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byamcaravanner · 06-25-2008, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grsdlightnin

He was originally asking $3500.00, but after our phone call to go see it, he raised the price on Ebay to $3950.00.

There is a saying... "one man's trash is another man's treasure"
Here in the Midwest, when it comes to old stuff, you can often find folks...usually sitting on some rural farm/junk yard that look at their trash as your treasure. My guess is, that as the guy got inquiries he began to think he was sitting on a pot of gold. These are usually the guys that think a little "spit and polish" will bring a trailer from basket case to museum quality. Funny thing is... they are never willing to put in that "little time and effort" to do it themselves. They just want to overcharge you for the privilege.

Offer him $800 and bring him down from the clouds.

Frank's Trailer Works · 06-25-2008, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabre

I just did a quick google search for Trailer buff...

I didn't find an actual website, but someone should encourage them to start one. Not only would they get more information on their services out there, but they'd be more available for the rest of us figuring out our trailers; one rivet at a time.

Good luck Utee!

Well, some guys do the type of work that sells it's self. A web site is not needed, for they have more than enough work to keep busy.

utee94 · 06-25-2008, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grsdlightnin

Hi,

I have not been a member, just a "looky-loo", as I am now officially "looking" to maybe purchase the perfect trailer for me.
The '61 Overlander was listed on Ebay yesterday (now expired)...not in "Ebay Motors", but in "Antiques". Anybody looking for an Airstream RV would never find it there... It is in Sauk Centre Minnesota at a farm near a barn. I have the farmers phone number. He was originally asking $3500.00, but after our phone call to go see it, he raised the price on Ebay to $3950.00. We didn't think that was very minnesota nice! It was hard not to purchase the first convenient one I found, but I followed the advice I found here and was able to walk away. It needs EVERYTHING. 4 Panels have holes. Repaired with duct tape. Electrical HAS worked, as HAS Propane. Stove Has worked, and so on...Windows are good. Bearings haven't been packed in 3 years at least. It is otherwise a total gut job. The floor is soft in the whole front all along the edges. The rivets outside front bottom have all been replaced and tarnished and didn't look right. It is wet inside with water on the floor. I am a novice, and not a do it yourselfer, couldn't handle the extent of the damage here. On the other hand, it was California Coral colors for appliances, all woodwork was painted white, he had all original specs and paperwork about the mechanics, the pink table was still there...and I am still looking.
Let me know if you would like his phone number. He is vaguely optimistic about the condition of this trailer, I was not.

Welcome to the message board, I'm honored that your first post was to my thread.

Actually, due to my extensive network of vintage Airstream spies (most of whom chime in on this thread from time to time) I DID manage to find that listing on Ebay. Rob Baker of theVAP fame alerted me to it pretty much as soon as it went up. For me, the distance was pretty far, but if the body was straight and the frame was okay, then I'm not sure that the asing price of $3500/$3950 was so bad. I wasn't thrilled about all of that painted wood, but as RoverOwner already pointed out, quite often you're going to end up replacing most if not all of that stuff anyway. Heck, maybe the paint has protected the wood underneath it for all of these years and once you strip it, the wood might look great. Who knows?

Anyway, good luck on your search. From my own search over the past few months, it seems like units come up for sale pretty often in your neck of the woods (and by that, I mean anything North of Kansas!

). Lots of decent trailers end up for sale in Ohio and Indiana and Michigan, from what I've seen.

-Marcus

utee94 · 06-25-2008, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoverOwner

Marcus,
The most important thing to me when I was looking for a vintage unit was a straight body. It was a bonus that the interior on the one I found was intact, but the interior was so nasty I'm going to have Frank re-do much of it. The floor on any trailer you find is most likely going to have to be replaced, or at least repaired, so the interior is going to come out anyway. I was going to try and reuse everything, but when the floor is done, it just doesn't seem right to put fixtures back in that have a little punky wood here, a break there, nasty mouse pee infused wood there (and there and there and there...). I say wait until you find one with straight skin, then jump on it. An intact interior just means that you will have a nice set of templates to use when you put the interior back in.

Thanks John, I think that's pretty much the approach that I've decided upon.

Frank, it's certainly okay to highjack this thread, I'm nobody's thread police. The fellowship on this message board is what makes it so unique, and sticking to the topic so strictly doesn't really lend itself to a sense of community.

The Fidy Ate is still in play, and I really do like it quite a bit. I've figured out from looking at photos of Ken J's what those two plexi windows were originally supposed to look like, and now I'm wondering if I'd ever be able to find replacements.]? I suppose something could be fabricated, but I don't think it would ever look quite right. But, it would still look a lot better than the plexi...

utee94 · 06-25-2008, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

Yes I am very impressed... sorry to highjack Marcus

You know, if only there were someone to hand-build trailers in the Baltimore area-- I bet that type of person could do some great work and make a lot of money...

RoverOwner · 06-25-2008, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utee94

You know, if only there were someone to hand-build trailers in the Baltimore area-- I bet that type of person could do some great work and make a lot of money...

Get in line, Marcus. I'm Customer #1.

Frank's Trailer Works · 06-25-2008, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utee94

You know, if only there were someone to hand-build trailers in the Baltimore area-- I bet that type of person could do some great work and make a lot of money...

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoverOwner

Get in line, Marcus. I'm Customer #1.

