Shasta

[Yvette]

Hey folks. the BF has found a vintage (or nearly vintage) Shasta.  (the owner isnt sure of the year, says its between an 82-85. so if its not vintage, its awful close to it).  I havent seen it opened yet, only down. Looks to be in decent shape when down. some very minor hail dings in the roof, what appears to be wiring/weather stripping sagging (about 2 inches worth) on the door side. The jack is long gone so the tongue is sitting on a cinder block. tires appear to be decent.

No clue the size of the beds but this thing looks HUGE when down (of course I wasnt smart enough to measure the box at 10pm when I saw it). the BF "forgot" to ask about updates, wiring, interior condition, last time the bearings were packed, leaks, canvas condition etc. No idea if theres a potty or shower or what the kitchen facilities are. theres a vent on the roof. didnt appear to have anything else on top so I doubt theres AC or heat. The crank for popping it up is gone as well. (is it possible to get it up without the crank?).

Asking price is 1000$ which seems high to me unless the interior is immaculate.

What are some things I should be paying close attention to in a trailer thats this old? (BF is a mechanic so feel free to get technical on us)

Being optomistic that the canvas and screens are in great condition, there are ZERO leaks, wiring is in working order and doesnt need repaired, what would be a reasonable price for this PUP?

many thanks! (tis the season for camping and Ive been bitten by the "no more tents" bug)

[ScouterMom]

the roof can LOOK real good, and be hiding alot (or none) of wood rot.  if you can't get the top up,  you can at least open the door and crawl around inside with a flashlight.

pay attention to your NOSE.  if it smells like mildew, there is probably mold somewhere. feel the canvas - if it feels 'soapy' or brittle, it may need replacing. Look at any seams - sometimes the thread disintigrates even though the canvas is good. Pop open the roof latches - does the top ease up? then the seals are probably still holding - if they have no 'spring' in them, they may have leaked somewhere.


Many PUP's don't look like they 'leak' - to the un-initiated, if they don't see water inside, if their sleeping bags didn't get wet,  it didn't 'leak'.  But old PUP's leak INSIDE the roof and walls - they are a sandwich of aluminum or fiberglass outside, then pressboard or chipboard, (roofs have a layer of foam insulation), and the interior is usually the equivalent of heavy vinyl 'contact paper' the aluminum outside and plastic inside usually works to hold the water in between, letting the pressboard swell up and rot.  Currently wet walls will be soft behind the plastic - ones that have rotted and dried out will be crumbly - the screws won't hold and the threads will show rust from sitting in old wet wood. the aluminum tracks that hold the canvas to the roof and walls may not be tight to the wall anymore - because  the screws can't hold the wood anymore.

Look underneath - most pop-ups are not finished underneath at all - they don't usually get alot of travel for their life ( not like a car that is driven daily, for example) and because they spend alot of their life closed up & sitting they are left unfinished to 'breathe'.  Look to see if the cables are intact (if it's a cable lift system) and if there are any signs of animal or bug entry - esp around any plumbing, or the wheel wells. Even if people don't leave food in the camper, animals & bugs will chew looking for water in the wood.

I can't advise you on price, but you do need to know what is inside the PUP as far as amenities to get an idea.  Propane Stove and sink are usually a basic with some kind of holding tank.  extras include a furnace, AC, potti, shower, larger beds and extra seating / sleeping berths.  If you can get a model # and year, you can start with the NADA like a 'blue book' on campers.  It's also a good idea to check on E-bay for models with similar size, age and features to see if it seems a good price.

Laura