Looking at buying my first trailer, need advice

   Welcome to the site. Mmm, looks like it could use a good cleaning out and cleaning up. Once you start fixing the leaks, you might find that you want to go ahead and replace the stuff you are taking down to do the repair. It doesn’t have to be that expensive. Cleaning one up, repairing what’s broke and squaring one away can go along ways in making a camper pleasant to the eye as well as functional, safe and dry. Frame rot is something that has to be addressed. If it has a lot of it, you'll have ro replace/repair before you hit your camping trips. If it has a little? You might be able to take your chances for a trip or two but it's better to find while it’s at your house than it is it be on the side of the highway.
 At A glance at your pics.. Can you get it home? Does he want more that 800 for it? The inside looks "iffy" perhaps its just has alot of clutter but how much of it should be considered in the purchase? Some of the stuff we generaly look for in a sale are gone. That might be a good barter point for you. 
  Do you have a vision for it? I can understand that. Rip it out and do your own thing? I say go for it but try and get it cheap. You'll be on the backside or 4 or 500 really quick when you start poking around and looking at tires.. Good luck and again.. Welcome to the site.

Hi and welcome. It's about time you joined in on this madness!

That is a decent looking trailer, and it sure looks a lot more comfortable than sleeping in the truck....

I would put a wild-a**ed guess for the build year at around 1968-72, judging by the siding, the water fill (plastic), the Rocket pump faucet, the vinyl coating on the ceiling panels (white stuff peeling and falling down) even the rims and the rear cargo door style look 1970 or so to me. Is there paperwork for transferring the ownership of this? That will solve that mystery quick...and it will save you many hassles with the DMV.

Allowing for the fact that the ceiling needs redoing, the rest looks straight and in really nice shape. I would say at first glance that it will be worth whatever you feel you can afford to put into it over time, and should service your needs for a long time to come. You really should consider new tires and possibly new rims before you ever go anywhere, unless they have been definitely replaced within recent memory. It's an expense, but one the is well worth it.

It is missing a few things that were originally in it, but, it sounds like you have already thought all of those things through and have a plan for using it. I would really recommend that, when you first buy it and bring it home, spend some time in it...have your morning coffee...sit with the table setup and read the paper...try envisioning it 'in the field' so to speak, and see how it will be comfortable for your use. Do this before you remove anything from it...with the exception of cleaning. The point of how different it feels when you clean it up to suit yourself is a very good tip.

I'd like to make a point about the trailer brakes, and your truck. Most of the modern tow packages are already wired to accept a brake controller. My Chevy took a specific wire harness that plugged into the controller and into the panel under the dash...and that was all there was to the installation. A decent controller can be added for under $100, and having the working brakes will be an advantage you will never regret, especially if you intend to end up someday cruising into the Rockies. Remember, the 1500 or 160 dry weight is just the base weight you start from, and any gear and groceries and fuel and generator and ... add to that and strain your tow vehicle all the more.

I would envision removing the roof and installing the ceiling and rafters, as well as the added 12-V wiring. It looks like the top should come off fairly easily compared to some I have seen...Don't get scared, it sounds like an enormous process, but if done carefully it will give you sound results. It is also a great way to seal the vents to prevent any more leaks. I'd also suggest resealing the window and door frames before long also. Pathfinder has it right though...some of these repairs can be done at your leisure if the framing is sound enough to hold together for you.

I'm not sure if she is in Kansas or not ,.....if so it's 2,000 lbs and under does not need to be titled...

Aye, I'm in Kansas- near Wichita (which is where this thing was originally made!).  I figure as long as I leave my collection of bowling balls, lead bars and decorative rocks behind, I should be safe. 

I've been doing quite a bit of thinking about my 'midlife crisis project-to-be, maybe,' so I figured I'd lay my thoughts out on here and get some input.

1: Problem: Trailer does not have title. 
    Question- Would I possibly be able to apply for a new title (with me as the manufacturer) if I were to rebuild this thing from the ground up?

2: Structural aluminum U channels, instead of bulky & rot-prone wood.  I am far, far more at home with aircraft construction; would replacing the old crappy wood with aluminum U channels be better?  I'm not really interested in a true restoration project, and the wood is going to be a pain to replace.  Aluminum is lighter, and it has some pretty good qualities (example from the Grainger website: Tensile Strength (PSI) 27,000, Typical Yield Strength (PSI) 21,000, Typical Hardness 60, Hardness Scale BHN, Standards ASTMB221). 

I think I could cobble together a sturdy, safe, and quite modern little unit if I have a few extra hands to assist & a proper shop to work in.  A riveted, stressed-skin frame would be IMO *very* durable.  LOL One of my friends is actually an aircraft structural engineer, perhaps I should buy him a 12 pack and pick his brain...

The possibilities are endless; with the weight savings from removing all
the wood, plus excellent insulation, I could really make this a VERY efficient little rig.  Plus, this would allow me to inspect and properly redo the wiring & plumbing (such that it is).  What little I've seen of the current wiring is sketchy (and inefficient) at best.  Being able to run on a 12v system would be great; a generator for high load use, with solar as primary (replacing interior lights with LEDs would be really efficient).


...thanks for letting me ramble. 

You are wise to think through the title issue. If the seller is the original owner and is sure that no one else has had it registered then it shouldn't be a big problem. Take the bill of sale that includes the VIN to a title company and have them do the legwork for ya. Well worth the fee of $15-25 as it not only saves you the hassle, they will know exactly how to make it happen. Even though you don't technically need a title in KS, if you decide to sell it later it's going to be worth more with a title.

As for the technical side of things, i will leave the advice to the others who know way more than I do.

Welcome! We are practically neighbors, I live in KC on the "good" side ( MO). :-)