Class A restore bad idea

People jump into a restoration project for two reasons.....to keep it themselves and use it, or to resell the vehicle.
Here is a link to a really nice Airstream that has not sold. Airstream
The coach has some age, and it will get some bidders for resale, but not enough to off set the cost of the restoration.
Now, if you want to buy it for your own use, and you can handle ALL of the restoration, than it MAY NOT be a bad deal. Then again it may be a money pit that you will never get to enjoy. If what you see scares you, then the hidden problems will terrify you. It sounds like this is one to pass on.

So sad, but indeed, there are cases where restoration is a bad idea. If it has been sitting for 8 years, and has extensive damage due to a leak, there's also the question of whether the engine is frozen. Sorry this one isn't gonna work for ya.

That bunch that has that Air Stream on Ebay is iffy at best as I never deal with anyone that has "added fees" after the sale. + thats a almost 20 year old gasser. How much do they expect to get for it????? Does look good.

I bought a class C that was in "pretty good shape" and was 2 years out of having received a state inspection. I paid too much for it and then had to sink more money in to it to make it pass inspection on the CHASSIS side alone. I spent 4 or 5 years patching leaks as they popped up and tinkering with little fixes here and there but by no means did a restoration. I was done and sold it for a loss because I made sure every issue I knew about what known to the purchaser.

Campers and camping generate enough issues to satisfy my tinkerers gene. I don't want to invest and engage in a restoration at this point.

Here is a nice
Restoration thread on an Airstream

If nothing else it has a low mileage Cummins engine. Assuming it hasn't been damaged too bad by just sitting it may be worth more than $5k.

For your neighbors this may be a good RV to donate to one of those charities that takes old vehicles as sells them for scrap. They can value it based on NADA values and maybe make more money with a tax write off than they can by selling it.

msmith1199 wrote:
For your neighbors this may be a good RV to donate to one of those charities that takes old vehicles as sells them for scrap. They can value it based on NADA values and maybe make more money with a tax write off than they can by selling it.

NADA value of donation does NOT matter to IRS anymore. Current law is the dollar value you can write off on taxes is what the charity SELLS the vehicle for. If a NADA $9,000 vehicle sells for $1000, your IRS allowed amount is $1000.

Amount Written Off

If the donated car sells for less than $500, the nonprofit is not obligated to provide a receipt with the full resale value. It only provides a receipt stating that the car was sold on the organization's behalf. It is up to the donor to determine the fair market value, as long as the car is less than $500.

If the car resells for more than $500, the nonprofit must provide a receipt for the value of the sale. You can write off the entire amount of the receipt from the nonprofit.

IMHO, I'd pass and buy another luxury DP from the 90's that has been running!

Silver bullets and fiber glass AS's are two different subjects.