John Palmer
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Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on May 2, 2014 8:46:06 GMT -8
OK, Now that I have your attention! LOL
This thread is ONLY for the many people that are LURKERS, that are still dreaming about buying their first vintage travel trailer. Although it's good to see that you are here, reading and learning everything possible about the subject, my advice is DO NOT BUY a trailer based on your first impression of how it looks. NEVER buy one from the internet, without first looking at it IN PERSON. Take someone with you "that knows trailers" for a reference.
My suggestion is to find a buddy that already has a vintage trailer, attend a couple of vintage trailer rally's first. Understand the different types of trailer construction, and how to determine when something was poorly/quickly rebuilt. Understand how to spot PO's (Previous Owner's) poor/quick fixes, like silicone. Know the RED FLAGS of painted interiors, and soft ceilings. Talk to other experienced people in the hobby, ask lots of questions, tour as many trailers as possible on the Saturday "Open House" rally events, and generally figure out what you like, want, and need in a vintage trailer.
For those of you that ARE VINTAGE TRAILER EXPERIENCED in our little hobby you have a responsibility to help steer these new members as they come into our hobby. Make sure they buy a trailer that is a sound investment. A $200 "fixer upper" might not be a good buy for someone that does not have the mechanical knowledge, or the shop resources to completely rebuild it from the frame up. You need to assess your resources, and honestly answer the question of how much time can I invest into this fixer upper, before it becomes a poor investment?
It's sad that I'm seeing enthusiastic people that are being "taken", they are buying "over priced" trailers that are claimed to be restored, and have just received a quick "lipstick restoration".
OK, now I have that off my chest. Back to fun and games.
John |
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ronnie
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Post by ronnie on May 2, 2014 9:59:43 GMT -8
Thank you for steering me in the right direction AFTER I purchased off of craigslist, unseen. I did everything, by the book wrong, and I am glad that I did it. I wanted a project and I absolutely got one. LOL,
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Post by bigbill on May 2, 2014 12:38:35 GMT -8
To add to John's advice If you are considering buying a fixer upper you need to have or a have access to tools and knowledge of working with metal, wood, electrical, plumbing, and painting/wood finishing. Plus the time and patience to do it, many people think just a weekend or two will make one of these trailer new again only to find out that they often turn into a year or two. If you and your family decide to take on such a project it can be a very enjoyable rewarding experience, but if everyone is not happy with the project it can be miserable. Also very few of these trailers can be redone for a thousand dollars it is easy to go way beyond that so decide to what level you would be satisfied with then go price materials such as paneling, electrical, plumbing, insulation, paint/ inside and out, tires brakes, and so on. also any labor you will have to farm out.
I am not trying to scare you off I have been building from scratch and rebuilding campers for 60 years, many of those with my Dad and wouldn't trade a minute of it for the world. I have learned a lot of things the hard way that you can learn right here on this board by reading what is here and asking questions if it isn't here. So if you are willing to make the effort this is a very cool hobby and nothing compares to pulling a nicely rebuilt rig into a parking space next to a hundred thousand dollar motor home and watching people walk right past the new rig to admire your little old trailer.
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ny63
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Post by ny63 on May 2, 2014 15:52:46 GMT -8
A lot of good advice there bigbill. One thing is for sure, they all leak (or have leaked at some point in their lives). Even if you don't see any water damage, it's there. Hiding. Giggling. And mocking you. But, it can be repaired.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on May 2, 2014 19:49:35 GMT -8
People posting above (like Big Bill and John Palmer) know more about vintage campers than I'll ever know. But after a year playing with this hobby I know a couple of things about buying them on the East Coast.
Many old timers (excuse the expression) will tell you not to even bother with campers listed on the internet. You'll never get a screaming good deal. It's better to keep your eyes open and find them in barns and backyards BEFORE they go for sale. Unfortunately that way of buying sure doesn't work in NC. Or on most of the East Coast for that matter. It's the internet or nothing here.
