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mutcth · 12-21-2009, 11:06 AM

Kevin, the other thing I found very odd in that brochure - Argosys without the front panaromic window! Wonder if they were doing a bit of cost-cutting, or maybe they were running out of the wrap windows (since no Airstream had them at that date)....

Tom

overlander64 · 12-21-2009, 11:27 AM

Greetings Tom!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mutcth

Kevin, the other thing I found very odd in that brochure - Argosys without the front panaromic window! Wonder if they were doing a bit of cost-cutting, or maybe they were running out of the wrap windows (since no Airstream had them at that date)....

Tom

I didn't catch that -- hadn't really looked that closely -- was too shocked to find that such a brochure had been published. Another inconsistency is that the florrplans show just a single center front window while the one coach pictured has the wing windows from the contemporary Airstream line.

Kevin

This gets more curious all of the time -- it does appear that there was an unerlying economic issue pushing the developments.

mutcth · 02-12-2010, 02:44 PM

Hello fellow Minuet owners! A mystery has been bugging me about my 77 6.0Metre.

On the streetside, near the rear, about five feet up, there is a little crystal-like thing on the outside. What is it?

I've seen it in other pics of Minuets, so I know I'm not alone.

Thanks
Tom

acgypsy · 02-12-2010, 03:04 PM

tom, it lights up when you plug into shore power, when your trailer and shore power have the same 'phase', black wire to black wire, it llights up. some electrical code i guess, jeff

mutcth · 02-12-2010, 04:08 PM

Thanks! I, ummmm, can't say that it's ever lit up (and we've obviously had it plugged in to shore power, both at home and camping). I'm going to go on the premise it's busted, rather than figure that every outlet I plug it into is screwy.

Got to say, I was hoping it lit up when the gray water tank was full - now that would be nice to know...

Tom

biggoofball · 02-12-2010, 05:24 PM

I have that on my Argy too, Tom! Never knew what it was either. And I've never noticed it lit.

mutcth · 02-12-2010, 05:44 PM

Skip, only your Argosy has one - none on the Overlander? Again proof of the excellence of Airstream's "budget" line.

Tom

overlander64 · 02-12-2010, 06:41 PM

I am not certain, but I believe that the reverse polarity light came along around the time that the Univolt became standard. My '64 Overlander had such a light, but you had to open the one-stop-service-compartment to see it as it was mounted on a panel just inside the stree-side of the compartment. I don't know precisely when these lamps were placed on the outside wall . . . . my guess would be 1969 or 1970, but that is only a guess. The little light should only illuminate when there is a problem - - I have only seen one of mine illuminate once -- it was in a campground and I requested a site on a different electrical circuit in hopes of getting away from the problem.

Kevin

loudruff · 02-12-2010, 11:14 PM

Kevin's post is correct. Originally, this lighted jewel was supposed to indicate reversed polarity. On two occasions, we have seen trailers where these lights were "repaired" by owners that did NOT understand their purpose. They made theirs a power on indicator light. This was not their main function. I am sure that this will add to the confusion of the next owner. A reversed polarity condition may indicate that the trailer shell is positively charged. In damp conditions one might get a "tickle" when YOU provide the ground to the trailer when you touch it.

acgypsy · 02-13-2010, 02:34 AM

thanks for the info on the little light, mine is on and has been in different camp sites, when i step out and ground the shell , no tingle is felt, battery is charged, so what is the correct lite, clap on clap off, best, jeff

loudruff · 02-13-2010, 07:56 AM

The light should be OFF when the unit is plugged in to correctly wired outlets.....UNLESS the previous owner messed with it. As we said, several previous owners couldn't figure it out and they "fixed" it by rewiring. So now it may light up to indicated that the electricity is "on". You will have to do some more research on your particular wiring.

TerryKing · 02-21-2010, 07:04 AM

We just bought a Minuet yesterday!! We haven't even towed it home yet. So excited and will no doubt be askng lots of questions!

enmudad · 02-22-2010, 08:11 AM

Leigh, I had the same problem with my inner fender covers. To me, it looks like the tires "rubbed" thru. My solution was to use 20 mil pipe tape. I patched the holes the best I could. I did all this last summer and when I checked last night, the tape was still in place.
Jim

chad66 · 03-01-2010, 05:21 PM

Hey Forum Friends,
I'm in the middle of replacing my sagging, water-logged orange countertop in my 1978 6.0 minuet (formerly gergstuff's from this forum). My dilemma is, as is often the case: should I fabricate an identical facsimile or should I redesign a new one from scratch. What might sway me is if someone out there is holding onto an original countertop in ok shape (in orange or green) that they might want to get rid of! I could also use other interior parts such as overhead kitchen cabinets and curved tambour hardware. if anyone knows of anything stashed away and available, I'd happily pay for shipping to the pacific northwest. thanks forum!

mutcth · 03-01-2010, 05:29 PM

You know, the orange countertop in my Minuet is one of the features that really drew me to the trailer. But it's starting to delaminate in places, so it won't be around forever.

