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Old 11-07-2013, 03:40 PM   #1
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Looking into a 1983 1550

Hard to believe that I'm thinking of upgrading my old (91) pop-up to something 8 years older.

Anyways, it's in Vermont (so am I) and was owned for it's first 25 years by a couple in nearby NH. It is in very good, original condition minus the stove which was replaced by one that does NOT run off propane. Thats a big negative because my wife and I only camp in VT state parks (no elec).

Another big negative, imo is the price--- $2,900. Is that too much?

As long-time pop-up and before that tent campers, I am concerned about the camper being hot inside during the summer for sleeping. Is that a valid concern? Keep in mind no electricity means no AC for me.

Thanks in advance for any and all input/advice.
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Old 11-07-2013, 04:38 PM   #2
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I think it's high I payed less that that for a 1990 T1700 (good bit bigger) 3 years ago. I don't think you'll find a lot of difference in heat in the hard side from the popup I have owned both. You might think about a fantastic fan or the likes that really helps with the heat and can run off the battery.
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Old 11-07-2013, 05:08 PM   #3
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Tego,

Welcome.

I have a 1983 T-1550. $2,900 is pricey IMO.

Interesting you asking about summer heat. Just after I decided on the hard side over a pop-up late Spring 2012, I was at a dealer that had both on their lot in direct sun side by side. Please keep in mind that both units were 2012/13 model years. The pop-up was noticeably warmer.

The 1550 has very good fenestration in relation to its size. DC fan as mainah said, and last but not least the furnace blower runs on DC as well as (I believe) the stove hood fan. My hood fan is very noisy and being I don't have the stove in my unit, I never use it.

I must say that I love my 1550 and I did overpay for it, but not nearly that price.
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Old 11-07-2013, 05:46 PM   #4
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Question Welcome , Tow vehicle ,Budget ?

.T : Welcome , Would be neat if you can buy a SunLine & join our Forum. We
are prior upstate New York & our kids live in central Maine, where they just got a used Pop-up. I just sold the 79 version of the 15'. Not having a shower is a trade off older than this 83... I really agreed with "M" comments / direction.
You dont mention your tow vehicle.. If 6 cyl only then this weight about 1600 # is your shopping.. Can your budget go $2500 ? A early 90's model for that price would be a better score IMO.
This has to be the OFF season in VT for RV & maybe the seller has a very nice 83 & maybe a member here. We have seen mint condition smalls like this in Arizona for $4500 . North East may not have a large inventory of Roof air resales.. I think the unit can be added by a tech. Also there are places to re-acquire a oven & I had / have in both of our finds. It is a good appliance to have.. Recently we got a 18 ft late 80's model for around $1700. Inside is very original / clean , roof needed attention with all three vent covers, bad 12v battery (Since scored a 2 month old Napa from boat racer buddy for 1/2 price). Each region will have inventory just like houses.. I would continue to shop around & even post your own WANTED ad on Craig list. You may be surprized at what may be offered to you in the family ESTATE catagory.,,WOW Here is New Hampshire member with a $950 offer for bigger & Newer. ! http://nh.craigslist.org/rvs/4164160774.html Just we were talking about . 22' 1989..ROOF AIR COND in Pic (Working ?? ) Oven .
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Old 11-08-2013, 04:54 AM   #5
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The one in NH is very close to where I live. However, we really want/need the smaller size due mainly to lack of storage space. Also, it's just my wife and I along with our dog so more compact is the direction we're going to go in.

My tow vehicle is a Toyota Tacoma 4x4 with V6. I also tow a 6x10 cargo trailer loaded to the gills with no issues at all.

Just wondering as someone who has never owned a tt if they tend to heat up beyond belief on a hot summer day to the point that sleeping would be difficult at night. We have actually never had an uncomfortable sleeping night in the popup.

Our budget would top out at $3k due to other $ issues at this time. We eventually are going to get a new 16" enclosed ultra-lite or hybrid. I'd like to get the Sunline 1550 and keep it for several years. After doing a lot of online research, it seems that the older Sunlines are very well built and, by judging from the price of the '83, hold their value quite well.
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Old 11-08-2013, 07:39 AM   #6
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We are on our second T-1550. Our first one was a '83 and we bought and sold it for almost half that price. The main reason we sold it was the previous owner replaced the refrigerator with a dorm style that only ran on AC, because we camp mostly in the Adirondacks with no electricity we had to sell it. Our second T-1550 is a '90. All the appliances work yet when we got home, after what we thought was a through inspection, we found some soft floor isues with the trailer. The lower awning supports were never sealed and the water came in where they attach to the side of the trailer. I have fixed the damage in the front of the camper this past summer and will take on repairing the damage at the rear of the trailer next spring.

