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Old 02-09-2007, 10:23 PM   #41
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Well, my guess about the true costs... the folks doing the restoration are often like my hubby (NorCal Bambi) they would rather be fixing/repairing or out camping and traveling than fiddling with excel spreadsheets and formulas and such! Besides, as you mentioned... if everyone counted their man/woman hours on the project and figured minimum wage per hour... well, it would add up to a lot of moola!

I figure it is the fun, the time together, the nice people you meet ~ that is priceless!
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Old 02-09-2007, 10:28 PM   #42
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Hi! This list is very helpful to those thinking about restoring our Airstream. I was wondering...did you get your Cyclo polisher off of Ebay?
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Old 02-09-2007, 10:45 PM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flyingcloud
We spent 30k for the restoration/renovation + 3 for the trailer and then some to trick it out with some high-tech gear...
wow. did you pay people to work on it or do the work yourself? i'm in the process of redoing my 56 flying cloud and haven't figured nearly that much and mine will be top notch with a tankless h/w heater. what were some of the pricier items?

i did spend 3 for the trailer too.
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Old 02-10-2007, 10:04 AM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LI Pets
30K can you just tell us what it was spent on in broad terms?
Hi Bob -

Sure. The trailer was a SHELL when we got it. We didn't do any of the work ourselves.

The floor was replaced and the roof re-structured to carry the weight of the A/C.

A/C and electric heat
propane heat
fresh/grey/black tanks
tank meter
inverter (not converter) and 12 volt system
2 giant lifeline batteries (found in airplanes)
custom cabinetry
stove/oven
fridge/freezer
water heater
water pump
music, television, internet...
tempurpedic mattress
shower/toilet

It was polished - but that was 2 years ago...

The electrical system is quite sophisticated because we wanted to be able to boondock and still work full time on our computers.

That's all I can think of at the moment.
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Old 02-10-2007, 10:33 AM   #45
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Now I understand, it looks great.

I suppose a big chunk of it was labor.
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Old 02-10-2007, 12:58 PM   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LI Pets
Now I understand, it looks great.

I suppose a big chunk of it was labor.
that too! thanks!
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Old 02-10-2007, 02:01 PM   #47
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boatdoc, Your story tells me you are a wonderful person and you have found
a wonderful new partner. My husband and I are new to Airstream. We are in the process of restoring and looking forward to our trips.

Just meeting people like you and many more on the Airstream Forum has enriched our lives. We are having fun "fixing" our GT and looking forward to meeting more Airstreamers.
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Old 02-10-2007, 04:48 PM   #48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LI Pets
Now I understand, it looks great.

I suppose a big chunk of it was labor.
Probably. Think a minimum of $ 70.00 per hour for skilled labor. These restorations are not flat rate....time and materials, folks!
35k seems a bargain for a quality job.
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Old 02-11-2007, 06:12 PM   #49
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i forgot to add

I forgot to add:

They replaced a BUNCH of panels on the skin and we also got an awesome orange awning (that we rarely use).

PS: Today we're keeping the trailer.
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Old 02-13-2007, 04:19 PM   #50
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1976 Argosy. Not about the money

I agree with Safari Tim. We don’t often hear about the actual cost of renovations here. And it may be because we don’t want to admit how much we’re spending, even to ourselves.

It may also be that folks can get pretty judgmental around here from time to time.

Some want to touch-up their Airstream find and hit the road. Others enjoy renovating or “re-thinking” so much that they even design and build a stainless steel frame for their trailer.

(The latter intrigues me more but either approach is equally valid. You should follow the path that pleasures you).

Or as Tim says, it really doesn’t matter. This is not about the money.

B.C. Barry (Safari57) in #30 above also makes the point that there is really no apple-to-apple comparison possible. There are just too many ways for different people to follow different paths for different reasons.

Barry also talked about his 61-year-old friend who feared getting “wrapped up in a project on the very thing he should be out enjoying”.

