SOLD-1976 Trillium 1300 for sale on e-bay

[Evan W]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...IT&viewitem=

This little trailer is in good shape and is ready to go camping. It sleeps 3, the table makes into a nice size bed for two. Cushions at the table are brand new, the cushion on the front couch is in need of recovering. It has new vinyl flooring that has the look of wood. It has Coleman mach series rooftop air conditioning that works great and a Fantastic 3-speed reversible vent fan w/thermastat. All the windows and screens are in good working condition. Has a rock guard over the front window, that lifts when camping. Has working microwave installed. The water system and small sink are in place and working fine with the exception of the manual hand pump(which may need either primed or rebuilt). Factory three way refigerator in place, it could possibly work, we have not tested it, the frame on the refrigerator is badly rusted, it will need replaced. This little camper is made of fiberglass and is very compact and lightweight.It is similiar to a Scamp, Cassita or Burro. It is 13 ft. long including the tongue. It is not perfect ( 33 years old )and could still use a little T.L.C. but is very presentable and usable as is. The frame is solid though it does have some surface rust (see pic. of front tongue) but nothing major. The tires are nearly new and it has a rear mounted "temporary use" spare tire on the rear bumper that is usable.There are factory leveling jacks mounted on the rear bumper. The towing lights are in working order and it has a flat 4way standard plug. All the Interior DC lights as well as the exterior DC "porch light" are in working order they run off the 110v when the trailer is plugged in or off the 12v battery when camping "off grid". There is a 110v ac to 12v dc power converter that runs the lights and charges the battery when plugged in to 110v power. All the 110v outlets work and there is a working outdoor switchable 2 plug outlet on the exterior by the door. The two burner Propane cook top works fine and there is still propane in the newer style single tank on the front of the trailer.

The reciever accepts a 1 7/8" ball

The exterior of the trailer has been painted a medium grey color.It is approximately 8.5 ft tall including air-conditioner and about 5' 8" wide at the widest point.

Located in Central Florida.

Camper is sold in as-is condition.

Low reserve

[Nancy H128]

Has anyone seen the recent listing of the Trillium on Ebay? I was wondering if someone was close to Winter Haven and had seen the trailer in person. I am bidding on it; but am feeling a little uncertain about purchasing something without seeing it first. It seems to be a good deal; but not sure. I am a novice to fiberglass trailers; but it seems the Trillium are nice sound ones.

Can anyone comment of the condition of this trailer?

[Dave Baston]

Has anyone seen the recent listing of the Trillium on Ebay? I was wondering if someone was close to Winter Haven and had seen the trailer in person. I am bidding on it; but am feeling a little uncertain about purchasing something without seeing it first. It seems to be a good deal; but not sure. I am a novice to fiberglass trailers; but it seems the Trillium are nice sound ones.

Can anyone comment of the condition of this trailer?

Nancy,
I live up here in Michigan. I have a passion for Trillium's in general. I feel they are the
"Rolls Royce" of the fiberglass world. I owned 3 at once 2 years ago. I still own my 1978 Trillium 4500 Deluxe ( 15 Footer). I seen this one when 1st posted. I sold 4 on ebay motors. This guy had such a "Crazy Low Reserve" that has been met already. This is excellent for you. What is your ebay name? If you get it for $3,500 or less it is a real bargain. If it was'nt painted I would pay as much as $4,500 to $5,000. With that said, if it gets to $3,500 with minutes to auctions close, I woulsd still go as much as $100 to $200 on your final bid over the $3,500. Do this with just under 1 minute to go if you need to. Trillium's are extremely hard to come by and only you become rarer. So this will only increase in value. Plus with the A/C unit in your area, adds about $1,000 value in my personal opinion with that extra comfort in HOT HUMID weather! Good Luck!

Dave
"The Trillium King"

[April Wilcox]

We are not close enough to go see this one, but it looks like a nice trillium for the current price... good luck! We picked ours up in FL (pensacola)

[Booker B.]

