I own an almost renovated 1969 27 foot Airstream. There is a lot to fix, but
nothing is too complex. I think of it as "this old house" on wheels. If you buy
a unit that is structurally sound, is no floor rot, exterior and interior
panels in good shape, all windows etc then you are in good shape. Components
in the Airstream from that era, except for the structural parts themselves, was
either top of the line conventional home parts (such as the Moen faucets) or top
of the line specialized RV parts, such as the pumps and toilets. Light fixtures
were custom and it is hard to find exact duplicates. Most of the plumbing and
gas fittings can be found in any good hardware store. Pipes are mostly very easy
to get at exept for a small area in th back.
It is surprising that many features on old Airstreams are still the best way to
do things, modern RVs use shoddier parts for economic reasons.
The biggest problem that I found is UV decay of plastic parts.
Good Luck
Ed Farrell
Weimers wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> > Hello. I am writing for some advice regarding the
> > purchase of a new versus vintage Airstream.
> > Are
> > the newer units as well made as the older trailers?
> > Is the cost of having a vintage trailer, even a
> > smaller one, prohibitive?
>
> I must say, in the 13 years I've owned my 1971 Globe Trotter 21, it has cost
> me expenses for tires (same as any other trailer would), a broken (worn out)
> TV antenna , and a new valve for the black water tank. Any other expenses
> were cause by my neglect (frozen pipe) or accident (broken window) . It was
> caught in a flood which goofed up the power converter briefly ...I fixed it
> with no expense. I've had to paint the frame a couple of times, and repair
> the right rear tail light (bad ground caused by rust.). The brakes burned
> out because one of my children pulled the break-away switch. It's a well
> built trailer that holds up well. The furnace is wearing out (combustion
> chamber rust) , but all the other appliances are working fine. One of the
> tambour doors broke, but it's fixed with glued on canvas (cheap to repair).
> This trailer has cost me very little and it's value on the market is about
> the same as what I paid for it. Buy a well maintained old Airstream and it
> won't cost any more than any other trailer would ....and probably less.
>
> My sister bought a brand new (Brand X) trailer the same time I bought my
> Airstream. The water tank split open and the refrigerator didn't work. The
> roof leaked and the ceiling is now collapsing. She paid twice as much as I
> did for my Airstream. Now it's probably worth less than half of what my
> Airstream is. ....about $6000 less than what she paid.
>
> The 1963 Globe Trotter 19 I bought recently had a problem with the burner in
> the hot water tank, but I managed to get all the original appliances
> working. This trailer suffered from years of neglect and needed tons of TLC.
> Once it's all restored, I expect it will be cheap to own like the '71 is.
> The old things are less complicated than new things, so are easier to fix if
> something goes wrong.
>
> I'd buy old ....but that's me. I still drive a 1973 car for daily use,
> also!
>
> MARC WEIMER
> Punxsutawney, PA
> #15767
> 1963 Globe Trotter
> 1971 Globe Trotter
>
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