Seekn' short gutted A/S Trailer

[txbeaux]

I am looking for a short Airstream trailer that can be in bad condition inside or completely gutted. I don't want anything with a rusted frame or something that requires massive work to put it on the road. I plan to make it a cargo trailer to pull behind my A/S MH. Any help would be appreciated, Jim

[Rog0525]

There are 2 or 3 on the link below.
Caveat Emptor!

Rog

http://www.vintagetrailersplus.com/

[59toaster]

A word of caution:

Watch the weight you load into that coach. A fully packed ready to go 50-60's 22ft was around 3,700lb with water, 3k or less dry. The axles as such are lighter duty then say, a 16ft Wells Cargo trailer.
A empty 19ft could easily be over loaded. Your talking probably a max of 1,000 lb of cargo on something like a Caravelle. That's a lot less weight then then you would think it is.

The shorter they are the more expensive.

Personnaly I would concider buying the biggest basket case you could find that had a straight body and scrap the rest. Build a more robust frame with a 5k axle that sits up a little to match the ride hight of the tow vehicle. It wouldn't be difficult and as prices go with what a Caravelle or bambi in restorable condtion (has solid frame and floor) fetches, it would not surprise me if it was cheaper then to buy one that had a known good frame and floor. It would also haul more weight.

[Over59]

Now you have me going again....
Whats the ball park price on a new frame less axels for say 26 foot of trailer....
Looks like that 56 whale tail is still in Washington...

[txbeaux]

I found a Safari in San Antonio that is in fairly good shape on the outside and is totally gutted. The owner is using it as a storage shed. He thinks it's neat and doesn't really want to sell it. After much to do, he finally said he would take $2000 for it. He didn't know what year it was. All my "stuff" will weigh less than a 1000lbs. Will the Safari handle it "as is", perhaps with a new floor and stripped down with no tanks? The $2000 seemed kind of pricey to me. What do you think? Jim

[59toaster]

Originally posted by psychpw
Now you have me going again....
Whats the ball park price on a new frame less axels for say 26 foot of trailer....
Looks like that 56 whale tail is still in Washington...

26ft your getting into some cash but to use it as a cargo you need to it handle 4,000lb.

If you can weld it yourself your talking $500-600 for materials for frame and probably $600 for axles(dual) and brakes then wheels and tires (might be able to retain the stock wheels if in good shape). Thats for a set of 3500lb straight axles and conventional springs at someplace like Northern. Maybe less if you shop.

For a smaller trailer like a 22ft a cheap car trailer could be modified. Finding a ready to go car trailer around 18ftfor under $800 is not uncommon. It will have to be modifed and narrowed. For a 22ft I would concider recutting the wheel opening and going with a dual axle set up.

Now I understand steel prices are up right now. I'm basing these prices on what it cost me to build a 5x10 trailer with 2x3 inch box steel that can handle 2k of cargo.

The labor is the killer.

[Over59]

Thanks. A good reality slap always helps. Back to measuring the Caravel for a new inland axel. But someday......