Buying my grandfather's '57 airstream - is this a good price???

[brokenear]

Wow give grandpa a break!

Where are all these airstreams under 8K ...?

Come on where are they?

I haven't seen any under that aren't clearly scams (no title etc blah blah blah)...

[Vista Nic]

I never laughed so hard reading some of these posts. I agree with everyone; Grandpa is a hard old wheeler dealer and the price is not fair. Even if he "gave it to you" (which he should); it would be several thousand to get it full time road worthy and a few months work (I hear a frame off restoration is at least $30,000). I'd print out all these posts and let Grandpa read them. Tell Grandpa he can keep his trailer and you go out and find a much better deal. Good luck Old 57 and I hope you change your name to "Old 69" or "old xxxx".

[Killerlumber]

[QUOTE=Old57;2412246]Hello Everyone,

I'm so happy to be here! I haven't yet purchased this airstream, but my grandfather has a 1957 Overlander Airstream in original condition. It has been sitting on his farm in South Dakota (not on jacks or blocks) for approximately 10 years. My boyfriend and I are extremely interested in purchasing Old'57 from him to live in full time for a while as we tour the country.

My grandpa wants $8,000 for it, and is not willing to budge on price (he has agreed to include new tires.) He purchased it for $3,500 in 2001 and put in about $700 of renovations into it at the time. He is the 3rd owner of the airstream. Frankly, it needs some work. Most of the interior is in tact - and we would like to keep it as original as possible so this will eliminate lots of cost to renovate. It seems that the only thing that does not work on the interior is the refrigerator. I am more concerned about the exterior. Old'57 has leaf springs and axles (both are rusted) and the outer underside of the shell has been badly damaged and ripped due to gramps running over a tree. It appears there is some gas piping sticking out.. There are also quite a few places in which the aluminum shell is torn at the bottom (pictures included).

I would be grateful for some guidance on how much work/$ will be needed to make Old'57 road ready. My boyfriend and I are handy and not afraid of hard work (we plan to do it ourselves) but at the end of the day we need to know if $8,000 upfront is a reasonable price for a project like this, and how severe or minor these issues really are. We think $8000 (including all new tires) is too high and feel as if $6000 (including all new tires) is more than a reasonable price. Are we wrong?

Grateful for any help, and thanks in advance!

-Well I'll tell you that if your Grandfather offered to give me that old Airstream for nothing, like free, I would say no thank you. It's a real fixer upper and working on the Airstream isn't the same as working on a house. Good luck. Alan

[LanSluder]

If my granddad were still alive, I wouldn't pay him anything like $8,000 for this AS in at best fair condition and having been stuck away somewhere for years.

Like someone told me when I foolishly bought a fourplex apartment building in New Orleans, "That's not a project -- that's a career."

[doughpat]

Dude. No way. Not even for half the price.

The idea of parking stationary (ie towing it) and renting it via Airbnb is maybe doable, but there are a lot of issues doing that that you may not have thought of.

Do yourself a favor and go to airstream classifieds and see what $6000 (Or whatever you’re thinking of offering) can buy you.

[nickclifford]

hey, just in case this wasn't mentioned already .. if a trailer was infested with mold & rodent droppings, give a wide birth unless doing a total frame-up restoration. Not good for health.

[camp-n-family]

Taking on this project, at any cost, is not worth losing a grandfather over. I guarantee this will cause a family rift in the future. Doing business with family is a slippery slope and at that price to start he’s not doing you any favors.

[1957Custom22]

I’ll offer some plusses and minuses, from the viewpoint of this actual 1957 owner.

Plus: the old axles, leaf springs and shackles are likely to be ok, regardless of outward appearance.

Minus: if your brake drums are badly scored or worn, new ones are unobtainable; the old ones incorporate wheel bearings smaller than those on modern drums. New axles sized to take modern wheel bearings would have to be fabricated for hundreds of dollars each, and new brake assemblies installed.

Minus: the thin ladder frame (made of formed and welded sheet-steel) under the floor may be dangerously rusted; you can’t tell without removing the belly pan. Fixing that problem requires skilled electric arc-welding.

Plus: this trailer has a bathtub. My wife prefers baths to showers; she loves that little bathtub. It also functions as a shower pan, so I like it too.

Minus: “particle board” reportedly under the water tank is concerning — definitely not original. The original floor was plywood. When a plywood floor goes bad — typically near the outer edge where the body shell bolts down — the shell should be lifted off the frame and the plywood replaced — a big job.

Minus: these trailers didn’t come with waste tanks. It’s hard to find (much less install) new waste tanks the right size and shape to fit between the ladder frame members. Then you must install traps in drain pipes and a modern RV/marine toilet; otherwise you’ll smell sewer gas.

Plus: these trailers came with separate 110 vac and 12 vdc circuits and light bulbs; when using shore power, your lights and wall outlets don’t depend on a voltage converter or electronics.

Minus: these trailers didn’t come with an auxiliary 12 vdc battery (the tow vehicle originally supplied 12 vdc), and there isn’t space for an auxiliary battery on the relatively-short front A-frame. A skilled electric arc-welder can extend the A-frame enough to accommodate a battery holder. Otherwise an auxiliary battery (which you’ll need to power the break-away brake switch) must be secured somewhere inside the trailer.

Minus: you’ll need new rubber seals on the windows. The window lift arms (aluminum alloy) can break from metal fatigue; new replacements arms are unobtainable. (Broken lift arms can be repaired by someone skilled at gas-welding aluminum.)

Intending no disrespect, and with best wishes to all, in my opinion this trailer would be overpriced at half the price. It needs about 2 years of spare-time work at a fixed secure location by someone who places no value on his spare time, who has a well-equipped home workshop, and who has more skill and experience than most handymen.

