Bare aluminum skin trailers are the easiest to maintain on the outside. We had a 1957 Mercury "Canned Ham" once I cleaned it up all it took was a hose a couple of times a year to keep it nice. Not shiny, but clean looking. The nice thing about aluminum is once it gets an oxide layer it never changes. Paint just gets crappier and crappier looking.
The floor plans on Airstreams are pretty well thought out, if you find one in not to bad condition you could just re-hab it and be done.
Getting the clear coat and decals off and getting back to a uniform looking skin is pretty labor intensive. Some Airstream folks were going back to OK where AA had their jets polished back in the '90's. There are a few companies that still will polish them, then you don't clear coat 'em as it is a waste of time. The finishes are not as durable as they were back in the day. Thanks EPA.
Stay away from the 'Beatrice' years which IIRC were early seventies to mid eighties. Also realize that some had asbestos floor tiles and foam insulation that emitted formaldehyde like the '67 Land Yacht that I spent many a trip in back when I was a young pup. In '73 we took it down to Mazatlan and then by ferry across to Cabo and back up to AZ. Even though I was only 5 I still remember good portions of that trip!
The 2000 28' Excella that my Dad and I went back to the factory to pick up, is what I have now, and need to sell. They do tow great, and in
general have pretty good fit and finish. The factory in OH was a joke. How those poor folks built anything semi decent is a mystery. The interior now is pretty much like new, but the outside looks like $hit. 7000' for 14 years = clear coat nightmare.
There is NO WAY I'd undertake rebuilding one. Just too much crap to deal with. Oh, forgot many of the '60-'70 year models had aluminum AC wiring too. Bad news. Also, most floor plans don't lend themselves to families unless there is an only child. Like myself.
As stated though, they do hold their value once the initial depreciation happens.
We purchased a new TT a month ago. We ended up with a Heartland NorthTrail 31BHDD. I have found the fit and finish to be excellent so far. Our shakedown cruise was last weekend and everything worked perfectly. I really wanted one of the smaller units as I really liked some of the floor plans. So far I would say take a look at the North Trail units if there are any in your size range. The floor plans are very well thought out.
Enjoy!
FR just mentally prep yourself for things that will need to be addressed as you use the trailer and get it back to the dealer to fix ASAP under warranty. It is not a matter of 'if' you'll have issues, it is just when. Sad but true, even on high end coaches there are always things that need to be addressed or tweaked. I have never heard of that brand, and am curious as to whom the parent company is. Most of the TT's out there are mfg. by a handful of companies after the 2008 fallout. And personally, I wouldn't give any of them a nod to any sort of true quality construction or QC. I know that sounds harsh, but in the RV industry it is true and unfortunate.
I know that the OP is looking for a bumper pull, but having had all sorts of RV's over the years, a quality early to mid 2000's DP Class A is really, really enjoyable. With room for the kids and all the assorted stuff and now that we can tow the 80 behind, we're set for wherever we'd like to go. MPG no different than the DMax and Desert Fox TH combo that it replaced. i.e. 10-12
The main thing is get something that will fit the bill for now, and is within the range of what your truck can tow. Then get out there and use it while you can!
. Will probably stay with a bumper pull type hitch as we enjoy loading the flatbed with toys.
