Gifted a '83 Excella 31', what now?

[Diamond DW]

Pulled it back to my house already. Have an '04 Sunline Solaris that's ready to be replaced. Couldn't walk away from this opportunity but I'm completely overcome by the amount of work this represents. She's in really good shape for how old she is but I'm starting to see through the rose colored glasses now that I can go out there with a cup of coffee and really look. What have I gotten myself into?

[Rocinante]

First off, congratulations on your "new to you" aluminum baby!

There are lots of threads here that will go into great depths on the kinds of things you may want to look for as you decide what things are likely to need fixing and the best order in which to attempt those fixes. What you do also depends on your goals. Restoration? Renovation? Just the minimum for camp-ability?

Most work starts with figuring out how handy you are. Then, how much the trailer has leaked in the past, how much water damage it has suffered, and where to start first.

Lots to think about, welcome!

[Swillv8]

Congratulations on your new trailer!! My advice: just use it, don't get overcome if there is to much work. Address the immediate concerns first fix as you go. Plan a bit of fixes each year and maintenance. The reward of using the airstream will be different then other trailers

[Rocinante]

Assuming she's road-worthy and the floors aren't soft enough to be an immediate concern, this seems good advice. As you use it, you'll find out what's OK and what isn't. As you camp, you can start making a list of issues you want to address and begin to plan that work.

Originally Posted by Swillv8

Congratulations on your new trailer!! My advice: just use it, don't get overcome if there is to much work. Address the immediate concerns first fix as you go. Plan a bit of fixes each year and maintenance. The reward of using the airstream will be different then other trailers

[Diamond DW]

I'm liking the 'just use it' advice. That really is the whole point now isn't it? We'll get her cleaned up, leak check the water/waste system and the propane lines and see how many of the appliances work as intended. Just have to plan a weekend get away after that.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Diamond DW

I'm liking the 'just use it' advice. That really is the whole point now isn't it? We'll get her cleaned up, leak check the water/waste system and the propane lines and see how many of the appliances work as intended. Just have to plan a weekend get away after that.

Awesome! That's such a beautiful gift and the memories will be even better! Happy camping!