'69 tradewind steal!

[jeeper0122]

Hey my name is Dave and i have just recieved a 69 tradewind for $1!!!! It came into my family because we recently purchased a campground and it was abandoned on one of the sites so for it to be registered it needed to be sold so i bought it for $1! it is in decent condition; however i will be refurbishing and modernizing it to make into a family/ personal camper! Any words of wisdom/ things too look out for will be greately appreciated!!

[jm2]

send pictures!

lots of friendly Airstreamers here in NJ. where are you & the '69?

best,

[68 TWind]

Welcome to the forums and to the world of Trade Winds. Good luck with your refurbish. Pay attention to the floor condition around the rear hatch and in the bath. Also, look inside the trailer under each of the roof vent stacks for floor problems. First order of business is finding all the leaks! Hopefully your Trade Wind will have been well cared for and you won't have much trouble. If interior and systems are all OK you still need to plan for axle replacement. The axles on my 68 were totally frozen, no suspension action at all.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by jeeper0122

... it is in decent condition; however i will be refurbishing and modernizing it to make into a family/ personal camper! Any words of wisdom/ things too look out for will be greately appreciated!!

Hi Dave, and welcome to the forum.

I guesstimate I put roughly $8,000 into my 1-year-older-than-your Airstream just to bring it back to a state I was comfortable towing it, and camping in it. Details are at the link in my signature.

My advice is to do all the interior stuff first, camp in it a few times, AND THEN think about new axles. You may not like Airstreaming. Other than tires/brakes, there is no reason to waste money on running gear until you decide the Airstream is gonna be running somewhere with regularity. You will not get a return on the axle's investment should you decide to sell the camper.

Tom

[jeeper0122]

Thank you all for the advice!! i am in pomona at school but my trailer is actually parked in my campground in Gibson PA. I have to wait for the snow to thaw to check out the frame and axles, i was told by the PO of the campground that the PO of the trailer used it all over the place before they parked it in our campground so it probably hasnt moved in 10 years. Fortunately there is not a strong moldy smell or signs of visable mold or floor warpage (knock on wood). Unfortunatly it is not parked in a site where htere is electric so i cannot test these qualities till the snow thaws out. Can someone send me a link to where new axles coudl be found so i know how deep of a hole im digging?

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by jeeper0122

Can someone send me a link to where new axles coudl be found so i know how deep of a hole im digging?

That subject very quickly turns into a can of hash around here. You can get replacements for the originals (at least until May, when the company that makes them may be closing its doors), or, if you're mechanically inclined, you can get a pair of Dexter axles for about half the price.
Just go to the "search" button in the blue band at the top of the page, and type in "axles". You'll get more posts, threads, info, and opinions than you'll ever need.

[68 TWind]

I got my through Colin Hyde, of Colin Hyde Trailer Restorations, in Plattsburg NY ( he has a web site and the phone # is , (518) 578-7772. You can do all the measuring yourself and deal with Dexter, but I chose Colin because he has years of Airstream experience and these are the axles he uses on his restorations. Give him a few measurements and he orders the axles and they are drop shipped to you. They are made by Axis. I don't remember the exact price but is was much less than other Airstream dealers charged. You can also save a lot by having them delivered to a commercial address ( one with a fork lift is best). Installation takes two folks and two floor jacks to do it safely, but it is not technically difficult. TomW is correct on getting your money back, but if your axles are frozen as mine were, I would not pull the trailer too many miles before replacement.