ISO Airstream, no luck, any tips/suggestions? :[

[gnome]

I'm new to all of this and I can't seem to find anything but scams. :[

I'm searching from Hampton Roads, VA. It would appear that there are quite a bit out there w/ in a 4 hour radius, but half of who I've contacted have been scammers and the other half have "sold" their trailer w/ in hours of the initial post & my contact.

I'm feeling lost and discouraged.

Specifically I am searching for length (about 30ft) and decent bones.

Sorry if this post isn't in the right place, just hoping maybe someone can share some advice/stories/tips.

[Foiled Again]

Once I started looking, I started finding them everywhere. Well that is a bit of an exaggerated but they are more common than one would think.

First - snoop in the right places:

1. storage yards
2. campgrounds
3. alleys and back yards
4. any 2 lane road
5. any lake
6. a blue collar industrial/small business area

My sister remarks that it's funny how many people live in beautiful rural seclusion and have a big honkin' fifth wheel parked in the yard or by the barn. Why go camping when you live there? Of course they might just be getting paid to store some city slicker's trailer.

Get some business cards printed or make a flyer on your computer - saying what you're interested in and how to contact you. You can always leave those with storage facilities and campgrounds. At a private residence, in broad daylight you can knock and respectfully explain what you want while handing over a flyer. (Don't do this in hunting cloths covered with deer blood! Casual or business casual, clean and well groomed only.) Don't ever leave a flyer IN a mailbox unless you put a stamp on it - it's actually a Federal offense though you're unlikely to get nabbed.)

NETWORK: How many people do you know who could become your lookouts? Think about

• your postal carrier
• any Van based business - plumbers, HVAC, electricians
• co-workers
• teenagers with cars
• newspaper delivery/pizza delivery people

Offer a small bounty for a siting - a coffee at Starbucks, etc.
Offer a better bounty if you end up buying - $50 to $100

BTW I haven't been on the Peninsula lately but I've seen one on the same street as Lee Hall plantation, across the street and going south about 1/3 mile. Also there used to be a well polished one on Old Yorktown road. The little campground near the railroad tracks on Richmond Road has one in and out quite a bit. There's a nice AVION 30' that is sitting neglected in Holiday Trav'l Park in VB right now. And there used to be 3 Airstreams there too. I think the KOA on General Booth Blvd might have their 25 footer for sale. It's about a 2007 FB Safari/Flying Cloud. And on the Eastern Shore.

It's a tiny bit out of your range and you've only got until Oct 15 - but Virginia Highland Haven is an Airstream ONLY park just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and 20 miles north of Floyd where the camp host might know of someone getting ready to retire from Airstreaming ... or getting ready to pop for a new unit who might have something decent for sale. Look up the website, call and leave a message.

(Ian Poulin was going through the same thing back in June - didn't realize the perfect thing was sitting on this forum's "for sale" list - just across the border in NC. He's headed back to Highland Haven shortly in his 30 ft Serenity. Wish I didn't have other commitments.)

Last - I'm not all that impressed with the one dealer in VA - Safford RV near Fredricksburg, but you could put them on alert to call you if they get a nice used one in. (I really doubt that they like to take in used ones, so they might refer someone to you who wants a newer one and has an older one to sell.) OODM (Out of Doors Mart in NC) does sell a lot of Airstreams and has many older ones stored on their lot... might be a consignment or two there. Can't hurt to call, or just PM Overlander63 who works there.

Happy hunting. Paula

[Foiled Again]

Have you looked under "classifieds" tab lately?

Once in, click "Advanced Search" and select "VA"

Then try advanced search on "NC" and "MD"



Saw several, many from "new members" which do have to be looked at with a bit of caution... but at least one is from RV dealer.

Do not forget that the eastern shore is called "Delmarva" - Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and that a lot of people vacation over there. Lots of BIG RV parks. It's a tiny bit hairy towing through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, but for a good Airstream how far is too far?

[AWCHIEF]

Do not limit yourself to a small search area. It is not uncommon to drive cross country E/W or N/S to find that perfect Airstream.

[mefly2]

Or contact the WBCCI unit in your area and ask if their members know of any ...

[Stefrobrts]

It took me 6 months to locate my Airstream, and even at that I bought the first one I had a chance to check out in person! The market can be kind of crazy. One plus side of buying right now is that not as many people are looking, but a down side might be that folks who want to sell may just hold onto their trailers until spring to try and get more for them. There is always a flood of people looking to buy in the spring.

