1964 Mobile Scout - good deal, or not?

I have a slightly different opinion. This is a 64 ham and doesn't have golden glow (usually birch) interior. I have a 65 Mobile Scout with the same paneling. This is a nice little repair candidate but won't bring big money restored. It is too *new* and the floor plan is less desirable. Most people want a front dinette separate from the back bed..

Skin is very good and shape in demand. Roof looks coated which can be a problem. Interior paneling needs to be replaced. The cost of parts is going to be high on this one.

To me, 2K is too much. I'd say maybe 1500. I'm a cheapskate.

Some will say the price is too high, others too low. I always expect to pay a premium for something I truly want, maybe my bad luck but it's just the way it always seems to work out for me. This is especially true when it comes to something like these old trailers that are extremely popular right now and in limited supply.

Once you have toiled for the hundreds of hours and spent the thousands of dollars a top tier restoration requires, that extra money spent on the initial purchase will be long forgotten. With your skill set you are way ahead of most people who grossly underestimate what it takes to bring one of these back. Go pick it up before someone else does and show us what you can do to it!

You will get just as many opinions as the number of folks who answer. We all know from years around this hobby that price is subjective. The truest answer is: It is well worth it if you think it is. If you really want this one, really want to put the work into this and want the expected results badly enough, it's worth it. None of that hinges at all on what it might be worth selling it after you finish.  Take a little time to imagine what it would be like using the layout though, to make sure it could work for you personally.

You seem to have a lot of the experience needed to start work easily, with the first rule being: "They are not built like a house, and repair exactly the opposite". You already know this if you have built your own teardrops before!

Three years have past since I made my purchase of the Airflyte. A member and friend clued me in on its existence, and long story short, my wife and I both knew when we saw it that it needed to come home. The previous owner stuck firmly to his guns regarding his asking price, once it was decided, and even though we tried to negotiate a little, we ended up paying his price...which coincidentally was $2000. It fit much of the same description as this Mobil Scout.... Good shape, some water damage to deal with, all original parts with it...

The prices on the open market for such a trailer are insane now, compared to then. Just going by my experiences, and what I see available within my "striking distance", I would consider it a good buy. But, again, only if you see it as such....

That's a nice teardrop. Love the retro paint job.

We totally over paid for our trailer considering the poor build quality and hidden condition issues, but still feel it's worth it. The kids love "working on the trailer" and the whole family helps out.

We are going very slow in our project, but it is nice to have something to work on when you just need to relax and use your hands. My feeling is, if you have the skills and you find a trailer you like, pull the trigger... The buy price will likely end up a small percentage of the total build price, but the experience is priceless.

txdave,
Nice job on the teardrop. The Scout will be like a huge mansion in comparison. 

"I'm not happy unless I have a project to work on."

Isn't that the truth?

I commented on this one when the ad was listed in our For Sale section. Normally I would suggest a 64 is not going to command the best price when considering a Compact, BUT...although the side window configuration/style gives away "her" age, and is a bit "modern", it will let in more light than the usual smaller jalousie window like the ones on the canned ham Shasta Compact. The cost to rebuild from the frame up on one of this size/model, combined with the opportunity to tweak the layout such as what was done when Hamlet was rebuilt, if rebuilt to the quality standard of a vikx rebuild, imho would result in a very cute desirable Compact Mobile Scout that would be valued in the $7K+ range. It is unique, being the smallest of the Mobile Scouts. I think any buy-in of $2K or less would be a good purchase. Just don't skrimp on the rebuild. It must get an amber glow birch interior. And super cool exterior two-tone paint scheme Hope you bought it.