1985 Chevy Winnebago Minnie E350 Guide (Minnie Winnie Value)
These vehicles may be old but they still have value. Generally, they are smaller RVs so they are easier to drive. The two drawbacks to owning a vintage RV is there may be a lot of repair work and many RV parks will not accept them.
There are a few 1985 Chevy Winnebago Minnie for sale. Not that many but their engines should still get decent fuel mileage and they range between 20 and 21 feet in length. You may be lucky to hit 9 mpg but only if you drive at 55 mph.
To learn more about this RV just continue to read our article. It explores the RV world to get the best information possible on this model of RV. However, being almost 40 years old, the information may not be as full as you would want.
1985 Winnebago Minnie
1985 Chevy Winnebago Minnie E350 Specs
This RV model can come in sizes ranging between 20 to 24 feet in length, and sleeps 4 but has room for 6 non-sleeping guests. It is fully self-contained and you will find a toilet and shower inside, usually at the rear of the coach.
This RV is powered by the small block Chevy 350 cubic inch engine that comes with a 4.00 and 3.48-inch bore and stroke. Depending on the year it was made, this engine had between 148 and 370 HP.
As for gas mileage, do not expect to see double figures unless you are traveling around 55 mph. One owner got 12.1 mph at that speed but at 65 the fuel efficiency dropped to between 8 and 9 mph.
Then depending on the comprehension stats, you may need to put premium fuel inside the gas tank. Inside the RV you will find all the amenities you would expect from an RV of this age.
There will be TVs, ovens, stoves, fridges, sinks and many more features. With plenty of windows around the 4 sides, this RV is very bright and airy inside. The only drawback may be that this might be a mechanic’s hobby vehicle. Something may always be breaking because of its age.
Chevy Winnebago Minnie E350 Interior
We will start with what we just talked about. The usual features are all inside this RV and laid out in a very convenient fashion. The toilet and shower are at the rear of the vehicle keeping them out of the way of other interior activities.
Then you have a nice kitchen layout on one side and across from it is the dinette that may seat 3 to 4 people at one time. There are no slides but the many windows make it seem like you have a larger interior than you really do have.
The overhead bunk area is wide and comfortable for small children. But if you do not have any children along for the ride, it makes for a great storage area. We certainly wouldn’t recommend it for older people to use it as a master bedroom.
A drop-down counter gives you a food preparation area. Plus, there seems to be a lot of storage space for such a small interior. The bathroom has a sink cabinet that wraps around the toilet and it comes with one drawer and one cabinet door.
The color scheme will depend. Since you are buying used, you are going to be stuck with the colors the original owner selected. That may be good or it may not be so good.
What is The Difference Between Minnie Winnie 22R And 25B?
The biggest difference between these two will be length. The 25B is about 2 feet longer than the 22R. But that is not the only difference. Unfortunately, we can only compare modern versions of this Winnebago for many reasons.
One being there is not a lot of 1985 Minnie Winnies available today. The 22R sleeps 5 people while the 25B sleeps six and weighs 14,500 to the 22R’s 12,500 pounds.
Another difference would be the beds. The 55 by 80-inch bed in the 22R is next to the bathroom as is the 54 by 80-inch bed in the 25B. Both modern vehicles have 55-gallon gas tanks but the holding tanks only hold about 24 1/2 gallons.
Fuel mileage for the modern options will be vastly improved over the 1985 versions. That is due to improved technologies, lighter materials used to keep the weight down, and so on. If you drive right, you should see between 14 and 18 mpg.
If you want to find out more about these two Minnie Winnie models, there is a Facebook group called Minnie Winnie Owners. At least there was in 2017 when it was mentioned in one discussion forum.
Check it out as you will get the straight story on both from actual owners’ experiences.
How Much is a 1985 Minnie Winnie Worth?
Value and worth are subjective terms. What one owner values may be larger than what some prospective buyers think it is worth. In other words, owners will place a higher value on their Minnie Winnie than they are actually worth.
We have seen them go for about 5,000 to 9,000 dollars with the lowest we have seen priced at $3500. But that was a model with a Ford 460 motor inside. The average retail price at the JD Powers website is $1900.
The problem is that there are not a lot of these models for sale. The 1986 model was selling for $9000 as well as for $57770. On top of that, a 2014 model was selling for $8000.
That should give you an idea of what you can sell your Minnie Winnie for if you decide to sell it. But if you do sell it, try to get it into top shape and have it look good. This is one model whose value depends more on its condition than anything else.
The sentimental value will play no role in the actual sales or purchase price. It is best to take an objective view of your 1985 Minnie Winnie and pick an actual value that is reasonable.
A very good looking and in top condition 1985 with a 350 engine is selling for $7500 right now. That should get you started and you can go from there when you are thinking about the price.
We would suggest that you do not pay more than $5000 to $7000 for one if you are looking to buy one. You never know what problems you will be inheriting.
1985 Chevy Winnebago Minnie E350 Value
When it comes to the sale price, this is not going to be any different from what we have said above. It is an almost 40-year-old vehicle that has seen better times. Even if it is kept in good condition, you may still have features and components wear out on you.
It is just the nature of buying used. It is best if you are buying to bring in a lower but respectable bid and if you are selling, not to be insulted by a low bid. The value is in what the buyer wants and will pay for it.
But there is a silver lining to this cloud. In our research, we found that this RV may have more value if you rent it out by the night or by the week. We came across two owners who are doing just that and are charging $160 and $165 per night through Outdoorsy.
You can go to that website and do some comparisons to see if this option brings the best value to your purchase. If you do decide to go with this option, it does not mean you do not get to use it during the year.
You just block out those dates you want to travel and rent it the other times of the year. This may be a good option to recoup your purchase price and get some constructive financial value out of this older RV.
Finding a 1985 Minnie Winnie For Sale
The best place to look at this time is SmartRV Guide. Currently, they have 7 1985 Minnie Winnies for sale. The price range is between $7000 and $9000 with one saying request price.
Some of the RV websites that are dedicated to helping you sell or buy an RV only list 1 or 0 for this model year. This would be the first place you look. These websites are pretty good at having different RVs for sale. They also include a lot of pictures.
If you do not find what you are looking for, there are two other good places to try. One would be the different dealers around the country. They take these older RVs in on trade all the time and would like to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
We say around the country because you would be extremely fortunate to find one at your local RV dealer. Another place to try would be used RV lots. They are not dealers but make their money selling older RVs.
You can look them up under the term Vintage RVs or used RVs for sale and contact them to see what they have in stock. Finally, check the classifieds. But be careful, the ads often run long after the vehicle has been sold so you may think you are on time but in reality, you missed out.
Plus, you never know when someone is scamming you. You need to watch out for red flags when you go this route. RV discussion forums have classified ads and these would be more legitimate than the newspaper ads.
Plus, the owners are usually known by the community so it would be hard for them to con anyone.
Remodeling a 1985 Minnie Winnie
This is a great project for someone who has a lot of free time on their hands. It may not be easy to find replacement parts but you can design the interior to fit your tastes and your current lifestyle.
Some of the older appliances may not be working but you can easily get modern replacements for them at reasonable prices if you shop around. Junk yards are a good place to look for any engine, transmission, or other component parts.
This is not going to be an overnight or done in a week project. Expect to put some time into it as you will need time to search for the right parts and materials. You can gut the Minnie Winnie quite easily. That only takes a hammer, nail puller, drill, and a crowbar.
Sometimes you may have to resort to a small screwdriver to get at those hidden screws. What makes remodeling these older RVs difficult is when you pull the carpet and see the sub-flooring or the studs.
These may have rotted out due to age, water, or bugs. This is where the expense will come in. You will need to replace all the bad wood to make the remodel a success.
What you do with the interior is going to depend on how much room you want for certain activities. You can remove the dinette to free up space or rearrange the kitchen to something larger if you want.
You have a lot of interior design freedom as long as you do not get unrealistic about what you want. These older Minnie Winnies are great remodel projects and you can get them cheap.
Some Final Words
There are not a lot of these motor homes left in the world today. The few that are are reasonably priced and if you come across a motivated seller, then you may save even more.
The Chevy 350 engine is said to be a very good motor as it has powered different GM sports cars over the years. If it is just the two of you, this may be a very comfortable space to live in. Your only worry will be if the campgrounds will accept it. Most do not like RVs older than 10 years.
