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Boondocker · 07-29-2005, 09:44 PM

Im looking to purchase a 60ish 22-26 foot airstream. I am wondering what the average person in this situation has spent restoring their unit.

General Disarray
AKA rodney

sovereignrwe · 07-29-2005, 09:50 PM

Great question:

Please also indicate the starting state of your trailer....shell only, just as well have been shell only, shell + half original, shell + original

Please also add the end state ... still working, fixed it only enough to use, could have worked for the Airstream Factory with all of the work I did

Jim & Susan · 07-29-2005, 09:52 PM

Short answer? Nothing. I've only started on my '73. Longer answer? I expect to spend four to five thousand dollars in toto. I don't want to get too extravigant, but I do want it to be comfortable and pleasing. That seems to be in line with others on the forum depending, of course, on the original condition of the trailer.

Boondocker · 07-29-2005, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim & Susan

Short answer? Nothing. I've only started on my '73. Longer answer? I expect to spend four to five thousand dollars in toto. I don't want to get too extravigant, but I do want it to be comfortable and pleasing. That seems to be in line with others on the forum depending, of course, on the original condition of the trailer.

So what condition did you start from? (and what did you pay for that). What are your major plans?

Rodney

early · 07-29-2005, 09:58 PM

As of right now we have $2000.00 in restoring the inside. Still have about $500.00 more to go on it. The outside hasn't been touched yet. We will have to get axles next year.

We still have a ways to go, but I am having a ball redoing the AS. It's just addictive, so have fun.

Dawn

Boondocker · 07-29-2005, 10:14 PM

I'm still shopping but I figure on 1K for an axel, 2K refer and heat, 500 for a sweet floor, new bed and relace padding in goucho

. But in a couple years a classic

. Priceless

General Disarray

C Johnson · 07-29-2005, 11:00 PM

Rodney, I have spent just over 6k. I am done with all the major purchases of supplies, parts, and appliances. I started with an all original badly neglected 17ft Caravel. Ended up gutting it because of a really bad mouse infestation and termite infestation.

I will end up with a mostly new solid AS for 10k, 20k less than a new one.

Chris

Safari Tim · 07-30-2005, 12:30 AM

I have kept a seperate budget category in quicken for my Airstream stuff. I kept track of every thing including stainless steal screws....

I have $6821 into it so far. Still need a zip dee awning, and maybe a new furnace. Old one works but I don't really trust it and we don't really need one anyway.

That $7k does NOT include the purchase price btw. It does include taxes, registrations, tools like the cyclo, basically anything that I had to spend that I wouldn't if I did not have the trailer.

But I do find myself at the point where there isn't anything to do on it. I have been tinkering with it for the past five years that I can't believe its done. So I find myself going out and opeing the door just to make sure there's nothing to do

MarkR · 07-30-2005, 01:06 AM

I'm no where near "done", actually I'm at the beginning, but I have an excel spread sheet that predicts I'll spend something like $10k when complete, which includes original price of trailer, all new "systems", new floor, new interior . . .

juel · 07-30-2005, 05:32 AM

You mean you actually get "done" with this. I don't have a spread sheet or an itemised list of all I have spent; but I think it's been at least $2000.00, including the toys I've bought my husband to work on it. You know when you get this one close to the way you want it, YOU START LOOKING FOR ANOTHER! Is there a twelve step program for us?

rluhr · 07-30-2005, 06:07 AM

As you can see, you can spend anything you want. I've seen trailers people called "restored" that had as little as $500 invested. And I know several people who have spent in excess of $20k to restore their trailer. (They won't be posting here to admit it.)

For serious restorations, few people seem to come in under $6k unless they've got a really cherry trailer to start with. And I've noticed that few people really keep track of the expenses accurately. It's often a bit too painful!

There's another thread out here where I talked about the true cost of a full restoration. We've also itemized every bolt and pint of POR-15 on the Project Vintage Thunder page at http://www.airstreamlife.com/vintagethunder , which may be helpful to you.

JMGAZ · 07-30-2005, 06:24 AM

Go Salukies! My wife attended C'dale.

Anyway, we just got ours home last week and are just in the planning stages. Im hoping to get our '67 Overlander done for <$10K.

Project list looks a little something like this:

New subfloor, rust proof frame, new "complete" axles, wheels, new plumbing and electrical, new LP tanks, replace bellypan, flooring, rebuild refer and polish.

Plus I still need to pour a slab to park it on the side of the house and extend an existing block wall down one side

Happycampers · 07-30-2005, 09:46 AM

Hello everyone.. we have the above and we are nearly finished with it.. only thing left is a new AC and front window guards.. floor replaced in the front, new flooring..new curtains and upholstery,fantastic fans, new lighting, intellipower with charge wizard, new battery, tires,shocks,brakes, breakaway, electric jack,new plumbing, new LP tanks and custom cover,new exterior lights .. and a brand new paint job. Had a Zipdee patio awning and rear awning put on.. This trailer is going out on its maiden voyage tomorrow.. I am digressed from the post.. we have $6500 Canadian in ours now not including purchase price AND my hubby did the body work and paint job... that is his trade..

I forgot the new underbelly and LP lines. Will post pics after our getaway ..

Marvin and Annie

Swanny · 09-05-2005, 07:59 PM

My wife and I are about 1 year into restoring our Excella 500. We were pretty fortunate since this TT was in pretty good shape when we purchased it. So far we've got about $2000 into it overall. This includes having the axles inspected/pulled to replace all of the shocks and wheel bearings. We've pulled out the nasty old carpet and replaced with a floating pergo floor. I've also rebuilt the kitchen counter, replaced the fittings and put in a new stove.

