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mutcth · 08-26-2009, 07:13 AM

It only took 14 months (and one T@B teardrop later), but I finally took delivery of a 1977 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre on Monday.

We spent a while figuring out what we wanted - visited two Vintage Trailer Jams, toured trailers at rallies and restoration shops. We prioritized having a lot of light and ventilation, something easy to tow, and after listening to almost every episode of the VAP, the aluminium composite floor became desirable.

I found it by doing a Google search and just mindlessly clicking through pages after pages. There it was on page 7 - in the online inventory of CanAm RV up in Ontario. I PMed Andy T to get the details, flew up to look at it, and finally got it. Can't say enough good things about the folks there - they did a lot of work to the trailer, and were helpful in every way possible.

That included setting up my Honda Odyssey for towing. Frankly, thanks to properly set-up weight distribution and sway control, the Minuet tows FAR better than the lighter T@B (low tongue weight, just hooked up to the ball, surge brakes) ever did. 15 mpg at 70 mph, plenty of power to pass SOBs uphill.

It's in really good condition - decent paint, no sway in the floor, travel left on the axle, an Intellipower converter, BAL stablizers. Awning in great shape, OK (but ugly) gaucho and dinette fabric. The dealer serviced the brakes and bearings, installed new tires, the front window guard, new bottom wrap trim, a Fantastic Fan, mounted a spare tire on the tongue, and put in a slick deadbolt. No furnace, but we can instead use the storage space - I'll get a catalytic heater eventually.

We love the orange countertops and groovy awning:

So I'm excited, but have the same feeling of foreboding I had when we bought our mid-century modern house (with original radiant heat); there are things here I don't understand that will probably cost money at some point, but it pretty much all works, and damn if it isn't cool!

Thanks to everyone who answered my questions over the year - there will be more....

Tom

**moosetags** · 08-26-2009, 07:18 AM

Very cool! Congrats on your new baby.

Brian

redstart · 08-26-2009, 07:27 AM

congrats!! i was eyeing that one myself! glad you bought it and saved me some money!!

i really like the floorplan of the minuet.

adore · 08-26-2009, 07:42 AM

It looks like I have your twin... except for the awning... I am about to purchase one going to Illinois in October... See my profile with a few pictures... Congratulations!

**Janet H** · 08-26-2009, 07:50 AM

Congrats. Your awning is a deadringer for mine and the same year. I agree about the color assessment...

overlander64 · 08-26-2009, 01:24 PM

Greetings Tom!

Welcome to the Minuet owners group! These coaches definitely "grow" on you the longer you own them.

I am hoping to eventually have a ZipDee awning installed on my Minuet -- it is on hold until the repaint can be done. The colors on your awning are what I will be looking for when I purchase mine since I have maintained its original orange countertops and based my interior color selections on the bright orange.

Enjoy your Minuet!!

Kevin

adore · 08-26-2009, 01:34 PM

Just called to order an awning... Will have it installed at the factory on october 5 on my way to Louisiana. Will also be looking at a tropic room, even if it a little small... there are lots of mosquitos around here at night...
André

COArgosy78 · 08-26-2009, 02:44 PM

Congratulations and welcome to the club

We got our 6.7metre up in NE Canada also. Private owner, but my husband and youngest son had a wonderful adventure going to get her and bring her home to Colorado. Know what you mean about light/airy and easy to tow!! Those are a couple of the reasons we love our Minuet. It won't be long before you will have yours updated to fit your personality/style. One of the things we loved best right after we got our "Moonunit" was to just sit in her out in the driveway w/a mellow glass of wine or something. Just sitting in her there made us happy, thinking of where we would have our adventures

If you can, I would love for you to add to my post for Minuet Owners. Here it is...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f227...ers-45519.html

If you haven't already read it, you might find some of the info in there to be interesting. Can't wait to see before/after pics.

mutcth · 08-26-2009, 04:13 PM

Thanks all! I'll add myself in the Minuet owners thread. I've spent quite a while reading that thread and others in this forum. Ironically, I came close almost a year ago to buying a 79 Minuet, but campman beat me to it.

