[groovzilla]

All,

I've been a Vintage Airstream nut for many years. Always fun finding these trailers and restoring them.
It is a labor of love and over the past 20 years I've really gotten to know how to restore most every failing system or structural component.

Realistically it takes about a year to restore one properly doing it on a part time basis. I find after a month it gets monotonous and you have to step away for a few weeks and then dive back in. Makes it more enjoyable.
I used to fix them up and sell them until I came across what I feel is the perfect size for 2 people.
My 1963 19' Airstream Globe Trotter is to me is a great size. Easy to tow and maneuver, will fit in most all campgrounds and easy to park at your house even if living in the city. (Try backing in a 31' trailer)

I purchase my Globe Trotter (GT)3 years ago and it was a mess. The exterior shell was nice and not many dents and the floors were mostly solid except for the front door area. Previous owner painted the interior cabinets and some were missing. Electrical wiring needed some attention and plumbing/propane systems needed replacing.

These GT's have bathrooms with the toilet on an angle directly next to the rear closet allowing for very little room - Also these GT's were not designed with a "grey water" tank - Just a black water tank for sewage. So I redesigned the bathroom cutting back the closet to a 45 degree angle allowing for much more legroom while keeping the closet pretty much intact and adding shelf above.
I also removed the huge propane furnace and hot water tank and installed an "on demand" propane hot water tank and propane heater.

As art of the bathroom design I also added a valve in the grey water drain system which diverts the kitchen sink water into the black water tank.
The original design is set up so that all sink and shower water are held in pipes until you release the water by opening valve underneath and water dump out under the trailer and or lead away with a hose.
My design allows for the kitchen sink to be used so no water dumps out of trailer and is collected in the black tank OR you can use the original setup and have it dump out thru hose. This way you don;t have to crawl under trailer every time you ant to use the sink if you are not at campground.

I like keeping design as close to original with just a few updates. I added nicer built in cooler/fridge and microwave. Also propane cooktop instead of stove/oven. I redid plumbing in copper which is like original only I added more valves to empty entire system for winter.

I also added a dinette - Original design had pullout gaucho in front and I prefer having dinette for hanging and eating/board games/etc

Here are some before and after photos.

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8-)

[JimV8]

Interesting passion. I have a 29’ Laredo 5th wheel with a 10’ living room pull out. It’s nice but just a big appliance. I toyed getting a GMC Eleganza motor home, front wheel drive and streamlined. But I have way too many projects already.

[amdavid]

Timeless. Looks like a good time, i'd like to do something like that one of these days.

[groovzilla]

Similar to cars, there seem to be 2 kinds of Airstream sellers especially Airstream's needing work. Those who are out of their mind and believe they have gold and others who are in reality and understand the market.

Did an over the phone offer on this 1962 26' Airstream which is located about an hour away from our house. Its a really nice unmolested example with excellent exterior skin which is hard to find. Nice woman owner who's had it for 15 years and was going to do a little work to it but never got around to it and used as a spare room for guests.

All original inside and will need the floor in bathroom replaced which is a common area floor gets "soft" from water.

I'm headed out to look at it this afternoon with some cash in my pocket. Hoping to trim some more off the offer but we'll see how it goes.

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[amdavid]

....and?

[groovzilla]

Drove 1.5 hours on Monday to look at the Airstream.
Totally misrepresented by seller. The photos she sent me were from 8 years ago.
Nice exterior but interior far gone and floors need replacing - Not just the rear bathroom floor as seller explained on phone.
Seller not willing to accept the true value of the Airstream so I left towing nothing home 8-)
Took myself out to a nice lunch for my effort.

I've found that there are basically 3 types of Vintage Airstreams for sale:
The first is a nice looking, good bones but overpriced by seller.
The second is nice exterior with very few dents or scratches but interior is needing lots of help and some are gutted.
The third is a dented and somewhat scratched exterior but has very nice unmolested interior.
The 2nd & 3rd are usually being sold by person who has no clue of market and prices can fluctuate all over the place.

The Airstream I looked at and in the condition it is in has a market value of $3500.



:mrgreen:

[SCX2132]

Not really a trailer, but in 2008 I was looking for a large motorhome. I checked out an 80s diesel pusher bus conversion that was really sweet but it was $$$$$ so I got scared away. SHortly thereafter I heard about an airstream motorhome that had been parked on the street for years in a... well let's just say socio-economically challenged neighborhood.

I went to see they guy, we haggled and I bought it. It had been sitting on the street for about six years. It had to be towed by a monster wrecker for 6 miles for $650:

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[SCX2132]

This unit was all original and pretty nasty. A gutting and significant rehab ensued:

[SCX2132]

Pulled hundreds and hundreds of pounds of heavy factory furniture and carpeting layers out, then kicked it up a notch.

[SCX2132]

All major systems renewed:

[SCX2132]

eight new tires, plus some fun branding it a mercedes benz just to mess with people at the race tracks....then in a final fit of insanity we polished it. Keep in mind that "345" means 34.5 feet long, easily 9 feet high plus a top, and a front, and a back.

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[G8RB8]

Are you taking that^^^ to Frenzy?

[AKSteve]

I didn’t realize there was an Airstream thread. I’m the owner of a 2020 25FBT International Serenity, which I absolutely love. I’m not currently in the market for a new one, but Airstream just introduced a new model that I’d really like to upgrade to some time in the future.

It’s called the Trade Wind and will feature either a front bed queen or (next year) twin beds. It has 810Ah of lithium batteries and 600 watts of solar panels. And a 3,000 watt inverter that’ll run the A/C and microwave simultaneously. The instant hot water heater is now a recirculating model so the faucets and shower don’t put out any water until the water is fully heated, so as not to waste water. All 3 tanks are 39 gallons and theres an optional composting toilet. Finally, it has a 3” lift, plus more off-roady tires. Oh, it has a hatch with a pull-down screen in the rear.

I do wish the cushions were leather or even a high-quality fake leather rather than textured fabric.

https://www.yankodesign.com/2023/09/16/ ... -home/amp/