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Peter&Denise · 04-16-2005, 12:05 PM

I suspect that my '81 Excella 2 has more in common with it's 70's brethern than the 80's Airstreams. Yeah - there's still some plastic and mac-tac in the decor, but that being said I still think that it's an awesome trailer. Although it's just new to us and we've never really used it yet, I just love it. We have plans to update it of course (can you say "dusty rose carpet"? - ugh!) , but we also plan on enjoying it all the while. I never even looked at any other trailers before buying this one, but I've checked out a few SOB's since and have no regrets. SOB's even 10 or 15 years newer don't have the features or build quality, heck most of them look older than my 24 year-old Airstream! Just my 2 cents - P.

Ken J · 04-16-2005, 12:27 PM

They are all good years. As you go older, they get much more difficult to find. There are ton's of 70's, 80's and 90's around in great condition. If you go with those years, you are more likely to find something that does not need a whole lot. Now my 58....... it needs a whole lot of work.

Ken

Jani · 04-16-2005, 03:43 PM

Thanks Stephanie for the reply, I know I will continue to look for one, I have seen some great remodels online. And even though I know it would be easier just to buy another brand (and probably cheaper,) I do love the exterior , shape and materials,and overall design of the airstream. I have an audi TT which is curved and rounded and also reminds me of the Bahaus designs of the 30's-just like the airstreams bring home that whole look and feel. ;D

Jani · 04-16-2005, 03:51 PM

Hi David, thanks for that information about the 'Beatrice'years. I had never heard of that before and now it makes complete sense! And I will look for those later years, as you suggested. I like to think I'd be happy with a 60's trailer, but the truth is, even though my husband can do that kind of work, (he's great with any kind-of repairs he's ever tried)
he doesn't really want to do it. I can't blame him, we want the airstream for vacationing in and not just for the goal of fixing it up. And ,while I'm good at decorating, I don't really have the 'knack' of construction/restoration,so he'd have to do mostly all of the hard work.
And I love old things ,always have, but he prefers new. oh well. opposites attract, I guess! :-)

Jani · 04-16-2005, 04:17 PM

Hi Craftsman,
That's funny that you said that, I was just reading a book by Todd Olham about how ugly the 70's interiors were! I kind-of like that nostalgia stuff we grew up with. I've seen some other brands of 70's trailers on ebay selling for a lot, and they've got the orange shagcarpeting and olive appliances! lol.
I bet your Airstream is beautiful now that you changed the interior materials. I can just imagine how great it would look with some real wood interiors. And I did like that they put cool little storage areas all over the place. As you said, I also think weight was an issue. I love the new ones too, but 50K is a bit much for my taste and budget. :-)j.

Jani · 04-16-2005, 04:20 PM

Hi Ken J., I guess I was just not expecting them to look like that, I had read and heard so much about Airstreams, and we have seen the new ones, and they seem to be made so much better than other RVs. So I was surprised, but like I said, this was our first time seeing the older ones, and I'm sure there are other older models that are built much sturdier, or not as 'plasticky'.

Jani · 04-16-2005, 04:25 PM

Thats good to know Annette, that you think your trailer is good. I really don't want anybody to think I was looking for perfection. I just thought the bins and the doors on the pull-down closets were cheaply made. And this trailer could have been so much nicer, but the man selling it didn't even do anything to clean it up (sweep the floor?) or straighten it up. And he was supposed to be a restorer, so I thought we would see some cool restorations, but we didn't. And, he was asking $8900 for it too.

Jani · 04-16-2005, 04:35 PM

Hi Kevin, and thanks for the welcome and all the good advice. I will keep searching, because I know my Airstream is out there somewhere. Now that the weather is better, I don't mind driving around looking, but it seems that a lot of nice ones are in Arizona and California. So I guess we'll just have to take a trip out there!
(my husband has family out there, so maybe we can combine the two things together!)
I do like the design of the center twins and think that would work for us, and I've seen some pictures of that model decorated really nicely. But I have an open mind to floorplans and lengths and even years. We would like to keep our truck,even though it only has a 5000K towing capacity, because we're trying to keep costs down. So that kind of limits us to the older 23-25 footers or less.

overlander64 · 04-16-2005, 04:37 PM

Greetings Jani!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jani

Hi Ken J., I guess I was just not expecting them to look like that, I had read and heard so much about Airstreams, and we have seen the new ones, and they seem to be made so much better than other RVs. So I was surprised, but like I said, this was our first time seeing the older ones, and I'm sure there are other older models that are built much sturdier, or not as 'plasticky'.

