[overlander64]

Greetings Al!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Airstreaming!

While it is possible to find replacement parts for the older "oval" style magnet electric brakes that I am assuming that your coach has, you may find as my mechanic did that the cost of the parts to restore these brakes to functionality will match or exceed the cost of new "fully-loaded" backing plates that include all new modern brake hardware. These fully-loaded backing plates often carry a greater capacity than the originals - - my originals ('64 Overlander) were 4,000 pound aggressive while the new are 6,000 pound aggressive - - a very noticeable increase in performance. This also insures that you have all new springs and other attaching hardware as well.

The second thing that I learned through having the brakes overhauled was the value of having the machining work done to match the drums to the shoes - - made a tremendous difference in the smoothness of operation when applying the brakes. When my mechanic suggested the operation I balked at the cost, but never regretted having it done once I realized how smoothly the brakes operated afterward.

Just about any qualified RV or trailer service facility should be able to obtain fully-loaded backing plates for your Argosy as there is nothing out of the ordinary with the brakes (the same souces should be able to get the repair parts for your original brakes, but they may have to be special ordered) - - some dealers, however, may get cold-feet if they learn that what you have is an Airstream product. A Mallard dealer near my family's home in far Southern Illinois handled the complete brake overhaul job on my Overlander, but not all Brand X dealers are willing to work on Airstream products.

Good luck with your project!

Kevin