'47 Liner

[lwebb]

I came across a 47 Liner in the backwoods of Fla. Its flat on the ground and the screen door is off, but there. It's being used as a shed. I'd love to latch on to one and bring it back to life but this really is in rough shape. How rare are these? What do you think its ball park value is? More than the value of recycled aluminum?
Lanny

[InsideOut]

Have you seen this?

It may help ~ be sure to read the whole thing...not just the $$$ part, it'll help give you a realistic guideline.

Shari

[Jim & Susan]

Lanny, wanna go together on this one? I would love to have '40's model to rework. I say go for it if it is already for sale. If it is, a low bid is reasonable because it is in such bad shape. If its not ....then do your best. The bottom line is save it if you can. This is especially true with the older models. Let us all know what you decide. This one looks salvagable, though expensive to do so.

Jim

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by lwebb

What do you think its ball park value is? Lanny

Does the Air Conditioner work?

[moogie32]

I was thinking I liked the outside bathroom! Think that comes with it?

[Rog0525]

Originally Posted by lwebb

What do you think its ball park value is? More than the value of recycled aluminum?
Lanny

Folks need to be aware that aluminum recycling facilities want clean, bare aluminum. Most will not accept aluminum with insulation, other metals or paint attached. Stripping the aluminum from an old AS and selling it to a recycler is a very big job, based on my personal experience. You might get as much as $500 for the aluminum in this old Liner if you want to invest many hours in stripping it. I suggest that you consider purchase of an old AS like this based on the likelihood of being able to put it back into roadworthy condition and disregard the scrap value. Returning an old AS like this into useable condition should be a matter of pride and accomplishment. If you can profit from the endeavor, all the better.
If you think you're up to the challenge, I would encourage you to go for it. The vintage Airstream community is always appreciative of folks who put abandoned units back into service.
Scrap value is minimal. Restored value is priceless.

[flyfshr]

There's always hope. Saving one from certain rot or a dump demise wil make you a hero with us folks. Looks as though the pipe frame has been cut at the front and, given its wet location, I'd say it will probably need a whole new frame. There are some of the interior components so that's a start. Wish I could find one of these beauties out here in the desert. Best of luck and let us know what happens.

Brad
FF

[lwebb]

Thanks Everybody for the replies. As always, very helpful.

Shari, yes thanks I have read that several times over the last few years. What a great resource. I was really looking to see if a trailer that old would be more because there weren't too many left.

I've seen them around both unrestored and beautifully renovated and know before I get into it that it will have to be a labor of love. I already have the two Wally Byam Holidays, both needing restoration and as I told Fred Coldwell, I will restore those first. I have my work cut out for me but I love doing this stuff.

Hey Jim, thanks for the offer, I have always wanted a 40's as well that I can renovate, not restore. I can't renovate the holidays as, as far as I know, I have the only two anybody knows about or only two that may exist. They are also small, I like that but I want a shower and a trailer large enough to have company over for a drink. If I get the Liner, I will cover it up and keep it till I can get to it. If somewhere in the future, I decide I can't or no longer want to do it, I'll call you and if you are still interested, let you have it.

I have no idea if the AC works, I'd be surprised.

"Bottom line", the outside bathroom would cost extra.

Rog, I wasn't really considering turing the trailer into scrap, just a comparison in numismatic vs face value sort of thing. I wouldn't have the heart to ever turn an Airstream into scrap.


Brad, I thought at first, the frame was cut off but it's just sunken into the soft sand. I didn't think it even had tires at first but they are just REALLY flat and also worked their way down.

Again all, thanks for all the input, I'm gonna go for it. Don't tell my wife, I already have three trailers in the driveway and am on thin ice as it is.
Lanny

[Jim & Susan]

So Lanny, wanna clue us in as to what the "3 trailers in the driveway" are? I have this weird fantasy of owning a trailer from the '30's, '40's, '50's, '60's, '70's (got that one), '80's & '90's.

I know it'll never happen, but a guy can have a dream, right?

I'm serious, tho, about this one. Let us know how it works out for you.

Jim

[lwebb]

Jim,
Five years ago I got into the camper arena, as I needed a convenient way to travel and stay in the wild while I took pictures. If interested look at lannywebb.com

Well, I grew up going to WBCCI rallies in my parents Airstream, traveled in caravans across the country with parents and their friends. So now I wanted a Bambi, Bubble or something in that range. I couldn't afford one. Not even close. I bought instead a 16' fiberglass Casita. It's a great little trailer, shower, toilet, stove, microwave, sleeps four, all in thirteen feet of cabin space. It was trash when I got it. I did a frame off restoration or renovation complete from the carpet to the ceiling fan.
I love doing it and love using it.

Three or four years ago I came across a Wally Byam Holiday in the same backwoods of FL. I researched it and couldn't find anything on it anywhere. Even Fred Coldwell hadn't heard of it. Airstream never heard of it. No one had ever heard of it. It's a 15' ham can design. It was built in, I think, in 1951 at the Airstream plant in Ohio and had Wally's picture on the plaque.