As a 70 year old, I could find that disconcerting but it’s that value-judgement thing again.

Some may enjoy getting ready for a unique adventure just as much as traveling it.

Like our actual lives, the trip is not about the destination, right??


These are my costs, THUS FAR, in Canadian Dollars:

Appliances: LG Fridge $569
Casual and skilled labour: $8633
Electrical: all new wiring through out. Marinco inlet and power cord. (Includes belt driven generator that didn’t work out). $1962
Electronics: $61
Flooring: Maroleum seamless, wall to wall $755
HVAC: LG Art Cool split air system. Hydronic system: Webasto diesel heater, Indel Water Heater, COZY fan-coil units, associated coolant hose, parts and supplies. SEITZ roof light from Germany. $4097
Insulation: $571
Interior cabinetry: IKEA $2864
Lighting and dimmers: $399
Original Purchase Price: $7800
Paint stripper: $430
Paint interior: $529
Plumbing and fixtures: completely re-plumbed with Ipex Aqua, Contessa ceramic toilet, Sani Con macerator, new holding tanks, Micro Pulse monitor system, sinks and faucets, parts and supplies $3587
Supplies, misc: includes materials to build winter work-shed $1100
Upholstery: down payment only, $1300
Shop Work, Wiltsie Truck Body: decommission trailer, remove interior, strip exterior, sand blast and paint frame and under carriage, install new holding tanks and waste management system $7700

TOTAL TO DATE $42357

(This is around $36,000 US).

Major costs still to come:

Diesel cook top; electrical distribution panels; 110 v power system for rig (batteries / inverters); shop work to replace belly skin and banana wrap; awning; paint exterior; power jack; ramps, deck, winch and possum belly compartments for tow vehicle; new axles, wheels and tires, (perhaps disc brakes too) and all the labour costs associated with this.

These are not the true, TRUE Costs either. It doesn’t include $2600 wasted on bad service and advice from Can-Am RV just a few weeks before I began the remodel, $800 to have the trailer hauled from the place were I bought it, the costs to move out to Lake Erie and stay there for the 15 months I’ve been working on this project and other associated stuff.

Sergei
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Old 02-13-2007, 05:46 PM   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flyingcloud
Hi Bob -

Sure. The trailer was a SHELL when we got it. We didn't do any of the work ourselves.

The floor was replaced and the roof re-structured to carry the weight of the A/C.

A/C and electric heat
propane heat
fresh/grey/black tanks
tank meter
inverter (not converter) and 12 volt system
2 giant lifeline batteries (found in airplanes)
custom cabinetry
stove/oven
fridge/freezer
water heater
water pump
music, television, internet...
tempurpedic mattress
shower/toilet

It was polished - but that was 2 years ago...

The electrical system is quite sophisticated because we wanted to be able to boondock and still work full time on our computers.

That's all I can think of at the moment.
Now add snadblast frame, fabricating pieces for the frame, welding, POR 15, new axels, backer plates, brakes, wheels (4), and tires (4). New 2024T .032 aluminum for the belly pan. Lots of rivets, rivet gun, air compressor. New ball hitch up front. 2 of those fancy ceiling fans. 2 full sized awnings and one for the back window, good quality foam mattresses, ok he got that, more 2024T for replace exterior panels, lexan to replace the window glass, 3/4 Marine plywood, sheet vinyl, more aluminum to resheet the interior, corain for the kitchen and bath, fixtures kitchen bath and shower, AC marine power center, 6 cabinet doors, a dozen box drawers of various size, and more 1/8 and 3/8 maple plywood. Marine 12v lights, led's and dimmer. Switches, marine head, macerator pumps (2). 2 fresh tanks, 1 black, 1 gray. An endless amount of 1x2 poplar.
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Old 02-14-2007, 02:10 AM   #52
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I am just starting to find out. I was getting worried about it all, until I read your post. Know I am really worried. Not really. Like my wife tells me. We are going to have it for a long time. As well as the trips we already have planned. We are hoping for years of enjoyment. It's just money.
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Old 02-14-2007, 04:52 AM   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aria
boatdoc, Your story tells me you are a wonderful person and you have found
a wonderful new partner. My husband and I are new to Airstream. We are in the process of restoring and looking forward to our trips.

