New member in SW Florida here

[lugnuts]

Hello all,
Well after purchasing a 1954 Spartan Mansion and then realizing I don't have enough time in my life to completely rebuild a travel trailer I have decided to sell it. Believe me when I say that this trailer needs a COMPLETE rebuild. LOL
This "epiphany" came to me when my brother called and said that his wife's boss had an Airstream for sale. I just went to see it and it is a 1975 Overlander that the owner was just camping in 2 weeks ago. The exterior is in excellent shape IMO and there are only a few small dents and one larger dent down low on the left front. The interior is all original and fairly well preserved. The A/C and fridge work and it is a rear bath with one bed in the center and one dinette/bed up front. There is some wood rot next to the toilet but I would like to update the bath anyway. The owner just installed new aluminum wheels and new goodyear trailer tires this year. With a good scrubbing, and a bathroom remodel, this trailer will be usable pretty quickly. Therefore we can go camping and then improve the rest of the trailer over time as opposed to consuming ALL of my time for the next 2 years completely restoring the Spartan trailer.
The asking price is $6000 and my research tells me that this is a good deal. The owner is selling because he lost his teenage son that he used to camp with and he and his wife purchased a new smaller Airstream.
I am looking for any advice and comments about purchasing this trailer. I also plan to look the trailer over more completely before committing to purchase it. Please help me make a good purchase this time around. Thank you.
I will try to post pics also.

[Bubba L]

If there are no major issues (bad axles, rear end sag, frame deterioration, etc), then I think that's a great price. If needed, you could try and contact an Airstream Inspector near you to see if he'd be an extra set of eyes. Good luck and keep us posted. Bubba

[Rich W]

Hi Lugnuts, greetings from central Kentucky, welcome to the forum. I wish you luck in your search.

Like Bubba L says, there are volunteer inspectors available here on the forum.

On the left side, choose the "Portal" button. Then on the right side there is a section for "Inspectors". Enter in your data to find someone.

[Belegedhel]

Welcome to the forums!

As mentioned above, you can find a volunteer inspector, but there is also the trailer inspector's checklist that you can download and use to go through the trailer thoroughly.

The biggest risk with a 70's trailer is that you will have rot in the floor, typically along the perimeter, under the fridge, near the door, under any windows, and especially along the rear wall. These trailers are also prone to developing rear-end separation. As I squint at your pictures, I see rust on your rear frame rails, and what looks like the beginnings of a gap--check for separation. This is even more likely in wet environments like Florida.

There are plenty of owners who go camping in their trailers every couple of weeks and have no idea that the floors are rotting away under the cabinets, and the frame is about to fail. They will honestly tell you that the trailer is in great shape and needs no repairs.

Good luck!

[lugnuts]

Belegedhel,
What is the easiest way to check for seperation? I am going to request to have the trailer put in his driveway so that I can really get a good look underneath.Thanks for your input.

[guskmg]

Jump up and down on the rear bumper. If the bumper and shell don't move as one, you have separation. You won't hurt a trailer that does not have separation.
guskmg