Done deal...I'm an owner (almost)!

[Duff23]

Wow!...what can I say? I bought the 1976 Argosy 26 on E-bay listed from Virginia. I was very nervous spending a considerable amount of money ($4500 is considerable in my world) on an item sight unseen. But after 3 lengthy telephone conversations with the seller and studying specific photos that I had asked for (prior to bidding)...it is done. I wanted a trailer that was structurally solid, without a lot of dents, and with a nominal amount of surface rust (as expected on a vintage trailer). Assuming this Argosy is as I envision it, I feel like it was a fair deal. Now I just have to go get it.

This is my first camper so I have no idea how to use any of the major appliances but what the heck...I've got you guys! I'm pretty handy around the home so I'm certain I'll figure it out after a reasonable learning curve.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to go have a brake controller installed on my '99 Tahoe (no time to do it myself AND launch on Friday morning for the pick up). These things have brakes on both axles right? The guy that is installing the brake controller was asking.

Many of you have been instrumental in steering me toward this particular decision...with your help I'm confident that I made the right one. Many thanks.

Duff

[TBRich]

Hey, congrats, Duff! Welcome to the wacky world of Streamin'! Have a great rips bringing it home...

[Isadora]

Congratulations on your 76 Argosy, we bought our 76 Argosy 24 in April and are having a ball with it--like you, sight unseen except for some photos. Some things we were disappointed with , some we were thrilled to find. Hope it will be as well for you, ours was in pretty good shape for the shape it was in and we have had fun fixing it up and tweaking it to suit us. Some things we have found: don't take it too seriously; if it ain't broke, don't spend a lot of time and money fixing it; amd have fun with it!

[63Silver]

Congratulations Duff,
I hope it turns out to be everything you are expecting. Remember big things first everything else later, after camping.

63silver

[Beaubill]

Was this the trailer with the paint striped off,and a really neat interior.If so its a nice trailer

[azflycaster]

Congratulations! I think this is your new trailer.
eBay Motors: ARGOSY 26 CAMPER 1976 (item 320268258645 end time Jul-02-08 13:22:37 PDT)
Very nice looking trailer. Wishing you the best.

[Pfredd]

Comgrats!

Remember that Argosy's count for membership in the WBCCI...

Dave

[jdalrymple]

Congrats on the trailer! I hope all goes well.

[utee94]

If it's the one that Richard linked above, then it looks really nice. Congratulations on ending your Search!

-Marcus

[overlander63]

It looks good, clean for the year. If that is the trailer you bought, please get trailer tires put on it before you head home with it. Passenger car tires aren't heavy-duty enough for long-distance towing. Is the refrigerator hatch there, or has it become lost?
When you get it home, one of our forums members makes curtains and gaucho covers, you can send her a message about it.

[DEITZ645]

Duff,
Great find and relatively quickly too. I have been watching your progress and am glad you found one in such good shape. It looks like a pretty solid unit and one you should be able to enjoy immediately. What better way to spend Independence Day weekend than going to pick up a new Airstream / Argosy.
Are you going to try camping in it on your way home, or are you going to rush it home and start making it your own?
Remember when you get it...PICTURES PICTUREs PICTURES.

Utee94,
I've been following your search too, now you have to get in the game and find one too. You must have the patience of a saint to be looking as long as you have. I am the kind of person who wants everything yesterday and while we were looking for our second Airstream I almost went crazy looking at and passing up Airstreams, until we found the one that my wife would give her stamp of approval. Having Airstream #1 is the only way I kept my sanity during the search for #2

[Duff23]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Congratulations! I think this is your new trailer.
eBay Motors: ARGOSY 26 CAMPER 1976 (item 320268258645 end time Jul-02-08 13:22:37 PDT)
Very nice looking trailer. Wishing you the best.

That's the one! Thanks!

[Duff23]

Originally Posted by overlander63

It looks good, clean for the year. If that is the trailer you bought, please get trailer tires put on it before you head home with it. Passenger car tires aren't heavy-duty enough for long-distance towing. Is the refrigerator hatch there, or has it become lost?
When you get it home, one of our forums members makes curtains and gaucho covers, you can send her a message about it.

