Finally got my '79 Argosy 27 home

[cvaz831]

Well I finally got my 1979 Argosy 27 home and am now realizing how much work she's going to need.
The previous owner redid the plumbing (removing all holding tanks) with what looks like residential fixtures and piping (including some very ugly venting).
The electrical was redone as well and it looks like there's an inverter but no batteries so I'm not sure of the reliability of the rewire. I'm a little overwhelmed at this point and will need a lot of help. First of which is the location of the holding tanks and I assume the pump for the fresh water tank. Can I use different style and size tanks and pumps and how critical is their placement in the trailer?
They also installed a new hot water on demand water heater and the vent needs to be moved. This means I'll have a nice size hole in the side of the trailer and could use some advice on the best way to patch the hole. I'm on the process of stripping the paint and will probably repaint with a med. to high shine aluminum finish.
Any ideas or advice on any of the above would be appreciated as I'm obviously new to this whole thing

[Argonaut20]

Photos will help folks tell you what can be done, especially with the tanks and bathroom.
The hole in the side can be patched with aluminum sheet cut oversize and riveted in place with Olympic rivets if the interior wall is in place. Use plenty of Vulkem to seal under the patch and rivets. If you have the interior wall out, use aluminum rivets and a rivet bucking bar to attach the patch. Big holes can be covered with fake doors, too.
Water pumps are usually near the fresh water tank as they have a check valve to keep city water from flooding the fresh water tank when you are hooked up to city water.
I would bet the electrical work is minor unless the PO took interior walls off. Get a multimeter. See if you can plug in and see what works. Is the battery box still there?
Treat this as a series of projects and take your time or it can overwhelm you. I would leave painting the outside until I had the trailer operational.
How are the axles?

[cvaz831]

Thank you and I really appreciate your advice to take things one at a time. It is daunting when you look at everything all at once.

My biggest dilemma is where to start as it all seems pretty important. I need to get the outside done because she's going to be my home and she's pretty ugly at the moment. From what I hear, RV places won't allow rigs that look like mine into their parks, and I need to relocate her fairly soon. So I need to pretty her up some.

My next big challenge is getting the 12V battery & AC systems setup so I can see exactly what's working and what's not. She didn't come with any kind of battery so maybe someone could advise me about the best battery to start with. Eventually I want to get a solar setup so a battery that could be incorporated into a system would be great.

For the most part everything else is liveable, at least for the time being. It does appear the previous owner took off the interior walls to put new insulation thru out and I'm considering leaving the bath as is for now and switching the toilet out to a much smaller one. If I do that at least I can stay in her if I have access to hookups and then I can start the process of getting her fully functional so that I can be at either a RV park or boondocking. I'd like to keep the creature comforts available so when I have an opportunity to stay at a park I can have long hot showers and baths and then if I'm boondocking I'm set up to be off grid. I'm going to have to pick my battles carefully as money is an object, so I'll definately be looking for creative solutions.

I'm going to upload some pictures so there's a frame of reference and a starting point, bear with me, this is the first time for forums and posting and all that goes with it. Thanks again.

[Argonaut20]

Get something like a group 24 battery if the battery box is still there. Get cables to hook it up. There should be as fuse box for the 12 V so you could figure out a simple hook up for the battery. If there is no battery box, you need to get an AGM battery.

[rvb]

I have a '77 28' Argosy. Yours has wrap around rear windows so it was originally a center bath with the bath located over the axles. Different years were on opposite sides. Mine bath is on the Drivers side and had crosswise double with walk area on the passenger side so everything on mine, electrical boxes, black tank etc. is on the drivers side. From you window layout yours was also on the drivers side.

Original configuration
Water - The water tank is crosswise above the floor under the sofa or dinette. Water pump on drivers side floor next to the tank. Water line runs on the floor along the driver side wall to the back of the trailer. This puts it under the kitchen sink, water heater below the stove and the bath sink and shower if on the drivers side. It then goes out the back to the hose connector. If your bath is on the passenger side the water line goes to the back and then back up to the bath on the other side.

Black tank is above the floor with a boxed out area under the toilet in the bathroom and the tank extends back under the bed behind the bathroom wall. Mine is on the drivers side so the dump valve goes straight down out of the tank If yours was on the other side it will have to go under the frame.

Grey tank - mine is under the floor somewhere, probably between the frame rails behind the axles. Grey tank drain has to snake over to connect with the dump valves.

Battery - The original battery box was immediately behind the black tank with a door to the outside and a plastic box under the bed.

Electrical -
12v There should be a 6 fuse block in the drivers side front corner under the sofa near the water pump where the tow vehicle pig tail attaches. The main fuse box is under the bed in the back. Mine was along the side wall near the back. This box has a large fuse from the battery positive terminal and about 6 smaller glass fuses for the trailer circuits. There was also originally a large fuse on the wall where the battery ground wire attached. ie. battery fused on both sides.

120v The circuit breaker panel was located on the back corner where the power cord comes in. It has a main breaker and 3 circuits. The wires from the circuits go into the wall near the breaker.

I have changed mine from a crosswise double bed to 2 twins and did the following. AGM batteries are great because they don't need water checked or venting so they can be anywhere, but, I changed form one 12v battery to 2- 6V deep cycle golf cart batteries in a marine box under the bed next to the original battery box and vented into the original box. I made my bed platforms so I could lift them and get to the batteries to check water. I also installed a modern fuse box, battery charger, inverter and solar controller so I can get to everything easily when the bed is lifted.

Suggestions:
1. Install an AGM battery or 2 so they can be located anywhere.
2. Install a modern 4 stage battery charger.
3. Install a modern blade type auto fuse box. You can relocate as convenient. Replace the one in the front also.
4. Have an electrician check out the 120v if you are not competent to do that.
5. The black tank was above the floor so replacements are available and installed fairly easily. Plumbing if on passenger side not so easily.
6. The grey tank was below the floor so I would remove the center belly pan behind the axles and see if it is still there. You will have to drop this to install a new tank and the plumbing to the drains and dump valve anyway.

Good luck!

[rugjenkins]

Looks like you have a great trailer! Quick fix on the outside: spray paint over the peeling paint until you can pay for or DIY the exterior

[JeffC]

CVAZ831 I just wanted to let you know that you have a "brother in arms". About a month ago, I too pulled home a 1979 Argosy (I think mine's a 30) with the floor plan rvb has described. Mine is all still original but may need a shell off restoration as the floor is completely rotted in a few places and it was full of little furry things. While the renovation is daunting, I know from experience to keep moving forward slowly and thoughtfully. I've been noodling over the posts on this forum for a month now and your post prompted me to finally join. Good luck with your project!

[Argonaut20]

Give yourself plenty of time to do the work to get it on the road. My Caravel is going on 3 years now for the renewal and I am close to finished (down to curtains and cushions). Step at a time gets it done.