If your friend restores old trailers, perhaps you might start by asking what he would charge to restore the TM you are considering. Make the request sound at least semi-serious, so he feels he is at least semi-committed to the amount he states. You would need to discuss the degree of restoration, of course - you're not looking for showroom-new. But it would at least give you some idea of what you are getting into. And if he declines to give an estimate, you could ask him why he is reluctant.
In the meantime, I would suggest you do two things here. First, look for posts by MariaG - she has gone through the restoration of an old TM, and has a blog documenting it. A chat with her would do you a lot of good, I think.
Second, go through the posts looking for discussion wood rot in the TM walls. Up until the early 2000's, TMs had wood-framed walls (they went to aluminum in there somewhere), and if water got into the walls, often through lack of basic maintenance, the frame would rot. We've had a lot of discussion about it, Maria could help, but it is the one biggest obstacle to getting an older trailer. The fix is not easy, and the phrase "rough condition" is not encouraging.
More thoughts will be offered, I'm sure, but if the trailer is right, it could be a good deal.
Bill
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