Minuets

[Argonaut20]

There are two Minuets on ebay. Both are pretty original.
Ebay numbers 290250270067 and 120290892232. There is also one in the Vintage Classifieds here on the forums. They all look like they are worth a look-see.

[Silverhobby]

I saw them also. I have always like the looks of the small Argosy Minuet. Someone will be getting what appears to be a good trailer.

[biggoofball]

OMG!! The one with the green stripe is BEAUTIFUL!!!!

want it.

Want It!!

WANT IT!!!!

ok. I'm back now. I'm ok. ah.

[campman]

I am pretty new to all this. I see the Minuet #2902..... in eBay. Wonder what a reasonable price for it would be? I assume my 2003 F150V8axle3.08 would pull it easily. Thanks

[Argonaut20]

Towing would not be a problem: 3500# loaded weight (GVWR). Price???? Likely above $6000 but who knows?

[campman]

I just got back from picking up the Argosy Minuet 6.0M...and what a buy in my mind...$3750...and everything works except the heater. A few minor repairs will be needed but not much. Everything seems original, including a nice stove/oven, fridge, toilet, inside wall coverings. I am going to keep it that way except to try to "lighten it up" with cleaner colors on the dark brown upholstery. Owner had paid $5,000 for it three years ago and put over $3600 into new axle, a/c/heat pump, new hot water tank and heater plus plumbing, Reese hitch and levelers, new deep cycle battery and inverter, and a host of other new stuff...and I have all his receipts for his purchases. He made one trip and it sat for a year or so. Exterior is excellent, one small lower rear dent. Will replace the stripe. Do have to (do myself) or get painted the two domes, front and rear, as they are spotted from some rust. It pulled wonderfully with my F150V8, giving me 16mpg. It pulls so easily I looked behind me one time and wondered who that guy was tailgating me so close; it was me!!
Questions:
1. It has two speakers on the wall in the front...can see no connections for them...any ideas?
2. Does it have only one water tank? It has an inlet on the front, with a small drop down door which says"Potable water only"...and it has a city water inlet for a hose at the curbside rear. Do the two interconnect?
3. I am not going to remove the roof antenna; it is in good shape, so I am going to get a converter box and use it if there is no cable available...hooking to the little two prong connection on one of the two little boxes on the wall..one in front and one near the sink. If I remove it, a hole has to be patched and in a couple of years if I sell it to a diehard collector he will certainly say "Where is the antenna?".
4. The former owner put this Carrier a/c/heat pump on and it is unsightly...it is way to large for the look of a small trailer...plus, it is SO NOISY and cools way too much even on low. Is there a slim, QUIET, and less btu unit available out there which is not too costly??
5. It appears that there must have been some sort of inserted color stripe in two metal "slotted" wrap arounds on the trailer, one between two of the larger green striping halfway up the side all around and the other down near the rocker panel area all around. What would go into these bands and what color..if anything?
6. If anyone has had experience with matching the off white color, what paint and what color did you use? I know a good primer will be needed on the steel ends first.
7. I have a friend who is an artist. I was thinking of having her paint a neat scene on the inside front dome. Any ideas on whether it is a good idea or not..especially in terms of keeping originality? All the inside wall coverings are in totally original shape; I am amazed. I washed them all down with TSP(Trisodiumphosphate) and then rinsed and polished.
8. I think the heater needs only a small amount of work. If I get it going, I can see only one vent for the heat to come into the trailer...a long one at floor level just under the sink/cabinet area beside the heater. Is THAT all the venting for a heater in my model?
I bet I'll have more questions. Sure hope some of you out there can answer the above. I really appreciate this forum. Really wonderful to read through it and learn a lot. Thanks

[overlander64]

Greetings Campman!

Welcome to the world of Vintage Minuet ownership!

Originally Posted by campman

Questions:
1. It has two speakers on the wall in the front...can see no connections for them...any ideas?

If the speakers are built-in, it would indicate that your coach came with the factory stereo system which was one of the options. The radio -- could be either AM/FM-8-Track or AM/FM-Cassette -- as the factory offered the original purchaser the choice. The radio was located in one of the roof lockers -- quite often the one above the refrigerator.[/quote]

Originally Posted by campman

2. Does it have only one water tank? It has an inlet on the front, with a small drop down door which says"Potable water only"...and it has a city water inlet for a hose at the curbside rear. Do the two interconnect?

The one and only potable water tank is located below the front windows and holds approximately 30 gallons. The Water fill on the front needs to be watched as the plastic portion that extends into the interior is prone to cracking which can create leaks. The city and on-board water systems are not directly connected -- when city water is connected, the pump shouldn't run and the city water is the only source -- at other times, if the water tank has water, and the pump switch (over and left of kitchen sink) is on, the pump will pump water whenever a fixture is opened (unless one of the low-level drains has been left open).

