Hi Lokiloki,
Welcome!
On your price topic, the condition of most older or used campers and what you want to do with them determines whether it is a good deal or not for you.
What would you like to do with the camper, what condition does it need to be in to make you happy, and how long do you want to keep it? Consider it in that light.
Next comes repairs; you said,
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It is old and rough but not a total loss
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. Can you do the repairs? If you can post some pictures, we may be able to see how involved the repairs may be. We have members who have done total restorations on one end of the spectrum, and on the other end, they patch up what they can as they will sell it in a year or two.
And you asked,
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please advise on anything else to look for when purchasing
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An old camper is not as much of a concern as what "rough" looks like. Water damage, both what you can see and what you cannot see, can be a large issue. Depending on what you want to do with the camper and how long you want to keep it directly ties into the water damage situation.
The camper is 43 years old; if the prior owners stored it inside or under cover, it may be a gem, but then there is the rough description again. If the camper lived outside, uncovered, for years, that can be a problem. The sealants used to seal up the camper have deteriorated after 43 years. Seeping leaks in the roof seams or siding wherever a screw went in the siding is a leak potential. Any door, window, vent, or DOT light in the siding can leak; the same goes for the roof. Campers leak into the ceiling, wall, and floor cavities, and you may not see it as the wallboard covers over the water damage.
Here is a way to inspect the camper without taking it apart before you buy it. This moisture meter can scan the inside ceiling, walls, and floor to see if excess moisture is trapped behind the wallboard. For about $50, you can learn a lot and see if this is something you want to get into doing the repairs. This may become a full restoration, depending on what you want to do with the camper.
https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f...per-17613.html
There is also something to look into: the axle and brake system. Sunline put brakes on all the campers. Sometimes, a prior owner gave up on the brakes and unhooked them on older campers. An operational brake system is needed to legally tow the camper down the road, even if you have a heavy-duty truck to help stop the camper; a working emergency breakaway braking system is federal law on that size camper. Look into whether the brakes are still working and what brand they are; some have become obsolete, and you can't get parts for them. You can install an all-new brake axle, though; it just costs money to do so.
The list then goes into tires, battery, whether the vehicle has an AC unit, whether the AC unit is cool, and so on.
If you can do the repairs, handle all the time it will take, and you are comfortable with the sale price being right for what you are buying, then you can fix it up to whatever level you want to and rationalize it in your head.
I'm not trying to be all gloom and doom; we want to help you go with eyes wide open to what you are getting. I'm one of the folks who intentionally acquired several heavy water-damaged campers to restore them to full camping glory. This was all pre-covid; a water-damaged camper then was cheap. It's an extreme hobby, but I know what to expect, and the inside and outside were not abused. I hope to pass some of this on to you so you know what you are getting into. These campers can be a lot of fun and enjoyment, but it comes back to what you want.
I hope this helps; feel free to ask away any questions.
John
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