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habibr · 08-23-2021, 03:36 PM

Hi all,

New to all of this. Never owned an airstream. Interested in a 1970s 25ft airstream. We are looking to place it on a piece of land near the river. Will be stationary most of the time. Any ideas on where to get it surveyed before we buy?
Also, any recommendations on where to get an airstream renovated? This airstream hasn't been touched since the 70s.

AND any general advice??

Thanks!

uncle_bob · 08-23-2021, 03:52 PM

Hi

I guess one of the most basic questions is: Why do this?

Paying somebody else to do a full up rebuild of a trailer that (likely) has a lot of issues is going to be *very* expensive. Many have found that buying newer results in a lower total cost if you are having somebody else do the work .....

One of the most basic issues doing this ( or a boat or a house or a classic car or ....) is that you really don't know what's what until you are done. There are tons of example of very experienced folks expecting X and ultimately spending 2 or 3X on these sort of projects. You find out a *lot* as you tear it down to bits and pieces.

Bob

civeng99 · 08-23-2021, 04:39 PM

Or are you talking about having the possible lot purchase surveyed?

Fungus · 08-23-2021, 05:35 PM

Build a small house with an adjacent barn instead of the overpriced AS renovation performed by others. My sister bought a chunk of land and asked about buying an AS while they build a house. After running the numbers I suggested that they do the barnominium instead. Much cheaper. Much roomier.

kscherzi · 08-23-2021, 05:45 PM

From the title of the post I'm assuming the OP is looking for somebody to inspect the trailer they're thinking of purchasing.

Belegedhel · 08-23-2021, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habibr

Hi all,

New to all of this. Never owned an airstream. Interested in a 1970s 25ft airstream. We are looking to place it on a piece of land near the river. Will be stationary most of the time. Any ideas on where to get it surveyed before we buy?
Also, any recommendations on where to get an airstream renovated? This airstream hasn't been touched since the 70s.

AND any general advice??

Thanks!

First of all, Welcome to the Forums!

As for finding a trailer inspector, go to the top of the page and look for the "Portal" tab. Scroll down keeping your eyes on the right side of the screen, and you should find an inspection checklist and a utility for connecting with Forums members who have identified themselves as willing to do inspections.

That being said, anyone can volunteer to inspect, so if you want real peace of mind, hire a real RV tech to do the job.

At any rate, any trailer that is "original" to its manufacture in the 70's, and has sat unused in the wet northwest, or the humid southeast is going to be falling apart. Rotting floors are very common, frames rusting away are nearly as common. As I say so often, any trailer that is 50+ years old, and hasn't had a shell-off rebuild is in need of one.

Now, the vast majority of folks who buy these old trailers are willing to do the rebuild work themselves, and they trick themselves into believing that they can do it cheaper (if you count your time as worth nothing) than a professional. If you buy an old trailer thinking you can get it rebuilt and save money over buying a new or used recent model, then you are going to be in for a surprise, as most of the derelict, neglected trailer is going to be thrown away, and you are, in fact, buying a new trailer by the time they replace everything except the exterior shell. A trailer that has been rebuilt by a bonafide trailer rebuilding professional is going to approach, or exceed the cost of a new one--it is a major project that will take most amateurs years to complete.

So, general advice: Get educated as to what goes into a complete rebuild of a trailer. Contact some professionals and see if they can give you a ballpark estimate on the cost. There is a thread on these forums that is a compilation to links to the "major renovations", otherwise known as "full montys". Have a look through some of these so that you know what you are looking at. Having this knowledge is going to help you understand the cost of paying someone to renovate a trailer, to calibrate your expectations when looking at un-renovated trailers, and help you do your own inspection when the time comes to buy a trailer, whether it is original, renovated, or a used, newer model.

good luck!

uncle_bob · 08-23-2021, 06:55 PM

Hi

As we have traveled around, we run into a lot of folks with a "vintage" AS sitting there by the barn or garage. They often have a newer SOB (some other brand) trailer near it. As you talk, the story generally is that the AS and its rebuild plan came first. After a couple years of getting nowhere fast, they bought the SOB. The AS and the plan are still there. In the mean time ( = the last 5 years) they have been out camping in something else ....

None of this is to say you *can't* rebuild one of these trailers. It's also not to say you should not do so or that it will not fit your needs. It may be the ideal answer in your case. The *only* point is that it's going to cost a lot ( $20K, $40K, $80K .... who knows ....) and take a while ( many months, a couple years .... again who knows). Many go into this with a "couple of thousand and a month or two" sort of mental picture. Things go tilt when the real numbers and time start to become apparent. If your potential budget and timing *do* fit, then most certainly .... go for it !!!!

Bob

habibr · 08-23-2021, 10:49 PM

Thanks for the info, very helpful.

habibr · 08-23-2021, 10:50 PM

Thanks all, you’ve made my decision making process a lot easier. Sounds like buying such an old Airstream is a long and expensive road. Appreciate the feedback

ROBERT CROSS · 08-24-2021, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi
SNIP QUOTE><><><><><
As we have traveled around, we run into a lot of folks with a "vintage" AS sitting there by the barn or garage.

.... go for it !!!!

Bob

We did with our first....The 'Frantic Banana'.
Long before the 'Forums'.....how did we ever survive?