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Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 09:41 AM

New to the forum. Doing some research before pitching an idea by my wife.

The basic idea is to get my "home office" out of the dining room by moving it into an Airstream, which we have room for beside the house in a zone that meets with City of Austin ordinances. A gutted & rough finished-out Airstream is available in the area in fair condition. The title is clean. The floor decking is exposed and the walls are insulated. No finish details inside. Windows are complete. Exterior is is good, just missing a hatch door of some kind on the rear passenger side. So it's basically a "big" empty room with nice light. At least initially I could just put a desk at one end, a couch at the other, add some bookshelves, and Bob's you're uncle, as they say.

While the asking price fits my budget, I'd like to make sure that I could recoupe the investment if I needed to resell the trailer in the future for whatever reason. If I can establish that, then the "sales" pitch to the wife becomes much easier.

Can any of the Airstream experts here estimate the floor of the re-sale value for a gutted 25-foot 70s era Airstream in fair condition?

Thanks in advance.

Mike Leary · 07-26-2012, 10:12 AM

Is everything gone? Air conditioner, stove, fridge, bath,etc? A pic or two would be nice.

**azflycaster** · 07-26-2012, 10:25 AM

The condition of the skin, frame and axels are also a consideration. Is this a trailer that someone planned to restore and gave up on?

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 10:41 AM

Yes, everything is gone. So it's just the shell and the frame, which look solid in the pics. Plan to visit after work this week. Not sure what their plan was, but they prepped the inside as though they were getting ready to do restoration or to repurpose the trailer.

(Any photo posting tips?)

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 10:48 AM

Photos uploaded here:

- Photo Gallery

Wabbiteer · 07-26-2012, 11:08 AM

Eastsideloco. There are far better samples out there, don't fatigue & capitulate early in the game. You can not imagine the depths of work I see when glimpsing your photos.

Photos usually are 'attachments' to a post, they are selected and uploaded separately via a smallish button option below the text entry area when starting a thread, or choosing 'advanced' reply.

inTransit · 07-26-2012, 12:06 PM

There are a lot of beaters out there and for your intended purpose, it may come down to things like price, distance to travel to pick it up and size over some of the more traditional vintage trailer concerns. Rather then worry about resale value, maybe focus on purchase price of a gutted trailer which for the size youve shown should maybe be $600-$800. You can always turn around a gutted airstream to a dreamer for that price in the future.

After owning a mostly gutted trailer, Ive noticed there are far more emptied units out there then there are people with the money, skill and determination to significantly improve them.

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 12:06 PM

Understood, Wabbiteer. However, I get priced out of the market on an intact model, and I wouldn't use an intact model as it is intended to be used.

My thought is to just add an AC, some freestanding furniture and use this as an temporary office exactly as it looks now. I can bring temporary power in from my storage shed/workshop.

It might be a hair brained idea. But it also might solve some problems for us.

In order to decide which of the above applies, I need to know the fair market value of this model in its "as is" condition. In other words, what the cash price I can offer the reseller that I can reasonably expect to recoup if/when I decide to resell the trailer later?

(Eventually my office moves upstairs, but that's part of a substantial remodel effort that won't take place any time soon. We're going to remodel the kitchen of our 100-year-old house first to match the condition of the rest of the first floor. With that in mind, if I were to personally restore this trailer it would only be after the house projects are complete, like 10 years from now.)

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 12:08 PM

Thanks inTransit. That's the datapoint I was looking for.

perryg114 · 07-26-2012, 12:52 PM

I would not pay more than $500 for it in that condition.

Perry

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 12:59 PM

Follow up question: Anyone have a recommendation on how to value proximity?

If I purchase a trailer, I have to pay for delivery. This trailer is 40 minutes away. I can't see going farther than Dallas or Houston for a trailer in my price range. Those cities are 3+ hours from here.

Anyone know approximately what that delivery price delta is worth?

Thanks again. Impressive rate or responses. Great forum.

