Value of 2005 Airstream Safari 25 SE

[Natalia C.]

Hello,
I am a 25 y/o registered nurse looking to go into travel nursing next year with my own travel trailer. At the moment, my husband and I are considering purchasing a 2005 Airstream Safari 25ft SE from a private seller in FL. She wants $26,000 for it. On the plus side, I don’t have a tow vehicle yet and she’s willing to sell her 2006 Chevy Silverado 2500HD with 102,000 miles as a package deal together for $30,000. Also included is a Hensley hitch. I looked at both and test drove the truck yesterday and they are both in good condition. All appliances work, I didn’t see any evidence of a leak. Goodyear tires were replaced in 2018 on the trailer. Do you think it’s a good deal? Is the price of the trailer right? Should I pay a little extra for a prepurchase inspection? I’m still trying to find someone who will do it at an affordable price- I got a quote for like $500 from one company here but that seems really high. Thoughts? Thanks so much.

[Bill M.]

I am not an expert or up on current pricing. I have bought a couple of used Airstreams. I really like the 25' trailer size and they are very popular and have good resale. I think the truck, hitch, and trailer together is a very good deal. Especially for your situation. And I think good used Airstreams are sort of a seller's market right now.

[cmrdgrs]

Definitely not an expert on the value of such a set up, but it doesn't seem like a bad deal on the surface.

If I were in your shoes I would have the trailer and the vehicle evaluated by someone with expertise. Better to have it looked at and spend a little money to feel comfortable you don't have any unpleasant surprises, that's just my two cents.

Good luck with your decision!

[azflycaster]

If the trailer is in good shape, the price sounds reasonable to me. While you are deciding if you are going to buy, someone else could be making the purchase.

[SilverPal2]

The price sounds reasonable as described, since both vehicles are from Florida check carefully for corrosion and rust. Filiform(sp) corrosion on the trailer and rust on the truck.

[drbrick]

I agree! sounds like a good deal for the package ... in saying that, spending the extra $500 is cheap insurance and will remove the "shounda coulda whata anxiety" so you sleep better at night.... just saying

[doctorlewis]

I have a 2004 25 footer AS with a ProPride (like Hensley) and my TV is a 2004 2500HD Chevy with 54,000 miles. If I was going to sell as a complete unit I would probably ask $32,000-$35,000. If what you are looking at is in good shape, it sounds like a good deal.

[cliffcharb]

That definitely sounds like a good deal, but also have the vehicle & trailer inspected. On a side note, my 2005 GMC Sierra is still towing strong at 235,000 miles pulling my 05' Safari 30'

[Papatango]

We bought our 2006 25’ FB Safari in 2017 for $32,000. It was in excellent shape with some new parts, upgrades, repairs and tires. It sounds like your price is a good deal, or at least in the range of normalcy.

I agree that the $500 inspection is worth the peace of mind if you aren’t familiar with what to look for.

[brokeboater]

Originally Posted by Papatango

I agree that the $500 inspection is worth the peace of mind if you aren’t familiar with what to look for.

That assumes, of course, that the inspector is any more qualified. I was in a business where inspections were the norm. More often than not the inspectors were highly unqualified. Perhaps bringing it into an Airstream dealer for an inspection might, and I repeat might, get it a decent inspection.

[bibbs]

Those who hesitate are lost. I would make my decision based on the integrity of the seller. If it fits your needs, and his reasons for selling seem reasonable, and is straight forward about any problems or flaws. This might be the one that got away. Trust your gut.

[superChop]

Since you live in Orlando, and are close to a 200+ community of Airstream owners at Land Yacht Harbor in Melbourne, FL, you can probably contact LYH and ask for an advertisement in the clubhouse for an inspection by one of these seasoned AS owners. It would be a great test drive to take this unit over to Melbourne. Several experts inspected a 1989 Excella for me and their advice was spot on. The unit had subfloor damage as evidenced by “soft” sections of the floor. We purchased the unit and are very happy with the unit at the price we paid.

Not sure if you addressed this question - will your traveling nurse career include Northern states in the winter? AS’s and most travel trailers are not excellent winter homes.

Any repairs can add thousands of dollars to your purchase. Get a trusted mechanic to check out the tow vehicle and an expert AS person for the Trailer.

Some things you can perform yourself:
Confirm all the appliances work?
Check the refrigerator switches between propane and electricity?
As mentioned before - check for soft spots on the floor
Look for water damage everywhere - around windows, door, sinks, toilet, etc.
Get under the unit and look for obvious damage/repair
The list goes on, but there are some options that you may not be aware of and will become aware of when you join an Airstream club and tap into their huge experience pool.

Welcome to the AS family and hopefully our paths will cross sometime in the future.

[mojo]

Get a car fax check on the truck for previous damage or service issues.
Inspect the floor at front and rear of trailer for soft spots or signs of moisture.

[davidlparker]

Everything sounds odd with respect to the Airstream. However, you may want to think about axles. If the truck has 102,000+ miles and the Airstream got new tires in 2018, are these the original axles or have the original replaced? If so, when?

Since you will be traveling you want to know you will not need axles at a time or location making the logistics difficult. Also, even if you do not spend money on an inspection of the Airstream, do so on the truck. Again, the issue is reliability.

Good luck and "happy trails."

David Parker
1989 Dodge D-350
1993 Excella

[davidlparker]

I meant sounds good. I'm not much of a typist as is now obvious to all.

David Parker