bartoli
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1956 Aloha
Mar 26, 2017 14:24:34 GMT -8
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Post by bartoli on Mar 26, 2017 14:24:34 GMT -8
Hi all,
First post here, seems like a ton of very educated vintage trailer lovers on the boards so I'm hoping to get advice!
I'm very interested in owning a small vintage camper. I've been searching craigslist, Facebook, eBay, you name it for a few months now. I'm looking for a *small* project. By small I mean, I can do cosmetic updates or other small upgrades, but I am not in a position to take down walls.
I finally found a posting of a 1956 15' Aloha. The guy selling it found it abandoned, and apparently it was abandoned for a reason - the thing was a piece. He put new siding on it, new insulation, rewired the electrical, new water tank, new floors, new roof, and left original what he could - basically cabinets, trim & icebox.
I have never owned a camper, let alone a vintage one. My family has never owned a camper, none of my friends have campers...you see where I'm going with this. I don't have a very reliable resource to give advice on whether this is a good purchase or not. So here I am!
A few concerns: although he says it doesn't leak now (which I believe, because it rained 2 days ago and there is no indication of moisture, soft wood, etc.) however there is some water damage inside the cabinets, I'm guessing from previous leaks. If the wood isn't soft or falling apart, is that a problem? It just looks like a stain, basically.
There is no gray water tank, just two hoses that come out the bottom to drain. In the backwoods that's not a big deal, but if I'm parked in a campground? Is this a problem, or do I just keep a bucket under there in the campground, or....?
Basically it seems like he fixed the bones up really well, just mostly cosmetic updates left to do. There are no cushions so I'll need to buy/make those, and definitely need some elbow grease on the cabinets, drawers, etc.
He is asking $5,000 (and said he put $3k into it). He has had other offers that have fallen through, so I know there's interest & I don't want to wait too long. Does this seem a fair price?
Thanks in advance for any advice, and I can try to answer any questions that might help!
P.S. I'm doing this on my phone & I don't see a place to add pictures - can someone walk me through how to upload some?
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Mar 26, 2017 14:58:44 GMT -8
Welcome! You'll find tutorials for posting photos here: vintagetrailertalk.freeforums.net/board/19/forum-rules-support-infoPhotos are the best way to get valuable advice here on a purchase. "He put new siding on it" He will have photos of it with the siding off. Everyone these days has a smart phone. Everyone but me has a Facebook account where they have shared photos. Ask for the in-progress photos. Post them here. "new insulation" Define insulation? Vapor barrier? "rewired the electrical" You can see new wiring coming to a new fuse box? 12 volt or just shore power? "new floors" as in subfloor or just tiles? 'new roof" interior panels? Replaced from the outside working in or from the inside? Post photos of the water stains in the cabinets, etc. Did you crawl under it with a small screwdriver or ice pick and poke at the wood framing for soft spots? Is the metal frame bend, crack and alteration free? Two resources from our members you should check out: Some excellent videos at cannedhamtrailers.com And a great book athttp://vintagetrailerrepairmanual.weebly.com/
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Post by vikx on Mar 26, 2017 20:03:24 GMT -8
What NC said.
Many trailers leak with no drips inside. Water often stains the wall panels but runs down to the bottom rather than inside... If the edge trim/J rail has been removed and re-installed with new putty, it's a good sign that the trailer might be leak free. If the roof is coated, it is a sure sign the trailer will leak, if not now, soon.
5K is a good price if the trailer has been correctly rebuilt with PICTURES TO PROVE IT. Trailers should be repaired from the outside in and the skins lifted to reach the bottom sill boards. Usually, the roof should have been lifted and the edge wood at least inspected if not repaired. Also, there is no way to repair a wheel well or bottom boards from the inside. None.
Please share what the seller did and we can help you more. Any trailer at a price of 5K or above should be rot free...
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bartoli
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Post by bartoli on Mar 26, 2017 21:15:26 GMT -8
Thanks for the insight nc & vikx! Good call on the in-progress photos, he sent me over quite a few. I figured out the photos, so I'm also attaching a few that I took. My dad is going by to look at it on Wednesday, so I will have him ask some of the questions you pointed out, such as the roof and insulation/vapor barrier. All he said to me was that he replaced the "thin" insulation with a 3/4 inch foam. I do believe he rebuilt the subfloor and put new flooring on top of it, when I looked underneath the trailer I could see the new wood framing. Here is how they found the trailer: A few photos during the restoration: And how it looks now: New aluminum on the side, seller did say he kept the original trim. All brake lights work, seller obtained a title for the trailer as well. Inside, seller replaced a lot of the wood siding, however the cabinets are original. Original cabinets with new pump sink, and new floors. New paneling on the inside of the roof. (Glass is from a broken bulb that wasn't screwed in all the way, it fell out when he was driving. He didn't realize it happened until he opened the trailer to show us.) A few other things to note: windows are all original, tires are brand new and he also replaced the bearings.
