Airstream question

[michaeldterry]

For you Airstream afficianados and experts on POG, I have question.

Vita and I love attending the monthly auctions at Gallery 63 in Atlanta, home of the Discovery Channel's hit show "Auction Kings" (where we spend way too much money!). At yesterday's auction, they had a 38 ft 1975 classic Airstream trailer that had been totally restored/renovated. We inspected it and it was nice! When it came up for bidding, we were shocked when it sold for $4,000. That seemed exceptionally low to us, but then we know nothing about Airstreams. What do you guys think? Was that price in line with the market? Too high? Too low? About right? The feeling that we came away with was that someone got an incredible bargain and we regretted not bidding on it ourselves! (As it was, we still bought an antique player piano, an antique pump organ, an ornate 5 panel oriental screen, a ceremonial kimono previously owned by the Japanese Imperial family for our 2nd oldest daughter's 27th birthday, a mink coat for Vita for Valentine's Day, and a "peeing cherub" statue fountain to go next to our hot tub. And that's in addition to the 1986 Jaguar XJS and the 1880 Belgian rococo armoiré that we bought at last month's auction. Yeah - we're "bat shit" crazy - but we have fun! :rolleyes:


7861

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

How about a picture of the "peeing cherub" :eek: :p

[rahangman]

contact Coloradobus...he has a zillion of em (Airstreams that is) , don't know about the peeing cherubs

[Richard Barnes]

Next auction you attend call me, the Lovely Mrs. Barnes and I might join you there - we're in Dacula.

[michaeldterry]

How about a picture of the "peeing cherub" :eek: :p

Ask and ye shall receive! :D

7865

As soon as we got home last night, we set it up on the breafast room table, just to make sure it works. It does! :D

[Bill Price]

One this
Airstream never made a 38 ft.
34 was max and it had a triple axle. In the above picture I see only two axles that proves it was not a 34 either. As for price I would be very careful. In the picture you see blemishes all over the trailer. That is clear coat peeling off the aluminium. Not good!! You have thee options.
1. Look at it and get used to it.

2. Remove the old clear coat and have the trailer polished out at over $100 per foot.

3. Have new clear coat applied. I have forgot the price but it is expensive and few Airstream dealers really know how to do it correctly.


WE have had a 28 ft and two 34 ft trailer with the 34s having slideouts. All were new trailers. Great trailers except my 28 ft started peeling immediately. That problem has been solved by Airstream. I would ordder another 34 ft with a slideout in a minutre if they still made them.

[Coloradobus]

Michael, As Bill P said above, the clearcoach is peeling. This would be the largest trailer that Airstream built in 1975. The 3 axle 34 footers weren't manufactured until late 1982. If you have a photo of the VIN plate ahead of the entry door, it should have "I" for INternational, then 31 for the lenght. P and S trailers in Helena Ohio are excellent for clearcoat re-spray to follow a polish job. 100 bucks a running foot is right as well. Repairing the dent seen on the curbside front banana-wrapped is spendy.
From enlarging the photo, looks like there are no window treatments/curtains.
This age of trailer should require new Dura-torque axles, since the originals have probably lost their flex. Figure about 1400 for axles and 1000labor install unless you do it yourself.
Can't see the tongue, but this trailer is the International and should have had aluminum LP tanks, 30 pounders.
This trailer has the curbside bath, so the holding tanks wil carry 50 gallons fresh, 30 gallons grey and 35 black. The compartment curbside aft of the entry door is for house batteries, should be two. The bedroom is either twins north/south or double east/west. This floorplan is called the ":Sovereign of the Road" All Airstreams are called Land Yachts. This trailer will very little real wood in it, and is mostly vinyl clad aluminum panel partition walls and cabintry with a plywood floor covered with carpet or linoleum.
The a/c is Coleman Mack III 13,500 btu that originally white fiberglass, Looks like someone painted it. Hmm a red flag.
Trailer may have had leaks, they all leak over time, so some of the floor maybe soft.
The TV antenna rear of the first roof top vent is missing. The entry door latch looks broken, and there shouldn't be a hasp on it. We have leanred there is a broad definition to the word "Restored". $4000.00 is an OK price for what this is.

[michaeldterry]

My bad! It was a 31 ft trailer. I don't know where my damaged brain got the 38 ft number! And like I said - I know zilch about Airstreams. In my ignorance, I just thought the $4,000 winning bid was low - but then apparently there were others at at auction who knew more about it and bid accordingly! If we had bid and won - I have no idea what we would have done with it. I really have no interest in Airstreams outside of a passing curiosity because I think they're "neat". In this case (which doesn't happen often), my better judgement to not bid probably saved my ass a lot of grief! :rolleyes: Thanks for the replies Bill & Jim - to educate me and satisfy my uninformed curiosity!

[travelite]

Jim and Bill,

Those are great points, good eyes. If you don't mind my asking, why do you prefer Airstreams over your typical trailer/camper? Why did they stop making trailers with slides? Needless to say, I know nothing about Airstreams but I've always appreciated their form.

