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warrenivan · 07-02-2010, 08:51 PM

My wife and I (both 30) are thinking of buying our first Airstream in a day or two. We've been doing a bit of research and have found one that we kind of dig.

It's a 28 foot '79 Excella with 74k original miles on it. It's been smogged, is running nicely, needs coach batteries and probably a good polish, but is otherwise (seemingly) in pretty good condition (has been loved and used).

When I was taking a look at it, we had to pump the accelerator a few times before it would start. After about 30 seconds, it started up nicely and sounded smooth.

Being noobs, we are excited, but wondering:

- are there any common issues that we should keep an eye out for?
- is ~15k a reasonable price tag?
- is there anything else we should be thinking of before taking the plunge?

I grew up travelling with my parents in a motorhome, so lot's of this stuff is vaguely familiar to me. But I could definitely use guidance from you folks.

Thanks!

Melody Ranch · 07-02-2010, 10:11 PM

Airstream 310 limited .Exclusive condition.low reserve: eBay Motors (item 140421711348 end time Jul-05-10 05:24:51 PDT)

ROBERTSUNRUS · 07-02-2010, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

Airstream 310 limited .Exclusive condition.low reserve: eBay Motors (item 140421711348 end time Jul-05-10 05:24:51 PDT)

Hi, I hope this Airstream is better than his spelling.

warrenivan · 07-02-2010, 11:34 PM

@Melody Ranch. Are listings like that typical? Looks like it's got a few more days of bidding to go too..

The owner of the Airstream I'm looking at said he'd be pretty negotiable if cash were involved. Are you saying I shouldn't pursue it? Better options? Is 71k miles too many?

Smartstream · 07-03-2010, 12:21 AM

With older vehicles like these a lot of the value is what you are willing to pay. The one in on ebay is 3500 miles away. Not cheap in time and money to get to Santa Barbara. There was a '82 28' Excella with a fresh diesel up here last year that went for about $9000. It was kind of rough both inside and outside.

It depends on how much time and money you want to put out to fix one up verses buying one you can use now. You can also spend a lot of time and money looking for one to buy. There are not a lot of them to choose from.

I inherited a '82 28' Excella diesel and I could have bought one for the money I put in it to bring it back to life, and I did the work myself.

Bottom line if you like the coach and can live with the price, buy it and go camping. If you would rather take a month or two or maybe a year or two to find the perfect coach and maybe save a buck or maybe not, only you can answer that question. It's not like buying a new Ford or Chevy where you have many to choose from.

Whatever you decide move forward and have fun. Looking back and worrying about what might have been will only drive you crazy.

Good luck, Dan

Snedwid · 07-03-2010, 06:12 AM

Since you asked for opinions, I'll give you mine. If you are a mechanic and a jack of all trades, and are looking for a vehicle to tinker with and restore, jump on used as the doin' is better than the usin'. On the other hand, if'n you want something that you can use, and be eager to go anywhere anytime, buy a quality brand from a trusted dealer new and under warrentee. That way, if you break down in East Overshoe, Maine you tell the tow truck driver to take you to the nearest dealer and relax as things get done. A checkbook is sometimes a better tool than a cresent wrench. Just my ever humble opinion.

ScrapIrony-2 · 07-03-2010, 09:02 AM

We looked for our MH for almost a year...traveled to several places...it was worth the wait to us, although we were anxious to buy...there will always be upcoming problems, but we have been really happy with our travels...we did join the Good Sam Emergency Road Service, and that was a smart move.
The 454 usually won't start right away...long way from the tank to the carb...Ours usually requires 3 attempts, but the 454 in my pick up required the same attempts.
mike

Ag&Au · 07-03-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I hope this Airstream is better than his spelling.

I was wondering about that myself, but decided that maybe that is how people talk in New Jersey. Could someone confirm that for me?

Thanks,

Ken

3 Dog Nite · 07-03-2010, 11:23 AM

Can't confoim it, I'm from New Yourk.

Ricky

warrenivan · 07-03-2010, 01:59 PM

Thanks to everyone for all the great input!

@Dan. Thanks! We're leaning towards pulling the trigger! We've learned that almost everything in the coach is original. So there that is.

@Snedwid. Thanks for your honest feedback. I'm not exactly a mechanic, but I am pretty handy, and love a good challenge. I am a (graphic/web) designer by trade, so the idea is to spend a year or so working from the road. Hopefully the repair schedule won't be too constant. I am cripplingly aestheticly oriented, so I'm not sure I'd be happy with anything other than an Airstream (or a Prevost, but those are $$).

