1978 22 foot Argosy vs 1978 22' Minuet

[DonDiego]

I am looking to buy an Argosy. I have been looking for about a year and started with the AS. But the Argosy seems lighter and I like the front wrap-around windows. My wife and I want to make the front a permanent bed and use the side couch as the dinning area.... I have seen 22 footer with a table that extends in front of the side couch. It seems the floor plan also allows more room up front to make the permanent bed.
I have a 1978 22 foot unit spotted. It has a dinette up front, but I do not see the side table by the couch. Is the side table only available in the units with a front sofa?
Also, I have been unable to find any info on the 1978 Argosy..... floorplans, specs etc. The owner of this unit does not seem very knowledgeable. It has the aluminum floor. I thought this feature was only in the Minuet. I have not see this unit in person, (it is 5hrs away), but I have not seen the Minuet logo on the side.
Did they make a regular 22' Argosy and a 22' Minuet in 1978?
Is the Minuet 7' wide and the regular Argosy 7'8"? And is that the main difference?
I would love to be able to jump in the car and drive 5 hours to look at this unit, but cannot without a good chance it is what I want.

[mutcth]

It is my understanding that only Minuets had aluminium floors.

Here's the super-easy way to tell if that 22' is a Minuet - how many axles does it have? "Regular" 22' Argosys have tandem axles, the Minuet 6.7 Metre (22') has only one. Other telltale signs - three large windows on the streetside and a window forward of the door. The Minuet is more narrow as well, but that's not immediately obvious in photos.

Given the choice, yeah - I'd rather have a Minuet 6.7 Metre instead of our 6.0 Metre. There is a bit more room in the front, more cabinets, and (the best part) more windows. But the 6.0 Metres are much more common.

If the coach has the dinette, you won't get a pull-out table for the side gaucho.

Tom

[mutcth]

If you aren't looking for the Minuet's unique low weight and aluminium floor, your floorplan desires might be better served by a 75-77 "normal" Argosy 22. With either the normal front door or the rear door model, you can get a front gaucho (to turn into a regular bed) and a side L-shaped dinette.

Tom

[mandolindave]

I use the front dinette as a bed for the most part. The draw back with sleeping up front is that it seems like it is the coldest place in the camper.
Perhaps because of the large windows providing little insulation.

Even in a wider non minuet Argosy, when the side gaucho is turned into a bed, there is very little room left to walk by.

It may be tough to turn the side gaucho into a dinette. the wheel well,
the water heater, and the furnace are under the gaucho in mine.

I hope that I have not made things more complicated. Dave

[DonDiego]

Tom, I was thinking I had seen the L-shaped dinette in the Minuet, but you are saying it is the normal Argosy. On those models I notice there is room between the front sofa and the door, even with the sofa laid out to make a bed. This is part of what appeals to me. With this I could remove or extend the sofa to make a larger bed. I am just not sure 48" would be a wide enough bed for us.
The reduced weight of the Minuet is another big attraction.
The L-shaped dinette and the ability to make a larger bed up front may be worth the added 700lbs.

Thanks for the posts.

[DonDiego]

The cold front may be a consideration. But I think excessive heat would bother me more. I handle cold pretty well.
Definitely something to consider however.

[overlander64]

Greetings drussel!

Welcome to the Forums!

I thought that these examples of the factory floorplans might help in regard to stock layouts:

1979 Minuet Lineup:




1978 Minuet 6.0 Metre:




1977 Argosy 22 and Argosy 24:




1976 Argosy 20, Argosy 22, Argosy 24:




1975 Argosy 20, Argosy 22:



The Minuet 6.0 Metre and 6.7 Metre are the only two coaches that have been reported to have had the aluminum composite floors. It appears that most, but not all 6.0 Metre Minuets had the aluminum composite floors. A comparative few 6.7 Metre Minuets were equipped with the composite aluminum floors.

Good luck with your search!

Kevin

[DonDiego]

Kevin, great info.
I definitely like the 79 Minuet.... the reduced weight, but also it addresses the issue of the front bed. With the door closer to the center of the trailer, I would guess there would be room for a 60" bed to be made. In the "normal" Argosy, the door is closer to the front, which reduces the potential width of the bed.
If I find a 79 Minuet, it may not have an L shaped dinette, but I could live with that.

In general, do you consider the aluminum floor to be an asset or a liability?

Thanks for the great info.

[COArgosy78]

Hi Drussel - we have the 22' Minuet. We have talked about extending the dinette area of ours to make a bigger bed and using the side gaucho area for a small dinette since there are just the 2 of us now - our decision has been undecided to date because of not wanting to change the original plan. On the Minuet, I think trying to extend the front bed area would only get a larger double, maybe a queen size bed. There is only about a foot of extra space right now w/the dinette in bed mode.

There was a 24 foot Minuet here for sale not too long ago. I will see if I can find if it is still out there and where it is located.

We got our Minuet almost exclusively for the lighter weight (pulling up long, steep Colorado mountains!) and the big front wrap windows. We love it!

[COArgosy78]

OK, here is the one I was thinking of - and there might be one other. Not sure if it is still available and the owner is a full timer. But you can check the website he lists for details, if you want. Good luck!