[Coloradobus]

David, There is great following for Vintage trailers that includes Airstream ,Shasta, Fan, Avion, Silver Steak, Streamline (altho more rare) etc. I grew up with Airstreams, and Chris and I had a 28ft Excella 1995, which we traded for a 1999 Airstream Diesel Cutter 35ft single slide NewYears' Eve 1999. It was a POS, and so there is a reason Airstream stopped buiding Class A's in 2006. They, like other RV Coach builders, were asking the simple raised rail Chassis to do more than what they were designed for. There lies the problem, the house part was too much in some cases for the chassis.
Anyhow,airstreams for their aerodynamics are easier to tow than a box style rig. Earlier airstreams were alot lighter than their conventional relatives, in part from the Aluminim/structure /skin and Airstream's use of hollow core cabintery. Typical 30 footer from the 1960 might tip the scales at 4700 lbs.
In the eighties, and the advent of oak cabinetry the weights went up, but towing was still easier because of its shape.
Airstream Inc of Jackson Center, Ohio is still pumping out trailers along with utilizing the Sprinter and Chevy Vans for Class B's. They stopped building slideroom trailers because of the tremendous tongue weights, and lack of interest.
2009 was siupposed to be the last year for the 34 foot 3 axle, but they did do a run of 25 limited edition 34's with no slides for 2010.
The other 34 that they tried for a couple of years was the PanAmerica, which was a 34 ft 3 axle with a rear garage. Similar, in current model for 2010, the Eddy Bauer Edition 27ft has the same rear hatch as the ,PanAmerican.
And to why we like Airstreams. They're an icon of the United States, recognizable world wide. The Airstream Club, WBCCI, has had a great run of being the only single brand RV club still in existance from back when there were over 400 trailer companies in the 1930's+40's. The club began in the mid 50's started by Wally Byams (Airstream Creator) cousin Helen Schwamborn who also ran the Los Angeles airstream factory for Wally in the late 50's and early 60's and continued to run the club after Wally died in 1962. She was repsonsible for spearheading some of the most fascinating Airstream Caravans, in particular the Around the World Caravan in 1963 that took 17 months with 47 trailers, of which our latest find is a survivor trailer of that caravan. Helen died a few years ago, 2004 a month before turning 100 years.

[travelite]

Jim,

Thanks, I understand completely. They're as American as a Harley Davidson, a Colt 45, a Gibson Les Paul, etc. That's why I like my Wanderlodge so much, it too is an American icon. The Airstream history is fascinating. Once while camping in Florida on the Panhandle I witnessed an Airstream mini rally, it was quite a site. There was a certain efficiency in the way they arrived, set-up, and departed. I suspect the owners are as streamlined as their vessels. Anyway, I always thought it'd be cool to drop a bus shell off at the Airstream factory to have an interior installed.

[Bill Price]

David:

I fully agree with jim and Chris. They are truly and American Icon. And yes the hitch weight with the slide out is heavy. We pulled ours with a one ton Ford diesel. Never a problem and we hang out in the rockies for the summer. Thus we have pulled some good mountain passes. Another great thing the trailers are simple as an anvil. Again as Jim and Chris stated above the motorhome line left much to be desired. Wisely the class A version was killed off. We truly loved our trailer with the slideout. Never a slide problem! It was sad to see them drop such a good product. It appears they have turned to smaller trailers; too bad.


On another note:
We are now busless after my tire accident. However the recovery is slowly starting to take place. I am on neuromonics for the ears. Anyone with tinnitus "ringing in the ears" should look that one up.

My wife and I are starting to look around for another Prevost. Now the thrill of the hunt begins!!

[rfoster]

Bill: That is fantastic news - so glad to hear the recovery is underway. Especially the MPD part!!!

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Glad to hear the news Bill. You can't keep a good man down very long.

Thanks for the tip on Neuromonics, will look into it, although I don't hold out much hope for a cure for Tinnitus:(

JIM :)

[Bill Price]

Jim:

What they are telling us is a cure is near. The Neuromonics device will take it down to nearly nothing if you are interested.

The wars we are in has left so many of our troops with llittle to no hearing. I had one ENT Doctor tell me how Bad it was as he was treating many cases. I really feel for these guys. WE tend to just think of getting shot or etc. but the explosions from the IEDs have taken there toll on hearing. Thus they develop severe tinnitus, those that can hear at all.

This has kicked off new research in this area and they are making some great gains. They told us they felt like a cure was very close. Lets hope so for the sake of our troops alone.

Good to hear from you and I hope all is well.

[rahangman]

A little thread creep here, but, Bill is right. While there is nothing glamorous or really good concerning war, especially a prolonged conflict such as Viet Nam or the current debacle, as the old saying there is always some good that comes from the bad. Many of our Medical Miracles have come about from the wounded in wars. Not a preferred thing to take place, but one that should give us all hope that what transpires is not without some merit. Go get'em, U.S.A. and come home safe.

[michaeldterry]

Jim:

What they are telling us is a cure is near.

Bill - I pray what you're hearing is correct! I've had tinnitus for almost 30 years with no relief! I'd give anything to have a "quiet head" again!

[Bill Price]

Michael:

Check into neuromonics. Google that up. It could fix your problem. I have been on it for about three weeks in stage 1 and I can already tell some difference. Stage two begins the last of this month and that should begin to all but end the tennitus nightmare. Like you I am ready!!

[michaeldterry]

Bill - I'll check it out! Thanks!