The black water tank is located immediately below the toilet, and collect waste only from the toilet. The gray or wash water tank is located in the bottom of the streetside rear closet and only collects wash water from the kitchen sink and bathroom vanity -- the shower wash water is not collected and must be collected with a blueboy tote or through a sewer connection.

Originally Posted by campman

3. I am not going to remove the roof antenna; it is in good shape, so I am going to get a converter box and use it if there is no cable available...hooking to the little two prong connection on one of the two little boxes on the wall..one in front and one near the sink. If I remove it, a hole has to be patched and in a couple of years if I sell it to a diehard collector he will certainly say "Where is the antenna?".

The antenna is actually quite good in its reception capabilities particularly if the booster is still operable. Restoration parts for the rotation gears are still available through the manufacturer. The baseplate on the roof needs to be checked for a good seal -- vulkem -- is the usual sealer. It is possible to get replacement wall plates with the coax connectors -- an addapter will need to be added behind the new plate to switch from the flat twin-lead to the coax, however.

Originally Posted by campman

4. The former owner put this Carrier a/c/heat pump on and it is unsightly...it is way to large for the look of a small trailer...plus, it is SO NOISY and cools way too much even on low. Is there a slim, QUIET, and less btu unit available out there which is not too costly??

There are low-profile air conditioners available, but they usually carry a premium price above the more standard air conditioner configurations. The prices that I have seen on the low-profile models have been between $600 and $750. I have had Coleman, Dometic, and Bay Breeze air conditioners and there has been very little difference in noise level -- the Bay Breeze was the quietest, but they have been out of the RV business for two or more decades. The smallest RV air conditioners are typically 9,000 btu models and are only marginally less costly than the higher output models -- if you plan travel to hot climates during the summer, I think that you will be happy that you have the larger output model.

Originally Posted by campman

5. It appears that there must have been some sort of inserted color stripe in two metal "slotted" wrap arounds on the trailer, one between two of the larger green striping halfway up the side all around and the other down near the rocker panel area all around. What would go into these bands and what color..if anything?

The rubrail and beltline moldings are designed to receive a vinyl insert that is available through Airstream. I am not certain which color was used with the green accent stripes, but there were three colors available black, orange, and blue. Prior to 1979, all of the Minuets utilized orange inserts, but in '79, the accent color stripes were added which influenced what color the inserts would acquire.

Originally Posted by campman

6. If anyone has had experience with matching the off white color, what paint and what color did you use? I know a good primer will be needed on the steel ends first.

If you perform a forums search for Argosy Paint Color, you will find several threads with different suggestions for close matches. One of the easier methods may be to pull your Minuet to an automotive paint store and have them use their color match system to formulate the correct paint color for your coach.

Originally Posted by campman

7. I have a friend who is an artist. I was thinking of having her paint a neat scene on the inside front dome. Any ideas on whether it is a good idea or not..especially in terms of keeping originality? All the inside wall coverings are in totally original shape; I am amazed. I washed them all down with TSP(Trisodiumphosphate) and then rinsed and polished.

The end caps as well as the refrigerator vent stack tend to be the areas where the original finishes turn a ghastly yellow over time, and most owners apply some sort of paint treatment to these areas. Your idea to use these areas as an art canvas should pose no particular problem in furutre value -IMHO. The vinyl-clad aluminum wall surfaces typically hold up very well and are basically easy to clean.

Originally Posted by campman

8. I think the heater needs only a small amount of work. If I get it going, I can see only one vent for the heat to come into the trailer...a long one at floor level just under the sink/cabinet area beside the heater. Is THAT all the venting for a heater in my model?

Yes, the 6.0 Metre only has the one official heat vent, but it functions amazingly well. My original Suburban furnace continues to function well, but it did require professional cleaning and adjustment prior to its first use. I believe that there is another hidden duct that carries heat to the area behind and under the shower.

Originally Posted by campman

I bet I'll have more questions. Sure hope some of you out there can answer the above. I really appreciate this forum. Really wonderful to read through it and learn a lot. Thanks

These Minuets are fun coaches to own, and there are several of us on the forums who have owned ours for several years. Don't hesitate to ask questions as there will likely be someone who has experience with the issue.

Good luck with your coach!

Kevin

[campman]

What is a "rivet master"..what are "rivets" here? Also, my questions that I posted today...are they in the right place on this site? Should I have posted them otherwise, in order to get more feedback? Thanks a lot. This is a most valuable site. Dan

[campman]

"the shower wash water is not collected and must be collected with a blueboy tote or through a sewer connection." So...does that mean when I take a shower WITHOUT a sewer connection, where does the water go if one does not use a blueboy? And..if I have sewer, how does the shower drain connect to it, assuming the water does not go into the grey tank? I am confused. Thanks for your help.

