Airstream not towed in years

[Cmadonna99]

I am considering the purchase of a 1990 Airstream. Longer model - 31 ft long. It hasn’t been moved in years. What maintenance should I anticipate right off the bat - tires, axles..... and i wonder how much it might cost.
And what else might you be concerned about?
Thanks for your input!

[Belegedhel]

Are you asking "what do I need to do to this trailer to get it ready for an hour drive back to my house," or "what all do I need to do to make it ready for a 2000 mile road trip?"

If all you are trying to do is get it ready to tow back to your house, then a short list of things to do would be as follows:
-New tires
-greased bearings
-electric brakes confirmed functional
-lights functional
-coupler confirmed to be locking in place correctly
-Safety chains present and in good shape
-weight distribution equipment???
-All doors, windows, and hatches secured.

Month long road trip:
-All of the above, plus, your axles are now almost 30 years old, and if they haven't been replaced, then they probably need to be.
-everything else depends on what condition it is in. If the trailer has had uncorrected leaks for the last 20 years, then you can expect rotting floors, rodent infestations, etc. You might be looking at a shell-off, or just wiping it down and spraying some Febreeze.

good luck!

[Belegedhel]

Go to the "portal" tab at the top of this page. Scroll down with your eyes on the right hand side, and you will find "the trailer inspector's checklist." Download a copy. Also, there is a utility to help you find local volunteer inspectors.

As mentioned earlier, a trailer that has sat unused and neglected, regardless of age, can quickly become a candidate for a total rebuild if conditions are right. Try and educate yourself as to what "good" looks like, and decide how much of a project (if any) you are interested in taking on. There is a thread on these forums that is a "sticky" in the General Repairs section, that is a compilation of the total rebuild threads. Look through a few of them, if only to get an idea of the hidden floor rot and disintegrating frames that change so many "spruce it up" projects into complete rebuilds.

good luck!

[pteck]

Absolute minimum requirements in my mind. I towed home a newer 2007 that had been sitting for 4 yrs.

1) Tires. Absolutely new tires. I had some ordered close to where I was picking up the trailer. Brought a floor jack and jack stands. Spent a few hours to remove wheels, get new tires installed, and re-mounted. Even on a newer trailer, the tires were dry rotted out and in no way roadworthy or safe.

2) Battery. You'll need a working battery to operate the tongue jack and provide juice for emergency braking.

3) WD hitch. As she is a big girl, it's not safe to tow without some form of a WD hitch, setup roughly correct. Keeping speeds down will also mitigate sway events.

4) Brake controller. Prior to getting on the main road, you'll want to manually actuate the brakes to ensure they are operating.

And yes, makes sure everything is secured.

That's it. Best of luck!

[putback]

All above plus. 1st tow after years setting the brakes could engage and "stick" on due to rust, lock up. You may want to move it gently to a hard surface spot before you plug them in and test. Often as not if locked you can move it a few feet forward and back on pavement and they'll release. After a mile or so stop and feel the hubs for heat, dragging brakes or bad bearings. Make very sure the entry door is secure, it opens on the road and there goes your first thousand bucks!

[Starlight Mike]

Just to give you some confidence of the quality of some older Airstreams, I bought a 1971 27' that had been sitting a long time and I brought it home, cleaned it, put new tires on, loaded the three kids and drove from Fl. to Portland, Oregon drove all around the west for six months and drove back to Florida. No problems. [probably "ignorance is bliss" entered into this situation]. I'm now on my fourth AS and yes, check brakes, axles and everything else that has been suggested. Have a blast!

[mikextr]

Good advice above. Especially pteck's tire suggestion. I'll just add that it's a good idea to get a ladder and check the top of the trailer and make sure everything up there is secure. When I was towing my trailer home I hit a big bump in the road causing the AC shroud and a bath mat to fly off on to the road. Thankfully my son was driving safely behind me and there was no other traffic at the time.