1977 Argosy 28' Motor Home - Page 2

Gypsy Jo · 07-05-2009, 02:13 PM

Great B-Day present. I'm afraid any paint mine will get for awhile will be applied by me. The only really bad paint is on the caps I think I will prime and then paint with spray paint . I will hve to look around for some flooring cause I won't be doing any waxing. If I had known what I was looking for I would have checked out the forums.But I didn't know about them till after I bought my Argosy.I knew I wanted an aluminum body motor home. I have a fiberglass one now .Well I think me getting this Argosy was fate. I hadn't been to the kingman swap meet for months and just had to go that Sat. I had seen the Argosy in town during the week at a garage(clue engine might be messed up) But was surprised to see it for sale at the meet.I looked at it and drove away I didn't get more than a couple of blocks before I turned around and put a deposit on it. I probably would have bought it even if I had known the motor was messed up but maybe a little less money .She's my baby now Will just work through it till I get livable and movable. movable first.Maybe some day will see each other on the road.

Gypsy Jo · 07-08-2009, 07:59 PM

Well my trip will be postpned due to generator problems in current motorhome $1000 and three weeks worth of problems thats another story. Not taking it to bad because now that means I can start in on My Argosy .Will have to get hold of Andy at inland rv for supplies.Am going for the leaks first then I am headed to the engine and tranny course its only hitting the low hundreds hear so I have a feeling it will be early morning motorhome work and afternoon pool work.Will keep posted with pics know how we love em.

Gypsy Jo · 08-14-2009, 04:28 PM

Here are some engine work pics.Am going to replace engine and tranny with one I have in current mh.the rocker arm we put back on the push rod and it bent the push rod twice so something else is wrong so for piece of mind I am going to use engine I have and know.Also I am impressed with the access to the engine on my Argosy you can get to almost everything from on top.Won't be getting back to the engine for awhile .I live in and use the mh the engine is coming out of so will get the argosy ready to live in and then do the engine tranny swap.Any way thats the plans. Now will see how that works out.

bkahler · 08-16-2009, 09:22 PM

Jo,

Sounds like you have a plan. Only comment I can make is it seems like a lot of work to pull out of your current motorhome. No chance for you to find a chevy pickup that has a good running 454 in it? That's the route I took for our Argosy. We had a 81 chevy 1-ton pickup and ended up pulling the engine to install in the Argosy. I did have it rebuilt but could probably have used it as is, at least for a while.

Anyway, food for thought.

Good luck!

Brad

deltatango · 08-16-2009, 09:43 PM

I have a 280 that I'm restoring.

I would freshen that engine that your getting. New bearings, seals, valve job, etc. easy while it's out right?

I'm thinking of rubber commercial flooring. Maybe even the 3/4 stuff they put in gyms and horse trailers.

What did you think?

Gypsy Jo · 08-17-2009, 11:30 AM

The motorhome engine only has 34,000 miles on it and the motor home isn't really worth anything it has a chronic leak problem and being stick built you know the rest of the story and I am going to be using the some of the appliances .At one point I had thought about using rearend and fontend and putting them in the Argosy only because they are newer but that was a dumb idea since there is nothing wrong with the Argosy.The mh the engine is coming out of is a 1988 and I have lived in it for quite awhile not much traveling lately short trips Qzite and Colo.it runs excellent.On the flooring you might have to worry about smell some friends put in industrial linoleum and they think it smells.Other than that a rubber floor would be cool.I like the idea of some cush.

bkahler · 08-17-2009, 08:40 PM

Jo,

Sounds like you've thought it through and have a good sound plan. One thing to consider is which transmission to use. I'm not sure about the Argosy motorhomes but I believe in the 81 and new models Airstream used a heavier duty TH475 transmission with straight cut gears. I haven't heard whether the Argosy models had the TH475 the TH400 transmission but it might be worth checking into. Bottom line is would choose which ever transmission is the better of the two.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Brad

bibbs · 08-17-2009, 09:18 PM

Wax the cork floor? 2 years now,doesent need it, but Martha Stewart said you were spos'to so we are thinking about doing it.Does that make sense? Oh yeah we LOVE the floor.I put heating wires under mine.So nice!
Fuzzy channel is a must do, the front windows are the eazyest.A real pleasure to use now. 75, 26' MH

Bibbs

Gypsy Jo · 08-17-2009, 09:34 PM

The transmission in the 88 mh has been replaced by po Don't know what he put back in cheapest thing possible I would assume. But it works. The one in the Argosy won't hold fluid it shifts but I have never driven it more than a few blocks.The owners manual says 400 but someone had written in 475. Don't know there is a tag on the transmission I will have to look at it again to see what it says.I will keep it and if I want can rebuild it . So glad to hear you don't have to wax the floors I had been thinking I could put socks on my dogs and slide them around Is there really a cushion to the cork flooring? I have done one of my windows with the fuzzy channel mostly to see what else I would need.They do work very nice with the new channel .

