Looking to Buy a Vintage Camper for Vehicle Restoration? 3 Things to Check

There’s certainly a lot to love about modern campers and trailers with their many features and incredible light-weight design. Some people also just love the look and feel of something fresh and new, something just off the factory floor. But some is not all. Others like the look and feel of trailers, campers, and other vehicles that came from another era and are comprised of hardier materials. They seek out beautiful vintage campers and trailers that can undergo vehicle restoration to become fully functional once again.

Here at Premier Coach Works, we’re proud to have helped a lot of vintage camper owners restore their vintage garage finds and breathe new life into them, but there are some we’ve seen that were a bit more trouble then they were worth. The following is a look at some key things to check before you buy a vintage camper or trailer to ensure you’re getting something workable and not a money pit:

3 Things to Inspect Before Buying a Vintage Camper for Vehicle Restoration

1. Signs of water damage. While a little water damage in one part of the roof or around a certain window is flexible, any camper that shows signs of significant water damage should be passed on. Extensive water damage can require you to have the entire trailer tore apart for a full-on vehicle restoration rebuild from the frame, and sometimes, if that frame has rust or rot from water damage, that too will need to be replaced.
2. Solid flooring. Replacing the floors of a vintage camper or trailer is not an easy undertaking and it can get expensive depending upon what type of flooring you’d want to replace it with. Check your potential buy for any soft, rotten, or otherwise weak spots and consider taking it to a vehicle restoration shop like ours to have an estimate on how much new flooring will cost before you sign the papers.
3. Clean and clear title. Speaking of papers, make sure you can get them. A clear title will make the process of registering your camper a whole lot easier and is often required to ensure emission standards in certain states like California. Other states are more lenient and will require only a bill of sale, but it’s best to check before you buy or just keep the headaches to a minimum and insist on a clear title when buying. 

Call Our Vehicle Restoration Team to Get an Estimate

If you already have a vintage camper in mind for vehicle restoration, then give our team at Premier Coach Works a call to give it a professional look over and offer any advice on vehicle restoration routes to go and estimates to consider.