1968 17' AS--- Caravel? Value?

[Ultradog]

Hello fellow Aluminuts,
Maybe the next best thing to buying another AS yourself is for your best friend to buy one.
My friends recently sold their little cabin in the woods and are looking for a travel trailer so they can still get out and about now and then.
They're pretty new at any kind of campers so of course I've been extolling the virtues of Airstreams.
We are going to go look at one tonight. My friend Drew says it's a 68 17 footer. Would that make it a Caravel?
I know that AS prices are inversely proportional to their length. So I am wondering what kind of $ these little units are going for.
Of course it's all about condition, condition, condition.
But it would be very helpful to have some kind of base price. I found two of them in the completed items on ebay motors - one for $12,200 and one for $4100. Current owner is asking $6500 for this one. Is that high, average, low?
Sorry but I haven't a clue as to the condition. (did I mention condition?)
but it would be nice to at least have some notion as to it's value.
I'm pretty confident I am able to scope out all the usual "issues" that are inherent in these trailers. But is there anything in particular I should watch for?
Sorry I can't give you more to go on. I just found out about it last night.
Drew looks at me as his AS guru so I'm trying to get as much info as I can before we go have a look.
He is a professional photographer btw so if you can help me help him we can all look forward to some exceptional pictures.
Thanks in advance
Jerry

[Mel]

Hi Jerry - have you checked this site?

[Over59]

If the axel hasn't been replaced it will need to be. Condition is everything. Likly to have rot under the rear bath not visible without taking off the rear of the belly pan.

[Stan Z]

I would agree. You should consider the axle and the typical rot under the bathroom. Stick your head under the sink and look for rot there, but that still won't help you in the area directly below the shower. On mine, you can feel some squishyness when standing in the shower, so I assume I have some rot under there.

Also, if you can hook up to a water supply and check for broken pipes. Mine had a break in the pipe that runs in front of the shower, which is not a pipe that you can see.

Other than that, just watch for the usual leaks around the vents and the condition of the floor near the door.

good luck....

[Stefrobrts]

My big hole was in the floor of the streetside compartment. I say get a flashlight and a poking tool (that's the technical term for it) and prod everywhere you can. Rot could be anywhere. But you probably already know that.

For what it's worth, I paid 6k for mine, and it was in good enough shape to camp in for a couple years before it needed things like axels. I'm still happy with the investment.

[Ultradog]

Can't dawdle here now.
May have photos yet tonight.
Will post more later

[jwe63]

Hi guys. From where i sit, I say "grab it!". There's a real paucity of these units around my neck of the woods. From what I read, you really have to be prepared to do some ripping and tearing anyway. The true question is whether you have the interest in it. But thats just my $.02.