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Vintage 1969 Aladdin Travel Trailer – Project / Needs Restoration - $500 (Arleta)
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Bought this trailer back in 2017 from the original owner's son with the expectation it would need some work. Noticed the usual/expected water damage and wood rot that plagues all vintage trailers, so I thought, hey, why not put in some hours during my spare time... " this isn't so bad huh?... making bucks, working outside, getting exercise"? (well, two out of three). Between 2017-2019, I made some decent progress. From a rotten wood point of view, the sides are in much better shape, the front is in better shape, but I haven't even touched the back yet which remains in rough shape. I replaced some of the putty tape on some of the windows that needed it, and my wife had the cushions reupholstered.
We moved in 2019 and since then both my wife and I work full time, we're raising two kids, and have zero free time to dedicate to this project, so I am looking for someone else to pass the torch to.
Put bluntly, the trailer's been in a holding pattern (i.e., under a tarp) ever since.
Here is where it currently sits:
Most of the lower aluminum siding is pulled off (for access to the rotten wood),
All of the J-bar is removed (the putty tape needs to be replaced when the J-bar is re-installed),
Some windows are out, while some are set back in with new putty tape,
The back exterior and interior also needs work, including some floor repairs. Bathroom floor also needs some repair, but there's a new Thetford Curve porta potty!
The electric needs some work; the shore power is fine, but the off-the-grid system that runs off of battery isn't fully functioning. I made a cleaner ground connection and got some lights going, so I don't think this is terribly far away from functional You'll also need to wire a new 7 pin adapter (old one was rusted, but I already bought the new one). Note: For the shore power, I plugged in an extension cable and ran power from the house while I used this as an office from 2017-2019 and that worked really well. Bonus, the gas lamp also works great.
I’ve kept all removed parts, but honestly, a new custom aluminum skin will likely be your best move once repairs are done—that was my plan.
I have the title (it's still in the previous owner’s name, since I planned to get it roadworthy before going to the DMV).
Have a look at the pictures to get a better idea of the condition, and of course I can answer any specific questions.
Price is $500 cash (or maybe gold bullion). It's an Aladdin, and shoot... if all else fails, there is value in parting some of this out (including the trailer frame itself, which is in great shape).
Here's another idea I've always dreamed of... if you have a place to park this, you could put up something like a car port above it, or picture some 3-sided lean-to for example, to keep the rain off, and at that point, since the shore power works fine, it's mostly livable while you work on it. Again, I had a tarp over it and used this as my office and it worked awesome for that.
At this rate, I won’t be touching it again until the kids are off to college, so I’d love to see this go to someone who can finish what I started.