How do you figure value on an old trailer in poor condition?

[Graycat]

NADA isn't much use when it comes to anything older than 1995. After that, all the values for a 29' trailer are the same: low $1725, average $2080.

I'm looking at a 1986 Terry that looks like it has to be completely rebuilt. If the tanks hold water, I'm good with rebuilding.

The ad says the value is $2000, has no a/c or refrigerator and needs minor updating. The pictures show mold across the ceiling and down the walls. Looks like nothing is salvagable inside. Windows and siding possibly can be reused. They are asking just under $1000.

What would you go by to make an offer, knowing you have to rebuild and buy all new fixtures/appliances?

[Cubey]

I paid $500 for my 81 Aluma-Lite 30' needing pretty much everything. The ceiling is mostly gone including insulation from previous roof leaks. Yes I could have saved money and bought something better probably for $1500 but I wanted something right then and I don't mind doing dirty work. I'm doing everything myself so it's not so bad.

[72cougarxr7]

I just picked up a 1995 Komfort 20' with a bad roof but nice fridge, stove and AC.
I paid $300 and plan on rebuilding it.

I did a partial rebuild before, it it labor intensive.

[kearlms]

Graycat wrote:

kearlms wrote:
From what you are describing, I looked at one that was about the same and told them I would give them $200.00 so I could turn it into a flatbed trailer for my wheelers. You will be into it some big $$$ if you decide to rebuild it. May be better to walk away.

Did they accept or reject your offer?

I also just want it for the frame and tanks.

The guy said nope. I will hold out for what I am asking. ($1500.00)

I said good luck and walked away.

[Camper_G]

westend wrote:

I don't live that way, wasn't the way I was brought up. My parents both grew up through the Great Depression (the 1920's version not the housing crash of 2000's ).

Ah, children of the children of the Great Depression. I can identify with that relationship and I'm sure there are others on this Forum that can do the same. Those forebearers that lived during that era learned to save everything and wasted nothing.

The following is a true conversation I had with one of our workers in my role as a golf course mechanic and a crew member at a Suburban upscale golf course:

Him: This string trimmer won't run, where do I throw it away?
Me: Around here, we don't trash them, we fix them. Let me have it. It will be a few minutes.
Him: Why don't you just pitch it and give me another one?
Me: Let me ask you, if your parents have a string trimmer and it quits running to do you throw it away?
Him: Yes
Me: OK, if your parents have a lawn mower and it breaks do you throw it away?
Him: Yes
Me: Alright. That BMW you drove in here with today, if it breaks are you going to throw it away?
Him: No, we would get it fixed.
Me: Well, around here, all our equipment is treated like a BMW, we don't throw it away when broken. :B

Very well said. Thanks.

[westend]

I don't live that way, wasn't the way I was brought up. My parents both grew up through the Great Depression (the 1920's version not the housing crash of 2000's ).

Ah, children of the children of the Great Depression. I can identify with that relationship and I'm sure there are others on this Forum that can do the same. Those forebearers that lived during that era learned to save everything and wasted nothing.

The following is a true conversation I had with one of our workers in my role as a golf course mechanic and a crew member at a Suburban upscale golf course:

Him: This string trimmer won't run, where do I throw it away?
Me: Around here, we don't trash them, we fix them. Let me have it. It will be a few minutes.
Him: Why don't you just pitch it and give me another one?
Me: Let me ask you, if your parents have a string trimmer and it quits running to do you throw it away?
Him: Yes
Me: OK, if your parents have a lawn mower and it breaks do you throw it away?
Him: Yes
Me: Alright. That BMW you drove in here with today, if it breaks are you going to throw it away?
Him: No, we would get it fixed.
Me: Well, around here, all our equipment is treated like a BMW, we don't throw it away when broken. :B

[Gdetrailer]

matt7591 wrote:
Wow some testy misers here. Hence the reason I don't hang out here much anymore. Many others agree with my common sense approach to run the other way from this deal but for those who obviously think it's the greatest deal since "just wait there's more" home shopping network - all I can say is - smh. Tah.

Spending more for a FRAME and TITLE than you have to is not "common sense", that is plain stupid.

If the OP is wanting basically the frame and a title it is SMARTER to buy as cheap as possible..

OP did not state exactly what they planned to do with it, but my guess is they really were looking for a deal on the frame.

Basically REMOVING the "box" and building NEW on top of the frame, reusing what ever good items they got with the deal.

Removing the box is not all that hard to do, it is attached by bolts through the frame, typically around the outside perimeter.

Cut the bolts off, jack up the box then pull frame from under the box..

Then you can simply burn the box (if regulations allow) or dismember the box and discard the remains correctly.

By the way, not ALL mold is deadly and mold CAN be dealt with properly and provided proper PPE is used in the process. Only "media" and "gov" agencies along with many over priced abatement companies have scared everyone it panicking over this :R

Molds are natural and exist EVERYWHERE, indoors and out.

Remove the rotting wood along with any soft materials like carpeting then drying it out and treating remaining materials with a bleach solution and 99.9% of the mold problem is gone..

YES, it takes time but if you are a tinkerer like me and would rather tinker with things like mechanical, wood working or restoring discarded stuff INSTEAD OF BEING GLUED TO A TV, SPORTS, PHONE, INTERNET OR ANY OTHER SOCIAL OUTLETS then it can be rewarding..

If you are not a tinkerer and would rather pay through the nose for new shiny stuff then this IS NOT FOR YOU.

We live in a throw away world, once it is slightly tarnished or "out of date" it is thrown out..

I don't live that way, wasn't the way I was brought up. My parents both grew up through the Great Depression (the 1920's version not the housing crash of 2000's ).

Dad used to tell stories of eating bread soaked in milk for a meal, and many other frugal ways to barely eat..

Mom used to tell me stories of how her town would cut ice blocks out of the river then haul them to a underground Ice house.. The town depended on that ice to last all summer until the next winter..

Even growing up, a family of 6 kids with one income, we through nothing out. If it broke it was fixed, lots of hand me down clothing and toys.. But we survived.

If someone is looking at a trailer that has obvious signs of of rot and mold, don't be so quick to judge and condemn them for trying to buy as cheap as possible, they may have other plans for it or they ARE willing to put a little hard work into making it new again..

As I mentioned before, the only difference between a $500 trailer with rot and a $2000 trailer rot is PRICE..

That $2000 trailer most likely has just as much if not more HIDDEN damage that you cannot see..

[matt7591]

Wow some testy misers here. Hence the reason I don't hang out here much anymore. Many others agree with my common sense approach to run the other way from this deal but for those who obviously think it's the greatest deal since "just wait there's more" home shopping network - all I can say is - smh. Tah.

[arkie_guide]

Its not worth much - sounds in bad shape - the absent appliances drop the price a lot. If yo truly want the trailer knowing all its faults about 5 to 600.00 is all I would offer. Good luck.

[Gdetrailer]

matt7591 wrote:

matt7591 wrote:
Nonsense

You feel better now? Do what you want.

There, I fixed it for you..

I think you meant to quote something else that I posted in this thread.

Do YOU feel better?

Perhaps you can tell me the difference between a rotted $500 trailer with mold or a $20,000 rotted trailer with mold?

The answer is PRICE.

Even buying a $2000 trailer with HIDDEN rot and mold makes NO SENSE at all because it IS the same as one that costs less as in it will take just as much effort and materials to rehab as a lesser cost trailer.

Yeah, my first trailer, the seller was asking $2,000, I offered $1,800 and the offer was accepted..

Didn't look bad, just a small puffy spot in the paneling about 6 inches at the bottom of the front window..

Until I towed it home 18 miles..

First look in my driveway revealed a layer of rotted paneling and wood lying on the front bed the whole front just crumbled and fell onto the bed.

Took me 9 months to rip out all the upper cabinets, a upper bunk bed and the entire ceiling.. Replaced all but TWO roof joists, had to build new upper cabinets, re paneled the entire trailer..

Spent nearly $2,000 on materials to fix it..

I wasn't planning to sell it, but we decided that a 20ft TT was a bit small with a busy toddler..

We made a list of what we liked and what we didn't like.. One of the things we really wanted was a front PRIVATE bedroom with a Queen bed and a real door AND NO table booth but have a full sized couch instead..

The only configurations we could find that was 30+ ft trailers, I didn't want a 30+ trailer so I put pencil to paper and figured out that I could make a 26ft box which would FIT our design..

So, the plan was to have a trailer builder custom fab a frame to our specs and title it, the quote was $2,000.

So when we found a TT that just happened to be the correct LENGTH we were looking for and the price was well below the cost of having a frame built and titled we jumped on it.

We paid $700 for our trailer which gave us a good frame and title plus good windows, doors, furnace, A/C, Stove, A BRAND NEW WATER HEATER (the owner had replaced it after failing to winterize), the fridge was bad though.

That is about $4,000 in RV windows (price them, they are not cheap), $400 water heater, $600 furnace, $600 A/C, $500 stove if you were buy new items.

We decided to replace the furnace (found a scratch and dent new furnace for $300) and the A/C even though they worked..

Bought two window A/C units (one for the main area and one for the Bedroom) for about $400..

We sold the used furnace for $125 and the Used A/C for $125 on Craigs list, sold in less than two days..

We have a highly customized TT to the way we want and we paid cash to buy it, we paid cash to rebuild it. This saved us tens of thousands of $$$ over all and the money we spent was less than what would have paid in INTEREST to a bank.. For a little sweat equity we got a lot of bang for the buck.

Scoff at us if you like, but I laugh all the way to the bank knowing that I spent less than $5K for my TT and none of that money went to the rich banks..

I as of yet have never met a "POOR BANK MANGER/OWNER".

[rbpru]

I folks I know that do true restorations do it as a labor of love; unless someone is paying them to do it. Most often the restoration is complete before the object is in service.

A "fix it up and get running" approach almost always leads to incessant diddling around and never really finishing the job right.

There are exceptions, particularly with those who like to experiment with different ideas.

The novelty of restoring and old TT is fleeting and most always expensive. But, as already mentioned RVs are a poor financial investment to begin with.

[Dave_Pete]

Graycat wrote:
NADA isn't much use when it comes to anything older than 1995. After that, all the values for a 29' trailer are the same: low $1725, average $2080.

I'm looking at a 1986 Terry that looks like it has to be completely rebuilt. If the tanks hold water, I'm good with rebuilding.

The ad says the value is $2000, has no a/c or refrigerator and needs minor updating. The pictures show mold across the ceiling and down the walls. Looks like nothing is salvagable inside. Windows and siding possibly can be reused. They are asking just under $1000.

What would you go by to make an offer, knowing you have to rebuild and buy all new fixtures/appliances?

Back to the original question/answer, OP I wouldn't be interested in this one for two reasons, and maybe an observation as a third.

1. It's too new. For a few hundred dollars (depends on your area market and all seller's expectations) you can find an older one that has the real wood paneling. Thinks 1960's. Some in the early seventies. If it's that paper covered paneling, it's often not worth saving. If it's that old school real wood paneling, even IF it's a gut job, you can salvage large sections of wood, sometimes the whole wall or ceiling including framing.

2. Missing appliances. Yes, you can buy those from salvage lots. Or use what you've salvaged from other units (kind of like I do), or buy new, but you still have to get them. Equals money.

3. You said "if the tanks hold water", you can build. On these things, replacing tanks is one of the EASIEST things. You don't have to read the whole threads, but if you read some of my work, you'll see that it's not just about building, you kind of have to be able to deal with "whatever" comes up, even tanks that don't hold water (again, one of the easiest things).

Locally, there's a seller who wants $1800 then down to $1500 for a couple of canned hams he says a person could make one good unit out of. That's if you're GOOD. And if you want a combo unit. I offered him 200 for one and 400 for the other. He asked for my offer after I told him I'm not interested unless he's willing to come way down. Since he asked, I offered. He must have been insulted, because he never responded back. Which I think is simply inconsiderate.

So value is extremely subjective. As you can see from answers here, it is ALSO subjective in a group who advocates for much newer, and less effort, or who spectate.

If you're serious about a unit (regardless of age related quality materials), I would be thinking "way low" (2-6 hundred). If you see one requiring work, but mostly complete and workable, maybe as much as $2000, but if you're doing a bunch of work on it (for self use, or for re-sale) over $1000 can be non-starter.

Also, be aware, I think many $2000-$7500 "restored units", are often covered over - interior painted instead of paneling finishes (stain and poly). What's beneath the surface? Just like nightmares in flipped homes.

Good luck.

If I was interested, the unit you describe I might pay $200 for. If it's titled.

[westend]

matt7591 wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
Nonsense

You feel better now? Do what you want.

I didn't find his reply "nonsense", it is more to the point of this thread than what you have not added. If you are that thin-skinned, I'd suggest to find another activity than reading online Forums.

Wondering what the OP has decided to do re: his trailer purchase?

[matt7591]

Gdetrailer wrote:
Nonsense

You feel better now? Do what you want.

[time2roll]

turbojimmy wrote:

rbpru wrote:
The big issue for me is. You will never recoup your costs.

That can be said for almost any RV, old or new, restored or not. They're a horrible investment, but I don't know anyone that buys them to make money (except dealers).

+1