Argosy on E-Bay

[Foiled Again]

There is a 22ft Argosy on E-bay that my sister is interested in.

They have a new Honda Ridgeline.... Anyone think that could work as a tow vehicle for a 22' vintage? It's a nice truck, but I'd be looking for a Minuet or a Casita with that truck.

Also obviously a $5K starting bid is unreasonable... but what do you think about that as a sale price? I've noticed that there are no curtains and that the upholstery will need to be redone. Also I'm not sure about the upper bins... Have the rollup doors been trashed and replaced with something cheap? The seller admits that the water heater needs to be replaced.

This is stored locally - and it's raining hard - so when I go to see it, I'll be able to see if there are leaks. Please chime in with sensible advice on stuff to look for. I will be sniffing and inspecting the back of cupboards, closets, and under the gauchos.

Paula Ford

[balrgn]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

There is a 22ft Argosy on E-bay that my sister is interested in.

They have a new Honda Ridgeline.... Anyone think that could work as a tow vehicle for a 22' vintage? It's a nice truck, but I'd be looking for a Minuet or a Casita with that truck.

Also obviously a $5K starting bid is unreasonable... but what do you think about that as a sale price? I've noticed that there are no curtains and that the upholstery will need to be redone. Also I'm not sure about the upper bins... Have the rollup doors been trashed and replaced with something cheap? The seller admits that the water heater needs to be replaced.

This is stored locally - and it's raining hard - so when I go to see it, I'll be able to see if there are leaks. Please chime in with sensible advice on stuff to look for. I will be sniffing and inspecting the back of cupboards, closets, and under the gauchos.

Paula Ford

Just an opinion now:
With the gaucho missing, this adds a fair amount of $ and effort to the restoration.
Water heater, there is another expense.
Hard to have the water lines tested, I use a small Air Compressor to see if they hold air when I look.
Where the Antenna comes through the roof inside is a typical place for leaks, check to see if it is damp or has corrosion inside the handle (reach up and feel with your finger)
Lift up the twin mattresses, you should be able to see the wall, check for floor rot or dampness. Plug it into AC to Verify everything works as advertised.
When I look, I like to take along a generator) Tanks look out of date, another added expense. ($30 to $40 each to upgrade)
Reach up inside the trunk area, feel the floor for dampness or rot.
Check the drain valves, ensure they at least slide.
Damaged interior parts are hard to replace, Check the bathroom wall the coverings has a tendency to delaminate.
Endure the pocket door slides in the bathroom.
Check the window rubber seal for dry rot. I could go on.
The Rig looks real nice………
My Opinion, they are asking too much

[overlander63]

Paula, if it's this one, it's a 24 footer:
eBay Motors: Airstream Argosy 24 trailer, refurbed & road ready!! (item 300066285930 end time Jan-09-07 08:27:03 PST)

I towed one (Vintage Thunder) a few hundred miles with our Dodge Dakota, and it towed better than our Argosy 20. It shows as having a weight of 3700 pounds, I would say more like 4400 pounds, ready to camp.

[sfixx]

I don't know much about the variables for towing...I see that the Ridgeline has a 5,000# towing capacity with the optional towing package, standard on the RTX. The Argosy is listed as 3,200#. Is that a good match when both are loaded for camping? Will the new owner travel much in the mountains? The offered equilizer hitch would certainly be helpful. My 5.9 liter V8 Durango is rated to tow 7,500# and doesn't even know our 20' Argosy is back there but the Ridgeline is smaller by 2.5 liters and about 100 horsepower. I've seen some pretty small tow vehicles these days though. Hopefully the experts will chime in here for you.

I was looking at this Ebay listing.

New owners often choose to re-upholster and add new curtains anyway but it is an expense to consider. If it's as clean as it looks and the mechanical issues are few I don't see that the price is too far off though the market seems to be pretty good for buyers at the moment. But beware the original appliances with 32 years on them may not hold out that much longer.