So, I bought it and shortly there after Fred discovered letters and a brochure detailing the building of this model right after the war. The current thinking is that the Holiday never went into production and likely only a few hundred were made.
So it looked like I had the only one of a very rare Airstream.

Last year while waiting to bid on a bike part for my son on Ebay, I ventured into the camper section and found another one! I bought it so now I have both of maybe the only two Holidays that exist!

It was a real fluke I even saw it as I never do Ebay and was only doing it for my son. I drove to the Catskills above NY city one weekend to pick it up. The guy that owned it though I was nuts.It waws a REALLY long weekend. Up and back to GA in three days four nights.

If you want to see, both are on the vintageairstream.com/archives. One is listed as a 53 and the other as a 55. I'm pretty sure they are earlier than that though.

So that's my current holding but if I play my cards right, I'll have four.
lanny

[59toaster]

Ohhhh I want to come see your Holidays!!!!!!

How far off 85 are you I get up to near mall of GA every couple of weeks.


The liner is like the holy grail but I would be very carefully with that one.

With it sitting on the ground like that I would consider the frame a complete write off if its been like that for any period of time. I honestly think if you go after it you might be best to come prepared to disassemble it to move it. If I am right and the frame is swiss cheese and you go lifting on one end then the frame may well come apart and buckle the body in the process.

Only way you might get it in one shot is to have a flat bed trailer wide enough to sit the coach on. Dig 3-4 trenches under it so you can get some 4x4's under it. Lift it evenly till you get it high enough can roll the flat bed under it. Even thats risky because of the pole frame design.

Do I think its worth it?

I'm a softy for hard cases. I have bought trucks for $1 and put them back together. The interior looks relatively complete. I have enough fabrications skills and equipment that I would build a frame for it if it were mine (sorry to much on my plate to build one for you) and put it back together. To pay somebody to do that would be quite a lot of money but if thats as complete as it looks it might be worth it.

[ALANSD]

Originally Posted by lwebb

lanny

wish you would come to one of our local Forum Rallys with your trailer. We would all love to check on e of those out...also--- beautiful photos on your web site.

[lwebb]

Alan,
I plan on it, I'm a member of WBCCI and The Vintage Airstream Club and keep getting announcements on rallies. I just have had no time to work on the trailers and both need work. I promised my wife I'd have the newer of the two road ready by May. I may have to take the shell off to sand blast the frame. It is pitted pretty badly. I'd rather skip that part as it will slow down the process but I'd like to get a feeling on what's under the pan. The first run models didn't have the belly pan but one was added evidently the next year. I will have LOTS of questions on how to do stuff.
Hey, and thanks for the kudos on my photographs, that's what got me back into the trailer business.

[Rog0525]

Lanny, an old Liner similar to this but in better condition sold on eBay in June for $1775. The year was advertised as a '47 but it actually appeared to be a '50 or '51.
The text in the ad is still online but the pics don't display.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...553921083&rd=1

I mention this just to try to help you "ball park" the value. I know the seller because he bought my '66 camouflaged Ambassador and stripped the paint. He found his Liner in similar fashion (wasting away in a field) here in Michigan.

[Ken J]

What I have found is you want a trailer is good shape - you be able to find one in the 70's to current. If you want the older ones - like 50's and back they are very difficult to find in any kind of shape - so you left with a decision - if you want an older trailer, then you have to be willing to do some major work - thats what I did when I found my 58 - a good percentage of the work has not been the most fun so far, but now I'm really in the major fun/exciting part of the rebuild as I see it starting to come together.

So this trailer looks very doable to me - all of the sheets are straight sections so fairly easy to duplicate and replace - frame is not too difficult to build

Ken J.

[47 liner]

I'm currently restoring a 47. Hope you don't mind a few comments. These trailers are beautiful and worth restoring. However the market is thin, and restoration is expensive. Accordingly most restorations are difficult to justify financially.

While I'm not an Airstream historian or much of an expert I quickly realized that these old pipe frame units were constructed to be towable by vehicles underpowered and under braked by today's standards. That is, they were built very light, with minimal structure.

My pipe frame had folded at the leading edge of the trailer. A previous owner had bent it back and reinforced the pipe with angle iron. I've replaced the pipe from the Chassis forward with schedule 40 pipe, and reinforced the aft pipe with a steel plate spine. It has been a pretty time consuming job, but I wanted to keep the old trailer as original as possible.

If you aren't too concerned about orignality I'd recommend that you remove the shell and find a local trailer fabricator to build a new ladder frame with modern chassis. This will save a great deal of time, and likely a few dollars.

From what I could see of the trailer, the trailer shell looks pretty good, and includes most of the interiror.

By the way, if you do buy it and don't want the old stove, let me know. I need to find one.

Best of luck

[lwebb]

Thanks Rog, I was thinking I'd offer $750 and go as high as $1000. I still have one of my Wally Byam Holidays to restore and really no place to put the Liner but I assumed the 40.s liners were pretty rare.
I also found a 49 Vagabond, a 40s some thing Zimmer, an Alma and a Spartan. What I need is a lot in the country, a warehouse as a shop and to retire so I can restore full time. I'm two years off the latter so maybe there's a glimmer of hope.
lanny