| [GMCnet] RV Surplus Hunting! [message #94417] |
Tue, 03 August 2010 02:22  |
ejuk8em
Messages: 90
Registered: July 2010
Karma: 0
|
Member |
|
|
Having just returned from a short visit with friends in Elkhart, Indiana.... I thought I would pass along to the group what we found in the way of RV Surplus in the Elkhart area. In the short time we had to look, we found four locations. There may very well be others. We will look around a bit more next trip.
The first two we found are in Elkhart, on W. Bristol ... almost across the street from one another. If you are going past Elkhart on the Indiana toll road take the main Elkhart exit and turn south (left) - that is Cassopolis St. Bristol St. is the fourth or fifth stop light as you head south. There is a gas station both the N/E and N/W corners and one of the Elkhart Schools on the S/W corner. Turn right at this light (heading west) on Bristol. You will go about eight or nine blocks . The first store is on the right (north side) of the road. The second store is about a half block farther west on the opposite side. Both have good inventory. I felt the first one is a bit better price wise and has a little more inventory. If you want the names of the business, I can post them.
Now... for the two good ones. If you have an extra 30-45 minutes, head NORTH (turn right) when you get off of the toll road at the same Elkhart exit. The road will eventually bend to the right... heading east. This will become Michigan State Road 12. Keep heading east, to Mottville. You will need to do a bit of a "jog" in Mottville, so watch for the St. Rd 12 signs, follow the arrows and just keep heading east. Just a couple of miles past Mottville you will come to Johnson's RV Surplus. It's out in the country on the south side of St. Rd 12. Big place, great prices, good folks to work with. If you can't find what you are looking for there.... get back on St. Rd 12 and keep heading east to White Pigeon. Once you get through White Pigeon on St.Rd. 12, you will come to Bontrager's RV Surplus... again on the south side of the road. This is an even bigger place than Johnson's. I think you could (almost) build an RV from scratch here. Prices didn't
seem to be quite as good as Johnson's, but the inventory was amazing.
Well, there you go. Let me know if you have questions. Keep in mind that these are surplus/salvage stores, not Wal-Mart. If you envision a "Huge Indoor/Outdoor RV Flea Market" you will get the right idea. You can find almost anything - including, but not at all limited to: axles, plumbing and electrical, seating, windows (dozens, if not hundreds of flat windows of every shape, type and size – however, we did not see a single GMC curved style), doors, tires, ovens, ranges, A/C units and covers, hitches, upholstery materials, toilets, awning parts, and various sizes of refrigerators…. and that’s just the start!!!
Take care and happy hunting!
Lyle
Lyle A. Rigdon, Retired Superintendent
73 Sequoia
Pawnee, IL 62558
Pawnee Pride - Live It!
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] RV Surplus Hunting! [message #94475 is a reply to message #94417] |
Tue, 03 August 2010 13:39  |
GeorgeRud
Messages: 1380
Registered: February 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Elkhart is a neat place to look through these RV stores. There is also a RV Museum on the north side of town, just south of the Interstate/Tollway.
I'm sure they will be happy to see visitors as the area has been hard hit by the recession.
George Rudawsky
Chicago, IL
75 Palm Beach
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] RV Surplus Hunting! [message #94489 is a reply to message #94475] |
Tue, 03 August 2010 15:46 |
Charles
Messages: 455
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 0
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Thanks for the information.
I have been hearing about these surplus houses for years
I'm planing on stopping there on my way to Du Quoin IL.
from Niagara Fall NY in September. It is a little out of the
way but I don't want to wait till next year when we have
the convension in Goshen IN. I have two days set aside
to tour them. Do you think I will need a third day if I want
to go through the Museum?
Charles
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
Charles Wersal
Duncanville, Texas
26 foot 1975 Glenbrook
Pandora's Box
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] RV Surplus Hunting! [message #94497 is a reply to message #94489] |
Tue, 03 August 2010 16:40 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
|
Senior Member |
|
|
""Thanks for the information.
I have been hearing about these surplus houses for years
I'm planing on stopping there on my way to Du Quoin IL.
from Niagara Fall NY in September. It is a little out of the
way but I don't want to wait till next year when we have
the convension in Goshen IN. I have two days set aside
to tour them. Do you think I will need a third day if I want
to go through the Museum?
Charles
""
There are some surplus directories floating around and I may have one on my home computer. I'm surprised Gene hasn't piped in yet:)
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] RV Surplus Hunting! [message #94522 is a reply to message #94417] |
Tue, 03 August 2010 20:51 |
Richard Denney
Messages: 920
Registered: April 2010
Karma: 9
|
Senior Member |
|
|
On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 3:22 AM, Lyle A. Rigdon <ejuk8em@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> If you can't find what you are looking for there.... get back on St. Rd 12
> and keep heading east to White Pigeon. Once you get through White Pigeon on
> St.Rd. 12, you will come to Bontrager's RV Surplus... again on the south
> side of the road. This is an even bigger place than Johnson's. I think you
> could (almost) build an RV from scratch here. Prices didn't
> seem to be quite as good as Johnson's, but the inventory was amazing.
I NEVER go to northern Indiana or southwest Michigan without finding an
excuse to detour through White Pigeon to stop at Bontrager's. It's one of
the last of the really good RV surplus outfits in that area.
Rick "who has bought lots of stuff from them" Denney
--
'73 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