Good luck,

Steve

[juel]

There are now three Argosys on Ebay. A 24ft, 22ft and 28ft. The 24ft is offered by the man I bought my Argosy from. I know he is honest and the coach is worth the money. I pull my 24ft with a Toyota Tundra V8 with no problems. My 78 24ft weighed in at 3640 lbs on the truck scales, dry and unloaded. I will give my opinion that the 22ft one is a bit overpriced. I bought my 24ft Argosy for a better price and in camping ready condition. I will also say that we put some extra money into the trailer to upgrade the A/C, water heater, Univolt and wiring because you just can't help yourself when you get these great trailers home and fall in love with them.

[overlander63]

There is now another one (I found the one Paula was looking at). It is gutted, and they want a $2500 opening bid. Yikes!

[balrgn]

I use this book mark to look at em all

eBay - Argosy, Argosy RVs and Campers, airstream, Towable RVs Campers - buy and sell on eBay Motors

[wahoonc]

Paula just my opinion...they are asking about double what that unit is worth. Upholstery ain't cheap! Water heater is going to run around $300 plus installation. LP tanks need upgrading depending on which tanks that is another $75-300 (the high number is for replacing the tanks. I am also willing to bet that there will be an axle replacement in the future. That particular vintage of Henschen had problems with the rubber in them.

Take some more pictures for us and we will give you the rest of the story

Aaron

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

There is a 22ft Argosy on E-bay that my sister is interested in.

They have a new Honda Ridgeline.... Anyone think that could work as a tow vehicle for a 22' vintage? Paula Ford

Garth Cane from RV Lifestyles mag raves about the Honda Ridgeline and it's towing abilities!



Here is the info from Honda on the the Ridgeline.


STANDARD TOWING FEATURES:
• Closed-box frame with unit-body construction
• 5,000-lb. towing capacity (with towing package)
• Pre-wired for 4- and 7-pin connectors
• Pre-wired for trailer brake controller
• Heavy-duty radiator with dual 160-watt fans
• Heavy-duty power steering fluid cooler
• Heavy-duty ATF cooler
• Power-Assisted Ventilated Front Disc/Solid Rear Disc Brakes (in.)


Tow Ready
The Ridgeline takes towing seriously. The RTX features a towing package standard There's also a 5-speed automatic transmission, a standard high-capacity radiator with dual 160-watt fans, a heavy-duty power steering cooler, a high-capacity ATF cooler, and it's pre-wired for a trailer connection (4-/7-Pin). Large brake rotors at all four wheels and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) ensure quick and deliberate stops when it matters most.

3.5-Liter VTEC® V-6 Engine
A 3.5-liter, VTEC V-6 engine gives the Ridgeline optimum power and efficiency. This results in 247-hp and 245 lb.-ft. of torque. The VTEC engine combined with an innovative two-stage intake manifold and a special fresh-air intake system provide power when you need it, with high-end horsepower and low-end torque even during extreme towing conditions. The fresh-air intake draws air from the top of the front grille to protect against dust and water intrusion during launches. You'll power your boat up even the steepest ramp in no time.

Torsional Rigidity
Torsional rigidity refers to how much a truck's frame twists under the stress of towing, hauling or off-road driving. The integrated closed-box frame design of the Ridgeline gives it many times the torsional rigidity of industry-leading pickups.

[3Ms75Argosy]

for the Ridgeline (I think the 22ftr trailer may be narrow body too ... hard to tell by the rear window), but 5000 is a bit steep. Cheap paintjob, needs front goucho or dinette (although, if handy, easy enough to build). Figure one needs to replace the uphoulstery anyway, but yes, expensive. I see foam comes with it. I'd check to see the quality of the foam. We used 6" firm foam... that was about $800 right there. You're saving disposal fees on the interior.

