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Old 04-20-2016, 01:40 PM   #1
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St. Louis , Missouri
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Newbie here...would love some insight

Hi!

My hubby and I have been looking for a camper/trailer for about a year. We have always wanted an Airstream but hadn't been able to find one at a price we could afford that wasn't in need of a lot of renovation.

I have located a 1968 Airstream Overlander. The folks who own it have done a good job redoing it (or looks so by the pictures). Has new floors, new tires, new lights, windows sealed, no leaks, all appliances work, new mattress/foam, painted. Body looks nice.


However, they have said the trailer still needs the following:

1.) Several windows fixed (the previous owner replaced some glass with plexiglass) replaced.
2.) Has a new toilet but needs some plumbing done for installation
3.) Has no AC. Will need AC
4.) "Original aluminum propane tanks that can be converted to use" (not sure what that even means?
5.) dent in front corner
6.) no keys


They are asking $8200 but willing to deal. Is this a fair price?

I have looked up the value on NADA which has it listed at $2200. But doesn't indicate value of renovated one. I have never seen an asking price of $2200.

I realize I don't know. So I thought I would ask you guys what you think of the price and also a general idea of what the still required repairs will cost me. What is a good price for this trailer?

I have included some of the pics for it.

Thanks for your time. I want to be sure we are getting a good trailer at a fair price. I don't wanna just buy it because it's an Airstream and so cute....
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Old 04-20-2016, 03:15 PM   #2
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1962 28' Ambassador
1961 19' Globetrotter
1962 26' Overlander
Mesa , Arizona
Join Date: Jun 2013
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You can handle the things that it still needs.

Sound like they bought the toilet but need to install it. Sounds like you want air in the future. Windows Plexiglas replacement is fairly common. Old propane tanks can be inspected and deemed usable. A dent is no big deal. You can put a new lock on.

As you negotiate a price nada is useless.

Pictures are very fooling. You need "up close" "specific" pictures of LOTS of things. And when did all those things last work. Last month or 10 years ago when last used.

When selling we all want top dollar and when buying we want a great price.

Look at some adds here and read the good listings and see what they say about the appliances, the inverter converter, the plumbing etc. Then you can ask better questions. What is original that works, what is original that will need fixing of replacing.

What's your skill set for fixing things and your budget. Whats their best price, what your best price and where do they meet. Can you pull it home right now. Can you look at if it have one of us look at it for you.

Fun on the horizon.
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Old 04-20-2016, 05:33 PM   #3
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My opinion:
For what I see I think the owner has it over priced. I think NADA in this case is probably closer to the real value than the asking price. I can see spending at least a couple thousand $ to repair the things you listed. Even more if you have to pay someone else to do the labor.
Rather than those things that have been fixed, I would be more concerned with potential problems with the floor, frame, and axles that might have been overlooked. If they made it pretty and cover up structural issues, you could have to tear out all of those cabinets and scuff up that paint to make the trailer right.
Go to the Portal page, then look toward the bottom right side of the page to find the "Airstream Inspectors", fill in the blanks. These people are volunteers. You might be able to find someone local to do an inspection that will help with your decision.
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Old 04-20-2016, 07:55 PM   #4
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1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
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The Overlander in the pictures appears to be an "International" trim, which had nicer interior over the basic model. 1968 is a very good year for vintage Airstreams as it is the last year of the old body style. Lots of things changed in 1969.

The 66 to 68 trailers have the unique Coring curved glass windows. The glass was tempered and curved to match the shape of the body. These windows are a challenge to replace the glass and find other parts. The windows do tend to leak more than other Airstream window designs. The 68 was better than my 66.

It appears the interior has been painted. It may have been a very 60s wood interior originally. I do not see an awning on this trailer. An awning adds value.

I like to say a good body is worth $5000 as that's what I paid. The aluminum body is expensive to repair and the aluminum lasts a long time. But a 50 year old trailer is going to have a bunch of needs unless the seller can provide evidence of renewal. I would suspect the axles need replacement at about $700 each less installation. A rotted out subfloor under the bathroom fixtures would not surprise. The furnace and water heater may need replaced. The old plumbing may leak. The electrical system would need checked out. These old trailers did not come with a gray water tank, so you need an auxiliary "tote" tank or have one installed, which is spendy to say the least. You can't dump wash water on the ground. You can hook up and have the gray water flow into the sewer connection. A new AC plus installation will be nearly $1000.

I renewed 68 Overlander ready for travel would cost about $20K. Vintage Airstreams are not the lowest cost camper around. But they are unique, fun, tow nicely, and a lot of great people own them.

