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Old 06-16-2008, 08:48 PM   #1
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1976 Argosy 26
Oxford , Connecticut
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Information Overload!!!

Wow! I'm new here and have been researching whether or not a particular Argosy is a wise purchase...and while all this forum experience and knowledge is a HUGE benefit it is also very overwhelming. Perhaps I can start with a simple question. The trailer I am looking at was advertised as a 1978 Argosy 26 but the tag on the front says it was manufactured in March 1975. Is it really a 75 model?

This trailer has been sitting for a number of years and my obvious concern is how much of the stuff isn't going to work when powered up. I've seen a few posts with expected replacement costs and the potential hit to the budget is substantial. It needs paint, but that poster that painted his Argosy with a roller gives me hope. The axles seem fine, but tires are necessary. I'm trying to figure the bare minimum functionality required to take the family camping. Any opinions? Are there a lot of electrical gremlins in these trailers? It would definitely be an ongoing restoration. Please excuse my disorganized post but my mind is super-saturated with random Argosy thoughts. I just want one.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:06 PM   #2
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Look for the VIN # on a plate somewhere on the otter skin of the trailer. That will tell you the year and conformation of the Argosy. There are active members in the CT area who might go with you to take a look at the trailer. All vintage trailers will cost you to get them up to whatever level you can live with. The Argosy is a good sturdy trailer and you just need to determine what you can do without for now and what really needs to be done before it's safe to take the family camping. Running gear, wheel bearings, brakes, connector, good hitch and sway bar are your first priorities. You can always take an ice chest and bottled water until you can get that stuff fixed. You may be surprised at how much actually works right now. Go have a look.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:42 PM   #3
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It may be worth your while, and save you some worry, if you were to look into buying a newer trailer that is ready for the road...say late 80's to early 90's. The lower price of 70's vintage can be deceptive and by the time you upgrade various systems, you may have spent the same money you would have for a newer trailer. Just a thought.
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Old 06-16-2008, 09:44 PM   #4
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Fixer upper

Duff23,
My wife and I are remodeling our (new) 63 Ambassador so our family can camp together. My advice is to look at the bones, sags, soft spots in the floor, broken windows, signs of leaks.... We have found most items can be purchase at home improvement centers unless you must have original equipment. Our biggest challenge has been finding compatable plumbing fittings. Good luck and enjoy.

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Old 06-17-2008, 06:56 AM   #5
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1976 Argosy 26
Oxford , Connecticut
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cameront120 View Post
It may be worth your while, and save you some worry, if you were to look into buying a newer trailer that is ready for the road...say late 80's to early 90's. The lower price of 70's vintage can be deceptive and by the time you upgrade various systems, you may have spent the same money you would have for a newer trailer. Just a thought.
That's what my wife is afraid of!...but we just don't have the up-front money for a newer trailer. I actually embrace the idea of buying a vintage trailer and slowly restoring it...not necessarily to original condition, but rather to a state that is functional and tasteful.
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Old 06-17-2008, 06:58 AM   #6
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1976 Argosy 26
Oxford , Connecticut
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 63Silver View Post
Duff23,
My wife and I are remodeling our (new) 63 Ambassador so our family can camp together. My advice is to look at the bones, sags, soft spots in the floor, broken windows, signs of leaks.... We have found most items can be purchase at home improvement centers unless you must have original equipment. Our biggest challenge has been finding compatable plumbing fittings. Good luck and enjoy.

63Silver
Is the "sag" check just a visual from the outside?...or is there a panel I should remove to look at the frame?
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Old 06-17-2008, 08:00 AM   #7
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Just a few thoughts.
First, the tires. Get the size and shop the local suppliers for Marathon tires Load Range C or D. I found the best price at WalMart but local suppliers might beat the price.
If you have propane cylinders or can hook up to the trailer with a cylinder of your own, check the stove top and light the water heater. For prices on stoves and water heaters, check some place like Used RVs, Motorhomes, and Consigned sales - PPL Motor Homes or Leading the WORLD in RV Parts Sales - RV PARTS OUTLET to get an idea of prices. Water pumps are relatively inexpensive (below $100). Stomp around on the floor to see if you get any 'springiness' especially near the door. This doesn't preclude the floor being bad near the watertank or in the back, but you may be able to see these areas by looking into the lower cabinets in front or around the water inlet in back. The refer is a guess as it takes time to see if it is going to work. You can buy a small 12v fridge at WalMart for about $80 that will get you by if the fridge doesn't work and needs replacement. Not large, but you can 'make do'. As for the axles, if you can see about 4 - 5 inches of tire below the wheel well when you are sitting looking directly at the tires then the axles are good enough. If you have access to a vehicle with a 7 pin connector you can check the lights easily.