From the pictures it looks pretty clean for this year of trailer. Though I don't generally like painted Trilliums this one looks pretty smart. Two things I would be concerned about.

First there is a bit of rust on the frame and it's been repainted at least once.

The other concern is the changes to the roof with the added AC unit. There are a couple of non standard roof areas that could cause leak issues in the future.

However, it doesn't rain in Florida does it so maybe that's not an issue =)

[Evan W]

From the pictures it looks pretty clean for this year of trailer. Though I don't generally like painted Trilliums this one looks pretty smart. Two things I would be concerned about.

First there is a bit of rust on the frame and it's been repainted at least once.

The other concern is the changes to the roof with the added AC unit. There are a couple of non standard roof areas that could cause leak issues in the future.

However, it doesn't rain in Florida does it so maybe that's not an issue =)

Hi, This is Evan W.

I have posted some more pics of the frame before and after I wire brushed and painted it and yes I think it has been painted before because there is gray over spray on the belly.
the photos are at www.woodgraining.com/camper
thanks to all for this great resorce on these cute little campers!

[Pat B Ohio]

Nancy,

I won't bid on it if you want it. I have kin in Florida that could use it until I pick it up. Merry Christmas.

[Nancy H128]

I'm watching it closely. I hope to be the high bidder. We'll see if "destiny" intends it for my use! :-) Thanks for your consideration.

[Ross P]

Good luck on this one Nancy I hope you get it. If I was closer I would be bidding on it also.

Ross

[Nancy H128]

It seems most of the fiberglass trailers are in the Northern area; so I am excited to find one that is somewhat close to me....however, still is almost a 7 hour drive. You never know what is going to happen on Ebay sales; so will see if I am the lucky one.

[Pat B Ohio]

Nancy,

Is it yours? It went for under $2000.....that 7 hour drive should be well worth it if it's yours.

[Nancy H128]

Yep
I am very excited. I'm leaving here in the Panhandle around 1 a.m. so I can get there by 9ish and be able to drive the trailer home in Daylight hours. I can hardly wait to get there. I'll fill you in on all the details in the coming weeks.

I am officially an egg owner!

[Booker B.]

That's great Nancy, definitely a neat first trailer!

[Ross P]

I am very happy for you Nancy, looks like a great trailer, maybe I can find one like it here in BC for the price you paid. Many days of happy camping.

Ross

[Booker B.]

Ross, the best price I have seen for a Trillium in BC was $1500 bucks and it was gutted - even with that I phoned 2 hours after it was on craigslist and it had been sold an hour before! Deals like this are (unfortunately) rare here on the coast.

[Dave Baston]

Ross, the best price I have seen for a Trillium in BC was $1500 bucks and it was gutted - even with that I phoned 2 hours after it was on craigslist and it had been sold an hour before! Deals like this are (unfortunately) rare here on the coast.

Booker,
Yes you are right. Three factors lead to this crazy low selling price.
1. The time of the year
2. The economy
3. It was painted

I got my 1978 Trillium 4500 6 1/2 years ago for only $1,100
It just needed a clean-up and 2 new tires. It was a real "GEM " found!!!!!!
I bought a Scamp this past spring and it was used as a tool shed. I paid $375 for it, and sold it for $3,700 this past summer.
Dave,
"The Trilllium King"

[Raya]

I agree with the above factors resulting in a lower price. In addition, the refrigerator is rusted out (at least, according to the seller), and there is no furnace. The refrigerators are expensive, and the original no-electricity furnaces are very hard to find, so I'd say that knocks off $1000 right there. There is the Florida-potential-general-rust factor, and the potential for roof problems due to the AC (although it looked like the mount probably spread the weight adequately).

A paint job can be great, but more often... not so much. And if a "soft," (one-part) paint it can be a pain to re-paint, since you can 't put a good, "hard," two-part paint over it but instead need to remove it.

I would have been reluctant to go any higher myself without seeing it in person. Having it end right at Christmastime probably wasn't the best tactic on the sellers' part. Probably everyone bidding had the "everything usually looks better in photos and I'm bidding from just photos" issue. That makes a big difference.