One thing to consider is comparing the 1970s coaches to their contemporaries. My first new coach was a brand new, special order, Nomad 19 ft. travel trailer. Comparing it to my 1978 Minuet would yield several similariities but many differences where the Argosy was much better and a few where the Nomad had the edge. -- the Nomad had cheap plexiglass windows that scratched easily while the Minuet has acrylic side windows that still are in very good condition after 27 years of use -- the Nomad utilized bonded side-wall construction, light in weight but began separating before the coach was five years old while the rivited aluminum structure of the Argosy is still sound after 27 years -- the Nomad had particle board cabinetry with vinyl-cladding to represent wood that began peeling before the coach was three years old while the Argosy's vinyl-clad aluminum cabinets still appear as new despite 27 years of use -- the steel LP tanks on the Nomad rusted so badly that they couldn't be recertified at the end of their first certification cycle while the 27 year old Worthington Aluminum tanks easily qualified for recertification once the OPD valves were added -- the Nomad had the superior Dometic Refrigerator (a 3-Way) while Argosy continued to stick with the outmoded 2-Way (I really miss my 3-way refrigerator in the Minuet -- my newer refrigerator in the Overlander is a Dometic 3-Way that my Airstream dealer installed for me). Another way of looking at the issue is just how many of the contemporaries to a 1970s Airstream are still roadworthy and being offered for sale -- there are a few, but I am sure many have met the same fate that my Nomad did in 1990 -- it was junked because the body was simply falling apart.

I am not as familiar with the Airstream contemporaries, but I am sure that another Forum member could provide a similar comparison of 1970s contemporary to the Airstream

Good luck with your search for the ideal Airstream!

Kevin

Jani · 04-16-2005, 04:45 PM

Hi Barry and Lisa, thats funny about the 'dime' ! I 'd like to hear what he'd say! Do you think that asking $8900 is right for a fixer-upper though? I thought we could get away with less than that for something that needed that much work. Maybe prices are going up, wouldn't be surprised.
We also want to use it for vacationing this summer, instead of hotels. I'd like to travel with my dog, and hotels are a pain with a dog. And one of our sons lives in Rochester,NY, and that would be a good trip for an RV.
Thanks for the 87MH reference too. It's interesting. :-)

Jani · 04-16-2005, 04:50 PM

I can understand that Doug and Jamie. It's kind-of like buying a house fixer-upper. Most times, you can live in it and fix it up,one thing at a time. You don't have to do the whole thing at once, so I think a plan is a great and necessary idea.
We have a plan too.
First, buy an airstream
Second, go out west and look for places to maybe move to.
Third, live in the airstream while we check out different towns.
Fourth, move out of NJ, (maybe)or just have a good place to go for vacations.

Jani · 04-16-2005, 05:07 PM

Thanks Tin Lizzie! No Virginia isn't too far.
And that's a good point about Buy at your price,or walk. I would do that if I were buying a car (have done that,actually) so you're right.
I bet after all that work , they dont want to part with them. also good point.
but I don't think we're "ready to dig in and work". Before I said that my husband could really do the work,he's great at that stuff,...but I am the one who wants vintage. He'd always rather buy new. I think he thinks that he works hard,(which he really does,) and wants to relax a little on weekends, and maybe doesn't want to have to redo one, and have airstream projects every weekend from now til forever.
Anyway, I think we did go to a vintage dealer in NJ, but I'm sure there are others. We actually live near the dealership that sells new Airstreams in NJ. Do you know if they sell vintage airstreams at rallies? or shows?
thanks, jani

Jani · 04-16-2005, 05:18 PM

Hi Balrgn, No it was pretty much the tubs,and bins, we thought were kind-of tacky, (I guess I expected tupperwear or something,) and the condition,(dirty, ripped, etc..)
As for the 70's? love it. I grew up in the 70's and have good memories, (except of Robert MacNamara, did you see that doc.movie on him on HBO!)
I am an artist and love the all the decades of design, 40's -70's, and can usually find beauty in most things.

