Did we pay too much

[photomikey2]

Never trust a restaurant with a skinny chef.

Never trust a guy who owns an Airstream with no dings in it.

[AnnArborBob]

One last thought on trailer valuations. I know people who have bought an older trailer for a couple thousand dollars, gutted it and spent $30,000 to $40,000 or more to get it back to original condition. If your trailer is as clean as it looks in the pictures, even with the dents, you got a good deal.

[Getaways]

Originally Posted by photomikey

Never trust a restaurant with a skinny chef.

Never trust a guy who owns an Airstream with no dings in it.

Never trust a woman wearing more than 3" heels.



Sorry to get off topic!

[Bill M.]

I do not think you paid too much. The 25' is a very desirable size and the center bath twin bed combination is a good one. We love our 1988, 25' and would glady pay that price or a little more for another like it if we need it. I actually think you got a very good deal for a very desirable model Airstream. Kept covered and not used much for a number of years probably a big plus. I think ours had been to Alaska and back a couple of times before we took it again.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by Panama Red

Seal up the cracks with some Vulkem, and go camp the stew out of that thing, and completely forget and never worry again about what you paid for her... Beautiful trailer, and as someone else said, if you want to fix the dents later, a trip to the mothership would be a cool vacation. I'd love to drag mine up there just to take her back home after 41 years...

-Red, pro-camping, anti-worrying...

I second the motion to get repairs done at Jackson Center. That is the best service center ever. We took our trailer to the Mother Ship in September for warranty repairs and thoroughly enjoyed the trip as a vacation. We arrived in the Terraport Monday evening. Tuesady morning we put the trailer in for service. We toured the American Bicycle museum in New Bremen, OH Tuesday morning and did an Airstream factory tour Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday, we toured the Air Force Museum in Dayton. Thursday, we hung around the service center lounge and waited for our trailer. Friday, we traveled back to Mississippi.
I will only take my trailer to Jackson Center for service.

[NavyCorpsman]

Nice rig. If it didn't have a dent when you got it, guess what? Piano on the roof.jpg Have fun with it! WhoooHooo!

[Al and Missy]

First, the bad news: That gap looks too big to seal with caulk. That's just my opinion, but I'd look at trying to pull out the aluminum before caulking, or fitting a patch somehow. Is that the wood floor showing through the crack? If so, that is a really bad place to have a leak because it could lead to floor rot. I'd tape some plastic up over the hole until I could get it fixed.

Now, some good news: I just put some dents and a serious crease in the same area on my trailer. Harbor Freight sells a vacuum dent puller for about $70. If you have, or have access to an air compressor, you may be able to make a significant improvement in your dents, particularly the large, round dent. I was able to pull out some dents, but couldn't make much progress on the crease. The bigger the dent. the better. As long as it is more than 4" or so in diameter, this puller would probably help. It is a long bar with a slide hammer, and two different sizes of suction cups. When hooked up to an air compressor it creates a vacuum that sticks the tool to the skin and you use the slide hammer to pull it out. I couldn't believe how well it stuck to the skin.

Another member on here posted about high quality body work done by Out-of-Doors Mart in NC. I'm thinking of having them replace my rear segment. You can get quotes from the factory and OoDM by sending them a picture of the damaged areas.

Don't stress over whether you paid too much. It won't change anything, and it will rob you of the enjoyment you deserve. Personally, I think the price is reasonable given your description of the storage and condition. We have had our 2001 Safari about a year now. The person I bought it from had only had it 9 months and bought it from the original owner. He told me the original owner stored it inside (for 12 years) and I believe it. There is virtually no filiform corrosion or clearcoat clouding. People have asked me if my trailer is new. Your exterior looks similar to mine.

Get it dry, check out all the systems, check the age of the tires and replace them if over 5-7 years old, re-pack the wheel bearings and go camping!

Al

[sabegirl]

Everyone has really helped to ease my mind. We have a air compressor so the puller is definitely a possibility and we all know the dents are over 4" so maybe there's hope yet. Luckily the hubby is pretty handy working on whatever he sets his mind to. He'll be building a storage shed for the Airstream in the next couple of weeks. I'll post some inside pictures and looking down into the bottom gap tomorrow.

[Sodbust]

our 72 has a few dings and dents but all of them tell a story of its life.. I would not worry or spend hard cash to fix what I see in the photos.. Risk is,, get it all wonderful and plow into a street light pole yourself is how my life seems to work.. Spend the money on trips and add a little road rash yourself!
$14,000 in todays money is only $1400 30 years ago,.. Darn good deal and much better than the $80,000 a new one would cost. Sodbust

[streaminwild]

You would be surprised what a ''new'' toilet plunger can do to a dent. Worth a try. You have a very clean trailer at a great price. It still has the plastic cover on the carpet. After your first trip out, only then you'll realize the true value...priceless