[kaisen]

My parents have a 1971 Airstream 31ft International

Theirs is the aft bathroom, which was really quite common from the late 60's through the late 70's. They are also the cheapest, as the bathroom moisture could permeate the plywood subfloor and start to rot the steel frame. With all that bathroom weight aft, it would/could tweak the rear frame!! So if you're considering an aft-bath, look carefully at the frame as it exits the shell to the rear bumper. If it's not aligned right, just walk away. Anything can be repaired or rebuilt on these Airstreams, but it's a major undertaking.

If you're serious about a late nineties model, expect to pay up for very little benefit. They're dated and old too, but not in a good "vintage" way. You'd be better off remodelling an older unit that you bought for thousands less. Also, it sounds like you won't require the travelling accomodations. So your need of some of the mechanical systems are different. For example, you could buy a household fridge that would perform exponentially better than the gas/electric RV fridges they came with. Bigger, better, cheaper. Same with plumbing, heating, water heater, etc, etc. I'd buy a good solid shell and redo the interior to be a "park" model. You'll be happier with how things work, and save thousands.

YMMV