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Post by vikx on Jan 21, 2020 20:30:46 GMT -8
 Vakashunette by vikkx, on Flickr Canned hams are becoming rarer and rarer these days. The following is a letter I wrote discussing the sale of a real canned ham, 50s with lovely interior wood. A lot of this goes for newer 60s trailers, but of course, most don't have real wood interiors. I recently evaluated a 1952 14' Va-ka-shun-ette canned ham from photos. The name is pronounced VACATION-ETTE. I used to think they were called vaka shaun ette. LOL. This little trailer had a lot going for it and is a real canned ham. There was very little visible water damage. The body is average with smooth (no brakes) metal and an obvious flaw over the door. The lady has the title and the interior is the old golden glow wood; everything is original.That definitely bumps the worth! So the trailer is up for sale and there's really no price yet. They wanted a ball park figure to ask. California is the best place to sell for sure, tho prices are down quite a bit from just a few years ago. Even when priced reasonably, they aren't selling very quickly. I recently sold one for 9500 that would have commanded 12K five years ago. To sell a trailer at a higher price, it needs to be clean and detailed. Paint the tongue, install propane tanks and be sure the appliances work. Clear the interior of extra nik naks and wall hangings; the less the better. The tires need be no more than 5 years old and all lighting must work. The beautiful natural wood interior is huge. Paint always cuts the value by 1/2. Any visible water damage inside will lower the price as will a "coated" roof. The trailer appeared to be free of excess caulk, which is very good. There is something going on above the door and the metal is rippled, where repairs are needed. (sagging or rippled skin is indicative of rotted framing behind) I assumed the belly was in good condition and lower edge wood sound. Flaky wood there means repairs sooner than later. Soft floors are another detriment to selling, particularly in the entry way. The Va-ka-shun-ette had good floors. The trick is to start high and prepare to go down in price. There are two types of buyers, restorers and those wanting to camp now. Some of today's buyers are better educated but many are still clueless. Of course someone wanting to restore this trailer (and do it right) is going to pay less than a camper person. The restorer will go over it with a fine toothed comb and will know the flaws and pluses. I would guess the most a restorer would pay to be in the 3K range. A camper type is more likely to be in the 6K range, 8 at the most. I think this trailer will sell at 7500 in California. It's a great little trailer and detailing will help. The first look means a lot to any buyer. If the seller is bombarded with buyers, delete the ad and relist it later for more. I can always tell if one of my items is under valued, as people fight over it. LOL. I hope this helps. I don't know how anxious the lady is to sell nor the exact condition of the trailer. Location is important. Before listing I would do a lot of searches on Craig's and eBay (completed listings) for comparisons. Look for 50s canned hams with complete wood interiors and not a lot of water damage. If they are listed for 10K or more, study how long they have been offered. This will help determine the starting price. There's a slightly larger Columbia on eBay right now for 14.5K but I doubt they get it. Lastly, starting at 7500 may be wishful thinking. A person can always come down in price, it's hard to go up. Comments are welcome and I'm working on getting some photos. |
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Jan 22, 2020 10:43:11 GMT -8
Great thread. I love the shape of this camper.
I agree that prices seem to have gone down over the last year or two. I recently saw a $1200 1963 Lil Loafer (painted interior and in need of restoration) for $1200 in CA that took a week to sell. A year ago it would have been gone in a day.
As most of you know, I restore campers as a hobby. I never list a camper for sale in the CL near me. I always list it in Charlotte 2 1/2 hours away. Why? It eliminates tire kickers. Tin Can Tourist classified ads have also served me well when selling.
As a rule I’ll pay more if the skin is savable. New .03 skin costs $2500 with shipping from Hemet Valley RV. As vikx said, real amber woodwork is a must. I wouldn’t buy a camper with a painted interior. The resale price is too low to bother with.
It takes me 40 hours a week for 4 months to restore a camper with savable cabinets, (mostly) solid floor and mostly repairable panels on the walls. Even in that condition the skin has to come off and framing needs repaired. I look at the above photo in relatively good condition and know I’d take off all the skin. If it’s 60 years old, I’ll find rot someplace.
$7500 in good condition is much easier to sell here than $10,000 in excellent condition. Considering the work needed to get a camper from good to excellent condition, $2500 more is a small price to pay. Yet few people seem willing to pay it.
In NC for a 1955 ham:
$200 wreck, barely towable, no title, might sell in a day
$2500 rotten camper that can be Glamped might sell in a couple of weeks
$5000 camper with some rot but original woodwork might sell in a month
$7500 in the condition of the above camper might take 3 months
$10,000 restored camper might need advertised all over the east coast to sell in 3 months
On average, plan on making $1.50 an hour restoring a camper as a hobby. If you don’t want to do the work, buy a camper from an honest restorer. It’s the best deal you’ll ever get.
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Post by vikx on Jan 22, 2020 12:32:19 GMT -8
Update: the trailer above may have more damage than originally claimed:
"It’s suffered a little being stored up in the mountains and I need to go over it again once I can untarp it without fear of snow."
As most of us know, sitting out in the weather is never good for a vintage trailer, restored or not. The tongue is very rusty and the propane lines are sitting open. (spiders love propane and open lines invite guests) The tanks are available. The wiring is 4 way flat, so inoperable brakes. I'm guessing at this size, the trailer has brakes.
"There is some decay of the under vapor barrier material, the original material is almost like a heavy cardboard that is coming off or down in some areas underneath the trailer. It is in between the wood and the frame underneath. Above it is more of a paper type foil barrier and then the wood subfloor."
So it's showing belly rot and probably needs framing repairs, at least low down.
"It isn’t in completely original condition. We refurbished it enough to make it clean, safe, comfortable, functional, and campable."
Mostly unimportant details (upholstery, curtains). It's been rewired and new gas/plumbing lines installed. By pros or amateurs? There is an awning that attaches to original hooks.
I'm revising my assessment as I learn more. It is beginning to sound more like a restoration candidate rather than a camp-able now type of trailer. Doubtful that it is "safe" to tow. We all know that a hands on inspection is really the only way to know the true condition of a trailer. With the above in mind, what do you think the asking price should be??
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Jan 22, 2020 12:40:50 GMT -8
Based on what you're saying, the price just dropped from $7500 to $4000...if the interior is original. As a restoration project I've paid less than $2500 for campers needing the skin off, rotted framing repaired, maybe a panel or two replaced, maybe new springs and brakes, etc. We'll know more with photos. As you say, it's impossible to know without an onsite inspection. Photos never tell the whole story, do they?
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Post by vikx on Jan 22, 2020 12:50:51 GMT -8
I'm down to 3K as a full restoration... I'm guessing 5K to a person wanting to camp now. I will continue to watch this trailer and hopefully we can get a selling price.
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