Gypsy Jo · 08-18-2009, 12:36 PM

As for plans?? We will see what actually happens I have changed plans so many times now I don't remember

captralph · 08-18-2009, 05:23 PM

Hello???? About the same time - here in Seattle - I bought a Argosy 28 MH. The only real sticky problem is the rear suspension - tail dragging. I got a new springs estimate for $750. I am wondering if I am better off with air bags?

I have been "lurking" for two months to find answers and just registered yesterday. Any help would be appreciated.

bkahler · 08-24-2009, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captralph

Hello???? About the same time - here in Seattle - I bought a Argosy 28 MH. The only real sticky problem is the rear suspension - tail dragging. I got a new springs estimate for $750. I am wondering if I am better off with air bags?

I have been "lurking" for two months to find answers and just registered yesterday. Any help would be appreciated.

Ralph,

Its hard to say if the estimate of $750 is reasonable or not. If that includes new springs including removal and installation then it might not be to bad. If its for the springs only then it seems awfully high. If they are just going to re-arch the old springs I think that price is still a little high.

Our 20' Argosy mh sags a little to one side and my current plans are to add the air bags and rebuild the springs at the same time. I will dismantle the springs, clean and add a teflon (or other material) between each leaf and then reassemble. Springs that are rusty generally provide a poor ride because the the leaves don't slide like they are supposed to. If the sag persists after I recondition the springs then I'll replace them with new (if I can find them).

Brad

Gypsy Jo · 08-18-2009, 08:08 PM

My Argosy has airbags.That seems pretty severe to have your tail dragging.I don't know about the mh but some of the Argosy trailers have a problem with sag in the rear from the frame weakening. something to checkout.

Gypsy Jo · 11-01-2009, 09:07 PM

Thought I would update. Didn't get anything done for a month and a half. Went to Colo. for a month and when I got back.was busy catching up on other things.But After reading through the forums I was inspired to start working again. And also from reading through the forums I found a place to start.Started sealing with vulcum known areas that leak around the entry door, fridge door,around windows and entry light and other outside light.Vulcum was not as bad to work with as I thought. Did invest in a twelve dollar caulking gun.Tried the syringe for the smaller seams but opening was to small so ended up using fingers on the smaller seams.Used the masking tape around the larger areas. Didn't cut to fit just carefully placed it.Cleaned up the finish with mineral spirits.Unfortunately had a wind storm before it had a chance to set now the lg . seam over door looks like sandpaper. Fixable I think ,put enough vulcum there should be able to scrape a layer off.Used a dismantled clothespin,wooden part ,a dental tool , hoppes no.9 solvent to clean and remove old vulcum.Used Krud Kutter to clean up the mess I made applying vulcum .I am kind of messy when it comes to working with that kind of stuff.the tape helped a lot on getting a clean line.
Have also been working on the windows.Fuzzy channel replace.Also not as bad as I thought it would be. Got fuzzy channel from Inland rv,also vts.they are not the same used inlands for the actual windows and used VTS's with the screens.Found out I need a more comprehensive list of parts needed.Need more gaskets for outside of window.Also need to replace gasket around fixed window part of coach sliders inside and out. the fuzzy stuff between the two windows,need awhole latch set up for one of the windows .I think I am forgetting something will have to get with Inland and get some part numbers to order. Don't want to do fuzzy channel on any more windows until I get everything to complete the job.
If you have made it this far I have a couple of questions.Am going to need to sand and repaint my endcaps. I know I shouldn't put any weight on the caps .Would it be allright to use a small sander on them?I have a ryobie with a square head. I found some spray paint that looks like a good match not perfect but I think ok.Will test some first.Also got some primer for galvanized metal.
On a totaly different area .Have been following the gearvendor thread of Coombe.Sounds like that would be good way to go .Where does one look for a used one?In one of our buses we changed the old rearend for a newer one that had an electronic two speed. Sounds like it did the same thing as the gear vendors this is also be an option for lowering rpm's and increasing gas mileage. Don't know if a two speed rearend would be any easier to find than a gear vendor.Just thoughts.