Our 26ft'r was $3000 listed... we purchased it for around $2700. Needed paint, fridge, AC (that we knew.... grew to about what each vintage unit needed... EVERYTHING!).

I say around 3500 - 4000 would be a fair price if the shell is fine without huge dings/dents.

On that year trailer, the upper cabinets came stock with the swing up doors - much easier to deal with than the tamboors in my opinion.

Good luck!
Marc

[overlander64]

Greetings Paula!

The smaller Argosy coaches are making inroads in their popularity and prices are typically stable; but the coach in question seems to be a bit over-priced given the obvious work that it needs. With the need of upholstery, drapes, LP Tank re-certification, and water heater my suspicion is that a price about 1,500 lower would be more near market (at least here in the Midwest).

Something that I noted was what may be a discrepancy or use of older photos -- the description mentions new tires; but the photos show tires with whitewalls -- ST tires have not, to my knowledge, been available with whitewhalls for a decade or more. If the photos do indeed show the new tires, then my suspicion would be that they are passenger car tires and may be dangerously overloaded and even if not, likely to produce very unstable towing characteristics.

While not a major issue, the coach is missing the vinyl inserts in both the rub-rail and belt-line mouldings. The original color inserts are available through Airstream dealers again, so replacement inserts aren't difficult to find. Originally, the mouldings would have been raw aluminum rather than painted as they are on this coach.

While it is impossible to tell with absolute certainty from photos, I strongly suspect that the LP tanks are aluminum -- they have the same design as the ones that came with my Minuet, and they were Worthington Aluminum tanks that had been painted to match the coach at the factory -- if that is the case, the cost for new valves and recertification would be a worthwhile investment. I will admit to always being suspicious of original issue Henschen Duratorques as both of my coaches needed new axles almost immediately after purchase.

My 1975 literature lists the empty weight of the Argosy 22 as 3,720 pounds with an empty hitch weight of 410 pounds. The very similar 6.7 Metre Minuet had a width of 7' while this standard model Argosy 22 would have a floor width of 7' 8".

Good luck with your research!

Kevin

[SnorkyII]

Kevin: The 73 and 74 rub rails are different than later years. The bottom rub rail on the my 73 and 74 pictured do not have inserts. The center or upper rub rail extrusion is different than the later years but does have an insert. My 76 shell has the later rub rails, while my 73, 22 footer has the earlier rub rails. The later rub rails are the same as my 04 Airstream. The molding on the body above the wheels (wheelwell) is also different on the early years.

Are you going to give your seminar at International this year?

Paula
The curtains are missing, along with the uphlostery. I spent $1200.00 for my new uphlostery and foam. We used Sunbrella fabric, which is not cheap.
New drapes from James P. Ambruse would cost around $350.00.

I have been watching the Argosys on ebay for the last year, and the price seems a little high. I believe a fair rice woud be around $3,500.00, but I wouldn't go over $4,000.00.

Sam

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by SnorkyII

New drapes from James P. Ambruse would cost around $350.00.



Sam

Ambruso wanted $650 for curtains for our Argosy 20, with the same numbers and sizes of window.

[overlander64]

Greetings Sam!

Originally Posted by SnorkyII

Are you going to give your seminar at International this year?

Sam

I haven't made the decision on whether to attend the International this year. I don't cope well with humidity and even though it would be less than a days drive, my inclination is to miss this year's International.

The VAC has a copy of my presentation, and it is possible that another member may make the presentation if that is what leadership desires.

Kevin

[SnorkyII]

Terry: The Ampruso quote was $378.80 plus shipping with the upgraded fabric for the drapes. I expect to receive them the second week of Feb.
Sam

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

There is a 22ft Argosy on E-bay that my sister is interested in.

They have a new Honda Ridgeline.... Anyone think that could work as a tow vehicle for a 22' vintage?
Paula Ford

The Ridgeline owners showcase their Airstreams and other trailers....

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/f...ad.php?t=12327

Hope his link helps Paula