@ScrapIrony-2. That's good to know. The Good Sam club sounds smart too. I think my parents had something similar.

@everyone who noticed the spelling. gah! holy keyboard! I know it's wrong to say this, but I keep imagining 'The Situation' from Jersey Shore punching out an eBay listing on his Droid. I'd almost be scared to buy from him as there could be some epic misunderstanding..

* Curious. How hard is it to make the Diesel conversion?

I do fear there's this (Airstream) obsession growing inside of me that might not be easy to ignore.

-Warren

Smartstream · 07-03-2010, 06:08 PM

Good luck with your decision. About the only thing replaced in my coach was the heater and last year I replaced the roof air.

I put a 3.4 liter Cummins in my '38 Ford truck. It was a fun, challenging project but then I am into that kind of thing. If you want a diesel you would be a lot better off buying one than converting.

Cheers, Dan

Kristi Foster · 07-03-2010, 07:11 PM

We had AAA come to our rescue, just the other day. We had a blowout on our Avion trailer, coming home on 985 just north of Atlanta. We were able to get over on the shoulder of the road, but four lanes of heavy traffic kept flying by. I was so glad we had the RV Roadside assistance to change the tire and help get us safely back out into the flow of traffic.You never know where you will be, when something goes wrong!

warrenivan · 07-03-2010, 10:27 PM

Thanks again Guys. One more quick question.

I noticed that there are a few rivets missing from the siding in various places.. Probably no more than 10.. I'm guessing that it's not a huge deal but figured (as long as I have your attention) I'd ask just in case? Thoughts?

Smartstream · 07-04-2010, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrenivan

Thanks again Guys. One more quick question.

I noticed that there are a few rivets missing from the siding in various places.. Probably no more than 10.. I'm guessing that it's not a huge deal but figured (as long as I have your attention) I'd ask just in case? Thoughts?

Pictures my friend really help. We are all anxious to see what you have been talking about.

Cheers, Dan

warrenivan · 07-04-2010, 01:12 AM

No problem

I've uploaded a bunch here plus a video from my phone:

Airstream - a set on Flickr

The coach isn't really too near me, and I neglected to get good pics of the missing rivets.. but this video has a few fleeting shots of some of them. See 00:30->00:40 & 00:07->00:05

Video on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

You'll have to imagine the interior to be dirty, but mostly original

warrenivan · 07-04-2010, 01:16 AM

Here's a photoset with some videos too:

Airstream Photoset

the missing rivets appear at 00:40->00:30 & 00:07->00:05 ish..

Frank's Trailer Works · 07-04-2010, 04:21 AM

pictures for sure. Rivets should not be missing.

Smartstream · 07-04-2010, 08:44 AM

My old eyes couldn't find the missing rivets but the overall coach doesn't look to be hurt too bad for its age. Look closely for any sign of water leaks. Could the odometer have gone around and actually be 170,000?

Cheers, Dan

warrenivan · 07-04-2010, 01:14 PM

Thanks Dan (sorry to everyone for the double post, it was being held in moderation and I was confused).

Yeah. the rivets are hard to see, especially with my uneven camerawork. There just appear to be a few holes where rivets should be.

How would I tell if the odometer has gone around an extra 100k? The mechanic (who is selling it for the owner) says he's been taking care of (tuning up) the coach for 10 years for them. He said it's been to Alaska a few times.. (rough road). He hasn't really given me a list of repairs etc but otherwise seems honest.

Smartstream · 07-04-2010, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrenivan

Thanks Dan (sorry to everyone for the double post, it was being held in moderation and I was confused).

Yeah. the rivets are hard to see, especially with my uneven camerawork. There just appear to be a few holes where rivets should be.

How would I tell if the odometer has gone around an extra 100k? The mechanic (who is selling it for the owner) says he's been taking care of (tuning up) the coach for 10 years for them. He said it's been to Alaska a few times.. (rough road). He hasn't really given me a list of repairs etc but otherwise seems honest.

It's really hard to tell mileage. On a car you can look for brake pedal wear and floor mat condition and things like that. It's harder on a Moho because of highway miles where you put on many mile without using the brakes. Ask the mechanic if he knows the mileage ten years when he started working on the coach.

For a coach nearly 30 years old you are looking at 2,500 moles a year. A trip to Alaska can double that. That can also explain lost rivets.

My coach has 145,000 miles and still has the original upholstery on the seats. They are worn but no torn seams or foam coming out. My in-laws bought the coach form the original owner in 92 so I know the history. I noticed seat covers so I would wonder about the wear the seats show for 70,000 miles. You just have to look for clues of wear and make an educated guess.

Good luck, Dan