hi! i would like to introduce my self. my name is sam i'm new to this forum and glad to have found you. i'll be needing your advice as i just purchased a 74 argosy on ebay for my wife and found the out the guy that sold it to me really did not tell the truth about alot of things. oh well now i have alot of work to due with very little experiance on rv repairs. i'm an auto mechanic by trade maybe i can be of some help to someone. anyway glad to be here. sam
Welcome Sam. Being an auto mechanic, you'll be able to do alot of the repairs on your Argosy without too much trouble. Not that a motorized vehicle and your Argosy are similar, I meant that using tools is not something foreign to you and you are used to working with your hands. Part of the enjoyment of owning a trailer is the restoration/repair work unless you still have a leak after three times of fixing it.
Welcome to the Forums, Sam. You will find a lot of good information here. Since you are an auto mechanic, you shouldn't have a serious problem with any of the systems on your Airstream.
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
Even if your Argosy isn't as advertised we hope you'll love and enjoy it for years.
I'm not a restorer but I've read many threads they've posted & I'll try to briefly summarize some essential ideas:
Learn to use "SEARCH" on this forum - try "full monte" or "restoring" for starters. Many have traveled the path you now walk, grasshopper...
don't throw out ANYTHING until you've carefully considered refurbishing it.. many parts are impossible to replace... anything you absolutely don't want will probably be snatched up by another grateful restorer if you just post it on this forum
Make a written PLAN & cost estimate! If you jump right into repairs it's all too easy to do something you later have to tear out to get to another thing that must be fixed. Checking off each item you complete really keeps you focused on the progress you are making.
Theres a difference between usable and finished. Do the essential safety items first. Many people have used and enjoyed their 'streams while sleeping in bags on the floor... if the running gear is fixed, the frame stable, the lights and signals work, you've got good tires, and you think you've caught all the big leaks, start using it.
Some things are just stupid and dangerous to "restore"! For my money a 30 year old water heater AND a 30 year old furnace belong in the dump. Death by fire or carbon monoxide poisoning are real hazards from rusty old appliances, and these are semi-outside. Besides the new ones have electronic ignitions. (OK if your unit was stored indoors in climate control and has never been used because Uncle Ed died 4 weeks after he bought her, you can use the old stuff after it's inspected.) An old stove and oven need to be inspected carefully for leaks but are usually in pretty good shape.
After you make your plan and estimate your costs, do two things
double or triple your estimated cost
gather your family or other fellow travelers and do a really serious "reality check". I don't know how many half finished restorations languish in back yards or storage barns - but many people run out of time, money or interest long before the project ends. Participating in the forum and meeting other restorers will help keep you focused, but if you're really not the type to see this kind of project through to the sweet end you'll lose LESS money if you turn around and sell this Argosy right now.
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