[azflycaster]

Dan - The location for the posts are fine.

The rivets and titles are the different levels that members have obtained based on the number of posts they have made. You have chosen a custom title and yours will not show. Here is a link to more information on the subject.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/show...7&postcount=16

[campman]

So, Kevin, in terms of what I told you about the unit, does it appear to be a good buy for me....If not, I sure do love it and am having fun learning about it. I drove it about 1800 miles home, visiting friends along the way and found it a dream. I hate big trucks but the Reese unit seems to work well. I also hate seasonal campers in the campgrounds. Transients are relegated to the back lot often. I just sold my campground and RV park in Quebec and all my sites were for transients...and I'll bet I made as much as those larger c.gs. with high expenses and bunches of seasonals (to tell the owner how to run the c.g.). You can check out the website I designed and wrote still in use, with minor changes by the new owner: www.gaspecamping.com
Thanks again for your input. I just printed out your appreciated and detailed response to my questions. I am going out now to check inside that storage spot for radio connections!!

[overlander64]

Greetings Dan!

The shower water travels from the drain to the main sewer tube where it will collect until the available space (very minimal) is filled at which time the shower will cease to drain. A Thetford Hose Adapter Cap can be placed on the sewer dump connection which allows use of an old garden hose to drain into a blue-boy type container. When these coaches were new, it was still possible to allow wash water on the ground in many places so that was part of the reason that provisions weren't made to collect the shower wash water, and the second reason was that the wash water tank is higher than the bottom of the shower in its above floor location.

The price paid seems exceptionally reasonable. With the economy and fuel prices providing pressure, it is more difficult to determine values. Last year this time, I would have anticipated that a coach in similar condition would have brought a 50% to 70% higher price.

The Minuets are wonderful coaches from the towing standpoint. I towed mine over 3,500 miles with my 1975 Cadillac Eldorado this summer. Mountain grades were handled with comparative ease with the main complication being the Cadillac's 2.70 final drive ratio. When towing with my Suburban, it took some time to find a set of hitch bars that were light enough for the combination.

Good luck with your Minuet!

Kevin

[mutcth]

Campman, I'm glad to hear that the trailer worked out well. In this crazy small AS world, I had an appointment to see your trailer in PA the next day - but you made the deal with the owner before I could get there. (I had even run a bunch of questions past Kevin - a great resource here - via PM.)

In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to commit to buying the trailer sight unseen, but work deadlines meant I also couldn't make the trip until the weekend. Sounds like I missed out on a heck of a deal - oh well.

While I regret not getting the trailer, I'm sincerely happy it went to someone who will improve it and enjoy it.

Meanwhile, I'm probably going to go for a T@B - assuming I don't hold out for a 20' Argosy with a full set of tanks or one of the seemingly unobtainium short 80-81 Caravelles/Excella IIs....

[Argonaut20]

If the Minuet is a '79, the gray water tank may be below the floor and hold about 15 gallons. In the event it is below the floor, the shower drains into it. 15 gallons isn't much capacity, but you can take a careful shower. Shower and wash dishes? Maybe not. Look in the streetside bathroom closet for a large boxy object attached to the floor. If there is one, it is your gray water tank. If there isn't one and the drain handles are on the side of the trailer, the tank is below the floor. '78's had the drain handles in the rear, hidden in the hose storage compartment. In any event, I take a blue boy along for the graywater any time I am not going to a KOA type campground.

[campman]

Kevin...or other knowledgeable person: I do have two built in speakers and taking one off, I can see wires. I have searched the unit thoroughly...I think...and can find no evidence of radio or stereo connections otherwise.
Also, in replacing the window weatherstrip, how does one take a window off the unit? Looks difficult to me. Tanks

[overlander64]

Greetings Dan!

I checked my '79 Argosy information and can't find definitive information on which cabinet contained the radio in the Minuet 6.0. If the radio wasn't purchased, it was typical in the 1970s Airstreams to leave the prewire at a specific spot where a hole could be drilled and the wires pulled through into the appropriate location. Since this is likely one of the differences between the '78 and '79 I would hesitate to say definitievely, but most typically the unit was in one or the other of the forward-most roof lockers (in my '78 it was the locker above the refrigerator). Hopefully, someone with a '79 will respond with how this was handled in their coach.

I haven't replaced the seals in mine, but do know that there is a detailed explanation in another thread here on the forums. A search for window seal replacement should turn up the thread -- Argosy has windows that are virtually identical to Airstreams of the same period. The one difference with the Minuet is that the side windows are acrylic and not glass.

The following link to Forum member balrgn's web site may be of help with the windows: Window Seal Replacement

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin