Vintage RV — 1970’s Winnebago Brave Classic “Flying W” motorhome
Owner Frank Miller and his family are looking forward to a summer of camping vacation adventures with their classic old, but solid, motor home.
We were cruising along a back road near Kalispell, Montana not that long ago when an old motorhome caught our eye. Sitting in front of First Choice Repair and Sharpening, owned by Frank Miller, was an early 1970’s Winnebago Brave “Flying W” motorhome.
Evidently, Frank and his family had just returned from a weekend vacation in the classic motorhome – and the old Winnie performed great.
This was one of the flagship models of the Winnebago company back in the early 1970’s. They promoted it under the heading, “What it means to have the Flying “W” on your side.”
The ad copy read, “Winnebago gives you more. A lot of features and built-in values that you just can’t get in any other brand. Winnebago is the world’s largest producer of motor homes. We have almost 2,000,000 square feet of factory space, and manufacture most of the components that go into your motor home. There have been more Winnebago motor homes built, owner-tested, than any other brand.”
Continuing, “You get a big, tough chassis: Load-carrying capability of all motor homes is measured by an official GVW (gross vehicle weight) rating system. No matter which Winnebago you choose, from the smallest to the largest, you’ll get a chassis, steering, suspension and brakes that have been carefully mated to the size of the motor home.”
In 1973 Winnebago offered 13 models to choose from – five Chieftains, three Indians, three Braves and two Minnie Winnies.
Their promotional ad of the day ended with this: “If you ever need service, just see a Winnebago dealer. There are more than 300 of them from coast to coast. They can all provide factory-authorized warranty work.”
Owner Frank Miller says he is planning to renovate and restore his classic “Flying W” Winnebago, but for now it runs just fine. Frank and his family are looking forward to a summer of camping vacation adventures with their classic old, but solid, motor home.
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