I am working towards it guy, Thank you for the vote of confidence.

Overlander & Sea · 07-10-2008, 08:47 AM

maybe we all can stretch it!....and it's so close!

eBay Motors: 1960 Airstream Tradewind 24ft.-- true vintage- original (item 280243204988 end time Jul-12-08 18:25:56 PDT)

Overlander & Sea · 07-10-2008, 08:53 AM

....and one more....

eBay Motors: 62 Airstream Overlander no reserve (item 250267533219 end time Jul-13-08 16:52:52 PDT)

utee94 · 07-10-2008, 09:04 AM

Wow, I haven't seen this thread in a while.

Rick, thanks for the updates. That TW looks to be in nice original condition, and I really like the dinette. The added benefit is that Kerrville is less than a 2-hour drive from Austin.

Frank and I have had a long and ongoing discussion outside the Forums on that '62 Overlander in Tennessee. There are definitely some causes for alarm, but I recognize that no vintage trailer is going to be perfect.

Aside from the skin tears (and the associated water damage that is likely lurking behind them despite the seller's message to me that none was detected), the taillights are assymetric and look odd because I don't see any evidence of moving and patching them. Perhaps not a big deal, but odd at the very least.

Thanks for your continued help!

-Marcus

InsideOut · 07-10-2008, 09:40 AM

The Tradewind does look like a nice one...the Overlander, not so much. Besides the skin tears, the lights are really strange ~ something is definitely not being disclosed IMO.

It might be worth a two hour drive to check out the T'wind...

Shari

Overlander & Sea · 07-10-2008, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utee94

Wow, I haven't seen this thread in a while.

Rick, thanks for the updates. That TW looks to be in nice original condition, and I really like the dinette. The added benefit is that Kerrville is less than a 2-hour drive from Austin.

-Marcus

Marcus, this thread is going to keep popping up until you change your Profile from "Currently Looking" to "'61 Overlander"! (or something close)

Good luck with your hunt.

utee94 · 07-10-2008, 04:24 PM

Rick, I look forward to that day with great enthusiasm!

As Rob Baker often tells me, I am an Airstream-wannabe. Someday soon, I hope to be elevated to the lofty level of Airstream-newbie.

Thanks again for your help and interest!

-Marcus

utee94 · 07-10-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InsideOut

The Tradewind does look like a nice one...the Overlander, not so much. Besides the skin tears, the lights are really strange ~ something is definitely not being disclosed IMO.

It might be worth a two hour drive to check out the T'wind...

Shari

Shari,

Kerrville is in the Texas Hill Country that begins just west of Austin. It's a beautiful drive. We could eat breakfast at the German bakery in Fredericksburg, and then truck over to Kerrvile to check it out. We could be back home in time for lunch and still hit the lake.

Might make for a lovely Saturday.

-Marcus

robandzoe · 07-10-2008, 04:36 PM

I also tell him he'll become an Airstream "Rookie" for the first year he has it. Get the one you want!

Rob

utee94 · 07-10-2008, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robandzoe

I also tell him he'll become an Airstream "Rookie" for the first year he has it. Get the one you want!

Rob

Rob, I think you're being very generous if you tell me I'll only be a rookie for the "first year." I suspect I have many years of rookie-dom ahead of me, but I welcome the label as I welcome the challenge.

I'm working on the "getting the one I want" and I guarantee that all of you very kind and helpful people will be the first to know. I really hope to have a great (but uneventful) recovery story to call into the VAP with in the very near future.

-Marcus

utee94 · 07-12-2008, 11:51 AM

Folks, I must admit that I've been tempted by this '55 Cruiser on Ebay.

eBay Motors: 1955 Airstream Cruiser (item 280243416399 end time Jul-13-08 12:22:14 PDT)

It's close, only a couple hundred miles away, and it's a cool old trailer. After speaking to my Council of Vintage Airstream Experts, I'm getting mixed reviews. Some think that it's a good deal even if you paid the full BIN price of $6500. Others think there are too many question marks and too much work to be done to spend that much on it.

And of course, I have my own concerns, because I really do like tandem-axles trailers, and this one is single-axle. And I also like the idea of a full bath with tub, instead of just the wet bath. I don't take baths, and I doubt my wife would ever take a bath on a camping trip, but I can't help but think it would be nice for bathing kids (I currently have a 9-month-old and we will likely try for one more).

Still, this is a cool old trailer. It has 13-panels. I really dig that.

But it's not exactly what I've been looking for, and I don't know if my attraction isn't partly just because it's close, and this Search seems to have been dragging on a bit lately...

-Marcus

Aerowood · 07-12-2008, 03:14 PM

If you feel real sporty you could always convert it over to tandem torsion axle

utee94 · 07-12-2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerowood

If you feel real sporty you could always convert it over to tandem torsion axle

Sounds great, Kip. You're coming down to Austin WHEN???

-Marcus

whitsend · 07-12-2008, 08:52 PM

utee94 said "We could eat breakfast at the German bakery in Fredericksburg, and then truck over to Kerrvile to check it out. We could be back home in time for lunch and still hit the lake."

utee94 - While hitting the lake sounds wonderful, I suggest you delay your departure from Kerrville long enough to enjoy the lunch buffet at the Inn of the Hills. Absolutely worth the modest cost. Plus - the walls are covered in Swiss-made wall clocks & huge cattle bells.