Wife and I have been camping (again) since 2015 when I built a 5x10 teardrop. Two years later, I found a
1966 Arrow (canned ham) and did a partial renovation, some ribbing, internal walls, one side panel, electric and plumbing upgrade. It's about 85% complete. It has 10 feet of living area and we can actually stand up. What a difference. Saturday, I returned from a 11 day trek to Ohio and back and a portion of four days fixing this or that. I tell myself its a 54 year old trailer and just needs the attention.
The Arrow has been a labor of love (and I mean labor). It pulls fine with a 2016 Nissan Frontier 6 cyl. It's fine for a weekender at a local campground but the 11 days has taught me that we need something bigger...probably in the 16-20 ft range. My next project will be an Airstream.
Question is: does it need to be a project at all? While we have an aversion to debt, a $25-35k Airstream would not be a problem. I noticed at this price point there are both 20 year old untouched bambi and caravels as well as restored/renovated 1960's vintages in the same models. It seems to me that an early 2000's Airstream would be the way to go as there would be less concern about the need for a frame off restoration, new axles/hubs, brakes, etc. Is there a point (say the 1980's, 1990's or 2000's) where there is good availability of parts without the need for a major rework? Are there makes/years that should be avoided?