Introduction
On June 7, 2022, I embarked on a journey to restore a piece of my childhood—a 1971 Winnebago D24C Chieftain motorhome. This wasn’t just any RV; I named her Bernice, after my beloved grandmother, Bernice Brantner. This blog post, the first in a series, is about the start of this nostalgic and heartwarming project.
A Long Search
For nearly five years, I searched tirelessly for an old Winnebago. My grandparents had a 1972 D18 Brave, and some of my fondest childhood memories are tied to that RV. One particularly vivid memory is seeing a Yogi Bear statue through the front windows of their Brave as we pulled into Jellystone Park in Wisconsin Dells. Grandma would cook eggs and bacon while we kids devoured cereal from those small, single-serving boxes. The rising sun bathed everything in an orange hue, like an old photo from the ’70s and ’80s. Family gatherings aften resulted in all the kids playing in and around the old Brave. It became a symbol of my grandparents, Awald and Bernice Brantner, and those carefree days of youth.
A New Priority
I wanted an RV of my own, driven by pure nostalgia and a desire to relive parts of my childhood while creating new memories. This longing became urgent after close family members battled cancer, and I was diagnosed with cancer in late 2020. During treatment, I lost two dear friends to suicide, and another was diagnosed with cancer. Life seemed to be sending a clear message: live fully while you can. Although I am now cancer-free, the doctors won’t consider me in complete remission for another five years. This realization made the restoration of Bernice my top priority. Though I lacked substantial funds for such a project, I had the space, knowledge, and the ability to work on it as funds allowed.
The Discovery
After years of searching, I finally found Bernice in northern Minnesota. She is a 1971 Winnebago D24C Chieftain on an M300 chassis. The original owner had bought her new and added every available upgrade except for the engine air conditioning system. He stored her indoors until his passing. His son used the RV a few times before 2012, after which it sat unused until the man I bought it from acquired it. He intended to use Bernice for parts to restore an identical RV but decided she was too well-preserved to dismantle. However, he never got around to restoring her, so she sat idle until June 2022, when he decided to sell.
The Journey Home
I purchased Bernice and had her shipped to my home on a lowboy flatbed. The sight of the RV being unloaded must have caused quite a stir in the neighborhood; I always have some project in the works.
First Impressions and Initial Tests
Upon her arrival, my first task was to test everything. Fortunately, many of the essential systems were in working order:
- Stove & Oven: Check
- Fridge: Check
- Water Heater: Check
- Plumbing: Check
- Engine: Fail
- Fuel: Fail
- Brakes: Fail
- Generator: Fail
Clearly, I had a lot of work ahead of me. I began with a deep clean and set out to learn as much as I could about the RV’s mechanical specifications. Another stroke of luck was the meticulousness of the original owner. Bernice came with extra parts, a Chilton manual for the M300 chassis, and a list of new replacement part numbers for older, discontinued items. To whoever you were, thank you for loving this motorhome as much as you did. I hope I do you proud.
Starting the Restoration
The first order of business was to find brake parts and address the engine issues. While sourcing these parts and saving the necessary funds, I kept busy with cleaning and polishing. Each task, no matter how small, felt like a step closer to bringing Bernice back to life.
Conclusion
Restoring Bernice is not just about fixing up an old RV; it’s about preserving memories, honoring my grandparents, and creating new adventures. The journey has just begun, and I look forward to sharing more about the restoration process and the memories we create along the way.
