Hello again

[havingfunnow]

I'm not exactly new, but I've been absent for a year (sick etc.), so I thought I'd say hello again!

This time I'm actually ready to buy! Preferably a UHaul or Boler, but I'd be interested in any of the little trailers. If you see one, let me know!

[Bob Miller]

Welcome Back Louise

So as to give us a better idea of what you are looking for, maybe you can add the following info about what you want:

Condition: Fixer(1) to Turnkey (10)
How much work you can/want to do (Remember, having a shop do most work is $$$)
Length & sleeping accommodations
What you will be towing with (Year Make & Model)
How far you can travel (from where) to buy/pick-up
Approximate Budget (Like "Under $$$")

Let us know and many will try to help.

[havingfunnow]

Thank you, Bob -- and everybody else, too!

Well, I do enjoy a project, as long as it's not too far beyond my abilities.

I can do pretty much any interior work myself. I have rather idiosyncratic ideas about comfort and convenience, so I'm not really interested in refrigerators, cooktops, separate bathrooms, etc. I'm also skeptical about the safety of aged wiring and propane, so a stripped out trailer is fine with me. (As I understand it, some of the small fiberglass trailers need the moulded furniture/cupboards/etc because they contribute to structural integrity. I just mean not having 'systems' is fine with me.)

I can't do heavy work on the frame, axel, brakes, wheels, and floor. If any of that needs to be done, the price has to be cheap enough for me to pay a shop to do it. I could do some work on windows and glassing if I have to, but would prefer not.

I want a small trailer, probably about 13 feet. I'm completely flexible on sleeping accommodations.

At present I have a 2000 Ford E150 hightop van. It's a tough old beast, but with the weight of the hightop conversion, I want to tow something lightweight.

I'm in Michigan. I'm retired, so I have plenty of time to travel to pick up a trailer without worrying too much about distance, when the weather is good. Spring is coming! Probably anything within 1,000 miles is feasible.

I'm seeing a lot of the older 13-ft trailers listed for around $5,000. For that price, I'd expect everything to be in excellent working order.

Gee, I have a lot to say! Should I copy this to the 'trailer wanted' section?

Thanks again!

[Bob Miller]

Sounds like a good plan.... Be aware, just as your interest in an FGRV was rekindled, this is the time of year when everyone else's does likewise. Basically that means that a) Prices have already started to go UP and b) Good units, at fair prices, don't stay on the market very long. In this past week alone we saw two FGRV's sell within 12 hours of their respective ads being published.

Be sure to also keep an eye on <<<fiberglass-rv-4sale.com>>> and, because where you are located, also check the Canadian ads as well. Anything over 25 y.o. gets a free pass at the border. Newer than that are a bit tougher.


Good Luck

[havingfunnow]

Thanks!

[Pam Garlow]

Louise, these little campers hold up so well that you are not likely to find one that is 'stripped out'. You're more likely to find one that just needs updating and personalizing for your camping style.
Wiring can be updated by a local RV shop. The positives about Uhaul and Burro is that they're hollow shells (double wall with air space between) and running wire/ replacing wire is a breeze. If you want to replace wiring in Scamps and Bolers, you need to keep it low to the floor where you can run it under the benches or you have to tuck it between the seams of the ratfur. Just something to think about. They're all pretty easy to work on.
Uhaul has a beefy frame and axle because it was produced as a rental unit. the negative is that it has a proprietary tire hub setup, so you can only use the UHaul specific rims on your tires. Most people just make sure to have a spare tire with the UH rim. As people upgrade their axles, they sell the UH rims, and I think you can still get new rims at UH that fit our trailers.
Good luck on the search!

[Bob Miller]

Always buy the very best you can afford.

Stripped out units are usually projects that were abandoned and will need lots of work to get on the road and, if you have to depend on an RV shop to do almost anything, plan on very big bills in your future.

It's much, much, cheaper to buy a good one than to buy one that you have to have repaired by someone else.