Visit our Popular Forums

bebling · 02-20-2013, 02:36 PM

We are going to look at a Minuet that is quite a distance from home. What size is the ball for that size trailer and do they come with a standard wiring plug for the truck?
Thanks
Bruce

idroba · 02-20-2013, 02:43 PM

2 5/16 ball. The lights/brake wiring of that era used a round pin connector, 7 wire, and some differences in the color coding of the specific wires. However, in the years since the trailer was made, who knows what you will find has been done to the plug.

Your tow vehicle, if fairly new and equipped with a 7 wire plug probably uses a "bargman type" 7 wire flat pin plug.

Again, lots of changes could have been made by previous owners. If you want to buy it and tow it home, be prepared to do some field work to make it electrically work with what you are towing with.

overlander64 · 02-20-2013, 03:52 PM

Greetings bebling!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of First Generation Argosys!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bebling

We are going to look at a Minuet that is quite a distance from home. What size is the ball for that size trailer and do they come with a standard wiring plug for the truck?
Thanks
Bruce

The 7.3 Argosy Minuet is among the least common of the three Minuets (6.0, 6.7, and 7.3 Metres). It shares its 2 5/16" coupler with the balance of the Minuet and Argosy lines.

As can be seen in the above literature, your tow vehicle will need to have a hitch rated for at least 3,820 pounds and a hitch weight of at least 510 pounds. In all probability the hitch height will be around 17", but the original hitch height started out around 19", and with the drop experienced as the Henschen DuraTorque axles wear . . . the current height for level towing is likely to be somewhere between 16" and 18".

Originally, the Minuet was likely equipped with a Bargman 7-Pin round trailer connector. Personally, I have found this type of connector to have superior corrossion resistance when compared to the modern 7-Blade RV connectors. Should the Minuet have its original connector it is unlikely to match the current industry standard wiring schematic. During this time period, Airstream and Argosy utilized a unique schematic with wire function/color relationships that also do not match current industry standard. I am attaching a pdf of the wiring schematic that was utilized during the period from 1977 through 1979 when the Argosy Minuets were manufactured.

As a cautionary note, when towing one of these coaches home please be aware that the clear deep-wrap wing windows (the side windows in the front Panoramic Windows) are no longer available as new replacements. Should one of these windows be broken, the only source for a clear glass replacement is from a salvaged Argosy . . . a new window can be sourced from Airstream, but it will be Solar Gray Tinted as are the Panoramic Windows in the new Airstreams. There have been several new Argosy owners who have lost one of these windows on their first tow so caution on roads with loose gravel is advisable if there arent' rock guards on the Panoramic front windows.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

bebling · 02-20-2013, 09:27 PM

Wow! And I only thought I had to worry about wiring,tires,snow and ice! Now I will be freaked about breaking a window made of "unobtanium". It is about a 350 mile tow home and although I have towed large sailboats, camp trailers are a new experience for me. I have read as much as I could about evaluating a trailor, but have not been able to find a good checklist. I figure I will do the best I can with the time allowed and hope for the best. Thanks for all your help; the wiring diagram should be very useful. We leave Friday and will keep the forum posted on our adventure.

overlander64 · 02-20-2013, 09:38 PM

Greetings bebling!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bebling

Wow! And I only thought I had to worry about wiring,tires,snow and ice! Now I will be freaked about breaking a window made of "unobtanium". It is about a 350 mile tow home and although I have towed large sailboats, camp trailers are a new experience for me. I have read as much as I could about evaluating a trailor, but have not been able to find a good checklist. I figure I will do the best I can with the time allowed and hope for the best. Thanks for all your help; the wiring diagram should be very useful. We leave Friday and will keep the forum posted on our adventure.

There is a comprehensive trailer inspector's checklist here on the Forums . . . you can find that checklist at this link. You may find an article that I wrote on retrieving "as found" Airstreams/Arogsys at this link.

Should you decide that you would like to add a little temporary protection for the windows during the tow home, you could cover the deep-wrap wing windows with one or two layers of heavy cardboard with gorilla or duct tape to secure . . . just be sure to remove the tape as soon as possible upon your arrival at home.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

TG Twinkie · 02-21-2013, 03:29 PM

As a last resort, get some heavy card board box material. Tape some bubble wrap to the back of it. Then tape it to the front, over the windows. It will look like a Redneck fix. But if it prevents a broken window. That's all that matters.
Make sure the door does not come open on the trip. There are numerous ways shown here on how to prevent it.

bebling · 02-24-2013, 08:29 PM

Thanks I will give that a try!
Bruce

bebling · 02-24-2013, 08:31 PM

We just returned from a whirlwind trip to the mountains of northern California to look over the 7.3 Minuet. The trailer was in great, original condition and we ended purchasing the trailer. We will have to return in a week or so with the truck to bring her home.
Bruce

bebling · 02-24-2013, 08:39 PM

Photo of our new Minuet in the snow

reinergirl · 02-24-2013, 08:44 PM

Congrats, looking really clean, more pics please!

bebling · 02-24-2013, 09:27 PM

More interior and exterior pics of our new 7.3

overlander64 · 02-24-2013, 10:14 PM

Greetings bebling!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bebling

More interior and exterior pics of our new 7.3

That is an exceptionally nice 7.3 Metre Minuet. It is one of the firstr that I have seen with the Sky Blue color scheme. My notes indicate that it was a new color scheme for 1979, and I haven't seen many Minuets with that color. It also looks like the coach also has two other rather unusual options . . . the front dinette and the center double-bed. It is unusual to find an Argosy with both of those options.