[Life is a Highway]

Grandpa should give it to you with his blessings that the 6-9 k your gonna pour into Ole 57 makes you happy.

Looks like a 6 month to 1 year restoration to get it SAFE to tour with. That’s in a shop with tools and talent to get r done right.

I think the sedimental is clouding the financial reality.

[Mikebrady62]

My guess is that grandpa thinks it is a fair deal based on other pricing he see's but not for the shape it is in. Politely decline and look elsewhere for one that is a good deal. In a year or so, there should be plenty but you will need to be patient.

[Muskie]

I bought a 59 Tradewind, for $2700.00, 6 years ago, didn't know what I was into.
I did a lot of work, and could have done more. Almost guaranteed, this will need to be restored, new floor, or part of. Once you open it up and see things, the truth will be there. It was for me, and I was told from the Vintage Airtstream Podcast [great resource] that all these things have rot. Mine did, frame/ floor etc... It took a long time and lots of money. It is now great, but if I was interested in full timing like you say, I think that the romantic pangs of the airstream would be outweighed by the romantic journey[s] you will be on.
You will be probably [depending on your time and resources ] be in this for at least a year. Perhaps three!

8K is a lot, and expect to spend many more thousands if you want to do it right.
The floors rot out, once the bellypan is off you will encounter projects beyond.

That all said, for me now, it's great, but it was a shed load of work.
-m

[1969fowler]

We have a 1959 single axle 24’ Tradewind airstream travel trailer and have redone the interior twice. These trailers were made well and are easy to restore to its original design. We prefer originality and did not make any interior design changes. We cleaned the exterior but did not polish it because the polish probably takes more maintenance than just a wash job. The second interior restoration, interior removed and walls painted took 8 weeks. Contrary to some responses, lots of the springs, hydraulic brakes and all are not always in bad shape. Some say $8,000 for the restoration. Come on. If you do your own work, that is somewhat out of line since you are not afraid of hard work.

[journeydog]

Let's leave Gramp alone for a sec or two...


If what you really want is to full-time and sight-see the good ole USA, then look for an old, running VW bus and some camping gear, tent, stove, etc. and put the pedal to the metal. You'll probably be able to do that for less than the $8++K you're talking about with Gramp's 'deal'.



However,.....


Why are you being offered this 'deal'? Gramp may be testing your 'financial strength'. Maybe he suspects you would be comfortable with 'blowing' all the moola on his 'deal' for you. To test your financial 'resolve'. If you say OK, he could think you're only worth a few shekels when he croaks. If you just 'piss it off' and blow the bucks, he'll pass you by whenever. You must show him that you appreciate that HE worked hard to provide for his family, etc., etc. and you're going to do the best YOU can too. I'm sure he'll be happy either way, because he thought of your 'dream' once-upon-a-time also. I'm 83 and I want to be fair to everyone in my family, but the one who needs some help and shows me that they have some respect for my efforts will get a little extra reward. Most of all ENJOY & ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST! Just say NO, BUT THANK YOU GRAMPS.

[TheTwinkie]

I have one 10 years newer.....and I'm 1 year into the renovation with $15,000 already into it. You're going to have leaks and keep finding more things you need to repair as you remove layer by layer.....I just got my shell off, all new tanks, wiring, plumbing, vents, a/c.....It's a labor of love. I am loving the renovation but I have at least another $20,000 to sink in and this is me doing most of the labor myself. And I'm a good 6 months from being able to move it. If you're wanting to travel go newer...and for $8,000 you should be able to find that.

[TheTwinkie]

Originally Posted by nickclifford

hey, just in case this wasn't mentioned already .. if a trailer was infested with mold & rodent droppings, give a wide birth unless doing a total frame-up restoration. Not good for health.

You should have seen the nastiness I found when I removed my interior panels and subfloor! There was a catch of 200+ lizard eggs to mention just one gross out moment.

[TheTwinkie]

Originally Posted by brokenear

Wow give grandpa a break!

Where are all these airstreams under 8K ...?

Come on where are they?

I haven't seen any under that aren't clearly scams (no title etc blah blah blah)...

I bought my 1967 tradewinds for $3,500. We're currently shell off, belly pan out and finally turned the corner of starting to put it back together. Great project, but fully renovating is gonna be around $30,000 by the time I'm done, and that is with doing most of the labor ourselves.

[richcrest]

So this AS has been parked immobile in South Dakota, where it rains and snows, for many years with significant breaches in the lower body and underbelly skin. Do you know how many rodents and reptiles and arachnids are now residing underneath the floor? Fumigation and even hazmat removal might need to be included in your resto budget. TheTwinkie is way braver than me...just sharing a thought...Good Luck!

[Ken J]

Very interesting comments - everything on these 50’s trailers are restorable - I’ve seen lots of airstreams in worse shape sell for way more - having your gramps old airstream - priceless

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by Ken J

Very interesting comments - everything on these 50’s trailers are restorable - I’ve seen lots of airstreams in worse shape sell for way more - having your gramps old airstream - priceless

As an owner of a mid-50's Airstream that was in similar shape when we got it, I agree, it's a very desirable, nice trailer definately worth restoring. And as you mentioned, the sentimental value is worth something.

Maybe the price of entry is high, but it's a very do-able project. However, the opening poster is a first-time vintage owner, they are looking to take it on the road full-time in three weeks and restore it on the road. That is what I think most people are responding to...

I would love to see this trailer come back to life, but it doesn't appear to be road-worthy with just a change of tires as proposed in the opening posts.

Shari

[Sol_Elf]

Originally Posted by Ken J

Very interesting comments - everything on these 50’s trailers are restorable - I’ve seen lots of airstreams in worse shape sell for way more - having your gramps old airstream - priceless

Guys we found Grandpa's account! jk jk