In the end, we're happy to get this one with the composite floor, and I'm happy we did our big cross-country trip (myfirsttrailer.blogspot.com) this summer with the essentially new T@B.

I just ordered a pile of Ultraleather and fabric swatches (although my wife says she gets final say, which I don't doubt). We were putting Marmoleum samples in it last night around 9pm. I'm craving a SMEV cooktop and oven, and want to reconfigure/organize some of the kitchen cabinet space - but we're going to use it a few times before modding much, or spending much more $. I also need to order a new strip of orange trim for the upper beltline and paint/polish the nameplates. New speakers and installing a radio would be good too.

We'll spend this weekend cleaning it and transferring stuff over from the T@B. Maiden voyage is next weekend in Vermont (assuming all goes well at DMV)!

Tom

COArgosy78 · 08-26-2009, 04:21 PM

Oh, definitely use it and enjoy!! Can't wait to see more.

adore · 08-26-2009, 07:05 PM

On the first photo, I can see that the trailer has mag wheels, but on the one with the awning opened, the rims are different and originals. Did you put the mag wheels after you purchased the trailer?

65CV · 08-26-2009, 08:19 PM

Tom-

Congratulations! Looks like you paid your dues in the search. I hope the effort pays off for you and that you love the trailer.

Hope to meet up someday to check it out.

John

mutcth · 08-27-2009, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adore

On the first photo, I can see that the trailer has mag wheels, but on the one with the awning opened, the rims are different and originals. Did you put the mag wheels after you purchased the trailer?

LOL! I realized that too after I posted the pics. I had the dealer put on the aluminium wheels along with the new tires - they remind me of the Airstream Alcoa wheels. The original wheel is being used as a spare, mounted on the tongue.

If you look close in the awning picture (which I took when I flew up to CanAm to first see the trailer), you can also see some vent covers and a big Winguard satellite antenna that I had "purged" from the roof.

Tom

acgypsy · 08-27-2009, 05:08 AM

welcome to the forums, jeff

**Kevin245** · 08-27-2009, 05:20 AM

Good looking rig Tom.

Congrats on you new baby.

Kevin

Silverhobby · 08-27-2009, 06:41 AM

Tom, That's a great looking Minuet. I am glad you finally found one.
The antenna that you had removed from the roof was not a satellite antenna, but an omnidirectional, over the air, UHF, VHF antenna. It was mounted where the former crank-up antenna would have been.
Hope you have a great maiden voyage with the Minuet.

mutcth · 08-27-2009, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverhobby

The antenna that you had removed from the roof was not a satellite antenna, but an omnidirectional, over the air, UHF, VHF antenna.

Doh! I knew that - just was typing too quickly and too early. The antenna looked like a spaceship was about to land on my roof...

Tom

bullydogsmom · 08-27-2009, 05:44 PM

Tom.

Glad that you found the perfect AS for you! I know that you have been looking for a long time. She looks great. After spending the summer in the T@B. What are you going to do with all that space! Redecorating is the fun part!

Annette

P.S. now you have to change you avatar.

mutcth · 08-28-2009, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullydogsmom

After spending the summer in the T@B. What are you going to do with all that space! Redecorating is the fun part!

Thanks Annette. Standing on the ground in the living room of your Tradewind was another motivation for the aluminium floors.

I know that we have one of the smaller trailers, but we're GIDDY with all of the space. Imagine - both of us can be in the trailer, hold out our arms, and not touch the other person! This (literally) is huge...

Off to IKEA tomorrow for "decorative elements," as Jules puts it...

Tom

damonbeals · 08-28-2009, 07:27 AM

We where former T@B owners, we had ours a year and like you just really needed more room, and a bathroom! Some days we miss the T@B but only briefly. Now you have to deal with dump tanks and trailer you can stand up in!! Enjoy..

Damon