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryg114

I would not pay more than $500 for it in that condition.

Be that as it may, if this were on Austin's Craigslist for $500, I'm certain that it would sell in minutes. Austin might have more mobile food trailers per capita than any other city in the US.

Mike Leary · 07-26-2012, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eastsideloco

Follow up question: Anyone have a recommendation on how to value proximity?

If I purchase a trailer, I have to pay for delivery. This trailer is 40 minutes away. I can't see going farther than Dallas or Houston for a trailer in my price range. Those cities are 3+ hours from here.

Anyone know approximately what that delivery price delta is worth?

Thanks again. Impressive rate or responses. Great forum.

If the trailer came with the guitar (a Martin, I'd hope), I'd give them $500.00.
I'd sure as heck not tow it myself! It should be delivered by a ramp truck. There are many uses for 'Streams that no longer travel:

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

I'd sure as heck not tow it myself! It should be delivered by a ramp truck.

Agreed. Hence my follow up question about delivery. I'll call around to get ramp truck quotes to see what the difference in price is for a 30 mile trip versus a 200 mile trip.

I already have the chicken coop and chicken run built:

Molly & David backyard chickens\|garden makeover\|Central Texas Gardener - YouTube

What I need now is a coop for me! I'm tired of people walking through my office all the time. But I can't complain as long as my "office" is in the middle of the house. (My wife works out of our guest room; I started working from home later. It's a small house, 1,000 SF.)

Mike Leary · 07-26-2012, 04:00 PM

I inspected one about the same age last year in Arizona for a friend. It was a 28 footer with duals, axles shot, someone had done a botch job trying to polish her. HOWEVER, she had a fairly fresh AC, fridge worked, stove worked, and with some minor plumbing, the water system could have worked. It also had been stripped for a "project". They wanted $2500 for her, we got them down to $1200, which I thought was fair.

Aage · 07-26-2012, 04:01 PM

Welcome to Airforums.com, 'Loco!

If all you want is an aluminum tent, then the prices already mentioned are probably what it should go for (something around scrap value).

As for it selling fast on CL for $500, it might just bounce right back almost as fast once the new owner gets an idea of costs involved in making it into the device it was meant to be: portable living quarters with heating, cooling, cooking, bathing and sleeping facilities.

Good luck with your project. Betcha can't just stop with the desk and fan.

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 04:04 PM

You got it, Bill. I need to add an AC for this application. The smallest available mini-split would be ideal, in terms of performance and noise. A portable unit would work and cost less. The parking location is the shadiest spot on the property, between two houses and under a canopy of trees. Can also rig cables and some sort of outdoor awning fabric over the trailer.

The other alternatives to my work space problem are: 1. rent something cheap locally; 2. insulate the existing work shed and get something to store my tools in. I actually think the airstream idea is better in many ways than the other options. Option 2 would run $1,000+; option 1 cost $300+ every month.

Eastsideloco · 07-26-2012, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aage

Welcome to Airforums.com, 'Loco!

If all you want is an aluminum tent, then the prices already mentioned are probably what it should go for (something around scrap value).

As for it selling fast on CL for $500, it might just bounce right back almost as fast once the new owner gets an idea of costs involved in making it into the device it was meant to be: portable living quarters with heating, cooling, cooking, bathing and sleeping facilities.

Good luck with your project. Betcha can't just stop with the desk and fan.

Thanks Aage.

FWIW: here's a typical Austin use for an Airstream:

The Pizza Shop ATX | AustinFoodCarts

We can walk to a couple dozen food trailers like this without going more than 7 or 8 blocks in any direction. These spring up on undeveloped lots, often in clusters, like trailer food courts. Everywhere in town it's the same thing. I bet the "portable living quarters" market is eclipsed by the "trailer food" use.

Mike Leary · 07-26-2012, 04:22 PM

We're on our fourth AS, first two were trailers, one little guy we lived in while I was building my business. But once the "bug bit", it changed our lives and away we went! Good luck, let us know which door you choose.