bdichristina
Senior Member
Hello everyone. Bob and Kathy from Grand Island, New York here. We sort of had a Sunline T1750 fall into our laps and have discovered what a wonderful, exciting and we must admit; overwhelming joy it is.
I have always been a tent camper (Kathy not so much), and we have been joining the rest of the family on camping trips for a few years now. I had been talking about building a camping trailer that I could build and store a field kitchen in, along with our tent and all our gear. This way I wouldn't have to load the Cherokee bed-to-ceiling each time we wanted to go for an outing. The idea was to load everything but cloths and food in the trailer and leave it loaded. We really had no intention of getting a travel trailer.
On the night of 15 June, 2011, I searched the word "trailer" on Craig's List and came up with the following listing moments after it was posted:
"15 ft. Camper Trailer - $700 - We are selling our 1984 Sunline camper trailer. It sleeps 4-5. Bathroom includes shower stall, toilet, and sink. Has stove, refrigerator and kitchen sink. More information and photos available upon request."
This started the wheels turning so I replied to the listing and made an appointment for Kathy and I to go see it that coming Saturday afternoon. A little Internet research had me thinking we were going to see a T1550. I thought even if the camper was only junk worthy, if the chassis was solid and the axle in good shape, I could strip it to the frame to use for my camping equipment hauler.
What we found when we pulled in to see it, was the adorable T1750 that had sat unused for 15 years. The owner bought it new in 1984 and used it once; maybe twice a year until 1996, when it was covered and parked. In 2008, the gentlemen gave the unit to his son in hopes that he would get some use of it. They used it twice in 2009, once in 2010, then decided to give it up. That's where we stepped in. Seeing that the frame was solid, we bought it on the spot (and NOT for just the chassis).
Here she sits in her new driveway only moments after coming home.
Don't get me wrong; she has a to-do list I could fill this forum with. The water lines are split; the propane line is rusted; the stove, heater and hot water haven't been lit in over a decade, no battery, bad ground in the 120v, some water damage, cracked lights, etc., etc. But what a joy it will be to bring her back to full function. Not sleeping on a tent floor isn't such a bad prospect either.
So, our journey begins. We took lots of "before" pictures and are documenting everything we do. We'll post it here if anyone is interested. We have a family camping trip planned in July, about 95 miles South-East in Arkport, NY. This adds to our enthusiasm to get at least the major systems functioning. But even if we done get it done in time, just the fact that Kathy and I are doing this together makes it all worth while!
I have always been a tent camper (Kathy not so much), and we have been joining the rest of the family on camping trips for a few years now. I had been talking about building a camping trailer that I could build and store a field kitchen in, along with our tent and all our gear. This way I wouldn't have to load the Cherokee bed-to-ceiling each time we wanted to go for an outing. The idea was to load everything but cloths and food in the trailer and leave it loaded. We really had no intention of getting a travel trailer.
On the night of 15 June, 2011, I searched the word "trailer" on Craig's List and came up with the following listing moments after it was posted:
"15 ft. Camper Trailer - $700 - We are selling our 1984 Sunline camper trailer. It sleeps 4-5. Bathroom includes shower stall, toilet, and sink. Has stove, refrigerator and kitchen sink. More information and photos available upon request."
This started the wheels turning so I replied to the listing and made an appointment for Kathy and I to go see it that coming Saturday afternoon. A little Internet research had me thinking we were going to see a T1550. I thought even if the camper was only junk worthy, if the chassis was solid and the axle in good shape, I could strip it to the frame to use for my camping equipment hauler.
What we found when we pulled in to see it, was the adorable T1750 that had sat unused for 15 years. The owner bought it new in 1984 and used it once; maybe twice a year until 1996, when it was covered and parked. In 2008, the gentlemen gave the unit to his son in hopes that he would get some use of it. They used it twice in 2009, once in 2010, then decided to give it up. That's where we stepped in. Seeing that the frame was solid, we bought it on the spot (and NOT for just the chassis).
Here she sits in her new driveway only moments after coming home.
Don't get me wrong; she has a to-do list I could fill this forum with. The water lines are split; the propane line is rusted; the stove, heater and hot water haven't been lit in over a decade, no battery, bad ground in the 120v, some water damage, cracked lights, etc., etc. But what a joy it will be to bring her back to full function. Not sleeping on a tent floor isn't such a bad prospect either.
So, our journey begins. We took lots of "before" pictures and are documenting everything we do. We'll post it here if anyone is interested. We have a family camping trip planned in July, about 95 miles South-East in Arkport, NY. This adds to our enthusiasm to get at least the major systems functioning. But even if we done get it done in time, just the fact that Kathy and I are doing this together makes it all worth while!
