Travel Trailer Value After Rehab
Hello everyone. Not sure if this is the right thread, so please feel free to move the post if not. I bought a 1994 Chateau travel trailer a couple years ago from a friend who told me the back corner...
Forum Discussion
I completely restored my trailer and it is only worth what someone will pay for it, should I decide to sell it. I tried to have a budget that would reflect that price but the cost of my own labor will never be recovered.
I'd suggest to forgo the use of composite materials when rebuilding the frame. They are heavy, costly, hard on tools, and don't need to be used. Instead, use the materials that were original to the trailer. Yes, foam insulation is superior to spun fiberglass and the cost difference as to reward makes it a good replacement. After you have recovered the damaged frame and installed new paneling, perform a pressurized-interior leak test so that any pinholes or water ingress is revealed and fixed. Eternabond tapes can be your new best friend, along with polymer sealants for other surfaces.
FWIW, an older trailer can serve the same purpose as a new one (without the scratch/dent anxiety) and many are built better than what is offered currently. Making a profit on restoration is extremely difficult, even when working on a rare, classic unit. The value of the labor makes it a financial tightrope.
I'd suggest to forgo the use of composite materials when rebuilding the frame. They are heavy, costly, hard on tools, and don't need to be used. Instead, use the materials that were original to the trailer. Yes, foam insulation is superior to spun fiberglass and the cost difference as to reward makes it a good replacement. After you have recovered the damaged frame and installed new paneling, perform a pressurized-interior leak test so that any pinholes or water ingress is revealed and fixed. Eternabond tapes can be your new best friend, along with polymer sealants for other surfaces.
FWIW, an older trailer can serve the same purpose as a new one (without the scratch/dent anxiety) and many are built better than what is offered currently. Making a profit on restoration is extremely difficult, even when working on a rare, classic unit. The value of the labor makes it a financial tightrope.
