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1980 Airstream Caravelle 20’ in Ogden,UT. Asking $47,000. This is a very rare, narrow body, light weight trailer (2700 lbs) that has been totally renovated from the frame to the interior skin. It will never rot since the plywood floor was replaced with an aluminum composite structure that is very stable and doesn’t sag. Good luck finding another Airstream that polishes to a mirror finish like this that can sleep a family of 4 without taking down the table, has this much water and grey tank storage, and can be towed by most midsize SUVs. We tow it easily with a 2015 Honda Pilot. New aluminum 1/8″ plate floor, all new aluminum interior skin with 13 panel end caps and reflectix/ foam insulation. All new pex plumbing. All new wiring in conduit. 200w solar on roof with Sunsaver Duo controller, 2 golf cart batteries, marine propane fireplace, sleeping and eating for four without having to take down and make up beds. Roomy shower and bathroom. 40 gallon grey tank, 34 gallons fresh water. 6 gallon Atwood pilot water heater, Danfoss fridge, C-head composting toilet with urine diverted to grey tank. New 3500 lb torsion axle and wheels. New tires as of 2020. 2 Fantastic fans that close automatically when it rains. Tons of storage space. Cherry faces on cabinets and drawers and cherry accents. Weight distribution hitch, anti sway control and other goodies included. Please note that the exterior skin isn’t perfect as seen in the photos with some beauty marks over the years.
I made a Youtube channel with more than 10 videos walking through some of the features if you want to dive in. I am willing to deliver for $10 a mile (negotiable for longer trips). We would also consider selling the tow vehicle (Honda Pilot 2015 EX-L) and trailer as a package for the right price.
For an inside and out visual tour of the Airstream: https://youtu.be/7ZQpDJ2UQlE
For an explanation of the complete renovation process with lots of pictures: https://youtu.be/wF5JWonWBug
Here’s the channel that has a lot of videos with specific features: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3k7G7pYSYJYow15o_hVesw
Here is a complete list of the features and items included in this Airstream.
-Complete shell off restoration. Wood floor was replaced with a torsion box construction with 1/8″ aluminum plate floor and belly pan separated by 3″ foam and aluminum C-channels, all held together by pop rivets and solid rivets. Shell is attached to floor with U-channel and 1/4″ SS bolts with locktite.
-Steel frame has been reinforced, treated with POR-15 to remove any remaining rust, and painted with automotive paint.
-Shell is insulated with a layer of Reflectix and a layer of polisocyanurate insulation. Both layers are sealed with aluminum tape to minimize airflow and all of the frame is separated from the interior skin by vinyl tape to provide a thermal break.
-Interior skin is all new and is held in with countless aluminum rivets. Front and rear sections have a classic 13 panel design which is not obscured by cabinetry.
-Rear belly pan is new. Only original parts of belly pan are the corner “banana wrap” sections.
New running gear is 3500 pound Torsion Axle with new shocks, steel wheels 12″ electric brakes, and new tires in 2020. When not in use, tires are always protected with covers.
-New chrome bumper installed this year.
-Custom rear stablizer that is adjustable for a variety of terrain.
-original front stabilizers were renovated and work great.
-Spare tire is stored underneath the front of the trailer.
-With the exception of the bathroom, the entire aluminum floor is covered with wood grain vinyl sheet (durable, attractive, and easy to clean).
-The bathroom floor is the 1/8″ aluminum floor for easy cleaning and draining of the shower.
-All interior cabinetry and partitions are built with aluminum channel and angle. A shrinker stretcher was used to make custom channels that fit the curvature of interior skin.
-Drawers are built with 1/4″ and 3/8″ baltic birch plywood that is finger jointed and glued with Titebond 3 for durability and light weight. Partitions in drawers are movable and adjustable for a variety of needs.
-Custom drawer for garbage and recycling.
-Extensive storage areas under front bed, main bench, and bunk bed.
-Tall cabinet with removable dividers provides customizable storage area with deep cloth bins that can be used for clothes or other items. This could also be easily converted into hanging space. Additional storage under bathroom sink.
-Bathroom has C-Head urine diverting composting toilet. Urine is diverted directly into grey tank. #2 goes into bin with mulch that can be stirred after use. Toilet is ventilated with a low amp draw fan.
-Bathroom has aluminum floor, aluminum walls, and a shower curtain to separate shower space from toilet and sink during shower. Sink has diverter valve that allows flow to sink or shower. Shower head is 6’2″ above floor and has shutoff valve for navy showers and 3 flow settings.
-Bathroom sink, shower, and toilet use HepVo waterless traps that do not freeze in winter and block all odors from tank.
-Custom lightweight drawer in bathroom, corner storage of toiletries, and cup storage behind tip up mirror. Custom aluminum holder for shower soap, conditioner, etc.
-Bathroom Fantastic Fan has remote control, rain sensing lid, can be set to any speed +/-5% and set to any temperature +/- 5 degrees with remote control.
-Custom bathroom door with arch top, aluminum face toward bathroom and wood face toward main cabin.
-Custom bunk bed. Top bunk bed has Ikea slats and Ikea memory foam mattress plus blue LED night lights and LED reading light. Front half of top bunk can be removed to provide more space if it is not needed on that trip. Bottom bunk has a memory foam mattress. There is a storage area accessed by a hinged lid and an open storage area accessible in the main cabin.
