Silver Streak?

[Rick9]

Hi,
I just registered with the forum. I've been reading and looking for a nice Avion for awhile. Not a fan of typical RVs. My Titanium fifth wheel eventually had de-lamination and leaky roof issues. So an aluminum unit is my preference.
Lots of great info here. I wanted a 1988 32S. While looking for that, I found a 1992 32 foot Silver Streak that looks pretty good. All I've seen is pictures because it is 700 miles away. And I had a short conversation with the owner. Hard to find any info on Silver Streaks, but the little I found claimed that they were as good and possibly even better quality than Avions.
I'm retired and plan to live in it and boondock sometimes. The only issue I see is that the tanks are smaller than Avions. 35 gallon water and 26 gallon grey and black. I'd prefer larger but these will probably do.

Please share your thoughts about 1990's Silver Streaks. Info about the suspension, exterior maintenance, and overall build quality would be great to see. Any links to a "Silver Streak Forum"?
Any idea how rare a 1992 32' Silver Streak is and what the approximate value would be if in good shape?
Hoping to go look at it in a few days.
Thanks in advance,
Rick

[Razorback]

Hi, Rick.... thanks for joining us here!

I have no practical experience with Silver Streak, but..... I would not hesitate having one! I have always heard of their good quality, and I love the style!

I look forward to hearing more about this.... good luck with it!

[Rostam]

I believe the 90's Silver Streaks were wide body (maybe 8 1/2 ft wide?). Hence, they have very spacious interior. viewrvs.com is a nice site and has pictures of various vintage trailers. Here is a 1996 29' Silver Streak that is absolutely beautiful. http://www.viewrvs.com/travel-trailer/s ... k-29-a.php

Avions, Silver Streaks, Streamlines (an off shoot of Silver Streak), Bowlus, and Spartan, IMO, are the best travel trailers ever made. If I want to be critical of Silver Streak, I think Avion's frame is beefier (Silver Streak's frame is very good. Its just that Avion's frame is excellent). Also, Silver Streak's use wood and pink insulation in their shell, whereas Avion used aluminium and spray-on foam. On the plus side, 70's Silver Streaks are lighter than same length Avion and have lighter tongue weights (not sure about 90's wide body Silver Streaks). So, you don't need a beefy a tow vehicle to pull them. Also, it seems access to various components (water heater, tanks, etc) is better in Silver Streaks (makes repairs and service easier). I would not hesitate to buy a Silver Streak at all. They are great trailers.

BTW, there is a Facebook group for Silver Streaks, which is very active.

Best of luck to you!

[Rostam]

I must add this. Someone in Facebook's Silver Streak group shared a photo of their SS. It was, I believe, a 38 ft trailer (!). Triple axles, two entry doors, and a huge slide out. It was absolutely beautiful. The gross weight was, I believe, 14000! They were pulling it with a F450.

P.S. Here is a photo

[Rick9]

Well, I made the 1400 mile round trip to look at/buy the Silver Streak. Turns out it is actually a 1989 model. I think the models were the same from about 1985 to 1996. This one is 8 feet wide. It has been in storage for several years. I bought it for $11,250. It has new load range E tires and 2 new 12 volt deep cycle batteries. It towed pretty well with my Dodge 2500 diesel pickup. I plan to get a equalizing hitch before towing again.
Four of the eight windows have been leaking and the thin plywood under them needs replacing. This will actually be a pretty easy fix, I will remove and reseal every window with butyl tape and then caulk around each window and every metal seam with Sikaflex 221 caulk. Then Eternabond tape for the roof seams.
The bathroom and wardrobe closet plywood floor has some weak spots.
The A/C and stove work fine. Ran the fridge on electric and it worked great. Have not tried to run on propane yet. Minor leak in the plumbing system. There is a strainer or check valve at the cold water line into the water heater and it is leaking. Need to repair or replace that, then I'll see if the water heater works. Not sure how to ignite the water heater. My 2002 5th wheel had an electric igniter switch in the kitchen.
Lots of little things to fix, but it should be done pretty quickly and not cost too much unless I need a new Fridge and water heater.
I think I would have preferred an Avion 32S but I actually like the layout of the Silver Streak better. The smaller tanks may limit my boondocking time, but I can live with that.

I plan to remove the carpet and vinyl flooring. Any suggestions as to what flooring works in a trailer with a wide temperature range when in storage. Seems a lot of stuff ends up with gaps in the joints due to expansion and contraction.

Enjoy your RVing experience.

[Razorback]

Hi, Rick!
Congratulations on the purchase of your Silver Streak. It sounds like you got a really nice one that will only get better from this point on.

I am not a fan of laminate flooring. I would much rather have some kind of vinyl in the kitchen and dinette areas. In our living and bed rooms and the bathroom, I found some really nice commercial carpet squares. Very pleased with it.

Surely there is a remote ignition switch for the hot water tank?

Looking forward to seeing some pictures, and to hear/see the progress as you work through your list of things you want to take care of.