79 Minuet 7.3 (24T)
Leigh and other Argonauts,
Our Minuet is pretty much original with few changes. Radio is missing but speakers are still extant. Roof locker doors were covered with a dumb contact paper which, fortunately, lost its adhesive and has almost all released so the original cute fabric inset covers show again. Fridge and rooftop A/C replaced and both working great. Original stove, oven, sink, tub, toilet. The coiling door (drat! forgot name for it) under the sink apparently died and some p.o. replaced with a pair of doors. Tracks are still there.

Front dinette, mid-twins beds, rear bath. Four burner stove over oven; two-bowl sink. New 30amp cord. New bearings and brakes 1.5 years ago. Full documentation including original owners manual and all receipts. Awning needs refurbish. Body is almost perfecto, paint seems original and tired. We've stored under shelter the past year.

Pictures are on this forum's gallery under dreamstreamr. Unit is in North Carolina 1/2 hour outside Charlotte, NC. Email me direct if interested, at dreamstreamr@gmail.com
__________________
Jim N5RTG & Deb KI4OKI
WBCCI #4822 / WBCCI ARC/ RV SVC Network
Escapees full-timing in our CCD 25 blue streak
sometimes seen behind the magnificent 2500HD 8.1L/Allison 6spd 3.73

[biggoofball]

Welcome to the forums!!!

Regular Argosy's do not have aluminum floors, are heavier than Minutes (lighter than Airstreams) and (in 22' version) have dual axles. The dual axle is why I bought mine. I love it to death. Click my link for photos for comparison if you need some.

[DonDiego]

Leigh, thanks for the info. I am not sure we will go with a 24', but I will check it out. Thanks for the info on it.

[DonDiego]

Skip, I was looking at your post and noticed the new floor going down in the Argosy. Is that a 22' unit? The interior looks like a 1973 that I was looking at online last week.
Thanks

[DonDiego]

Originally Posted by biggoofball

Welcome to the forums!!!

Regular Argosy's do not have aluminum floors, are heavier than Minutes (lighter than Airstreams) and (in 22' version) have dual axles. The dual axle is why I bought mine. I love it to death. Click my link for photos for comparison if you need some.

Skip, I noticed your tag line (22' Argosy looking for a new home". Are you wanting to sell yours?

[overlander64]

Greetings drussel!

Originally Posted by drussel

If I find a 79 Minuet, it may not have an L shaped dinette, but I could live with that.

In general, do you consider the aluminum floor to be an asset or a liability?

To me, the composite aluminum floor is a great asset . . . no ongoing worry about damage to the floor system by an undetected leak. The down-side is that the rivets used to attach the composite panels means that there are really only two alternatives for flooring. Carpeting is probably the easiest and least expensive -- would also be keeping with what was standard from the factory. Not being a fan of carpeting, I chose Armstrong laminate flooring with the built-in pad -- to give the floor a little additional padding over the rivets, a layer of Armstrong Quiet Step underlayment. The only thing that would disturb me is if the composite panels are damaged - - I don't know how one would go about replacing a damaged panel as I assume that the material used is likely no longer produced.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

[RamblinManGa]

Geez Kevin, you didn't have to give him ALL the info in one post. The rest of us might have some info to share, not much , but some. Seriously great info for all of us looking at Argo's. Thanks from Ga. Craig

[biggoofball]

Originally Posted by drussel

Skip, I was looking at your post and noticed the new floor going down in the Argosy. Is that a 22' unit? The interior looks like a 1973 that I was looking at online last week.
Thanks

The previous owner installed the flooring. He made allowances for removing three strips so that the old fridge could be removed and replaced in case it ever failed. (Which it did nearly immediately after I bought it. ) He was that plan ahead kind of guy.

Originally Posted by drussel

Skip, I noticed your tag line (22' Argosy looking for a new home". Are you wanting to sell yours?

While I am looking to sell mine, I really was offering you the opportunity to see lots of photos of the interior. I believe my layout was the most common and did not change too much between 72 - 74, so a 73 would look nearly identical.

Enjoy your search!! One thing I would recommend is to buy a unit that is a finished as you can afford. I bought a cheap camper (not Airstream) prior to buying th Argy and it turned out to NOT be cheap. I see many on here buy inexpensive units and then end up spending much much more than if they bought one done. I understand that many like to do that and might have the time, I only have the desire.

Cheers!

[mandolindave]

It might be hard to find the exact model that you want.
If you do , you might have to travel a long way to pick it up, which wouldn't be so so bad.

What Big said was true, it is expensive to restore and refinish an
old trailer. I have about 22K into mine and it is not finished. Expect to pay for a finished trailer.

Trying to find an exact model that is in great shape for a great price would be a hat trick.

[adore]

Originally Posted by drussel

Skip, I noticed your tag line (22' Argosy looking for a new home". Are you wanting to sell yours?

I think Biggoofball (Skip) modified his tag line by taking out the "looking for a new home" statement... This might answer you question!
André

[biggoofball]

Originally Posted by adore

I think Biggoofball (Skip) modified his tag line by taking out the "looking for a new home" statement... This might answer you question!
André

Nope. She is still looking for a new home.