what should I pay - 73 excella 500

[gypsygirl]

Hi,
I'm very new to this, and excited now that I've made the decision to purchase a vintage airstream. I'm looking at the 73 excella 500 with wrap around couch and rear full bed. The fridge, ac/heat strip, are new, the rest looks very clean in the pictures and owner states no floor problems, rust, or dents. Asking price is 13,900...down from 14,500! sounds high to me based on my research so far. Would love some feedback and advice. Located not to far from me so I can go eyeball it.
Thanks and hello to all.
becca

[davidz71]

Becca,
Sounds high to me also but trailer prices have gone up lately due to disasters in FL. and LA. I just sold my '77 Excella 500 for under $7,000. It had a couple small dents on a rear panel and the carpeting was dated. All appliances were working, 2 strong Delco Voyager batteries, tires were 4 yrs. old (except for one which was one yr. old), alum. rims and 40 lb. tanks. There was the beginning of rear end droop but it has not changed over the last 4 yrs as I watched it closely. Mine only had a curbside couch and one curbside twin bed so I believe it could have been priced a little higher if it had twins and a little higher if it had the rear bedroom. It was polished which was worth all the ohhhs and ahhhs. It was also priced to sell since I had 2 Airstreams in my back yard and one angry wife.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by gypsygirl

Hi,
I'm very new to this, and excited now that I've made the decision to purchase a vintage airstream. I'm looking at the 73 excella 500 with wrap around couch and rear full bed. The fridge, ac/heat strip, are new, the rest looks very clean in the pictures and owner states no floor problems, rust, or dents. Asking price is 13,900...down from 14,500! sounds high to me based on my research so far. Would love some feedback and advice. Located not to far from me so I can go eyeball it.
Thanks and hello to all.
becca

becca,
Welcome to the forums

You will defintely need to go check it out, if you can take someone with you that knows Airstreams it would be a plus...check out this thread Volunteer Inspectors I agree that prices for used units have risen in the past 6 months. Off hand I would think the price is on the high side, but....it will boil down to what you want and what you are willing to pay.

Aaron

[john hd]

Asking price is 13,900...down from 14,500! sounds high to me based on my research so far.

you are correct, that is high. about half of that would be a good price if it was in excellent condition.

use aaron's suggestion and check out the volunteer inspectors.

john

[Cedars]

Yup, that sounds high!
And too, someone needs to make sure the fridge is an two or three fuel appropriate RV replacement fridge, not an AC only unit! I've heard of many units having only the AC unit installed, which makes it impossible to keep stuff coll unless you are plugged into shore power.

Elizabeth in Iowa

[SafeHarbor]

Hi, Becca,

Wow, if they go for that, I wonder if I can afford NOT to sell mine?

Seriously, I gave $8,500 for mine back in March this year. You can click on my name to the left and visit my photo gallery and see that my Excella has traveled, but it's in very good original condition and every thing works.

I think your sellers may be taking what they think it's worth and adding on the cost of what they replaced or upgraded. It doesn't exactly work that way. The trailer is expected to have a fridge. A new one is NICE, but it doesn't add the total cost of the new one onto the value. And like Elizabeth said, taking out a fancy self-defrosting three-way fridge and replacing it with a cheap Norcold or (horrors) a house fridge from Home Depot adds NO value at all and may take a chunk of it away.

Good luck in this, and as everybody advises, find yourself a forum buddy to go with you to look at it.

Regards,

Lamar

PS - The rear twin models are a lot easier to inspect.

[gypsygirl]

Thanks so much for your sage advice! It was much appreciated and very helpful. I'll look forward to logging in with my airstream stories in the near future.
Many Blessings,
Becca

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by gypsygirl

Thanks so much for your sage advice! It was much appreciated and very helpful. I'll look forward to logging in with my airstream stories in the near future.
Many Blessings,
Becca

I'll give away my approximate age and say I remember a MoTown song, "You Better Shop Around" With the internet, you'd be foolish not to let your fingers do the walking.

Look at the classifieds on this site, look at Airstream.com classified, then look at RVtraderonline.com just for a start. Even E-bay rarely gets that kind of price for a unit, and the ones sold there are often highly overbid.

You are in the happy hunting ground for Airstreams. There are a LOT in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona due to snowbirds who finally end up retiring and staying there full time. I'd check your local classifieds, tour nearby trailer parks and RV parks, and check online classifieds for newspapers within a 200 mile radius of your home. I bet if you asked members of this forum to check their newspapers for Airstreams for sale, they'd help you in your search... or succumb to temptation while trying!

Happy Hunting... I say keep on looking.

Tin Lizzie

[rebel beck]

Becca,
We just bought a 75 model 31 foot in the $6000.00 range. I looked for months and 6 to 8 seem liked the going price. Welcome to the forums.


Becky