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whitefawn · 04-23-2010, 11:07 AM

When I gave the VIN of our soon-to-be-acquired 1978 Argosy to someone in a RV parts place they mentioned that I have a "Cerritos" trailer, and TTs manufactured in CA are considered to be inferior

to Jackson Center-made rigs. When I asked him to elaborate he was ambiguous and said some not-very-significant components may have been different from the OH ones, but don't worry- you still have a trusty old Airstream... Does any one know more about that issue? What might be different?

InsideOut · 04-23-2010, 11:24 AM

Here's an old thread I started that discusses the Oh vs CA thing, at least on 1964 GlobeTrotters. I imagine that the types of things that vary would be similar on Argosys.

There was always a healthy competition going on between the two factories back in the day...it was Wally's way of encouraging the two factories to be the best they could be. It doesn't mean one was better than the other - it was just a rivalry sort of thing. The two factories also used local suppliers of some items like heaters and other appliances - again not "better" just different. Sometimes those sorts of things get blown way out of proportion...sounds like this is the case, even though the Argosy in question was much later after Wally's demise.

Shari

Harry W · 04-23-2010, 12:05 PM

We have a CA Airstream - a 78 Sovreign tht we bought in 2002. Aside from a funny smell inside, it functions well. All appliances are original except the inverter.

toddster · 04-23-2010, 12:17 PM

You could always make the point that your trailer comes from the ORIGINAL home of Airstream, California!

NJtoNC · 04-23-2010, 12:32 PM

after reading the other post referenced re: CA vs OH, i wanted to note to the OP that i have a 62 gobetrotter w/ clearcoat (the post said OH didnt offer this until 64 i believe). i am 95% sure this was not an aftermarket job; when i got the trailer it was in nearly perfect original condition, only missing fresh water tank and batteries. everything else was immaculate.

whitefawn · 04-24-2010, 10:24 AM

Thanks Shari, and everyone- that gives me some peace of mind, although I wasn't losing sleep over it. I am looking forward to a Vintage rally where I can compare features. Different but the same is ok with me! One possible plus of a west coast trailer is the low humidity and lack of weather necessitating salting the roads like here in the mid-Atlantic. Our new vintage CA trailer has no deterioration of the stove parts like our east coast 1971 trailer, and I suspect all things being equal, the exterior parts would show more weathering if they have not been well-maintained in comparable east vs west coast trailers.

I love this forum! Thank heavens we just got high speed internet after years of dial-up... I need to learn how to search topics better...

Kathy

**moosetags** · 04-24-2010, 10:29 AM

Does anyone know when the California Airstream plant closed, and what was the last model year produced there.

Brian

mistral blue · 04-24-2010, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitefawn

When I gave the VIN of our soon-to-be-acquired 1978 Argosy to someone in a RV parts place they mentioned that I have a "Cerritos" trailer, and TTs manufactured in CA are considered to be inferior

to Jackson Center-made rigs. When I asked him to elaborate he was ambiguous and said some not-very-significant components may have been different from the OH ones, but don't worry- you still have a trusty old Airstream... Does any one know more about that issue? What might be different?

I thought Agronskis were made in Versailles, OH.

What IS the VIN?

**azflycaster** · 04-24-2010, 10:40 AM

I believe 1980 was the last year of production for California.
Thor took over from Beatrice in 1980 as well.

2airishuman · 04-24-2010, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitefawn

When I gave the VIN of our soon-to-be-acquired 1978 Argosy to someone in a RV parts place they mentioned that I have a "Cerritos" trailer...

no such thang as a cali argosy.

versailles oh for the painted 70s and j/c for the slab side arg' from the 80s.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f227...osy-37061.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f227...tor-34112.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f227...ion-21129.html

cheers
2air'

whitefawn · 04-25-2010, 12:45 PM

The VIN# for the Argosy my husband and I are about to take ownership of is 24D8S5128.

Looking at the "how to interpret VIN number" threads here on the Forum suggests to me that this Argosy was manufactured in CA because of the "S". When we pick up the trailer tomorrow I will take a close look at the emblem on the rig itself to see what it says. I love the mystery and history of Airstreams.

Not to mention the confusion.

Kathy

BIGED52 · 04-25-2010, 02:55 PM

Is that S possible for Santa Fe Springs? I didn't think Argosy trailers/Mh's were mfg'd anywhere except the two locations in Ohio. Let us know what you find out! Happy Trails, Ed

InsideOut · 04-25-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

no such thang as a cali argosy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGED52

I didn't think Argosy trailers/Mh's were mfg'd anywhere except the two locations in Ohio.

This is true...all Argosy's were made in Ohio...

From the Airstream (& Argosy) Archives page...

Quote:

"Argosy trailers were made by Airstream Company starting 1972 in Versailles, OH near Jackson Center, and are usually recognized as "Painted Airstreams". Many features were first tried out on the Argosy models, and then incorporated into the more traditional Airstreams if they were a success."

Shari

InsideOut · 04-25-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJtoNC

after reading the other post referenced re: CA vs OH, i wanted to note to the OP that i have a 62 gobetrotter w/ clearcoat (the post said OH didnt offer this until 64 i believe). i am 95% sure this was not an aftermarket job; when i got the trailer it was in nearly perfect original condition, only missing fresh water tank and batteries. everything else was immaculate.

You're right...when I started the linked thread in 2003, I had not heard of any pre-1964 trailers with clearcoat CA or OH. Since then I have - one as early as 1959. It seems that it was an option that few people chose but was more prevalent in CA - maybe it was sold as a type of aluminum sunscreen!?

I believe it became "standard" in 1965 and many different formulations have been tried since then ~ some more successful and time enduring than others.

Shari

overlander64 · 04-25-2010, 04:58 PM

While I haven't been able to get any official confirmation, I do have multiple pieces of literature from Argosy's first generation that notes that coaches were manufactured in both Ohio and California. I realize that this flies in the face of the conventional wisdom and the story as told by the parent company in recent years. I didn't believe this when I first heard reports, but there have been several Argosy coaches that have been identified with the "S" in the VIN to denote Cerritos, California as the plant of manufacture. The number of coaches that have surfaced with the "S" VIN is a very small number in the overall production run of Argosy coaches for any given year. The literature that I have lists the California plant through 1978 - - all mention of California plant was dropped from the 1979 literature that I have.

As with so many things Airstream related there are almost no absolutes . . . . .

Kevin

whitefawn · 04-28-2010, 11:41 AM

We now have our new 1978 Argosy in our possession, and none of the several plates attached to the exterior give a place of manufacture. However-- it came with the original owner's copy of the "Argosy Production Order" and the letterhead has a left sided

ARGOSY VERSAILLES, OHIO
CERRITOS, CALIFORNIA

printed on it. When Joe has a chance to scan it I can post it if anyone is interested in perusing it. I was happy to see that alot of the original printed material came with the trailer. Now the fun (or is that work?) begins...

Kathy

2airishuman · 04-28-2010, 01:05 PM

this info will totally ROCK the a/s history "as we know it" world, should it be truely a CArgosy...

COOL!

cheers
2air'

InsideOut · 04-28-2010, 01:25 PM

Interesting Kevin!

Shari

sharbours · 05-27-2010, 10:07 AM

So, I saw this thread & realized we'd never really looked at our VIN. Imagine my surprise when I saw an 'S' in there!

Here are a couple of pictures - the 'S' is kind of faded, but you can see it. It matches the VIN on the title.

Unfortunately, we don't have any of the original paperwork, so this is all we have to go on. Still, it's a neat discovery!