Buying Local - Parts and Supplies

[Ganglin]

I'm sure that a lot of members are in the habit of looking for supplies locally. I'm sure an equal number, especially new to Airstream renovations, see parts and supplies online and figure that's the only place they can be purchased.

I guess the point of this is that name brand and generic products can be found locally, with a little effort, at a substantial savings. As the other half has observed " all you have to do it attach the name Airstream to it and the price goes up 50%". I generally shrug that off - but she's right.

Some examples from the past week:

3003 aluminum .050 - a 4 x 12 sheet $38 from a scrap yard that also buys good stock from closing businesses and resells it. They had 1/8 angle 8' long for $3 - half that length at Home Depot is like $24.

D gasket - a 50' roll from a local RV dealer $42

Acryl-R: the Plews gun, can adapter and 2 cans of Acryl-R sealant - $37 plus tax. Online the refill can is $18.95 - locally $8.95.

All of this without the cost of shipping.

Don't take this a disparaging online dealers - we can't maintain these trailers without them. But, for some items, a little local searching can save some real dollars.....

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Ganglin

I'm sure that a lot of members are in the habit of looking for supplies locally. I'm sure an equal number, especially new to Airstream renovations, see parts and supplies online and figure that's the only place they can be purchased.

I guess the point of this is that name brand and generic products can be found locally, with a little effort, at a substantial savings. As the other half has observed " all you have to do it attach the name Airstream to it and the price goes up 50%". I generally shrug that off - but she's right.

Some examples from the past week:

3003 aluminum .050 - a 4 x 12 sheet $38 from a scrap yard that also buys good stock from closing businesses and resells it. They had 1/8 angle 8' long for $3 - half that length at Home Depot is like $24.

D gasket - a 50' roll from a local RV dealer $42

Acryl-R: the Plews gun, can adapter and 2 cans of Acryl-R sealant - $37 plus tax. Online the refill can is $18.95 - locally $8.95.

All of this without the cost of shipping.

Don't take this a disparaging online dealers - we can't maintain these trailers without them. But, for some items, a little local searching can save some real dollars.....

Granted, there are many parts available, "that look alike the originals", but in actual service, they are not.

For a dealer, it's a never ending battle.

Many "insist" on original parts.

Some do not.

Using original "tried and proven parts" does have it's merits.

Andy

[85MH325]

Finding parts for a vintage Airstream is always a sleuthing adventure. I bought my first "vintage" Airstream in 1987... a 1970 Safari Special. In 1987 Airstream was all but out of business, as were many of the original suppliers for many of the specialty parts on these trailers. There wasn't anyone reproducing parts either as they were just "old Airstream trailers" then, and there wasn't even a niche market for them. I bought my Safari for $2000 delivered! I bought my '61 Bambi in 1997 for $1100! In 1987 there was no internet yet, and sourcing many of the parts was an interesting proposition, particularly if you lived somewhere that there wasn't a stocking Airstream dealer nearby.

That's why new owners of vintage units often find some very interesting and innovative "repairs" and/or "replacements" done by previous owners in the old trailers.

Today, there are multiple sources for many of the parts for these things, and it's really pretty cool how readily available many of the replacement items are for the vintage units.

Roger

[Ganglin]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Granted, there are many parts available, "that look alike the originals", but in actual service, they are not.

For a dealer, it's a never ending battle.

Many "insist" on original parts.

Some do not.

Using original "tried and proven parts" does have it's merits.

Andy

That may be true if anything I listed was an "original part". The point of the thread is that many parts used on Airstreams are generic and available locally at a savings. For example...

A Plews gun is made by Plews-Edelmann and has nothing whatsoever to do with Airstream.

Acryl-R is made Schnee-Morehead and has nothing to do with Airstream.

There is no magic Airstream Plews gun and there is no Acryl-R mixed with Airstream pixie dust.

If you choose to add snide comments and implications to threads, mean't simply to further your business, do it in threads other than mine please. It's rude and I do not appreciate it.

[CrzyCorpsman]

Hey Gary,

I must agree with you at keeping things local, especially these days. I'm still in the beginning stages of my restore/remodel and have found it very easy to get online and order everything that I need. But like you said, if you're willing and able, get out to some of your local suppliers and see what you got. If they don't have it, ask. Something that I'm trying to do with my trailer is to keep everything "Made in the USA". That's a feat in it's self. But it's great to find out that many of the items that I have bought come right from my neck of the woods back in Michigan. Fantastic Fans, for instance, are made in Imaly City, Michigan, which is about 40 minutes from where I grew up. I ordered some new outriggers and cross members and they, too, came from Michigan. I'm always happy to help out my home state's economy.

I've also found that my local Fastenal store can get all the aluminum that I'll need for my belly pans and I will not have to pay the shipping on it because it's shipped to the store and then I go pick it up.

For some Airstream specific items, like you said, you still have to use one of the online suppliers, but I like to use the "non-corporate" type, if you know what I mean. No big box stores like Camping World, although I don't hold nothing against them, but I like to deal with the little people. They seem more friendly and knowledgable.

(The fine print.....I have to confess that the SMEV sink/cooktop that I'll be putting in my trailer is from Europe and some of the electronics will likely be made in Japan, Tawain, China.....but that's ok )