Good luck!

[gnome]

Thanks for suggestions, everyone. I work at a campground so I'm hoping to get some word out that way. I have looked on the classifieds on this site and half of who I've contacted on this site have been scammers. It's kind of off putting. I am looking into DE, MD, DC and NC. Just not able to locate anything legit to get my hands on. Keep on truckin I guess.

[Belegedhel]

Some things you didn't tell us are what age range you are looking for (60's, 70's, 2000's, etc), what your rough budget is, and how much renovation/repair you are looking to do.

But I'll offer a few words of general trailer searching advice:

1) As you have already realized, there are lots of scams out there. If the trailer price looks too good to be true, it probably is, if the seller can't show you the trailer, wants to use some kind of escrow service to complete the sale, won't provide a phone number, etc., just walk away.

2) Don't be afraid to make a considerable drive for the right trailer, but at the same time, the further you have to drive, the more likely you are to buy it, regardless of what shape it is in--it can be dangerous.

3) Have cash in hand, and do all the research in advance so that you know exactly what you are looking at, and can negotiate the deal on the spot. A decent trailer at an attractive price will go quick, so peruse the ads twice a day, contact the ones you are interested in immediately, and keep in mind that you are competing with other buyers out there. As a seller, I would rather show my trailer to someone who has already made up their mind to buy, and just wants to inspect, rather than wasting my time with a tire-kicker.

4) If you want a bargain, you will likely not find it on a site with a global audience (AS classifieds, Ebay, RV Trader, public auctions, etc.) As Paula stated above, you might have to do some hunting "offline."

5) Calibrate your expectations (especially if you are looking at vintage trailers). Practically all ~40 year old trailers are going to need a lot of work if the work hasn't already been done. If the work has been done, understand what it is worth.

Good luck!

[AWCHIEF]

I have been to 3 different Airstream only parks. They all seem to have several parked and unoccupied Airstreams with for sale signs on them. Also rallies are a good place to shop. Again there are always a few with for sale signs displayed.
OP I do believe that you are going to have to widen your search area and be willing to travel to find what you are looking for.

[sparkymark]

I searched for 2 years and bought mine in Arkansas (I live in CA), there are a lot of scams-you just have to muddle through to find what you're looking for


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[catec]

I have seen several on the charlottesville craigslist lately.One was a complete project the other looked good. Look through the last couple of weeks


Jim

[aquinob]

They come, they go. If you want, I'll keep an eye out. But if its a really good one, it probably wont hang around for very long, maybe a week or two. Be patient, and give it a few months and be willing to travel a bit. What are your requirements besides around 30 feet?

[streaminwild]

Try ''Onecraigs'' and be very specific on year and length.This is a nation wide search. Only open ads with pictures. The ads with phone numbers are usually serious about selling. I've bought my Airstream, truck, generator, and hobie kayak on Craigslist. Be patient you have all winter to shop. Always see the item and have cash ready. Happy hunting

[aquinob]

Here is one in NJ for 10 grand, looks pretty good: 1978 Airstream Sovereign 31 - New Jersey

Local CL in va bch: http://norfolk.craigslist.org/rvs/4668985795.html

[Tyvekcat]

Saw an older AS for sale a couple weeks ago on RT. 58 near Boydton. It was at what possibly was a storage lot. 36.662365,-78.407612

Drive the google car by that location and it looks like it was there several years ago. There was a 'for sale' sign in the window. It looked like it had been neglected and needed some work, but that was just a drive-by view.

It was still there like three weeks ago. we were on the way to Kerr reservoir, which by the way is a excellent place to camp. you could always take a ride out 58 to look. We do that a lot checking out campgrounds, you see all kinds of things
Have a good one!

[angle]

gnome, My name is Michelle, I'm from VA. Bobby and I have a 1986 Airstream 29ft sitting in our back yard. It was our first and we are having troble letting it go. We know it needs to leave or will sit there and go down hill. We lover her with all our hearts. If you really are interested in looking at her. Please let us know. home phone # is 540-862-4035, We are Bobby and Michelle Angle. And yes, we have a 34ft now. And this is not a scam. Today is Oct 15, Will will be home Today after 3 pm. And the same time on Thursday. We can answer any ? you may have when you call. Thank you Michelle.

[Twinke58]

It took me 20 years to find my A/S. I've had it for 2 years!


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