I am certain that you will enjoy your Minuet!

Kevin

bebling · 02-25-2013, 05:34 PM

I have yet to see one online with a window in the door along with the window just forward of the door. How common is this setup?
Thanks
Bruce

mutcth · 02-25-2013, 05:37 PM

It looks like you did very, very well! If I remember correctly from looking at the brochures (as always, thanks for Overlander64 for posting them), that window was a 1979-only feature.

Congrats on the new trailer!

Tom

bebling · 02-25-2013, 06:14 PM

Could it be that the window only comes with a dinette interior?
Bruce

Alphonse · 02-25-2013, 06:15 PM

Congratulations - that baby is sweet. Good luck on getting her home.

bebling · 02-25-2013, 06:21 PM

This is the original owners manual that came with the coach:

Argosy 7728 · 02-25-2013, 07:03 PM

Nice trailer, looks like you done good.

bebling · 02-25-2013, 08:06 PM

Thanks so much for all the kind remarks. Now here is my dilemma, the trailer is about 60 to 80 miles from the nearest town and 350 miles from
home. It is up in the snow and sitting in a field. It was last used around a year ago. The tires are 5 years old with no apparent checking. What is the minimum I should prepare for to get this gem home? I was thinking of bringing a weight distribution hitch, tons of tools, a jack, spare light bulbs...etc. If I could get it to town I could then have a tire place inspect bearings, tires and brakes. Any suggestion on how to prepare for the worst and get my trailer home in one piece?
thanks
Bruce and Ronda

overlander64 · 02-25-2013, 08:52 PM

Greetings Bruce and Ronda!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bebling

Thanks so much for all the kind remarks. Now here is my dilemma, the trailer is about 60 to 80 miles from the nearest town and 350 miles from
home. It is up in the snow and sitting in a field. It was last used around a year ago. The tires are 5 years old with no apparent checking. What is the minimum I should prepare for to get this gem home? I was thinking of bringing a weight distribution hitch, tons of tools, a jack, spare light bulbs...etc. If I could get it to town I could then have a tire place inspect bearings, tires and brakes. Any suggestion on how to prepare for the worst and get my trailer home in one piece?
thanks
Bruce and Ronda

Your planning is good, and should help you be prepared for the trip home. A couple of years ago, I wrote an article for this site's sister site Airstream Central that covers what I have found helpful in terms of preparation . . . you can find the article at this link.

You have something around a 50% likelihood that you will find the Minuet's trailer connector (Bargman Plug) wired in a pattern that is not compatible with your tow vehicle. My suggestion would be to include a trailer end that matches your tow vehicle in your preparation kit as many of the Vintage Airstreams that I have encountered needed to have their plugs rewired to match the current industry standard. I am including a copy of the wiring schematic as used in 1979 . . . you will also notice that the color/function relationship is not the same as in the current industry standard.

I agree with you that the tires and bearings would be something of a concern for a 350 mile tow. You do have the lower ambient temperatures of this season in your favor. If you are not able to get the bearings serviced/re-packed, stopping every 50 to 75 miles and checking for hub/wheel that is hotter than the rest should catch a bearing that is failing as well as provide the opportunity to observe the tires for changes in the sidewalls/tread.

You may also need to be prepared to adjust the ball height on your hitch. Towing slightly out of level isn't a huge problem but significantly nose high or nose low causes weight distribution problems as well as can be a source of sway. I believe that the factory hitch height specification is 19", but factoring in the likely set that the DuraTorque axles have taken over the years, the height is likely between 16" and 18".

In addition to spare light bulbs for the trailer's exterior lights, I would also suggest carrying spares for any fuses/relays in your tow vehicle's towing circuits. There is often a relay/fuse that must be installed for the tow vehicle's factory installed charge line to be activated to the trailer connector at the rear bumper . . . sometime the part is included, but in some cases it must be purchased at a parts store. Another item that some tow vehicles need to have changed when first put into tow vehicle service is the turn signal flasher . . . a heavy duty turn signal flasher is needed for towing service on a number of tow vehicles. Given the distance that the Minuet is located from the nearest town, you might want to be prepared with temporary tow lights that you can utilize if the factory lights don't want to cooperate (I have been fortunate and haven't had to use my temporary lights with any of the retrieval trips that I have been through).

For dealing with potential tire situations, I would suggest four things for your preparation. First, I would suggest carrying a portable air compressor to air up the tires on the trailer to proper towing pressure. Second, I would suggest carrying a heavy-duty 4-way Tire Iron in the event that you need to remove a flat. Third, I would suggest a 4-ton or better bottle jack (makes jacking between axles easier). Fourth, I would suggest carrying a set of 2" X 8" boards consisting of 12", 16", 18", and 24" . . . 45-degree cuts on ends can improve their usefulness . . . these can take the place of a jack on a tandem axle trailer . . . on the side with a bad tire, pull-forward or back up onto the stack of boards with the good tire/wheel which will lift the coach to permit removal of the bad tire. It is permissible to tow an Airstream short distances at lowered speed (usually 45 MPH or less) on three wheels, and is one reason that you ocassionally find a tandem axle Airstream without a spare tire/wheel.

It sounds like you have a good plan for retrieval. Allow yourself as much extra time as you can as trying to rush can result in problems.

Good luck with your retrieval!

Kevin

P.S.: You may want to carry some bubble wrap, card board, and duct/gorilla tape to fashion temporary rock guards for the front wrap windows. The clear deep-wrap wing windows are no longer available new. All of the new deep-wrap wing windows are Solar Gray Tinted -- not to mention, expensive . . . about $750 each.