We too had a tent campers in the past and find that the T-1500 has plenty of windows that allow a good cross breeze that keeps the trailer cool. When I was looking for a TT I specifically looked for one that did NOT have AC.

Welcome to the Club. You will find the nicest people here with an amazing amount of knowledge about Sunlines. They will be able to help you through just about any issues you may come across.
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Old 11-08-2013, 03:27 PM   #7
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You'll have no problem pulling that with the Tacoma that's what I pull my T1700 with and I have to be careful on the highway or I'll be doing 80. They do not get hot as a popup my popup was hotter. A Fantastic fan on low draws just slightly more then the stupid little fans in the vents with the little 3" props and moves 10X the air. I have one with a thermostat and it cycles during the day and goes off at night.
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Old 11-11-2013, 04:35 AM   #8
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Another Sunline question from a hope-to-be owner: What is the basic difference in the 17 foot aside from the obvious extra length? Bigger bathroom? More seating? Larger bed?

Also, what are the advantages/disadvantages of a dual axle?
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Old 11-11-2013, 05:10 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tego View Post
Another Sunline question from a hope-to-be owner: Also, what are the advantages/disadvantages of a dual axle?


I can give some thoughts on this one.

Tandem axles are added for extra weight carrying ability as the primary reason. Larger trailers weigh more and have more room to carry more "stuff".

Side benefits of tandem axles:

- The trailer tracks straighter ahead or when backing up. The tandem axle setup wants to roll straight ahead as long as the axles and wheel are aligned properly.

- If you have a tire blowout on the camper, the immediate effect on trailer stability is better. Some times you do not notice you even have a flat. While this does help, in short order the other tire on that side will be in immediate over load and soon fail.

- Unless you are at full weight capacity of the tandem axles, there is excess trailer stopping power by the brakes. The brakes are sized for full load of the axle. Most Sunlines are not always right at the weight limit as they provided more realistic cargo carrying capacity for the size of the camper. If the axle is 10% or more under capacity, the stopping power left is 10% x 4 wheels verses 10% x 2 wheels on single axle.

- The tandem axle rolls over bumps more smoother due to the suspension. This is not a big difference but is a difference.

Realizations (Down sides) to tandem axles:

- When it comes time to replace tires, brakes and suspension components, the cost is higher. 4 wheels/brakes/tires/spring bushings etc verses 2.

- The tires wear more on the outer edges from turning over a single axle trailer. The feature of the tandems to track straighter has a negative of scrubbing the road more when turning. In most cases unless the axles or wheels are out of alignment, on a camper the tires age out before the thread is wore out.

- As a general rule, tandem axle campers require a larger truck to tow the camper over a single axle camper due to the added weight and size of the larger camper that comes with the added axle. This is more of a reality then a down side. It just is.

Hope this helps and good luck on your Sunline search

John
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Old 11-11-2013, 05:46 AM   #10
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NADA is a good guide to pricing, but when we sold Sunlines we always got top dollar because they had been so well taken care of. The problem IMO is that you don't plan to keep the 1550 that long. So if you pay top dollar you'll need to find someone willing to do the same when the time to sell comes. Basically they're worth what the buyer can get. If it's in great shape and someone's willing to pay too much then it'll sell anyway because there aren't that many like it available. Why not just offer what you want to pay? All they can do is say no!
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Old 01-14-2014, 11:00 AM   #11
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Still negotiating for the '83 1550. The price is now down to $1,950.00

I also just noticed in my first post that I stated that the original ''stove" has been replaced. I meant to say "fridge" and not stove. It has a cheap Wal-mart electric only in it's place.

Should this be a make-or-break seeing as a new propane fridge is like $700? I can't justify spending more than 1/3 of the price of the camper on any accessory for it.

Is there a cheap enough place to buy one to have it make sense?
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Old 01-14-2014, 05:18 PM   #12
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If I was going to buy one with a dorm fridge I would expect a discount for the price of a propane fridge. A propane fridge to me is a must they put them in there for a reason they don't need power and run forever on a 20# cylinder. Personally I think the price is still too high price a new fridge and subtract the cost from the price.
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Old 01-14-2014, 07:18 PM   #13
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Tegp..the fridge issue is a matter you have to decide on......as for Leo and myself...an electric fridge would not cut it...we dry camp mostly and would not consider anything other than propane fridge.

Now if you are a full hook up type of camper...it may be a non-issue for you!
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Old 01-15-2014, 05:22 PM   #14
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In turn if you buy it and eventually want to sell then it once again becomes a problem with no propane fridge.
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