Never used 1982 Excella

[Bladz]

Hi everyone! I just joined the forums yesterday, so this is my first post. My wife and I recently found a 1982 Excella that has never been used. It's a long story, but the owners husband fell ill and passed away shortly after they purchased this AS. Sad story, and the owner is in her mid 90's now. She is living with some friends now who are overseeing her and her property and they are wanting to sell the camper.

The Excella has been sitting virtually unmoved since 1982. The caretaker told me it was covered up (outside) until about 5 years ago. It was always parked over grass. The weeds are high around it, so I didn't get to dig around underneath it. I was told the tires were covered all the while it sat and they are showing signs of dry rot. Inside is immaculate! The toilet is still wrapped in plastic, carpet is like brand new, counter top and appliances are unused. They are asking $23,000 which I think is a bit steep, but they are willing to negotiate.

I know I have a lot more inspecting to do before I even consider this camper, but I was wondering if the experts here can fill me in on the pros and cons of buying an unused vintage camper, and what do you think of their asking price? My guess it they don't come up that often.

Thanks

[DryFly]

After 36+ years of sitting the axles will almost assuredly need to be replaced, tires without a doubt are gone. Check out all the appliances, they will have been negatively affected by not being used - my guess is rust buildup will have occured and you'll need to replace just about everything. Also pressurize the water system. If it was readied for camping and the water lines drained of antifreeze there could be issues. If it wasn't de-winterized, I don't know how 36 year old antifreeze affects copper and plastic. All that is easily taken care of, although it won't be cheap. The most important thing to look for is rot in the floor. After being outside for so long there will probably have been leaks and leaks lead to rot and rot leads to a huge headache. It may look pretty but I'll bet there are a lot of issues hidden from site.

[Bladz]

Thank you for the reply DryFly. You answered my concerns about this camper. At his asking price we would have no room for replacing and renovating. We just started our search and understand that patience will help us find the AS of our dreams.

[AlinCal]

Anything you buy in that price range will need renovation most likely, unless you like dated finishes.
I'm not convinced that trailer should be overlooked, big question is can you live with that time period finishes ?