Bambi II pricing for sell

[BambiII'64]

I have a 64 Bambi II that I am considering selling. It's not perfect but pretty good. We've remodeled the inside and it's registered. We use it each summer and have polished it. Some shell work would need to be done to make it perfect. All parts in tact and functioning except hot water. (just needs new heater). We redid the front couch into a dinette that folds down to a bed. Floors are great and redone. Any ideas on pricing? Hard to distinguish between my sentimental value and actual value!

[Belegedhel]

Some questions that are immediately on my mind are:
1) Has it been retrofitted with a grey water tank?
2) How old are the axles?
3) Explain the needed Shell work you speak of (is it a few dings, or major creases)?
4) Does it have a functioning Air conditioner?
5) How old is the refrigerator (and what type)?
6) Has anything been done to upgrade the electrical system?

The items above are things that, in my mind, differentiate a trailer that has had some superfficial fix-ups from a trailer that has had improvements that really count for $$.

One the other hand, you could look on ebay for finished auctions and see what similar trailers have sold for recently. Also check out the Airforums classifieds and see if you can find any comps.

[PA BAMBI II]

Originally Posted by BambiII'64

We redid the front couch into a dinette that folds down to a bed.

Can we see some pictures of this dinette feature and of the overall trailer? Would make it easier to estimate value. I understand what you are saying about differentiating between actual and sentimental value!

Ben

[AWCHIEF]

Remember that asking prices are just that. What is important is what they actually sold for those numbers can be hard to come by. I have seen asking prices for Bambi IIs from 10K all the way up to 30K.

[BambiII'64]

One of the two axles were replaced about 5 years ago, the other was fine. There is no a/c. The fridge is newer -dorm type fridge. The electric is original and has not had any problems. The water heater needs a new boiler plate and the water tank is not retrofitted for gray water but works fine as is. The interior has been redone, hardwood cabinets and dinnette, 4 burner gas range, original sink. Dinette seats are also huge storage bins and a great bed for kids. A previous owner fixed a dent in the front panel and the rivetting is not pretty. I will post some pictures soon. It is perfect the way it is for use but if you're looking for pristine then there is some work to do.

[Melody Ranch]

Those two axle Bambis are really rare and expensive.

[BambiII'64]

Apparently there are two independent axles, one for each tire I guess.

[Belegedhel]

If you look at the side of the trailer, how many wheels do you see?

[Becky B.]

I've never seen a "two axle" Bambi II......do tell....?

[AWCHIEF]

I would like to see pictures of a two axle Bambi II, side and from the bottom.

[BambiII'64]

Based on your replies, I am doubting that we have tandem axles. Until we get the tire off though we won't be certain. My paperwork says we paid $550 for an axle assembly but nothing more. All the airstream paperwork is too generic to know. It is most likely we are confused though!

[tphan]

Your Bambi has one axle, a wheel/tire at either end. So your Bambi apparently has had a new axle installed.

[BambiII'64]

A couple quick pics to share....

[Becky B.]

The interior looks nice. I think all the extra rivets on the exterior might take the value down a bit. Any idea why there are about triple the amount of rivets than there should be? Were segments replaced?

[Belegedhel]

Ok, depending on how much faith you put in the pricing guide here:

Price vs. Condition - Vintage Airstream

Your trailer is probably in the range of $5200-$8900. Again, a more accurate means of pricing your trailer would be to check out complete auctions on Ebay for similar trailers.

There was a Bambi that sold recently, that doesn't sound like it is in dramatically different condition than yours (except for the shiny polish job), that sold for over $13k. If you could raise the expected sales price from around $6k to double that by having your trailer polished, then it might be worth investing a couple thousand in the effort.

1963 Airstream Bambi Vintage Trailer in RVs & Campers | eBay Motors

Looking at this auction, only two people were bidding on it, so it might not be a valid data point. Besides, I think the polish job blinds perspective buyers who are not familiar with these trailers to the issues.

In sizing it up, I would say you get extra points for having already replaced the axle, but you lose points for the dorm refrigerator, the water heater needing repair, and the doubled rows of rivets on the front end-cap are a cause for concern.

[BambiII'64]

We think that the owner (original owner possibly) removed some of the front segments and smoothed out a dent as best they could and re-revited it back on. We bought it from the second owner who had begun restoration but ran out of energy/time and we picked up where he left off so we don't know much of the history.
We are gearing up for a good polishing!

[Antique Pedaler]

The $550 for an axle assembly suggests the PO did not pay for an installation which may or may not be a factor in how the trailer handles. The eyebrow over the door does not look stock.

Having totally refurbished our B II we really notice the little things.

[BambiII'64]

We paid for the axle replacement about 5 years ago. Also had a pro make us new access doors, hinges on door, and I think he remade the eyebrow too. He did awesome work and we had hoped to do more but sadly he passed away.