Airstreams on Oodle

[willmck42]

Does anyone have experience with this online marketplace. We're looking for our first AS and want the experience to be a great one. Should a newby get into a 1955 model (older the my wife). We're in Miami and CA is a long drive just to say, "Never mind." You can imagine all the questions I'm too dumb to ask.

[terryV]

My idea of "great shape" or "like new" is quite often very different than that of the guy who is selling the unit. Pictures usually look beter than the real thing.

So, I would tell you to get lots of pics from lots of angles. It would also be great if you could find an experienced person in CA that could go look at it before you make that long trip.

[idroba]

Sorry, I would never buy a trailer, sight unseen, even from me. And I have sold at least one to someone, sight unseen by them. I never heard from them again. Happy or mad, who knows?

Even the volunteer "local inspection" which is available on the Forums has the drawback of quality of the inspector, and what they see, that does not bother them, but would bother you. Or what they don't see that you pick up on and they don't.

On the other hand, if you really know very little about what you are looking at, or much about Airstreams, you can fall into a money pit of issues even after you inspect it, are happy, and buy it.

I don't think there is any magic solution to the question. I only know that buying a 1955 Airstream, sight unseen, would not be something I would want to do.