Newbie Has Questions? How novel!

[drmittens]

hello all,
i've got my eye on a 77' safari special edition. trailer is all original, looks to be in good overall shape but i have a few questions.
1 - what in general should i look out for?
i know the floor is solid without sagging, no leaks, plumbing works, no major exterior dents, wheels/tires and axle look good, has tanks. any hidden problems i should be investigating?
2 - this model has the couch in middle and couch in the front. does anyone know what size bed these fold down into?
3 - i currently only have a v6 toyota tacoma 4wd to pull with. i am going to address this in the future but need more $ first. has anyone pulled with such a vehicle? i have been told it should be fine but wanted some professional input. (truck is rated at 5000lbs).

thanks in advance for any and all info!
cheers
christian

[drmittens]

needed to add - it is a 22' safari around 3400lbs.

[BrainyBus]

Hi Doc,

We are newbies, too. Just took the plunge and bought a 1971 29' Ambassador. I have an '05 Toyota Tacoma crew cab, 2wd w/factory tow option, rated at 6500lbs/650lb tongue weight. We pulled ours home for four hours on the highway and it did fine...

[dwightdi]

You should have the truck rating in the book you got with the truck. If not, you can call the dealer and get it or go on line to determine it. If you stay in the flat country and don't push it too hard you likely will not do damage to the truck but you should check. The truck should be able to pull the trailer down the road but may not have the capacity to stop it in a reasonable distance.

[kellykellyi]

Originally Posted by drmittens

hello all,
i've got my eye on a 77' safari special edition. trailer is all original, looks to be in good overall shape but i have a few questions.
1 - what in general should i look out for?
i know the floor is solid without sagging, no leaks, plumbing works, no major exterior dents, wheels/tires and axle look good, has tanks. any hidden problems i should be investigating?
2 - this model has the couch in middle and couch in the front. does anyone know what size bed these fold down into?
3 - i currently only have a v6 toyota tacoma 4wd to pull with. i am going to address this in the future but need more $ first. has anyone pulled with such a vehicle? i have been told it should be fine but wanted some professional input. (truck is rated at 5000lbs).

thanks in advance for any and all info!
cheers
christian

Hello there! Your post caught my eye as I have been trolling for a year or more trying to make up my mind on vintage vs. newish. I am in your area and wondering if you bought the '77 Safari? If so, how are you enjoying it?

[drmittens]

No Kelly, never pulled the trigger. Got de-railed by the flu at the time and Im still looking. Where I would pulling is pretty hilly and a better tow vehicle is going to be needed.

[Belegedhel]

Drmittens,

A few comments:

I have a '73 21 ft Globetrotter. I think the gross weight is around 4500 lbs. The 3500 lbs you quoted for the Safari sounds light. I towed my trailer 600 miles home with essentially a 2001 Pathfinder, and it towed just fine, no electric brakes at the time, but no hills either.

Unless the trailer has been kept in a museum, if it is "original condition," it will likely need a lot of stuff. You can check the appliances and plumbing, but that is really rather superficial. Get an ice pick or sharp screw driver and follow the wall around the trailer as much as possible. These trailers tend to develp their rotten spots right next to the wall, especially in the rear. You will never find them by just walking around in the trailer.

The axle will likely need to be replaced, even if it doesn't appear to be sagging. These axles use rubber rods to provide the "spring" in the suspension, and 40 year old rubber tends to lose its elasticity. There are several threads dedicated to "what to look for" when inspecting a trailer, and how to determine if an axle needs to be replaced. There are also folks on this forum who can perform an inspection for you if it is in their vicinity. Also, find out how old the tires are. The rule of thumb is that if tires are more than 5 years old, they should be replaced. mint looking tires can blow out and cause a lot of damage.

good luck.