New Owners 1976 Argosy 28'

[willclifton]

Just wanted to drop a line and let you guys know how happy we were to find this database of your collective Airstream knowledge! My wife and I purchased a 1976 Argosy 28 (rear BR, side bath) yesterday. We had been discussing vintage trailers and actively looking for a few weeks, and I found this forum just a few hours after we got our first live view of the Argosy. I convinced myself we found the right trailer and we pulled her home the next day (yesterday). My TV (Toyota Tundra) didn't have too much trouble with the pull, besides some higher RPM on steeper hills. I think we probably helped a little on that score today as we spent all of the daylight hours pulling first carpet, the what had to have several hundred pounds of THICK asbestos tiles our of new girl... Right off the bat, we found a small leak in the center of the living area during a mid-day rainstorm today and several rotten sections of flooring. Frige does not work, but AC blows cold air. No propane tanks came with it, so unsure on any propane appliances. All windows and screens in good shape, although the weather stripping looks to be in need of replacement.... Anyway, glad to be here, and quite sure I'll be asking some questions when I can't find my answers in previous posts. I'll try to get a few photos up this week. My wife took a bunch inside and out before we began doing anything.... Thinking of naming her "Proud Mary...." The trailer, not my wife!!!!
Thanks again.
Will Clifton
Jonesville, LA

[TouringDan]

Will

Sounds like you found the right trailer for you and your wife. 28 ft is a nice size. Your Tundra should work well as a TV.

Good luck on the rehab end. Lots of willing help here.

Dan

[CaddyGrn]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your new to you Airstream! This is a great place to do research, ask questions, post pictures, etc. Lots of friendly helpful folks here!

[Bex]

Welcome! Dont forget to add your serial # to the growing database thread.

[GeocamperAS]

Congrats
It is going to be some work to get it to what you want, but well worth it and that much more to love when it's done. I had such a great time with mine that I bought (my wife let me) a second one.
Don't let an unfinished camper stop you from camping. Our first trip, toilet in (something about your own vs an outhouse) and refrigerator in (something about cold beer). Threw in a mattress and a card table and chairs and went. Second trip had a little more, third even more.

[boliversr]

I just purchase a 73 argosy 24 double it has been redone for the most part little thing I want to change but loving it.

[DKB_SATX]

Welcome!

I also have a 28' rear-bed Argosy that's in the slow process of rehab. They're not very common, and I love the panorama windows at both ends!

When you say the refrigerator doesn't work, are you familiar with RV refrigerators or is this your first? They take hours to get going, so unless you see a big rust hole in the cooling unit or something, it may be worth running a longer test before you discard it. A new one is over $1000 y'know. My decision was easy in that area, a previous owner had completely removed the 2-way fridge.

[willclifton]

We haven't actually given refrigerator a try as it was disconnected and the PO said it wasn't working.. We pulled it and have in our garage... But I've read a few posts that said the Dometics are hard to kill. Going to try to find refrigeration repairman to come by and take a look.. Very small, rural town here, hoping to find someone who has seen one before...

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by willclifton

We haven't actually given refrigerator a try as it was disconnected and the PO said it wasn't working.. We pulled it and have in our garage... But I've read a few posts that said the Dometics are hard to kill. Going to try to find refrigeration repairman to come by and take a look.. Very small, rural town here, hoping to find someone who has seen one before...

Even with the refrigerator our of the trailer it should be fairly easy to test on electric power, it most likely has a regular 3-prong plug. Most "refrigeration repair" guys work on compressor-driven refrigeration systems and may not have experience with an ammonia absorption fridge, but it never hurts to ask.

I would look at the back to make sure there's no obvious breach in the cooling system (heavily rusted pipes, yellowish stains on/near the pipes, etc.) If that part looks OK, plug in, set the controls inside the fridge to "Elec" and the temperature control to a high number. Come back in a few hours and put your hand on the inside floor of the freezer compartment, if that's getting cold you may have a fridge. (this is assuming you have an old-school Dometic that was the original fridge or the same time, and doesn't require a 12v source to run the control board like more recent ones.)