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bartoli
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Post by bartoli on Mar 26, 2017 21:19:44 GMT -8
Almost forgot, here's the water stain in the cabinet. It's the only evidence of leaks I could see, and does not seem recent at all. Wood is solid, no give in it at all.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Mar 27, 2017 7:26:55 GMT -8
Honestly, I wouldn't buy this camper. It appears the panels were replaced from the inside which weakens the tensile strength. The layers of the camper overlap in the corners. Panel front and rear must overlap side walls, framing overlaps panel, skin overlaps framing. This roof repair looks like a cover-up of water damage. Was this the before or after repairs photo?
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bartoli
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Post by bartoli on Mar 27, 2017 8:34:16 GMT -8
Darn! That photo was after repairs. You lost me a bit on the overlapping, can you clarify? Sorry, total camper noob here. Thanks!
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 27, 2017 12:43:18 GMT -8
Do you see the edge of the side wall above the new framing and panel? The new panel lays on the side wall and is screwed/nailed in place. Then the framing goes over the new panel and also screws into the side wall. The rear/roof/front aluminum skin lay on top, wrapped around and stapled. Where it's wrapped over the side a jrail is attached with more screws. Thus, overlapping elements make it strong. Make sense? We can't just cut the inside panel out from the inside without comprising the campers strength.
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mobiltec
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 27, 2017 13:08:07 GMT -8
DO NOT BUY THIS TRAILER... It was done completely all wrong. It's a rolling death trap.
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bartoli
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Post by bartoli on Mar 27, 2017 14:14:05 GMT -8
Thank you nc, that makes a lot of sense, appreciate the clarification. Man, super bummed, I was really hoping this one was it. Back to the search I guess!
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 27, 2017 14:29:34 GMT -8
Most likely, you will not find a vintage trailer that needs just a little work. They really don't exist. Even barn finds need stuff. Either you spend the money to buy one that has been restored properly or you do it yourself. Not much in-between here.
In order to restore a 15 ft canned ham properly it uses up about 500 hours in time (if you are experienced) and between $4k and $8k in materials. If you are inexperienced and this is your first time, it could take you much more time. But it's all worth it in the end. And when you do it yourself, you know it was done right.
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CorvettCrzy
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Post by CorvettCrzy on Mar 27, 2017 18:12:52 GMT -8
bartoli The two resident experts above give excellent advice. Although I'm learning (slowly) about these treasures, I noticed several things that don't make sense. For instance, the sink in "the original cabinets" is originally installed from the bottom of the counter top. You can see the screw holes along the edge, those should be on the underside. You are smart to take their advice.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 27, 2017 18:56:02 GMT -8
bartoli The two resident experts above give excellent advice. Although I'm learning (slowly) about these treasures, I noticed several things that don't make sense. For instance, the sink in "the original cabinets" is originally installed from the bottom of the counter top. You can see the screw holes along the edge, those should be on the underside. You are smart to take their advice. Yes. Many of the sinks were installed on the underside of the counter top. There should have been putty tape between the flange and the wood bottom. And there should be metal trim (nosinig) around the hole... (unless it has been removed) I show all this in my 57 Shasta series... The nice thing about this type of sink installation is that you can fit a piece of separate counter top in the top of the sink and it will be flush with the rest of the counter top. Gives you more counter space and some people use a cutting board for that piece.
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bartoli
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Post by bartoli on Mar 28, 2017 8:21:15 GMT -8
THANK YOU! You've all been so helpful, and I feel like I have a much better idea of what to look out for now - such as the outside-in restoration, I had no idea. It's amazing what you can tell just from a few pictures, I'm really glad I asked, I was 98% on buying that trailer. Calling the seller & telling him no-dice, it's just not worth the future potential issues.
As a side note, do you know of any reputable restorers in the Southwest area? I'm in Phoenix, but would definitely be willing to travel a little ways for the perfect trailer - make it a road trip! I've been in contact with one in Huntington Beach, called The Glamping Trailer, they post frequent Facebook updates with photos of their progress, makes me feel a lot better, but does anyone have experience with them? Or any other suggestions of websites/groups to check?
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bartoli
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Post by bartoli on Mar 28, 2017 8:41:50 GMT -8
P.S. Just widened my search on Craigslist a little, and these two came up: phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/rvs/6030542695.htmlphoenix.craigslist.org/nph/rvs/6051334482.htmlThe second one makes me a little nervous, he mentions paint a lot and if I've learned anything from scouring these boards, it's that a lot of people just paint over problems and sell it as a "restored" trailer. The first one seems like they put a bit more work into it (but the water damage, what does re-sealed mean, and does it actually work?!). Anyway, both are a decent distance away from me, so initial thoughts/questions to ask before I were to possibly drive out & see them? Also, this little guy is adorable, but after doing some research on the compacts, I don't think I could swing folding the bed down every day, I was really hoping to have a separate bed & dinette. But in case anyone else is interested? tucson.craigslist.org/rvs/6061529595.html
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