I have the opportunity to by a 30ft Airstream trailer, circa 1975. Asking price is $7000. Cdn. I love it. I want it. Everyone around my is saying DON'T DO IT!!!! I want to live in it year-round [BC] they say I'll freeze in 'the metal box' in the winter. Local dealers tell me that they are HELL to work on- all those blasted rivets! But, I want it! Then they say everything is worn out...the hot-water heater, the fridge,the carpet...And I say it's a fixer-upper! I want to funk it out. Be creative. Not spend a whole bunch of money on it. What are my chances? What is the reality? Hard to find parts? Is it true that I can't replace the skylights? Can I access all the water/gas lines through the floor or do I have to come up from underneath? Am I nuts? Is loving the look/feel of the trailer enough? Any feedback is appreciated. A
Uhhh we are mostly dumb Americans. Give us a rough US dollars figure.
Welcome to the forum. You will find plenty of "fulltimers" here.
As for fixing it up...yeah the initial rebuild will not be cheap if you can't do the labor but once it's done it's done for another 20 or so years.
It's on Wheels and you don't have to stay there in the winter, no snow in Florida LOL.
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1959 22' Caravanner
1988 R20 454 Suburban.
Atlanta, GA
Wow! Quick response time. American cost approx. $4700. And, unlike you lucky ones in the sun...I have a great job here and want to stay on the Island for a few years. Eventually I will take her on the road...for now she keeps my dream alive!
Thanks for directing me to other info sites - the more I can learn the better.
Also...just curious...I am 31yrs old - anyone out there choose trailer over house at my age? Feedback? A
You may also want to perform a forum search using the key words "Winter Living"...I'm not sure how severe your winters are there in the great northwest, (I've only been to Vancouver Island in the summer ) but these threads could be enlightening.
Shari
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Vintage Airstream Club - Past President 2007/2008
WBCCI #1824 - DenCO Unit Past President (2005)
AIR #30 - Join Date: 2-25-2002
I guess if I were to live in one it would be a different story. I would say I am like most folks here on the forum who use their A/S's mostly for recreation. If you just want a place to live $4700 would probably be a good deal. If you wanted to travel in it then it would be a whole different ballgame. You would then be getting into axle, tires, brakes, tow vehicle, standard RV appliances vs. household stuff, getting the picture?
A $4700 trailer could double in price in no time at all!!
Your basic idea is a good one. A/S in my opinion are the best RVs you can find. They are appealing to look at, the quality is high, they are well made and the mere fact that this 70's unit still works testifies to their over-engineering.
Having said that, I think the best value is in the 80's units. The cabinets are made out of oak and there are other improvements. They are also heavier. Something from 83-89 would be ideal IMO. A 15 year old A/S is more likely to be in good shape than a 25 year old one.
However, the best prices are on the 70's, undoubtedly. There are so many of them that they are a dime a dozen. I would negotiate down to $4,000 US. Even then the rear bathroom causes the infamous "tail droop". You can find 70's everywhere, especially in Florida. The market is flooded with them. If you get it, I doubt you will be able to sell it for more than $4K so don't pay more than that.
After a certain age, probably 12-15 years, the year doesn't matter as much as the condition. So that '75 could be perfect or not worthwhile at all.
I guess it won't get as cold on Vancouver Island as elsewhere in CA. But in the winter you will spend a lot of propane heating the unit. Make sure you got good insulation everywhere.
As an investment - I have noticed that vintage is 60's & under. Are the 70's trailers a dime a dozen? This one that I am looking at has some dings and what looks like a 'banged back out' front right corner. I have been all over this site and back and forth to numerous links...now I want one even more! But now I want to make sure I take the 'vintage value' into consideration. I know I will have to rebuild whatever I buy - but I am interested in doing that over the next 2-5 years [while I live aboard!] And, I don't want to worry about keeping it or bringing it back to stock - been down that road with a '67 split-windshield 6V Volkswagen van.
So, if not stock, does 'vintage' matter?
Will the 1975ish 30fter do?
When I do decide to tow...if the running gear is toast, can it be replaced - parts hard to find?
However, the best prices are on the 70's, undoubtedly. There are so many of them that they are a dime a dozen. I would negotiate down to $4,000 US. Even then the rear bathroom causes the infamous "tail droop". You can find 70's everywhere, especially in Florida. The market is flooded with them. If you get it, I doubt you will be able to sell it for more than $4K so don't pay more than that.
Hey ipso, put me down for two dozen!! Kinda reminds me of when 70's models Corvettes were a dime a dozen, late 60's Mustangs, etc, etc, get my drift? What a slam!! (especially coming from a non-owner)
I guess you don't know how dumb you are until you start asking questions! There aren't many A/S's on Vancouver Island - maybe because there isn't much of a market. The one I'm looking at has two singles at the back. And it has those cool little 'skylight' windows just above the main windows. Anyone know what it is that I'm looking at? Can it be stripped back to the skin? I want to ditch the carpet and sun-bleached upholstry. I have a pipe dream of customizing this one over time...eventually using it as my mobile editing suite...shoot film in Canada for the summer...roll down to Mexico to edit for the winter. I guess I am looking for the right 'shell' to build from.
As an investment - I have noticed that vintage is 60's & under. Are the 70's trailers a dime a dozen? This one that I am looking at has some dings and what looks like a 'banged back out' front right corner.
See, that's the problem. A '75 is not vintage enough to fall into the classic category like the desirable 60's units but it is not new enough to worth as much as 80's. With 80's, they are usually in better shape, so you don't have as much leverage when negotiating, which may be a problem.
I know I will have to rebuild whatever I buy - but I am interested in doing that over the next 2-5 years [while I live aboard!] And, I don't want to worry about keeping it or bringing it back to stock - been down that road with a '67 split-windshield 6V Volkswagen van.
There is no way to recommend a good price without seeing it. It could be worth anywhere from almost nothing to $10,000. I wouldn't buy it if it wasn't road-worthy. It could quite possibly be a great buy. But do realize you are getting a 28 year old unit with 28 year old appliances. What has the owner replaced? Do realize you could easily spend thousands replacing things, like $1000 for a fridge, $400 for tires, hundreds for univolt, etc.
If the clear coat is good, that's a major plus.
It should have a fridge that runs on both LP and electric, otherwise substract a $1000.
The skin ought to be basically good.
No rot in the floor.
The tires should be road-worthy but no way to check.
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