In way over our heads

[SCOTTinNJ]

Contracting out some of the work = good.

Your faith in the prior owner = bad.

[Panama Red]

Originally Posted by Lubosak

Replacing kitchen faucet was a major accomplishment for me.

Ummmm, did no one else read this line? To put it nicely, which I really try to do the majority of the time, if replacing a kitchen faucet is a major accomplishment of your mechanical skills, you probably need to start a whole lot smaller than gutting and refurbing a camper... Facilities maintenance and fabrication is my career, I've got auto restoration, industrial air conditioning certification, Diesel engine mechanic, power production equipment, journeyman electrician, tropo-scatter comm equipment, extensive plumbing experience, and amateur welding skills all in my resume, and I still cried like a baby when I dropped that belly pan. It was overwhelming the scope of the work to be done, and I didn't gut mine. Yes, you can learn it all, and do it yourself, but plan on making that first trip about the time your five year old graduates college...

Go buy a square box camper and have some fun in it, or drop the money for an Airstream that's ready to go, if that's what your dream is. Or, pay someone else to build yours to your specs... But refurbing a gutted early '80's Airstream when kitchen faucet is a major mechanical accomplishment? I recommend against...

Sorry if this sounds harsh. Go read my "Resurrecting Big Bertha" thread, and if, at the end of it you say, "Oh yeah, I can do that!" then jump on it. There are a bunch of guys on here that did a lot better job than I did, with a lot less experience. Read their threads also... The better jobs took years and years.

-Red, keeping it real...

[Msmoto]

There is no way to "put this nicely".....LOL. And, i have many "projects" which came to an unfinished end for reasons I can not fully understand. However, for the "In over the head" idea, my advice is sell the unit you have. Then during the next year or so, learn all you can about vintage Airstreams, especially values and resources for purchasing one, then purchase one which has the $40,000 invested in the total refurb, and is on sale for $25,000.

Your family may even survive this without a divorce lawyer.

[handn]

Working on an Airstream is much more difficult than working on a house. None of the walls are straight and it takes constant skilled carpentry skills to make things look right.
Additionally, your Airstream may need lots of expensive mechanical and structural work before you even get started on your remodel.
If I was going to take a year off and travel on the road, I would look for a cheaper alternative. You can buy a serviceable SOB travel trailer for 10k or so; at least double that for a good AS.

[J. Morgan]

You know what?

If you look at your 82 with an eye for getting it done, apply a work ethic, and you are not terrified of making a mistake you can get your trailer done in a reasonable time.

Trailer one

http://s245.photobucket.com/user/JMD...f3a3e.jpg.html


http://s245.photobucket.com/user/JMD...252cb.jpg.html



Trailer two,



Trailer two was a 14 Day turn in the shop, including new pex plumbing and a new hot water heater. It was a quick turn, I ignored some things for the sake of time, but the trailer is functional for about a thousand bucks in hard cash.

1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Trailer two was a 14 Day turn in the shop, including new pex plumbing and a new hot water heater. It was a quick turn, I ignored some things for the sake of time, but the trailer is functional for about a thousand bucks in hard cash.

That seriously requires a 'results not typical' warning...

[mefly2]

Welcome; read on!
Your son will always have the AS memories ...

[aquinob]

I think you and your wife have all the right intentions, but intentions alone will not put this trailer back on the road in a condition you and your family will enjoy for any length of time. Most of the folks that do well with these old rigs have some level of DIY skills and while its not inconceivable that you cant rise to the challenge, its by no means a sure bet either. Just because you want something bad enough, does not mean you will get it. A refurb like what you describe is probably a multi year project unless you want to throw big bucks at it. You also need a tow vehicle. Have you got a budget for everything and a time line more realistic than 6 months to have the work done?

I would also advise a bit of caution on the "chuck it all, we're going camping for a year" idea as it relates to your future employment. A year out of the loop may take a toll on your long term career or it may not. The economy is on the upswing in general, but that can change or may not apply locally.

You titled this thread "In way over our heads". I think you already have an inkling of what might be down the road. Be realistic with your situation and your capabilities. Find a rig in good usable shape and camp locally to see if it fits you all. That's my advice, to take it slow in manageable bites. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

[Argonaut20]

I may have missed it, but I don't have a good idea of what remains in the trailer. How big the job of making the unit useable is depends on what needs to be done. Plumbing working? Electrical working? Anyone falling through the floor? Are beds there? I guess what I am saying is that the task of putting the trailer into shape to use may not be the equivalent of doing the full monty right away. Use it, then decide whether you want to go full timing. You can live with knowing some things need fixing as long as you know the trailer is safe and the stuff you need to work does work.
As for supporting yourself while traveling the country, what are the prospects for you and/or your wife doing distance working via computer? Working in software suggests this as a way to make money to support your travel.
Last, working on an AS takes ingenuity, common tools, attention to detail, ability to plan, willingness to learn from mistakes, and patience. The planning skills needed to plan out a software program are the same skills used to work on an AS.