There you guys go again!...how do you know those are passenger tires? Yes, he has the refrigerator hatch. I'll check back for that upholsterer. Great advice overlander63, thanks.

[Duff23]

Originally Posted by DEITZ645

Duff,
Great find and relatively quickly too. I have been watching your progress and am glad you found one in such good shape. It looks like a pretty solid unit and one you should be able to enjoy immediately. What better way to spend Independence Day weekend than going to pick up a new Airstream / Argosy.
Are you going to try camping in it on your way home, or are you going to rush it home and start making it your own?
Remember when you get it...PICTURES PICTUREs PICTURES.

Utee94,
I've been following your search too, now you have to get in the game and find one too. You must have the patience of a saint to be looking as long as you have. I am the kind of person who wants everything yesterday and while we were looking for our second Airstream I almost went crazy looking at and passing up Airstreams, until we found the one that my wife would give her stamp of approval. Having Airstream #1 is the only way I kept my sanity during the search for #2

Thanks for the compliments. I am going to try to pick it up this weekend...the logistics are shaping up right now. I trust it's as solid as it looks in the pictures. I know it's been sitting on a campsite on a lake in West Virginia for the past 10 years. Although I anticipated putting tires on it before going camping, I was hoping to get it home "as is". We'll see.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Duff23

There you guys go again!...how do you know those are passenger tires?

Trailer tires are not made in white walls...

[richinny]

if those tires are ten years old you might not make it far. get new tires and don't risk it.

[utee94]

Utee94,
I've been following your search too, now you have to get in the game and find one too. You must have the patience of a saint to be looking as long as you have. I am the kind of person who wants everything yesterday and while we were looking for our second Airstream I almost went crazy looking at and passing up Airstreams, until we found the one that my wife would give her stamp of approval. Having Airstream #1 is the only way I kept my sanity during the search for #2

Heh... I'm not really very patient, but I hate writing large checks, so I am usually VERY careful when it comes to major purchases. I'm also an engineer and tend to over-think things pretty severely. But in this case, I think it's working out well, because I almost jumped at two different ones long before I had educated myself with the wisdom of people on this site. I am pretty sure that I've avoided some major head-aches and probably saved some substantial money by waiting. I'm looking for a pretty specific model in a specific era, in a specific condition, for as little money as I have to pay, so I don't have much choice but to wait for the right one to come along. And I have faith that she will.

Duff,

You made a great deal on the trailer, so don't hesitate to spend the money on the tires right now. I've had two blowouts on old tires when I thought I could limp a trailer along for just a few miles. That just ruins your whole day.

Good luck!

-Marcus

[cameront120]

WIth respect to learning how everything works, you could order yourself the Airstream Service Manuals and Owners Manuals on eBay. I don't know if they made manuals for the Argosy trailers, but I think that the Airstream manuals would probably explain the functional aspects of your trailer, particularly with respect to the appliances.

I got mine from this seller, who has copies for all years of service and owners manuals. Send him a private message to ask him to sell you manuals for 1976 and he will be happy to help you.

Airstream Trailer Factory Service Manual - (eBay.ca item 260257539035 end time 08-Jul-08 00:19:42 EDT)

Congrats to you on your new trailer!

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by cameront120

WIth respect to learning how everything works, you could order yourself the Airstream Service Manuals and Owners Manuals on eBay. I don't know if they made manuals for the Argosy trailers, but I think that the Airstream manuals would probably explain the functional aspects of your trailer, particularly with respect to the appliances.

I got mine from this seller, who has copies for all years of service and owners manuals. Send him a private message to ask him to sell you manuals for 1976 and he will be happy to help you.

Airstream Trailer Factory Service Manual - (eBay.ca item 260257539035 end time 08-Jul-08 00:19:42 EDT)

Congrats to you on your new trailer!

The Argosy 26 is roughly analougus to an Overlander of the same year.

[Duff23]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Trailer tires are not made in white walls...

Okay, you're all very convincing...so what am I looking for....four 15" rims (6 lug) with a C or D load rated tire?