New AC on 50s Safari - will reduce value???

[timatron]

So I just bought my first Airstream (1957 safari) and i'm trying to decide if I should go through the trouble and $$$ (ac, installation, generators...) of putting a roof A/C unit, or if I should buy a standalone A/C unit and find a good place to hide it. I'm not too worried about space. My main concern would be that my new trailer is in pristine condition... everything is there, and a roof unit would bring down the value of the trailer, because there weren't ac units in the 50s. Whats the call? If I sold it in 5 years would people want AC or a pristine 1957 safari?

you tell me!



thx,
tim

[flyfshr]

Congrats on your first Airstream. If you choose to put an AC on the roof and are careful about how you do it, the AC could be removed again later without any lasting effects. You'd be putting it in one of the roof vents so save the original vent and surround so it could be re-installed once the AC is removed. The electrical could be tapped off and hidden between the inner and outer skins.

At least that's my plan.

Brad
FF

[goransons]

What Brad said, that's what we're doing on our 63. Since we had interior skins out, I pulled wire to that vent opening and a drain tube to take condensation away. Many good units out there, we're planning on using the carrier low profile, and will probably paint the housing silver to help it blend in. Best location is with the compressor roughly over the axle for balance purposes.

Congrats on the rig, and welcome!

[Jabba]

Are you pulling the interior skins? I was under the impression that you had to reinforce the ribs to support the weight on a 50's unit.

[Cantrell]

Tim,
If you are talking about using a portable stand alone unit I can tell you a couple things about them. We bought one to get us by on a trip when our overhead unit was down. It takes up a lot of floorspace--more than you would think (always in the way, no good place to put it, etc.). They all seem to be quite noisy, too (noisy is relative but at night it was outright loud). Also, you have to find a way to vent the hot air and the condensate outside. The one I used required a 5" vent--this was a challenge but we rigged it up temporarily.
It got us through that week but I can say I wouldn't want to live with it on a regular basis. Hope this is helpful to you.

[flyfshr]

One doesn't necessarily need to pull the interior skins to strengthen the space between ribs. With the roof vent and interior trim off, I used 1 1/2" aluminum 'C' channel to go along the sides of the opening and attached them to both ribs, fore and aft. You can get in there quite easily to do this. I heard of folks using wood too.

Brad
FF

[Jabba]

Brad,

Did you happen to take pics when you did yours? I didn't know it could be done like that, was under the assumption that you had to beef the ribs up. Hmm, a/c might yet be an option!

[timatron]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm assuming because its a 57 that there are no wires up there. So in the end I would have to take off the skins to wire it. I've got the winter to work on it (in san diego), so we'll see how it goes.

I guess I was thinking with the standalone that I could build it in under the sink or something... I'm going to be gutting the trailer.

-tim