Got to say, I would probably replace it with a new countertop with a "Boomerang" mid-century-modern-like laminate with aluminum diner-table-like surround. I've also seen some lovely hardwood countertops - IIRC, Royce (who posted earlier in this thread) has pics of one in his gallery here.

Tom

chad66 · 03-19-2010, 07:11 PM

hello minuet peeps again... in the end my saggy counter is getting replaced with a modified butcher block ikea special - arborite in vintage harvest orange or key lime green is more $ than the ikea counter alone so that did it for me. I'm now wrestling with the bulkhead between the kitchen and shower now that the kitchen is temporarily out and getting reinforced with aluminum bar... Question: do the upper cabinets and the gold anodized aluminum moulding holding in the bulkheads have to come out to remove the bulkheads? And the door jam? looks all interconnected and nasty! thanks from those who have been there before. Thanks, chad.

COArgosy78 · 03-20-2010, 02:20 PM

Hi Chad - Don't know that I can help you specifically, but, if you have a camera handy - that seems to help others to give you the best answers to your problem. Also, you might want to do a search or look the the "FORUMS" area for Interior section, as there are other AS trailers w/the same equipment and someone w/one of those who has done a complete interior overhaul may have posted (pics and all) There are some people who have done a great job of interior redesign or renewal of their AS and put all on posts to help the rest of us. Hope this helps. Oh, and welcome to the wonderful world of AS and in particular the lovely ARGOSY.

chad66 · 03-20-2010, 07:57 PM

thanks, leigh. i have perused the argosy/airstream interior forums and i haven't found anything that applies to the minuet's particular aluminum interior. the problem may be that the screws that hold the door jam to the floor are hidden underneath the plywood subfloor that has been laid down over the original aluminum floor. thus, the door jam will not come out without taking up the floor, or chipping out part of it at very least! I noticed this anomaly when i reinforced the wimpy aluminum sheet of my kitchen cabinets, which were also tagged to the floor with brackets that tucked under the plywood subfloor. when i reinstalled the cabinets, i put the angle tabs under the counter instead, so the floor could trim right against the cabinets without covering the screws, and the kitchen can be removed without digging under the plywood floor. everything i learned about minuets i learned from this forum both pre and post purchase. I actually found my minuet in the forum. it was formerly gergstuff's. incidentally, there is a very nice mostly original 6.0 minuet for sale from a dealer in langley, b.c. near me. it is also cross listed on craigslist vancouver. they want $9k for it (can funds) but it appears to be nicer than most i've seen. thanks for the advice, as always. C

OB Bambi · 03-21-2010, 10:59 PM

I snapped this photo of a 6.7 a few blocks from my home. It had a California license plate.
After reading this entire thread I feel like I just took and passed Minuet 101. I have my own idea about why the metric sizes...it seems like during Jimmy Carter's administration that the U.S. was "moving to the metric system" just like the rest of the world. Yeah, like that happened.

Randy Bowman

maxandgeorgia · 05-12-2010, 08:33 PM

Hello to all on this Argosy thread! We are happy to announce that we are new members of this group. We'll pick up our new-to-us '78 Argosy Minuet in two weeks after the sellers complete a few re-do's such as putting on new tires and battery for us, reworking some cracks in endcap fiberglass and painting to blend in with interior fiberglass panel walls, working on tambour under sink area to operate more smoothly, and a few other small fixups. We've decided to downsize from our loved 31' Classic Limited, and this little trailer will certainly do that for us! It's just repainted so she's pretty as a freshly-laid creamy egg. She's clean as a pin inside, and I was hooked as soon as I stepped into her light-filled interior and saw the big windows surrounding the little coach. She'll feel like camping outdoors with indoors comfort. We'll have lots of adjustments to make after our large comfy Airstream, most essential the whole issue of lacking a dedicated bed, but we choose to look on this change as an adventure we're embarking on, so....here we go! Pictures soon to follow, and deep appreciation to her sellers who share a love for Airstream and cared about where their little Argosy might go. Now we have the same task to do to rehome our marvelous "Gypsy." We'll love our little newcomer, and look forward to many trips around the country, now being able to pull into those scenic tiny sites where our big AS could not go. ~G