Never buy without seeing is great advice. But that rules out every Craiglist camper more than 10 miles from your house. Wait for something to list at a fair price and you'll know why. One person listing a vintage Shasta 100 miles away told me "Four people are all racing here with Cash in their hand. So I wouldn't bother coming." What works? If it really looks great, offer them a small non refundable deposit just for the right to see it first.
"…few of these trailers can be redone for a thousand dollars."
Great advice. Hobbies cost money. But what a great way to waste money. And as my wife would say, "Ladies, do you really want your husbands involved in everything you do? No? Buy them a vintage camper. Fixing it will keep them busy for months, maybe years! So if it's in horrible shape, all the better!"
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soup
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"I hate cold Soup"
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Post by soup on May 3, 2014 3:10:16 GMT -8
I would like to add something to the lurkers and wannabees,
Don't buy a vintage camper at all.
You guys just entering into the hobby right now, is just driving prices up and making it harder for people like me (who need to have 6-7 of them at a time) to even find any of them to buy and fix anymore. LOL I've only got 1 more project left to do and 1 to finish now!  (Never knew my driveway was so big before) |
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swirlygirls
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Post by swirlygirls on May 3, 2014 3:57:38 GMT -8
Thank you John and all who wrote in this thread. I bought my trailer almost 2 years ago and "thought" I knew what I was getting myself into. After all, I'd been on forums, had some tools, and had done some rehab of old homes. I bought the trailer assuming it needed a lot of work and figured I'd do it very slowly. Now it's 2 years later and I'm tired and at a low point. It's hard to work full time and have other responsibilities and still have time for this. And of course there were the surprises. Yes my trailer needed a lot of work but who knew it would have to be a frame off because of the way this particular trailer was built. The only thing that has saved me is a friend who early on got interested in trailers and asked if I would "mind" if he helped me. (The angels sang.) But he too has many responsibilities and the problems just kept creeping up. I have to assume at some point I'm going to enjoy using Dottie but it's all theoretical now. I have friends who reassure me that I can always sell her and make a lot of money. That's when I fall down laughing. Not counting labor hours (because that would send me to the state hospital) I'd be lucky to get close to what I put into it just in materials. I'm not sorry I did it (I think) but it's not for the faint of heart. BTW, I'm a psychologist and if anyone who's considering this wants a psych eval first, I'm your gal.  |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on May 3, 2014 6:15:48 GMT -8
What does a $1000 vintage cost?
1000 for the camper
200 for tires to get home
100 for hitches (drop down of different sizes)
10,000 for a truck to tow it (minimum)
1000 for materials to repair it...if lucky
1000 for tools....just to start
2000 for a nice paint job
I'm making a pitch to my wife for a separate garage with a nine foot door and 10 foot ceilings... $20,000!
My wife estimates that the real cost of a $1000 vintage camper, for somebody starting from ground zero, is around...
$35,000
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Post by bigbill on May 3, 2014 6:36:17 GMT -8
nccamnper I think your wife is wrong because once you get the garage built you have to add more lights, heat and air, shelves and cupboards, then now that you have more space you must have more and bigger tools, plus a good air compressor. My wife estimates that $100,000 over a period of years is a much closer estimate. But as she tells her friends it will all go in the sale some day and she would rather have me playing in the garage than out chasing women and drinking.  |
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John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on May 3, 2014 9:47:25 GMT -8
Many of you might remember the old FRAM air filter "commercial" where the guy says, "You can pay me NOW, or you can pay me LATER". This saying also applies to vintage trailers.
The thing to focus on is that the initial purchase price is just a single component of the total cost investment. Every person has a different idea of what they consider "as restored" to their level of expectation. One thing that comes up every time I talk to someone that has restored a vintage car, motorcycle, boat, bicycle, etc., is that it always costs more than you thought it would at the beginning.