$8200 asking price doesn't surprise based on your description. But that is just the down payment, believe me. There will be a lot of cost and labor hours in the future.

David
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Old 04-21-2016, 11:35 AM   #5
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1972 27' Overlander
Woodburn , Oregon
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Don't be fooled by that new floor trick ,usually they put that over a bad sub floor .
I bought my 72 overlander for 4,000 it had a beautiful new bamboo floor put in by the PO put over a rotten sub floor . I'm replacing everything new with all up graded stuff I figure I will have about 20k invested in it when finished not counting my and wife's time but it's gonna be a one of a kind Airstream!
Bob
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Old 04-21-2016, 12:01 PM   #6
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Do not know what you are doing? RUN AWAY.

The last time I wanted something and did not know what I was doing... was a 1962 Jeep. It was $1200, beautiful paint job, 'rebuilt' flat head 4 cylinder, OK tires and I replaced the top canvas. This was in 1971.

The gearing was so low that 45mph was tops. Nobody kept the flat head 4 cylinder engines as anyone who said they could pour the main bearings in 1971... probably was guessing they could at a machine shop. (I think they called them babbets... or they were poured... someone may know. I do not, still.)

It was a money pit. The engine main bearings failed, the shop repoured them. It failed again and I sold it for $1000 to someone who did know what they were doing. Put a modern engine under the hood and junked the 4 cylinder engine. I figure I lost $600 on the deal. But... learned a lesson that saved me from doing this again!

I suspect the original seller, also lost money on this 'restoration'.

The guy who sold me the Jeep... bought one that had a modern engine conversion.

Do not be surprised that this friendly person is the same guy who sold me this Jeep. The day after you tow it home... you will begin to notice that nothing works. NEVER buy something this complicated unless everything works and you check it out yourself, or someone who does know. It is spelled:

M..O...N...E...Y P...I...T

If you will have to pay others to do the work... you are the 'sucker' the seller is looking for. I was 21 years old. A sucker is born every second. I was 21 and one second old that time

Never again. If you do not know what you are doing... you will know the 'second' AFTER you buy this wonderful Airstream... and get buried in it to fix it.

You need to have someone who knows Airstreams. It would have already sold if advertised for everyone to see. My Jeep looked nice... just was way over my head at the time.

Ask WHY? If he lost interest or short on money... RUN.
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Old 04-21-2016, 12:47 PM   #7
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Thanks!!! I did ask the owner where they got their price as it isn't in line with NADA and vintage airstream price guide. She said they are basing it on what they have in it and what others on the airstreams classified are asking for theirs. So basically....it's based on nothing.

I did ask about Tires - they are 3 months old. When I asked about the sub-floor they said they took the carpet off repaired the bad parts then put vinyl flooring over. They said the new toilet is installed the water needs hooked up. It was replaced as they repaired the floor in the bathroom.

The appliances they say are original but don't know if they work as they "never used them". Who knows about the electrical.

I appreciate the advice about having someone who knows Airstreams look at it with us. I will definitely use that resource.

Thanks for the advice!

Misty
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Old 04-21-2016, 01:37 PM   #8
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1962 28' Ambassador
1961 19' Globetrotter
1962 26' Overlander
Mesa , Arizona
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Wanabe, don't despair it could be a nice trailer. We all reach our pricing differently.

Don't get us wrong were not trying to make these folks out as anything negative.

Maybe they paid $4000.00 put another $3000.00 into it and are giving themselves a little cushion to barter with during price negotiations.

We have two that most people would have passed over but felt right about at the time we purchased them. Because we are paying to have some work done on them we will never come out right side up money wise.
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Old 04-21-2016, 11:15 PM   #9
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Assuming you will travel and camp in the trailer, you'll need to replace most of the key operating components if they have not been replaced in the last 20 years. They are: 1)axle and brake assemblies, 2) furnace, 3) water heater, 4)voltage converter, 5)water pump. In addition, the refrigerator is probably on its last legs if it works at all.

If the trailer hasn't been used much, there are a million little things such as plumbing leaks, window leaks, broken latches, lights that don't work and so forth that will need to be addressed as well.

As others have mentioned, the subfloor is a major concern. At this age, virtually all Airstreams have had some floor rot. If it hasn't been repaired or has been repaired improperly you could be looking at a major additional expense.

Keep in mind the trailer is almost fifty years old and will require a lot of upkeep. If you're not prepared to undertake the effort, a newer unit will be a much better investment.
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