What does that leave? Lots. You may have to do water pipe replacement (easy with today's pipe and press on fittings), electrical trouble shooting (more fun than you should have), brakes (backing plates and magnets are not too expensive @ etrailer and they are easy to put on), bearings (local machine shop to replace them and turn the drums if necessary), and many odds and ends. Oh yes, complete cleaning. I don't mean to discourage you as you can usually get the trailer 'good enough to use' with a little work and then do a little bit at a time until it is all up and running. It all depends on the purchase price vs what it will take to get it usable and your own time/spending limits.
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Old 06-17-2008, 08:15 AM   #8
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1966 17' Caravel
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My better half chimed in and pointed out that if you buy it and get it to your satisfaction, you will have a trailer you know how to repair when something goes wrong. You will have a trailer that is an attention getter when you are out camping. You will have a strong trailer that is better made than most available today. You can make decisions about the interior decor (see the various posts on redoing an Argosy for some of what has been done). There is satisfaction in owning something vintage that looks good and performs well. Needless to say, there is a lot of advice and help available for AS and Argosy.
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Old 06-17-2008, 08:36 AM   #9
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Welcome to the forums. As everyone here has mentioned, if you are handy around the house, these trailers are not rocket science. With a little time and effort, one can fix most problems in the driveway.

Just spend some time looking at the trailer of interest, and know what you're getting into. Looking under the beds, in the back of cabinets and storage areas for signs of leaks and soft floors is a must. An ice pick can help locate such problems under carpet. Asking the selling party to power up the trailer for an inspection isn't much to ask, and will save headaches later on.

Good Luck and happy streamin'!
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Old 06-17-2008, 09:13 AM   #10
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Duff23,
Welcome to the group. Might I suggest you make and appointment with the current owner to look at the trailer. Make sure they understand you want to inspect ALL the systems and mechanics and ask that it be hooked up to shore paower, the batteries charged, hooked up to a water supply, water in the potable (fresh) water tank, and the refrigerator on.

Then do a search on this site for pre-purchase inspections and checklists and study it.

Make your visit and stay focused on the checklist and make sure EVERYTHING works to your satisfaction. As you find problems make notes and consider how much it will cost in time and money to repair. Set a break point. If you reach that break point, thank the current owner and walk away.

Don't get hung up on one trailer, becuase there will be another one along shortly. The seach for a trialer and the forum research is half the fun. It took us a year and a half to locate our "treasure".

Good luck, ask questions, and keep us posted.
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Old 06-17-2008, 10:35 AM   #11
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1976 Argosy 26
Oxford , Connecticut
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Argonaut20 View Post
My better half chimed in and pointed out that if you buy it and get it to your satisfaction, you will have a trailer you know how to repair when something goes wrong. You will have a trailer that is an attention getter when you are out camping. You will have a strong trailer that is better made than most available today. You can make decisions about the interior decor (see the various posts on redoing an Argosy for some of what has been done). There is satisfaction in owning something vintage that looks good and performs well. Needless to say, there is a lot of advice and help available for AS and Argosy.
That is EXACTLY how I feel!...thanks for putting that to words Argonaut.
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Old 06-17-2008, 10:46 AM   #12
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1976 Argosy 26
Oxford , Connecticut
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Thanks for all the "welcomes". I have looked at this trailer once already and found a couple of small soft spots (6-8" diameter) on the floor (just forward of the entry door but aft of the couch and also on the left side just forward of the couch), but the rest of the trailer "seems" sound. The entire unit is original so I like the idea of having a clean canvas from which to work.

To be honest the only thing that intimidates me is a soft floor because from what I've read here the proper way to fix it is to pull the shell off...that's a little more work than I'm set up for.
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Old 06-17-2008, 10:47 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Duff23 View Post
Wow! I'm new here and have been researching whether or not a particular Argosy is a wise purchase...and while all this forum experience and knowledge is a HUGE benefit it is also very overwhelming. Perhaps I can start with a simple question. The trailer I am looking at was advertised as a 1978 Argosy 26 but the tag on the front says it was manufactured in March 1975. Is it really a 75 model?

