Looking at buying a 1988 28ft Avion

[mcgailliot]

I'm looking at buying a 1988 28ft Avion trailer the owner is selling as is. The trailer is clean with normal wear and tear, and no updates. Trailer lights won't come on when hooked up to 120volt. Batteries are from 2005 so can't tell if electric jack works or lights for that matter. Trailer has sat for approximately 8 years. No idea if water lines are intact or appliances still work. Owner parked it with everything working.

Any ideas on what the trailer is worth? Owner is asking $6K and is willing to negotiate. Any thoughts/input is welcome. Thanks!

[silverloaf]

I'm looking at buying a 1988 28ft Avion trailer the owner is selling as is. The trailer is clean with normal wear and tear, and no updates. Trailer lights won't come on when hooked up to 120volt. Batteries are from 2005 so can't tell if electric jack works or lights for that matter. Trailer has sat for approximately 8 years. No idea if water lines are intact or appliances still work. Owner parked it with everything working.

Any ideas on what the trailer is worth? Owner is asking $6K and is willing to negotiate. Any thoughts/input is welcome. Thanks!

We purchased a 1988 30P in 2017. This is our 1st trailer. It turned into a much bigger project than we anticipated. We were unable to check out the functionals inside. The belly pan hid a lot of moisture-driven frame and floor damage. We spent 18 solid months restoring and reconstructing our trailer. Nice outcome but a lot of work getting there. Other forum members have similar stories.

From your account, you are considering a non-functioning trailer that hasn't moved in 8 years. The owner says everything worked back then, but that was back then. You know little about the condition of what's above the belly pan ( eg: frame, floor, tank plumbing and supports, etc.) or brakes or suspension. You will read through the forum of extensive work in/on these areas.

In other words. I would surmise you are looking at a project with the potential of becoming a very nice trailer. You need to choose wisely (we didn't) if your skill sets (fortunately we did) don't meet the challenge.

In your position with what you don't know (or the owner hasn't told you), I would not counter higher than $4000-$4500 for a start. If he resists, have him prove to you why it's worth more than what you don't know. Of course, it's ultimately your decision. Charm sometimes wins over common sense!

By the way, the Avion spec sheet and sales brochure do not show a 28-footer offered in 1988. They stopped in 1987 and re-started in 1989. If you retrieve the VIN and build date (located on the left front side), some forum members should be able to verify the model year and true size.

Good luck!

[mcgailliot]

Thanks for the advice Bob! Besides the trailer needing new tires, brakes, and new batteries before I can even move it, I did notice the back left corner behind the hot water heater compartment has exposed wet insulation where the belly pan meets the side. Definitely a potential source of moisture damaged to the frame and/or subflooring.

I am not adverse to a trailer restoration project having already tackled car and boat restorations, but wanted some input from Avion trailer owners on what they thought the trailer was worth. NADA has all Avion trailers before 1991 valued between $1775 -$2080 (regardless of model).

I also noticed the 28 ft model wasn't available in 1988. The owner has all the original documentation for the trailer, so I'll be able to determine if it's an '87 or '89 model.

Thanks again for your insight!

[KYAvion]

I think it’s hard to determine what these trailers are worth. A lot also comes down to what you are looking for? For example, there don’t seem to be many 28ft Avions for sale, compared to the 34ft models. If you specifically want a 28 ft model, then that’s definitely something to consider. I may be wrong, but unless the thing is in horrible shape, 6K sounds pretty cheap to me. That said, the part about sitting for 8 years is a little worrisome. I’d be sure to inspect the subfloor and frame (as much as you can see) closely.

[Overdrive]

6k is a steal for these trailers. Unless it’s just absolutely hammered and just destroyed. If everything is there and there is minimal water damage I would snap it up. Imo A ions are the best kept secret in the vintage type of aluminum trailers. I have a 1989 34 footer and truthfully I would t let it go for anywhere less than about 35/40k. Why? Because it’s actually rare and better built than 98% of the trailers today who have horrible roof and quality control issues.

I used mine once a year for the last 5 years. I have to replace some moldings and clean soem stuff out but I have absolutely no water leaks. I removed the old vent fans and put in newer style fans and resealed the roof and I have to go through and do the seams but other than that I haven’t had to do anything. I got to do the typical sanitize pack bearings, fill tires, clean this nd that.

I understand everyone wants a deal but offering 4/4500 on a 6,000 dollar trailer ,ay turn the seller off completely. That’s a good 20-30% discount you’re asking for. As far as justification of the price I would tell you go find another one that’s for sale. I’ve seen exactly 4 Avion for sale in the last 8 years in my area. All were over 10k asking price.

[Razorback]

What became of this??