Couple Airstream Values

[ElCamino Man]

Hey guys. Iv been on ebay and lookin in the local classifieds for an airstream and Iv ran accross a few:

1981 Excella II 32'
1971 Overlander 27'
1977 Safari 23'
And another mid-late 70s Overlander (forgot what year... I think 27'?)

They all look nice. The Excella II has been redone on the inside but needs "finished". He says the plumbing in the bathroom and then drywall the bathroom then its done.

The one im not sure about is the forgotten year Overlander. Its an ad in the paper and havent seen any pics of it.

Whats the general pricing on these 4 Airstreams? A shot in the dark is better than my knowledge lol

[DKB_SATX]

There's just no simple answer to the question, especially without a LOT more information about the trailers.

This website has lots of useful information that'll help you get an idea about value, and reading AIRForums about what old trailers need will help you as well.

You're looking at trailers all from the same era. All other things being equal (let's say every one of the trailers is a 6 on a 10-point scale) the Safari will probably fetch the most money, because lots of people are crazy for shorter trailers.

The '71 Overlander won't have a gray tank unless an owner has added one.

I question the use of the term "drywall" on the Excella. If its current owner has been rebuilding the interior and actually using drywall construction methods, you don't want that trailer for anything but a park model. It may just be that the owner thinks any interior wall is called "drywall" and I'm being picky (I've been known to be that way. )

[ElCamino Man]

I said drywall because Im not sure what goes on the inside of trailers lol. It needs walls in general. I dont think he has actually used drywall.

Ill check out that website and see if it helps lol. From looking at the classifieds on here, these are steals lol

[AldeanFan]

Condition is everything with these trailers. Theres' not alot of variation in price due to options, especially on the 70's models but condition and needed repairs will greatly affect price.

When I bought my Safari, I started with the cost of a fully restorred model and deducted everything I could think of that I might need to replace/repair. Remember there's alot you can't see just by looking at the trailer.

Condition of axels, tires, brakes, plumbing, appliances, electrical etc will all affect the price. Makesure you see all items work if you're paying for them and even then don't count on them lasting. In my trailer I saw the plumbing, Fridge and AC all work, all lights worked and the seller delivered it to me over 100 miles. The plumbing all needed to be replaced and the tires were shot. Althoug the AC blows cold and may last along time, I won't be sruprised if I have to rebuild or replace some time soon. Even if you buy a trailer that has been "fully restored" you don't really know what you have unless you pull the belly pan, but a solid floor, especially in the rear, and no evidence of rearend sag are good signs that you have a solid unit.

Generally the shorter trailers are more desirable and valuable since you have a wider selection of tow vehicles and they look really cool. Older trailers (40s, 50s) are often more valuable but dont' have a grey water tank and some have a pressurized water system. Awnings are one option that is very expensive to add later.

I purchased my Safari because the 77 had both black and grey tanks, a perfect awning and tandem axle. Earlier trailers had a black tank only and some safari's had single axel.

[ElCamino Man]

I read that page on figuring prices. The one I like the most ('81 Overlander) seems to be fitting into its price range nicely so far. He was asking $5250. But then again, Iv never seen ANY of these trailers in person. Thats why I hope to do the deal outside of ebay so I can turn him down if neccesery.

As for the grey water, Im assuming most parks wouldnt appreciate my nasty bath water running onto the ground lol. How hard/expensive is it to install a grey water tank if need be?

[DKB_SATX]

Installing a gray tank isn't a big deal if you're opening up the belly pan for other work and are ready to redo a bunch of plumbing, but it isn't necessary for camping. You can get an external gray tank referred to as a "Blue Boy" that will let you collect gray water in that at a campsite, then dump that water at the dump station before you leave. They typically have rollers and a handle that you can hook over the hitch ball and tow to the dump station with your tow vehicle if it's farther than you want to walk dragging 25 gallons of bathwater.

A few parks prohibit the use of blueboys, but those are usually the snobby ones that also prohibit RVs over 10 years old without special dispensation from management. I avoid those anyway, and I have a (tiny) gray tank.

When you're ready to look at a trailer in person, take a copy of the used trailer inspection checklist. It's a great resource, it'll remind you of things to check and may be useful to read in detail before you call and ask questions about used trailers as well. You might also consider looking for a volunteer inspector when you get really serious about one, there's a search function for inspectors on the Portal page about halfway down the rightmost column.

[ElCamino Man]

Thats heplful info! Especially the checklist. Ill definitly print one of those off if I go checkin out an AS. Iv only been looking to buy one for a week or so, so this is all new to me lol