Late '50s Aloha 13'-good deal?

[charzhazha]

Priced at just 500!

I am currently looking for something to live in while I replace my AS floors, and getting an adorable vintage trailer I could later fix up too would be just a bonus. Ad says that the unit has a solid steel frame, but some wood damage.

What do you think? is it a viable option? Is it a smart option?



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[ventport]

Then you have two projects, doesn't look livable inside to me. Those are wood framed, so if they leak the structure gets rotten. They will look good from the outside, but can be structurally ready to fall apart.

[charzhazha]

Hmm... Upon further research...





I suppose you have a point.

It's just such a shame, because it is absolutely adorable.

[charzhazha]

But as far as that goes, I wonder why they say it has a steel frame? Was it previoously renovated?

[oh2bcarefree]

The steel frame is what the trailer is on, the sides are the wooden part, I believe they may be referred to as "ribs" on the forums. The trailer looks to me to be a bit dubious with the ground visible from within the trailer. However... from my point of view (and I may be strung up for saying this) it would be a great buy for a "parts" trailer. It looks as if it may have the coveted bargman L-66 door handle (you should see how much they go for on ebay!) a nice vintage stove, and those windows could be valuable to vintage trailer restorers. Original bargman tail lights and tear drop or bee hive markers also bring a pretty penny. If it was near me... But, I am one of the "vintage kin" folks looking for those parts.

Tina

[Ag'71]

Heck, I'd buy it. It would be fun to fix up real vintage style, then sell it to make money for more improvements on my Airstream. In fact, my wife wants us to get one, fix it up, and take it on loooong trips since she doesn't like me hauling our 27' AS for the long ones.

[charzhazha]

Oh2be: Hmm... The parts thing is really interesting. But gosh would I feel bad about tearing up such a cutie! I did notice the floor damage. I have no idea what these guys have done to the floor! It would seem smarter to gut the trailer first, at least. And I cringe to think that the tile may have had asbestos. As a vintage kin owner, what have you done with the floors? I know some brands (like 50's AS) DID use asbestos tiles but others did not.

AG: I would love to repair it and sell, but I don't know if I have the skills. And if I did, would it really bring in that much? I know at least that AS owners very rarely are able to sell for more than they put into it. Anyway, if I got her into good condition, I don't think I would be able to let go!

[CanoeStream]

9 x 9 inch square tiles are indicative of vinyl asbestos tile (VAT). So you should be able to tell that on sight. Manufacturers switched to 12 x 12 inch when they went asbestos-free.

Not intending to be definitive, here are some other threads on the subject:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f39/....html#post3330
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f461...tos-30700.html
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f461...les-34395.html

[oh2bcarefree]

Originally Posted by charzhazha

Oh2be: Hmm... The parts thing is really interesting. But gosh would I feel bad about tearing up such a cutie! I did notice the floor damage. I have no idea what these guys have done to the floor! It would seem smarter to gut the trailer first, at least. And I cringe to think that the tile may have had asbestos. As a vintage kin owner, what have you done with the floors? I know some brands (like 50's AS) DID use asbestos tiles but others did not.

Charz,
The floor most likely is asbestos, however it's hard to tell from the photos. From what I can see it looks like the floor covering is a newer material, which the asbestos tiles could just be under that. As CanoeStream noted, there are many threads out there about them. We do have asbestos tiles in ours, and the previous owner covered them up with glue and carpet squares. Right now we aren't doing anything about them but leaving them be . I understand they are just fine as long as you aren't manipulating them in some way to create dust - such as cutting them. To walk on them is not a problem.

It is a very cute trailer, but it will take quite a bit of time, work and $$ to fix, as I believe the sides will need to come off (to rebuild the ribs) and the floor of course will need patched, if not replaced. If you go visit it in person, check under the current flooring to see what is under it. Look in the closets or cabinets to see what's on the floor in there. Go around the edge of the floor where it meets the wall, and "stab" it with a flat head screwdriver. I know it's not a pretty action but you will be able to immediately tell if the floor underneath is soft or still hard. It really is easy to tell if it is soft. If it sounds hard and solid, it probably is, if it gives a bit and seems a bit squishy, then you've got problems under there. My guess is that is why the section of floor is missing.

Good luck!

Tina