All-Wheel-Drive Winnebago LeSharo (sitting on a lifted GMC AWD Safari chassis converted to 350 Chevy V8 power). I couldn't believe it was STILL for sale out in Pennsylvania last month after all this time! The former owner said lots of guys looked at it and test drove it, but their WIVES stepped-in and said "NO WAY!" Lol. Luckily, I have a really cool wife -- an Alaskan Eskimo who LOVES to camp and fish, so she thinks it's GREAT! So do I!

I finally got it home to Southern Oregon last week, after having to get the transmission rebuilt out in Eastern Oregon where it broke down. But, it ran pretty good all the way out West, until the transmission overheated and stuck in 1st gear. It overheated because a transmission shop out in Pennsylvania put a NON-locking torque converter in a 700R4 transmission, which doomed it to fail after only 3,800 overheated miles (there was no transmission temperature gauge installed at the time). It NOW has a locking torque converter and a BIG transmission fluid cooler, and it presently runs barely 150 degrees Fahrenheit as indicated on the temp gauge (with sending unit in the pan), because most people know: HEAT kills automatic transmissions.

It is going into town tomorrow to get a new dual exhaust system with headers -- 'cause it just about carbon-monoxide-poisoned me during the entire trip out west from Pennsylvania to Southern Oregon!

Anyway, here it is in our driveway, sitting next to our other, green, Winnebago LeSharo that's been converted to a complete front wheel drive 3800 V6 Buick drivetrain with a 440T4 automatic with overdrive (the original Renault mechanical gear was pretty darn weak in these things). We have nicknamed the YELLOW! one "The Happy Bumblebee," and -- as is quite evident in the photos -- it is WAAAYY taller, and beefier looking, than the 2-wheel-drive LeSharo:

CIMG1676.jpg

CIMG1677.jpg

[sourdough]

wow! that is cool.
got any detailed photos of the conversion....

[mhiscox]

Many congratulations, both on the acquisition and the courage to buy it. And for maintaining the good attitude as you got it back home.

Nice to see that you have another LeSharo and the experience that came with that. This new one would seem to have amazing potential for a lot of fun. Good luck with it

[axehead]

Flyingkilt, you may have seen this thread already, some (limited) built info down the page:

http://www.lesharorv.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1356