This trailer has been sitting for a number of years and my obvious concern is how much of the stuff isn't going to work when powered up. I've seen a few posts with expected replacement costs and the potential hit to the budget is substantial. It needs paint, but that poster that painted his Argosy with a roller gives me hope. The axles seem fine, but tires are necessary. I'm trying to figure the bare minimum functionality required to take the family camping. Any opinions? Are there a lot of electrical gremlins in these trailers? It would definitely be an ongoing restoration. Please excuse my disorganized post but my mind is super-saturated with random Argosy thoughts. I just want one.

If the trailer has been parked for an extended period of time, the axles could be bad.

The folowing article, will help you check them out in less than a minute, without taking anything apart.

Dura Torque Axle

Andy
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Old 06-17-2008, 01:04 PM   #14
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1976 Argosy 26
Oxford , Connecticut
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In View Post
If the trailer has been parked for an extended period of time, the axles could be bad.

The folowing article, will help you check them out in less than a minute, without taking anything apart.

Dura Torque Axle

Andy
Thanks for the link, I just need a little clarification on the figure.

Am I correct in stating that the provided view is "looking inboard from the right hand side"?
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Old 06-17-2008, 04:22 PM   #15
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The square figure on the arm represents the axle, the circle represents the wheel. If the wheel stub axle (wheel center) falls below the level of the axle, the angle is negative - desirable. If the arm is level, 0 degrees. If the arm has the wheel stub axle above the axle centerline, the angle is positive - not desirable. The further up in the wheel well the tire rides, the poorer the condition of the axle.

As for the floor, there are epoxies and hardeners that may work and keep you from doing the frame off resto. Frame off is usually for the REALLY bad floor that has large areas that have the consistency of wet toilet paper. Taking the carpet out and treating the floor with a hardener before recarpeting or installing a laminate floor is likely what you will have to do judging from your description. The hardeners and epoxies are usually available in places like Home Depot or Lowes.
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Old 06-17-2008, 05:17 PM   #16
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It could be registered as either a '75 or '76 depending on when it was sold. The serial number would be more helpful in determining what model year the factory thought it was.

Rules of thumb are very helpful in buying a used Airstream/Argosy. First, determine how much YOU are willing to pay for a particular trailer if everything works. You need not be reasonable or even ballpark the market value. Consider what you're willing to spend. Then, price out all of the systems that can and do go bad; water heaters, refrigerators, axles, pumps, etc. etc. etc. Deduct the cost of replacing those items from the purchase price you're willing to pay and make the offer to the owner. He'll either take it or he won't; either way, you're position is good. Either you get a deal you're happy with, or you're not paying "too much" for a trailer that may be a money pit.

BTW, you can just plan on that thirty five year old rubber torsion axles will need to be replaced. They have a design life of about twenty years, and some actually make it to thirty. Few make it past that.

Refrigerators fail. Old refrigerators fail more often. Rust, sitting around unused for long periods of time (years), and running an ammonia absorption fridge grossly unlevel are the big killers of refrigerators.

Good luck!

Roger
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Old 06-17-2008, 07:51 PM   #17
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Welcome D23!!

Did you look at this one? were you the winning bidder? I went to look. If I had some room I would have bought it. good solid starting trailer.

I cannot add any more wisdom than was already given. I would highly recommend an argy though. I got lucky and got a really nice one last Sept. I just finished installing a new fridge (literally just walked into the house) It is so so easy to work on.

If you need any assistance I will help, although I'm not sure how much help I would be since I've only been an owner for less than a year.
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Old 06-17-2008, 10:09 PM   #18
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Oxford , Connecticut
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thatismytruc View Post
Welcome D23!!

Did you look at this one? were you the winning bidder? I went to look. If I had some room I would have bought it. good solid starting trailer.
Thanks for the welcome. Which "one" are you talking about?...the one in Orange on E-bay? If so, yes I did look, no I didn't bid. That was a little more work than I'm willing to sign up for.
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Old 06-17-2008, 10:11 PM   #19
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1972 Argosy 24
Centennial , Colorado
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I bought my argosy 3 weeks ago with no research, and no knowledge of trailers. paid 4k for my 24' 72 Argosy. Seemed like a decent enough deal. i towed it around the guys neighborhood, good tires and no obvious structural damage. the heater, ac, and fridge all worked. He told me about a winterizing issue, and that it needed some plumbing work. outside of that things were in good shape...no major dents, just a few small ones on the bottom. My decision was made considering mainly that it was in good usable condition, seemed like a pretty good deal, and that I could gradually do the plumbing as i had time.
I have camped in it 3 weekends already, and its been a lot of fun. Sometimes instincts seem to be a good guide.
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Old 06-18-2008, 06:42 AM   #20
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duh. forgot the link. yes the one in Orange.
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