Jani · 04-16-2005, 05:21 PM

Thanks Ken J, I am sure we will find some other Airstreams from the 70's and 80's with not as much work as this one was. The man who was selling it said the 1961 he had there would be hard to find parts for. It was also kind-of cool inside, (pink sink, and fridge) but my dh couldn't see past the mess.

balrgn · 04-16-2005, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jani

Hi Balrgn, No it was pretty much the tubs,and bins, we thought were kind-of tacky, (I guess I expected tupperwear or something,) and the condition,(dirty, ripped, etc..)
As for the 70's? love it. I grew up in the 70's and have good memories, (except of Robert MacNamara, did you see that doc.movie on him on HBO!)
I am an artist and love the all the decades of design, 40's -70's, and can usually find beauty in most things.

Sad to hear that you found one in that kind of shape. I looked at a '72 26' Argosy a couple of weeks ago. It was disgusting. Nasty dirty, looked like there was a brawl in it. Some good, some bad when you’re looking. Hope you find one that suits your taste!

Sneakinup · 04-16-2005, 07:11 PM

I like the 70's because there is no pain or shame in NOT keeping the interior original... at least not for me.

I also like the shape of the windows from 69 on. I had lots of fun changing mine in to what I wanted in a new one, but couldn't afford.

Now, and back in the 70's.

rluhr · 04-16-2005, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jani

he was asking $8900 for it too.

Whoa! $8900 for a '75 Tradewind that needed work? Prices haven't gone up that much. In that price range I'd expect it to completely operable, with only minor repairs or updates needed.

I can understand being disappointed with 70s decor, but was this really a trailer that needed fixing mechanically? Just curious ...

If the systems worked (appliances, plumbing, running gear), the floor was solid, and the body was good, it might be a good deal to buy something in this price range and just have cosmetic makeover work to do.

safari57 · 04-16-2005, 07:55 PM

Jani, my wife and I looked for a long time to find the right trailer. What others thought were great trailers were huge disappointments to us. But we also never waivered in our search even though we picked up other trailers to use while we kept looking. Finally the perfect unit for us, a '51 Flying Cloud to pull behind our vintage car showed up, the right price on it, and needing just enough work that it's clearly "our" trailer and not something we just bought and started camping in. What was interesting is that we looked far and wide for a trailer, and this one, like our '58 Silver Streak, showed up in a local bargain paper and less than 20 minutes from our home. When friends and family know what it is you are looking for it's surprising what comes out of the woodwork. Good luck in your search, and don't accept anything less than you want. There were many we looked at that we almost bought and we now look back and thank heavens our first Airstream experience was not tarnished by buying someone else's headache. Barry

Tarheel · 04-17-2005, 01:13 AM

My 74 international had a black walnut interior, it was beautiful. Now for the "Harvest Gold" it had to go. I removed the counter top and put in a more modern country blue Formica. The interior of the fridge door is removable and it was painted "Appliance White". The carpet came out and new self stick tile went in over screwed and glued luan plywood. I was very happy with the finished product and my vista windows. Yes it did have plastic tubs and it was much easier to remove the tub take it in the house and load it then return it to the trailer. Now I carry everything to the trailer in plastic tubs load its contents in the drawers and take the tub, laundry basket, back to the house. You just need to find what is right for you. The twin beds didn't work for us so we found a unit with a queen. That and newer appliances was the only reason that we aren't still pulling the 74.

Jani · 04-17-2005, 01:42 PM

Kevin, thank you for all the info. You sound like you liked your old Prowler too. I have seen a few of those online lately, but not as many as old Airstreams.
I know some people wouldn't like the new ones, but we thought they were excellent. We had been to an RV show the week before we saw them, and they just blew the other rvs out of the water! But they're a bit steep for us...we'd rather not get tied to a large debt.
jani