Just meeting people like you and many more on the Airstream Forum has enriched our lives. We are having fun "fixing" our GT and looking forward to meeting more Airstreamers.
Hi Aria; Thank you for the comment which is much appreciated. The truth is that too many of us take so much for granted until it is too late. Although this was not the case with me, but the result was the same, to soon and not enough. Fact stands, that I got a second chance and I must make the best of it, each time I get to meet the day. With people who are well off, money is hardly a measure of love or dedication to our loved ones. When you spend many of your hard labor hours to please someone you care about, then the true love and dedication is unmistakable. Final glory of it all is to be able to work side by side in restoration, and one day be able to sit at the camp site enjoying a good glass of wine while realizing how much this means to you, then the hardship and cost of your dedication quickly fade away. Thanks, "Boatdoc"
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Old 02-14-2007, 05:20 AM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krazeekalvin
I am just starting to find out. I was getting worried about it all, until I read your post. Know I am really worried. Not really. Like my wife tells me. We are going to have it for a long time. As well as the trips we already have planned. We are hoping for years of enjoyment. It's just money.
That reminds me of a friend who's wife's name was Alice named his boat IOMA, so I asked what the name meant?

It's Only Money Alice
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Old 02-14-2007, 06:58 AM   #55
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I was very interested to see the costs of restoration itemised. The vast majority of the individual bills total less than $100. You pay a few bills and before you know it it's into thousands. The cost of purchasing, importing and converting my AS is currently running at about $23k. However, my wife has just cancelled a planned trip to Paris saying she much prefers weekends at the Airstream-and she wants to tour Europe in Chaplain Kents Moho! Lol! We'll get there eventually but for the foreseeable future lounging on the gaucho is prefereable to tapping your watch in the departures lounge! Money very well spent!
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Old 02-14-2007, 08:14 AM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krazeekalvin
I am just starting to find out. I was getting worried about it all, until I read your post. Know I am really worried. Not really. Like my wife tells me. We are going to have it for a long time. As well as the trips we already have planned. We are hoping for years of enjoyment. It's just money.
That's why you take your time, get it to where you can use it, and do it right. Shortcuts end up costing you more time and money either now or later. You will not get your money back when you sell it unless you are a mastercraftsmen.
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Old 02-14-2007, 07:41 PM   #57
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Sell It?

Sell it?

Not a chance until I am done with it, that could take a decade or so!

Allright I would cash out for an amount absurdly beyond the market value! , but then I could get another one!
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Old 02-14-2007, 08:07 PM   #58
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Our Moho

is ours for the duration. we know we will be putting a new engine in eventually and plan for it ..... but the price is minimal compared to what some folks pay for their SOBs and we own ours free and clear. Now if we won the lotto we might investigate what it would cost to keep our coach and put in slideouts!! Until then we will just have to stay in shape so we can pass in the aisles
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Old 02-14-2007, 08:17 PM   #59
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It's only money..

....which is a good thing. There's plenty of money out there, just go make more if you run short, and then immediately spend it on your vintage ( or new) Airstream.....
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Old 02-17-2007, 05:00 PM   #60
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Create Accounting Only!

Some of this keeping cost reminds me of an former hunting buddy from years back. He sat down and figured out what the cost per bird was for the pheasants he got that year. His wife took a good look at that cost. As I said "former hunting buddy". Now he gets out about twice a year if he's lucky.

The moral of the story is creative accounting only, when it comes to hobbies and enjoyment! You will get more out of your hobby.
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