Dave K
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1958 Franklin Travel Trailer
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Post by Dave K on Jul 14, 2015 6:46:17 GMT -8
Hey guys! I'm thrilled to have found this place. We bought our 1958 Franklin Coach Co. last week and we're loving it so far. There is a lot to be done, but for the most part, it seems usable now. Here's the story: 1st Owner had it from 1958-1966 2nd Owner had it from 1966-1994 and traveled across the country at least 3 times in it. He had 8 kids so at any given point he'd have 4 -6 kids with him. He built bunk cots above the bed and dinette to accommodate the little people. This guy took immaculate care of this thing. 3rd Owner had it from 1994-2015. He bought it and parked it at a hunting camp for almost 19 years. He sealed the windows and resealed the roof twice during that time. There is very little surface water damage (I haven't opened up the walls, so I'm not sure what lies beneath). We got it because he needed to get it off the land that it was on and he was going to junk it, but his nephew told him there was definitely someone out there that would want it. So they put on usable (not new) tires, greased the axles and listed it on Craisglist. We bought it the next day for $1500. I think we got a great deal, but I don't know anything about vintage trailers so hopefully you can tell me if I got a good deal. I'm looking forward to learning a lot from your experiences as I search the site and read old threads. Thanks guys and I hope you like it! Here is the album I made of the pics so far. imgur.com/a/wKuWp     |
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Jul 14, 2015 7:32:24 GMT -8
Just. Plain. Wow.
This is one of the nicest I've seen, very well kept. Did you get a good deal? In my opinion only, you probably got the best of deals, with the history of it to go with it, tires and grease before it was picked up, and the obvious great condition...and thank goodness for that Nephew!
We have seen a lot of barely-rolling junk sell for lots bigger price tags recently, in the overly-inflated market that exists right now because of the "fad" for vintage trailers and "glampers". Within the largest scope of what may possibly need to be done, you have plenty of room for repair costs and upgrades...not that I would change a thing (besides mechanical of course).
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Dave K
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Posts: 159
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1958 Franklin Travel Trailer
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Post by Dave K on Jul 14, 2015 7:52:40 GMT -8
Just. Plain. Wow. This is one of the nicest I've seen, very well kept. Did you get a good deal? In my opinion only, you probably got the best of deals, with the history of it to go with it, tires and grease before it was picked up, and the obvious great condition...and thank goodness for that Nephew! We have seen a lot of barely-rolling junk sell for lots bigger price tags recently, in the overly-inflated market that exists right now because of the "fad" for vintage trailers and "glampers". Within the largest scope of what may possibly need to be done, you have plenty of room for repair costs and upgrades...not that I would change a thing (besides mechanical of course). Thanks Ten! We feel very lucky to have been one of the first to see it on Craigslist. I texted the seller the day after picking it up and he said the amount of calls he got about it was insane! Luckily we jumped on it at that price before he realized that he could probably get a lot more out of it. |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Jul 14, 2015 10:01:35 GMT -8
Welcome!
Ten is right, you fell into something great. The inside is in beautiful condition. An amazing deal.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jul 14, 2015 12:34:07 GMT -8
Welcome to you and your new family member. Gorgeous!!! There is only one spot in the pics that looks suspicious at this point... there seems to be some staining under the rear window. It may be just the lighting, but it is also a VERY common place for leaking, so when you get around to it, you may want to lift the skin on the back and check. I love that it was so well taken care of, it absolutely shows.
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Dave K
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Posts: 159
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1958 Franklin Travel Trailer
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Post by Dave K on Jul 14, 2015 12:56:15 GMT -8
Welcome to you and your new family member. Gorgeous!!! There is only one spot in the pics that looks suspicious at this point... there seems to be some staining under the rear window. It may be just the lighting, but it is also a VERY common place for leaking, so when you get around to it, you may want to lift the skin on the back and check. I love that it was so well taken care of, it absolutely shows. Thanks, I will definitely look closely at that when I get home this evening. |
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ladywendolyn
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1964 Golden Falcon
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Post by ladywendolyn on Jul 14, 2015 17:43:10 GMT -8
Sweet trailer.. you are going to have fun!
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iceman77
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1958 Rainbow
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Post by iceman77 on Jul 14, 2015 17:51:01 GMT -8
Beautiful find!
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geebee
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1963 Garway
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Post by geebee on Jul 14, 2015 18:26:23 GMT -8
Wow! It is beautiful. Love the lights. Looking for something similar for the Garway I am 80% finished restoring.
Congrats.
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mobiltec
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I make mistakes so you don't have to...
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on Jul 14, 2015 20:07:40 GMT -8
You got an excellent deal in today's market.
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Post by vikx on Jul 14, 2015 21:14:58 GMT -8
I agree. No matter the repairs needed, it is well worth the price! Welcome to VTT.
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Dave K
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1958 Franklin Travel Trailer
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Post by Dave K on Jul 15, 2015 4:43:03 GMT -8
You got an excellent deal in today's market. Thanks! I look forward to learning a lot from your videos and website! |
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Dave K
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Posts: 159
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1958 Franklin Travel Trailer
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Post by Dave K on Jul 15, 2015 4:44:20 GMT -8
I agree. No matter the repairs needed, it is well worth the price! Welcome to VTT. Thank you. It seems like a great community, I can't wait to contribute and learn from here! |
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Dave K
Active Member
Posts: 159
Likes: 54
1958 Franklin Travel Trailer
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Post by Dave K on Jul 22, 2015 7:45:24 GMT -8
Quick question. Is my trailer considered a "canned ham"?
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mobiltec
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I make mistakes so you don't have to...
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on Jul 22, 2015 12:20:52 GMT -8
Quick question. Is my trailer considered a "canned ham"? Yep everything but tear drops that were made in the 50s and early 60s were considered "canned hams". After that the "toaster" shape came into being. |
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