The cost is experienced in many ways. You have the original purchase price, the "cost of the chase" as in fuel, lodging, taking the wife to a nice dinner while your taking the trip to pick up your new purchase. The cost of new trailer tires and wheel bearings, lights, etc., if your not planning on putting the trailer on a flat bed to tow it home. Then consider the time you will spend on construction and rebuilding, planning, locating and chasing parts to rebuild your new find. In my case, I actually enjoy "the journey" of the build more than "the destination" after it's completed. After it's done, IT'S DONE, and I'm looking for the next challenge, LOL. But other's get more enjoyment out of the Glamping and decorating, and the friendship experienced during the vintage rally's.
It's all fun, you just need to know what your getting into before you make the choice of which trailer is the best one FOR YOU. Buying a total "fixer upper" for someone like me who "has the time", who actually enjoys "the chase and the rebuild" this is an option. It might not be the best option for everyone. Some times your better off paying "up front" and buying a better quality trailer so you can enjoy what makes you happy. The costs, and the time required to rebuild adds up quickly.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on May 3, 2014 9:55:09 GMT -8
nccamnper I think your wife is wrong because once you get the garage built you have to add more lights, heat and air, shelves and cupboards, then now that you have more space you must have more and bigger tools, plus a good air compressor. My wife estimates that $100,000 over a period of years is a much closer estimate. But as she tells her friends it will all go in the sale some day and she would rather have me playing in the garage than out chasing women and drinking. Too true! My wife considers it money well spent to keep me busy. But I'll keep your $100,000 estimate from her...for now. Most people would save a fortune, along with a lot of labor, by paying a vintage junkie $15,000 for one completely restored. Newbie vintage people...this is THE BEST ADVICE you'll ever get. There are really sick vintage junkies who will spend months working on a camper, making it better than new, then sell it for almost zero profit because they need space for a wreck they found rusting in some field. Where can you find somebody that crazy? I won't give names, but read the threads on this forum. They're easy to spot. Why not take advantage of the vintage addiction of others? |
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racerx
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1968 Golden Falcon
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Post by racerx on May 3, 2014 17:01:57 GMT -8
Thanks for this valuable post but I come in to it late. I already purchased a trailer yesterday, a 1968 Golden Falcon 21 ft.
Originally I was just looking for another travel trailer. The hopes of finding a vintage at a decent price never entered my mind. I spent a lot of time on kijiji and happened to be on at the right time.
An older couple listed their trailer at a fair price, well, at least what I thought was fair. Trailer prices are through the roof here, especially for a tow behind.
I went and looked in person and the owner spent a solid hour with me. He let me poke, prod, ask questions etc. For my price range I wasn't going to find a trailer that did not need some kind of work.
I'm new to camping but thankfully my brother gave me some good advice on what to look for. The previous owner even gave me a few hours to think about it and he had other people interested.
I decided to go for it. The trailer is road worthy and it's good to go for camping but it does need some TLC.
I am happy with my purchase and hopefully I did my due diligence in making sure I didn't buy something I can't repair myself.
Thanks for the advice and I will continue to pour over this forum for every bit of information I can arm myself with.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on May 3, 2014 19:13:18 GMT -8
" Do NOT buy a vintage travel trailer! "
Sure...NOW ya tell me.
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Post by vikx on May 3, 2014 21:56:53 GMT -8
Never Fear: "Do not buy *A* Vintage Trailer"...
So buy more than one. Perfect.
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bimmrr
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Proud owner of a yellow and white 62 Shasta Compact
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Post by bimmrr on May 8, 2014 5:02:54 GMT -8
Oh great, now that I've bought one 64 Shasta Compact and now also I'm looking at a 1960 Compact. Is this a sickness like my British car hobby  I've always said on old cars buy the best one you can afford as you'll never be able to duplicate it doing it yourself - breaking my own rules. Oh well, at least there won't be a Laycock de Normanville overdrive that needs rebuilding on a trailer ! |
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I've always said on old cars buy the best one you can afford as you'll never be able to duplicate it doing it yourself - breaking my own rules. Oh well, at least there won't be a Laycock de Normanville overdrive that needs rebuilding on a trailer !