I can't wait see/hear how it looks in person from NancyH128 . Hopefully it's very nice and she got a deal I don't think it was "crazy low," considering all of the factors; but definitely a very nice price; she can hardly have gone wrong!

Raya

[Nancy H128]

Hi Everyone.
I am the new owner of the Trillium that was on Ebay and I am feeling very happy about my purchase. The Seller was wonderful and made me feel that he was very concerned that I was satisfied with my purchase and went the extra mile to show me all the details and make sure the trailer was safe for travel.

Despite some of the negatives mentioned about the trailer, I feel they are small details and feel certain I could resell this trailer easily and get my money back in full. The inside was fairly clean....just a little dusty from non-use more than anything. The refrigerator still hasn't been established whether it works or not. The problem with it is the bracket on the bottom of the door has rusted off; so that when you open the door, it comes off completely. I will probably try to find out if that can be replaced and start with that before I completely eliminate and/or replace it. For now, I will just be using a cooler and enjoying the camper in a rustic sort of a way.

I am not too keen on the propane part and will also not worry about the refrig or cooktop. Will probably just use an electric hot plate for now if needed. With the microwave working, I am fine to just heat up stuff with it. Of course, open fire hot dog roasting is one of my favorite meals.

All the lights work inside and out, all the insulation membrane is in good shape. There is no sign of any water intrusion around the windows or anywhere else and no cracks in the fiberglass inside or out. There is no furnace in it (looks like it was once located where the microwave is now); but since I will camp mostly in the south, I am not concerned with that either. The metal axle, tongue, etc., was completely sanded and repainted by the Seller prior to my arrival. He indicated there was no visible signs of any metal rot. He also made extra effort to seal any possible water intrusion areas on the roof around the a/c unit. He used an extra heavy duty silicone that he said will probably last a lifetime. There is some signs of age on little things like the hinges of the cabinets are rusted; but those are small items that I could either replace easily or paint and clean up to reuse.

I am not really concerned by the little details; since the camper is really ready to use now and enjoy without any fixing or repair. In fact, I'm going to try to take my new Egg camping in the next couple of days just to get a feel for what it is like. Little by little I will do some fixing and of course and add the character that a vintage piece like this deserves. I also need lots of practice in the backing up part. However, I did manage to park it beside my garage area....in less than an hour!!
I just wanted to thank everyone who was so kind to provide necessary information to make my decision and who have offered their continued support to make any renovations or repairs on the Trillium. I have loved this forum and all the information that is provided. I had signed up for a couple other ones that I felt there was just too much chat going on and very little informative discussions. I will continue to post info and pixs that I might find helpful for others that are novice like me. I hope to be able to return the favor this forum provided me and help someone else thru the purchasing process.

Happy 2009 to all. Happy Camping. I would highly recommend this area of the Panhandle for camping for anyone. We have a beautiful State Camping area in Grayton Beach that provides tremendous privacy and awesome views of the Gulf of Mexico. The camping area sits right on a lake and is immaculately clean. Only a short little hike and you are standing on what has been declared one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!....Snow white sand and beautiful sunrise/sunsets. Water is crystal clear and emerald green! Come on down!
Smiles,
Nancy

[Raya]

Nancy,

Thanks for the report, and I'm happy to hear the the Trillium is so wonderful The sellers did come across as good people in the eBay listing.

Funny you should mention Grayton Beach. I went to see my brother over Christmas, and since co-worker was going the same way we rode together. The talk turned to RV camping and I mentioned that a friend and I had tried to plan a (somewhat last minute) trip to the Keys over the holidays but they were "full." I wondered about less populated areas of Florida and he specifically recommended Grayton Beach as a place he'd enjoyed. He made it sound really fabulous.

Can't wait to see and hear more about your new baby!

Raya

[Mary F]

Nancy, Now you need to change your "RV Type" (see "My Controls" link near the top of the screen). Congrats on finding your Trillium!