What Should We Look For?

[gesam]

We are so excited to head out of town to look at, and hopefully buy a 2016 Airstream Classic this weekend! Here's the deal:

The trailer has been winterized and in storage (covered I am presuming) for more than a year. I am also assuming it has been attached to power. We are going to meet the owner, walk through the de-winterizing process, drive to a campground and spend the night in it. During this period, we plan to do a thorough inspection using the checklists we have found on this forum.

Anyone have any thoughts on a particular area we should pay attention to? This trailer has barely been used but, has been in storage for an extended period of time.

What do you think?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Well, a few questions:

Which model (size) Classic?

Has there been any sort of inspection on the trailer?

How sure are you of the storage? (indoor is good).

I assume this is the original owner. Does he have good documentation on what's been done to the trailer?

A "2016" could have left the factory in July of 2015. That would make it a bit over 2 years (= 2 winters) old. Everything should be in good shape on the trailer. The tires, batteries, and brakes all should be ok. All of them should be checked "just in case".

The Classics are big trailers. Are you set up with a hitch and tow vehicle that is adequate to the task? This sounds like a pre-sale / take it with you checkout.

The usual things to look for mostly revolve around water and vermin. Leaks can cause damage to the sub-floor. Mice and bugs can be a pain to get rid of. There are lots of threads here about checking flooring with moisture meters. Vermin leave "notes" here and there.

Lots of odd directions this could go ....

Bob

[CharlieSK]

As already mentioned - check for water leaks and mice. We purchased a used 2008 31 foot classic in 2014 and are completely happy with the value. I would recommend taking a ladder to inspect the top - we had a dent on the top you could not see from the ground and did not see until it was parked in our driveway and we looked out a second story window. I would also check the batteries, tires for any damage on the side walls and make sure the fridge and hot water heater start on propane.

Good Luck.