-Highly adjustable custom table and bench. Poplar and cherry bench can be slid forward and backward on cherry track attached to wall. Table can be moved forward and backward on custom cherry track and can also be rotated 90º to provide more walking room in main cabin.
-Custom front bed is built on an aluminum and cherry frame with Ikea slats. Ikea mattress (full size) is very comfortable. There is a ton of storage underneath front bed with cleats on each side to secure load during travel. Fire extinguisher is readily available under bed by the front door. 4′ deep storage under the right side of the bed is excellent for tall camp chairs and umbrellas.
-Cabinet to the right of sink has 3 very deep cloth bins for clothes and cherry fronted cabinets with magnet catches on top and bottom. The dividers can be removed to make a tall cabinet if you choose that could be used for hanging space.
-The kitchen has a large round stainless steel Ikea sink and pull out faucet sprayer. The sink also has a HepVo waterless trap. The kitchen has a 2 burner SMEV gas cooktop that has a fold up glass top that increases the countertop space. The countertop is laminate on lightweight plywood with cherry sides that are finished with epoxy. The kitchen drawers are 24″ deep and are built of lightweight baltic birch plywood with movable dividers. The bottom drawer is removable for easy loading of food from your home kitchen. There is a drawer for garbage and for recycling.
-Under the kitchen sink there is a 4 gallon water jug for drinking water that is delivered through a Whale hand pump to the sink.
-The main water system includes two 15 gallon fresh water tanks that can be filled by a SeaDog port on the front of the camper with a Seadog overflow fitting. It is fed by a Shurflow 12V pump. The water system also can be charged by a hose connection that bypasses the water tanks/pump and goes straight to the pipes. All water pipes are 1/2″ PEX that is secured with the PEX crimp tool and rings. All valves are 1/2″ PEX 90º ball valves. 6 gallon Atwood manual pilot water heater is connected with a bypass for easy winterization. Hot water lines are insulated with foam sleeves. All drains go to the 40 gallon grey tank beneath rear of the trailer which is vented out the roof. It is insulated by 3″ of foam and protected beneath by 1/16″ aluminum plate. 3″ drain has a standard 3″ valve. An expandable “stinky slinky” is included with a flexible fitting to adapt to most RV dump stations. It drains very quickly due to a straightforward drain path and good venting. The water system can be drained by opening two valves under the bunk bed through a fitting near the main dump valve.
-The heart of the electrical system is a WFCO power center which has circuit breakers for 110V and standard automotive fuses for 12V. The 12V side has 2 6V golf cart batteries for a total of 200AH of capacity. It is fed by 2 12V 100watt Renegy solar panels in parallel mounted on the roof. The power goes through the roof with Blue Sea pass throughs and makes it way to the Sunsaver Duo solar controller by #6 stranded cables to minimize heat and voltage drop. All main wires (12V and 110V) go through conduit in the walls. The 110V and 12V lines are in separate conduits. Shore power connection is through a marine grade Furrion 30A connector and cable. A 15A adapter is included to connect to regular household outlets. The 110V outlets are GFCI protected. There are 4 outlet locations in the interior and one exterior outlet that are only live when connected to shore power. There are 6 12V outlets in the interior that are on a 20A 12V circuit. All lighting is high effienciency LED purchased at LED4RV. There are 6 area lighting circuits that are individually switched to allow for a variety of lighting moods and scenes all at very low power draw. There are also reading lights that are custom built and can be used for reading or rotated to shine on the aluminum skin for ambience. There are LED night lights in the bunk beds that use a tiny mount of current as well as a small red LED by the door for night vision when stargazing. The bathroom also has a small LED night light plus two additional LED area lights in the ceiling. The battery can be monitored using the Sunsaver Duo remote monitor, The battery can be charged while driving through the 7 pin connector to your tow vehicle. All the exterior running lights are LED as are the Maxxima stop/tail/turn/reverse lights.
-The LPG gas system is all through new copper lines with double flared fittings. There is a single regulator in the front which can be connected to either of the two tanks. It drives the hot water heater, SMEV stove, and Newport Dickinson P9000 marine gas fireplace. The gas fireplace rapidly heats the entire cabin and provides a beautiful and subtle glow when all the lights are out. There is a new (replaced in May 2022) LPG and CO detector mounted near the floor since that is where propane would collect in case of a leak in the gas lines.
-The camper is ventilated by two fantastic fans (both rain sensing). All windows open easily and can be kept at any of 3 raised positions. All screens are intact and in good order keeping bugs out. With windows open and the fans running, you can exchange all the air in the cabin in a few minutes.
-There is a fully functional Zip Dee Awning. The fabric is in good shape and it can be easily extended and retracted in camp providing shade and rain protection.
-The original integrated step was removed from the trailer since it is a source of leaks. Instead, a portable step is carried in the trailer and set up quickly when you park.
-The door has the original deadbolt that locks from the inside. A new deadbolt (from Vintage Trailer Supply) has been added that has 2 keys and can secure the door both for driving and to prevent intrusion.
-EAZ Lift Weight Distribution hitch and 600 pound bars plus sway control system.
-Trimax wheel chuck/lock for enhanced security from theft.
-Camco RV Trileveler for leveling trailer left to right in camp.
-Furrion 25′ 30Amp corset with 110 V 15A adapter.
-2 solid heavy rubber wheel chucks.
-Crank extension handle for raising and lowering front stabilizer jacks.
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