We also have a flat screen TV, CD player with Satellite radio. Our next project is to replace the curtains and than I'll start polishing it this fall. The great thing of living near San Antonio is that I'll have most of the winter to strip and polish the AS. Wish us luck!!!

Dale M · 09-05-2005, 08:28 PM

Our 1977 27' Overlander was in good shape when we got it on eBay this June. I was able to check it out firsthand as it was only 90 miles away before bidding on it. We have spent about $1500 on a new refrigerator, new brake actuator and having the disk brakes/bearings inspected. I did the refrigerator and the brake actuator install myself.

The furance seems to be the only project on my list now. Hopefully it's a simple fix. Hopefully you can find one in good shape that hasn't been abused.

2airishuman · 09-05-2005, 08:29 PM

in 1988/89 i had my 1979 moho 'restored'......actually i would have been crazy to put new harvest gold and avocado and fake walnut in it!

since it was having a 10 year birthday, i had an airstream shop essentially gut it and completely redo the interior with more modern/euro styling/finish/cabinets/galley and so on. everything but the location of plumbing/electrical was redone...every interior surface was replaced and all furniture reupholstered or replaced; cockpit/driving gear was all redone with leather/flexsteel from the current models. every appliance except the fridge was replaced. on the outside i had the coach stripped of all finish/fixtures/screws/seals/rubber gasket and so on, and this was all redone....every seam was recaulked and every attachment was replaced/sealed with the modern airstream part, even did heated/remote controlled mirrors and refinished the bumbers/grills and all cast aluminum to it's original state.....actually some items were better than new. all new lighting and used a paint that boeing was using on aircraft....and did the accent stripes/graphics/pinstripes in my college colors..... added airstream factory windows to the door and shower where none existed prior. had the generator rebuilt to new. completely replaced the suspension system...new bags, heavier sway bars, ipd performance bits/ bilstein shocks and so on..... souped the drivetrain with headers, exhaust, air box, and what ever else was available for the 454 and the tranny......

process took about 2 months and i visited 2x week to watch the progress...so when it was done it looked like a brand new 1989 classic motorhome but with performance features and euro look not available from ohio....

what did i spend? almost exactly the original '79 sticker price in 1989 money.....and it was worth every dollar. just passed it on to the second owner 2 years ago and it still looks better than some new models.....

so look up the original sticker price of a 28/30 foot classic mo ho and that's my "restoration" cost........best birthday party a trailer ever had!!

cheers
2air'

Quote:

Originally Posted by rluhr

As you can see, you can spend anything you want. I've seen trailers people called "restored" that had as little as $500 invested. And I know several people who have spent in excess of $20k to restore their trailer. (They won't be posting here to admit it.)

safari57 · 09-05-2005, 09:03 PM

I have a '51 Flying Cloud that was half done when I got it and I paid 5K Canadian so around 4 USD. I've put a couple of dollars under $2,200C in it so far and will spend another few hundred over the winter for odds and sods, but really other than a polish it's about as done as I'll get it. My advice if you are doing this as well as having a full time job and want to use it sometime soon is to buy the best one you can afford to get in the nicest shape and consider that your starting point. Buying a shell or one that will end up that way before you start your work can be a long drawn out process. My buddy just bought a 2004 AS that was wrecked in Saskatchewan, Canada off of ebay ($587USD) and he's going to use all appliances in his '47 Curtis-Wright he's been restoring. A cheap way to get all new appliances (they have tested out okay), tanks, etc. These, fortunately, are sad events of misfortune for a fellow AS owner and are few and far between coming available so consider having whatever you are looking at checked out at a quality RV dealership before you buy. A decent refer can set you back serious bucks, same with axle(s), etc. Also, if it's been moused-out, be cautious. That smell stays with them for a long time. That said, having completed ours, there's a level of satisfaction in having it done, knowing it inside and out intimately, and having the knowledge to do another one when it comes down the road with my name all over it (although my wife says it will have a casket right behind it if I do this without her knowledge this time). Barry

flyfshr · 09-05-2005, 09:32 PM

What have I spent? Man, I'm not sure I want to know. To be honest, I have appr. $5000 into our baby not including purchase price and there's not much more to do but tinker with it. The remaining item to be done is the slow leak in the black water tank. That's on the list for this off-season.

Original purchase price = $3500
Appliances, parts and restoration = $5000
The joy of owning and repairing a vintage Airstream = priceless!!

FF

uwe · 09-06-2005, 12:38 AM

I am at a bit over 11k so far, purchase price included. I will be at $14kto $16k when it's all done, if not more.
This does not include any labor charges, just parts and supplies, plus the price of the trailer.
I have yet to build an entire interior. Will have to shell out money for countertops, more maple, fasteners, perhaps a few tools, foam, fabric, window treatments, odds and ends, plus new bedding and new galley items.
I included everything in the sale of our tradewind.
Well worth it at twice the price!

flamingo-kid1 · 09-06-2005, 06:29 AM

We're at about 10 to 11K.. including purchase price of 5K.. we gave the PO waht they asked because she is SO ORIGINAL and in "walk in and live" shape.

That's NOT an easy thing to find!

The PO truly loved her, and now the trailer has passed on to more people who love her.

New AC, new wheels, not just tires) re-doing the interior to my own tastes, and not much else has gone wrong :-) We will be looking at a bathroom repair but do not have "separation" yet.

I believe that buying an almost perfect unit allowed me a LOT of leeway in the FUN things we wanted to do. I'm much happier this way, because a "cheap" fixer-upper" would have ended up costing me more.

Also, My 11K (top amount) is peanuts compared to new prices.
Thanks, Linda, for selling her, I LOVE our trailer.