Post by travelaine on Mar 12, 2014 7:01:30 GMT -8
So we found the perfect camper on Craigslist in Pueblo, CO. It was actually discussed on the 'for sale' boards here while we were chatting to the seller about it--listed as a '59 Aljo in Southern Colorado. Yes, we bought it pretty much sight unseen, and yes, took leave of our senses and sent money to a stranger in another state, and oh, there's no title, just a bill of sale...however, our ace in the hole was our son in Denver, who took a day to go look at it, meet the seller and check out the camper. He is a rafting guide and has lived in several of these campers over the years, and between what he knew to check for and what I told him to look at, we got a pretty good assessment of the true condition of the camper. So last weekend we make the trip from Dallas to Pueblo to pick it up. Met the seller, who told us it was the 33rd unit he's sold since he's been doing it on the side. He is a retired custom car builder, has educated himself quite well about vintage RVs and what to look for, and has a wonderful '48 Spartan project he's working on for himself. Anyway, he showed us the issues he'd found with it, even climbing underneath to show something to John, and was very up front about its condition (not too dire). We took it to Zabukovic RV Repair in Pueblo to have the tires and wheels checked out and the bearings greased and repacked, and brought it home to Dallas. It towed like a charm and made the trip fine.
The issues we knew about beforehand were that it had a broken front window that had leaked a lot, and all that wood structure will need replacing. The PO told the seller that he'd camped in it within the last few years and that the propane works, and the plumbing (original water tank and hand pump) but we will check all that out. The electrical lines had been disabled and the PO installed battery powered light fixtures, which we'll take out and my husband will re-wire for 110. There's also a leaky back window so that will all be rotted, and we'll fix it too. That's the reason I married such a handy guy with a shop and power tools, LOL.
The camper is actually a 1958 Aljo, a true canned ham--12 feet long (not incl tongue length) and the interior is basically untouched. The original formica is immaculate--no one ever cleaned fish on it or used it as a cutting board! The sink and little stove and ice box are all original and in beautiful condition other than a chip on the edge of the stove top. The original coil and spring dinette seats are intact, in good shape and excellent candidates for recovering. The original paint job is still visible, along with the "Aljo" decal and design up front. The jalousie windows are all intact and crank just fine. It's really a sweet little camper!
In Texas it's not too difficult to obtain a bonded title, which is what we'll begin this week. Although the seller didn't have the title, he found about 6 old registration slips from the PO dating back to the mid '80's, which should assist us in obtaining a title. We aren't too worried about that part.
After a heartbreak over a '57 Shasta in East Texas last fall that we were prepared to buy till the very last minute, I was afraid I'd never find my own little camper. We've enjoyed lurking on and reading over this forum for the past year or two, and have already obtained a wealth of knowledge for when we begin restoration. Cheers to you all, and thanks for the help you've already given us!
The issues we knew about beforehand were that it had a broken front window that had leaked a lot, and all that wood structure will need replacing. The PO told the seller that he'd camped in it within the last few years and that the propane works, and the plumbing (original water tank and hand pump) but we will check all that out. The electrical lines had been disabled and the PO installed battery powered light fixtures, which we'll take out and my husband will re-wire for 110. There's also a leaky back window so that will all be rotted, and we'll fix it too. That's the reason I married such a handy guy with a shop and power tools, LOL.
The camper is actually a 1958 Aljo, a true canned ham--12 feet long (not incl tongue length) and the interior is basically untouched. The original formica is immaculate--no one ever cleaned fish on it or used it as a cutting board! The sink and little stove and ice box are all original and in beautiful condition other than a chip on the edge of the stove top. The original coil and spring dinette seats are intact, in good shape and excellent candidates for recovering. The original paint job is still visible, along with the "Aljo" decal and design up front. The jalousie windows are all intact and crank just fine. It's really a sweet little camper!
In Texas it's not too difficult to obtain a bonded title, which is what we'll begin this week. Although the seller didn't have the title, he found about 6 old registration slips from the PO dating back to the mid '80's, which should assist us in obtaining a title. We aren't too worried about that part.
After a heartbreak over a '57 Shasta in East Texas last fall that we were prepared to buy till the very last minute, I was afraid I'd never find my own little camper. We've enjoyed lurking on and reading over this forum for the past year or two, and have already obtained a wealth of knowledge for when we begin restoration. Cheers to you all, and thanks for the help you've already given us!
