Information on an Argosy

[MATTY J]

Hi,

I am new to this forum. I have been trying to buy an 22-26' Argosy for a while. I am hoping you might be able to help before I drive all over the western states:

I can't figure out the lengths of Argosys. When they state a 26' some say it's bumper to tongue, others call it the "living area" then add the tongue.

I am trying to figure out what the towing weight of a 26' overall length 1976 Argosy. He claims the plate says 6000 lbs. Online I see 3900 lbs.. I am looking for the double bed model.

I have a 2006 Toyota Tundra 4.7 double cab 2 x 4 ( with tow package)and my tow rating I have been told is 6500. I have also been told to keep the trailer at about 5500? I really don't want to drop a ton of cash modifing the truck to pull a trailer at max weight.

Can you guys help shed some light? What size Argosy or Airstream can I safely pull without damaging my truck? I live on the coast, but would like to take to the local mountains in California and Nevada sometimes. I have years of towing boats in the 21' range but never owned a travel trailer.

Thanks ahead for any help!

Matt

[Jim Foster]

Welcome to the forum.

Airstreams and Argosys are measured "ball to bumper".

[CanoeStream]

Hello MATTY J. Welcome to the forums!

overlander64 has posted some Argosy brochures from the 70s -- Argosy Literature - Photo Gallery

3900# sounds about right for empty curb weight. The "plate" number may be the GVWR -- curb weight + payload. I dunno ... 6000# seems somewhat high but I don't have any info on which to give you better info.

In any event, original axles on an Airstream or Argosy this old are probably shot and not even close to carrying that capacity.

Tongue weight will be 11-13% of trailer weight at any loading. It must be that way for a stable tow.

[MATTY J]

Thank you Canoe and Jim. I appreciate the help! So is the GVWR the maxium weight the trailer can take, meaning don't load the trailer over 6000 lbs? If this is the case, I should be OK towing with a 06 Tundra Double cab. My last boat loaded was about 4,500 to 5000 and no issues.
Anyone towing with a 2006 Tundra double cab 2x4 4.7? Love to know what you are pulling.
Thanks for the warm welcome!

[Jim Foster]

Did your boat trailer have brakes?

[MATTY J]

Yes it did, but disconnected. I didn't travel more than three miles to the boat ramp on 95% of the towing. Did tow 50 miles at one time with the Tundra no problem. Never a worry on brake fading or sway. I have a number of years towing boats and car trailers so feel comfortable towing. I jsut don't know if a 26' Argosy is too heavy for my Tundra. Thanks.

** Just realized I posted in the wrong forum, should have went in the towing forum, sorry**

[Finch]

i used to work for a dealer here in San Diego that carried airstreams. we had ALOT of people come through with tundra's and never had any issues towing, granted they were new units. but they were heavier then the older ones. all you would need is a good weight distribution hitch and brake controller (i like the protogy)

Welcome to the forums!

[wahoonc]

Matty,
You should be okay, the 6,000# number is GVW. I would guess the 3900# to be the axle weight plus another 300#-400# for tongue weight, giving you an all up towing weight of less than 4500#.

Prodigy brake controller is the way to go. Several choices on the hitch. I use an Equalizer on my wife's F150 and nothing on my F350.

Aaron

[TG Twinkie]

I have a '74 Argosy 26. It is 26' from ball to bumper. The empty weight is 3900#; the max (GVWR) is 6200#. The tongue weight is 600# according to Argosy. When I have my trailer full of water and propane tanks full and all of the things my wife and I like to take. There's just the two of us; kids are all grown. The trailer weighs 5500#.
I don't use an equalizer hitch because my truck is equipped with rear suspension air bags. I will be buying an anti sway system although in all the towing I've done there has been no problem.

[MATTY J]

Thanks everybody for the info. TG, what truck are you towing the 26 with? Sounds like I will be fine towing a 26.

The 26 I was trying to buy fell through (water damage through rear to midsection with soft spots in the bathroom) Now I have to find a 22-26 somewhere in the western states. Don't mind driving for a good one!

[TG Twinkie]

My TV is a '98 Dodge 3/4 ton extended cab pickup with a 360 V8.

[MATTY J]

OK a bit bigger than the 06 Tundra (4.7 V8). Still sounds like I could pull a 26' Argosy but at my limit. I just don't want to crawl up grades or destroy my truck.

[boatdoc]

Originally Posted by MATTY J

OK a bit bigger than the 06 Tundra (4.7 V8). Still sounds like I could pull a 26' Argosy but at my limit. I just don't want to crawl up grades or destroy my truck.

Hi MATTY J;
After the purchase of my 1973 26' Argosy I have weight it on certified commercial scale. It turned out that Argosy weighted 4090 Lbs. Shortly thereafter we stripped the trailer for ground up restoration discovering that what was left of fiberglass insulation was soaked with water. Some areas in walls was also soaked. Much of bedding was stripped before our purchase. There was no AC, and LP bottles were empty. We have built a new SS frame out of stacked up and stitched 2"X3" X 1/8" box tubing ending up with 2"X 6" frame which doubled the frame capacity. After installing all new interior and all new appliances including low profile Carrier AC and full Lp tanks the trailer weighted in at almost 4600 Lbs. Some of this weight came in axle difference . We wanted 12" brakes which were not available on 3500 Lbs axles. I have ordered 5000 Lbs Axles with 3500 Suspension Rods from Dexter. This upgrade increased the weight by over 170 Lbs alone. By the time my wife loaded all her and my stuff, including food for a one week's travel it weighted at whopping 5200 Lbs. I was shocked how quickly the weight adds up with the smallest things added. This is what you will have to watch out for.

We tow our 26' with 2500HD GMC 6.0 L gas which is more than sufficient, but there are roads in Pa which would kill my transmission have I not avoided them. IMHO i think that your 4.7 Tundra can handle the 26', providing that you have good brakes and plan your trips around steep inclines. 22' Arg. however would be a better choice for two persons and your TV. Thanks, "Boatdoc"

[MATTY J]

Thanks Boatdoc for the info! If we do go with a 26' I will be stripping down the unneeded stuff. I seem to find more 26' Argosy than the 22-24'. I think the 24' would be best as I don't want to be limited on where we can go.

Finch, just caught that you are in San diego. Please let me know if you see any good 22-26 trailers near by. Are you still in the trailer industry?

[Landmammal]

I have a 24' 77 Argosy Rear Door model and I tow with a 8,000lb WD Reese hitch with 12,000lb ball, anti-sway bars and no brake controller, although I am having the wiring installed this spring and already have the brake controller. We did a couple thousand miles last fall and my Suv is a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer with newly installed hitch, no towing package but rated to tow 7700 lbs. 3500 w/o new hitch.
We did grades up and down mountains and had zero problems stopping or going, other than needed some grate clips for the stove top . From the info we found, our Argosy weighs approx. 3260, and 3800-4k with our stuff in it. We have no awning or AC so that might take the weight up a bit when and if we get those items. I think you will be fine as my Mountaineer is a 4.6L V8 AWD and does not weigh much more than the trailer. (4300lbs)

Also wanted to point out that we took our trailer to Airstream factory service center and its original axles and newer bearings and tires were deemed worthy of the road. So please do not automagically assume that old axles are bad. Ask for Wayne at Airstream, he is the Vintage Specialist, in our opinion. He will go above and beyond to make sure your trailer is fit and safe and will imagineer a solution if he finds a problem you might not have even have known about. And his advice about how to do the rest yourself is invaluable.

[MATTY J]

Great thanks for the info!