If the freezer isn't starting to get cold, all is not lost. You need to verify that the heating element is working, so feel (or use an infrared thermometer) for warm pipes above the heating element. There are more detailed descriptions of trouble-shooting an old Dometic, but it's pretty easy to do the basic checks.

[willclifton]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

Even with the refrigerator our of the trailer it should be fairly easy to test on electric power, it most likely has a regular 3-prong plug. Most "refrigeration repair" guys work on compressor-driven refrigeration systems and may not have experience with an ammonia absorption fridge, but it never hurts to ask.



I would look at the back to make sure there's no obvious breach in the cooling system (heavily rusted pipes, yellowish stains on/near the pipes, etc.) If that part looks OK, plug in, set the controls inside the fridge to "Elec" and the temperature control to a high number. Come back in a few hours and put your hand on the inside floor of the freezer compartment, if that's getting cold you may have a fridge. (this is assuming you have an old-school Dometic that was the original fridge or the same time, and doesn't require a 12v source to run the control board like more recent ones.)



If the freezer isn't starting to get cold, all is not lost. You need to verify that the heating element is working, so feel (or use an infrared thermometer) for warm pipes above the heating element. There are more detailed descriptions of trouble-shooting an old Dometic, but it's pretty easy to do the basic checks.

We'll give that a shot, although I don't believe the refrigerator is original to the trailer. It is a Dometic, but my wife noticed that the wood grain looking panels on the frige are a much lighter color than the paneling in the trailer. We thought maybe that meant a newer model frige, but please feel free to set us straight if that's a bad assumption.
Thanks,
Will

[willclifton]

About go out and take a few pics and try to post.... Remember, work in progress.... Wife took pics before we started pulling tiles, but I don't have those at the moment, and we've only just started on the tile pulling.

[willclifton]

The "closer up" is of one of the bad spots on living room floor.

[willclifton]

Also, I'm not going to be dealing with this any time real soon, but at some point a PO obviously sprayed the bottom front with truck-bed liner material... Not sure if that's ever gonna come off.

[willclifton]

Originally Posted by Bex

Welcome! Dont forget to add your serial # to the growing database thread.

Will be doing that this week.
Thanks

[willclifton]

Originally Posted by GeocamperAS

Congrats
It is going to be some work to get it to what you want, but well worth it and that much more to love when it's done. I had such a great time with mine that I bought (my wife let me) a second one.
Don't let an unfinished camper stop you from camping. Our first trip, toilet in (something about your own vs an outhouse) and refrigerator in (something about cold beer). Threw in a mattress and a card table and chairs and went. Second trip had a little more, third even more.

We don't mind at all the idea of using our camper before it's at 100%... One can get lots of great ideas at campgrounds! But we've definitely got to clean out the almost 40 years of funk before we hit the road.

[TG Twinkie]

Post pics of the refer. Along with the model number. They are relatively simple units. As long as the unit hasn't lost the ammonia. Chances are you can get it to go.

[willclifton]

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

Post pics of the refer. Along with the model number. They are relatively simple units. As long as the unit hasn't lost the ammonia. Chances are you can get it to go.

Working tonight, but I'll get them posted in the morning.
Thanks

[willclifton]

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

Post pics of the refer. Along with the model number. They are relatively simple units. As long as the unit hasn't lost the ammonia. Chances are you can get it to go.

Plugged it in, but got nothing... No lights, nothing to indicate the unit is getting power.
Also, does anyone have any experience with campers that have had truck-bed liner material sprayed on? See photos in previous post.
Thanks!

[DKB_SATX]

You have a much-newer fridge that will require 12v to the control board before it *might* work on electric... those lights at the top are a giveaway.

[TG Twinkie]

Yep! Looks like you need 12 volts DC along with the 120 volts AC.
12volt control boards are noted for failing.
Don't give up before you replace the board.
Do you have a way to check the propane side?
Looks like a nice refer. In good shape.