'72 Trillium 13 - Opinions Wanted

[Richard Hayes]

Just had a 1st look at a '72 Trillium 13 today - looks like a nice rig, age considered...I do have a few questions and would appreciate any input...

The present owner bought it in '05, replaced the axle and tires, added electric trailer brakes, re-wired it (he's an avionics tech) and has had a nice paint job done on it. It's been to Alberta and back since then - last licensed in '06.

The interior is roughish - a new AC/DC fridge and a new stovetop (not hooked up), no furnace, no propane setup, water tank is not trustworthy for drinking water according to the owner - apart from that it's clean but pretty plain in there. Some water staining low on the Ensolite in the left rear corner of the main bunk behind the cushions. The roof seems flexy in the area above the sink - much stiffer on the other side, where the hanging closet acts as a roof support. Noted an exterior crack above the forward corner of the window on the right side - again, above the sink/galley area, about 4 inches long, running from above the roofline curve downwards towards the window. Several smaller cracks in the wheel well lip, same side - there has been a reinforcing patch applied to the inside. Found one chassis bolt that could simply be lifted out from the inside - rusted off - assume the cab/chassis bolts will need replacing - what's involved? The chassis is, as far as I could see, solid. Noted rust around a rivet near the lower corner, front window...

One puzzling thing - the floor appears to be FG, inside and out - is it wood-cored? There are a good few holes thru it in lockers, etc, for old cable runs, drain holes, etc. - how should I check for integrity in the floor? It feels solid as a church, but I really, really don't want to have to tear a floor out and replace it...





Now for the 'money' question - the owner, who seems to be a straightforward guy, is asking $3,000 (we're talking Canadian) for the unit, but is open to offers. Would appreciate any opinions folks might have on the rig, and resale value...

Thanks...Rick

[floyd]

It looks like a steal!
The floor is solidly fiberglass all the way around, with plywood encapsuled in the center. If you look carefully it has a trough around the perimeter to keep it dry . I have never seen one with floor problems. The Trillium is a well made trailer with a nice door! It tows well but it is not as inherently stable as a Boler or a Scamp. if you use a big battery and a propane tank on the tongue plus bias the load toward the front it will behave.
The body is simply bolted right to the frame( old time automotive style) the bolts can usually be simply removed and replaced without moving the body.
It is nearing 40 years old and will need some attention of course, but nearly everything on this trailer will require less than a 4 on the Handyman scale.
One important thing... the front has Jaulousie windows and they are glass. These are great windows but will need protection being on the front to prevent breakage or leaking while underway. Most of them have a factory stoneguard/window awning on the front.
Good luck! now that you have made it public you may have to hurry!

[Gina D.]

Richard, I deleted your duplicated topic and moved this to General Chat.

You'll get better response here.

I have no opinion.. (contrary to what my ex husband would say..)

Good luck!

[Steve Dunkel]

I know nothing about Trilliums but it looks really nice in the picture, especially the paint job. First trailer I've seen painted silver.

[Booker B.]

$3000 is a decent price but I wouldn't call it a steal as it's going to require some serious work. I paid $4000 in 2008 for the same year trailer with everything working (furnance, stove, 3 way fridge) plus it had a dual tank propane system and I well setup 12v rig. Having electric brakes is a bonus but not having a propane fridge is a minus as they are not cheap to replace. If you plan to camp at RV sites which have power then not having a propane fridge will not be an issue.

Small fractures are not uncommon, I have a few around my door and in the my door.

The 1972-1973 Trilliums had a recall for frame fractures where the frame sweeps under the trailer so that may be somethign for you to look into. Link to recall notice info

To really price this out you should look at what complete Trilliums go for on the east coast and then try and determine how much it will cost to get this trailer into decent camping shape.