Newbie at airstream and rving, many questions!!

[sharley0716]

Hi all! After years of dreaming, my husband and I just put a deposit down on a 1973 argosy which appears to have all original parts and cabinetry. After reading through the forums, I realize that we will probably need to replace the gas tanks, water heater, furnace, elec. converter and battery, axel, underpan, and a/c. We don't have the $$ to do all of that right away and I just wanted to know what people believe are the must dos in order to start camping. We have kids, so safety is a concern for me. Along those lines, how would I tell if there were mold problems in the trailer with the vinyl walls.

Also, this is a dumb request, but could someone let me know if there is anything different about hooking these trailers up at the rv park than other rvs? Thanks so much and I am sure we will be regulars on the forum in the coming years.

We are so stoked about finally starting the long journey to a fully renovated argosy. We know it will be a long and expensive process, but we are handy and ready to learn.

[Jim Clark]

Welcome, a Argosy 26 is a great trailer to start with. First get the trailer and do a complete evaluation of the trailer. What you do first depends a lot on your own needs, and how soon you want to go camping. With Kids you will not want to waste much time working in the unit you will want to get out there and camp. Clean and scrub will improve appearance a lot. Post pictures here and ask questions, I started with a trailer I restored to go camping with my the 8 year son. My now 19 year son meets us halfway between our home and his college to camp and be with us and our dogs. The Airstream trailers I have owned have provided some of the best family times I have every experienced. I am amazed our 19 year old college freshman still wants to camp.

BTW notice how the trailers have grown as our son grew.

[Stefrobrts]

Congrats! We were all new at some time, so don't feel like you're unique. Just start with what you've got.

In my opinion, if there's a problem with the axle/brakes, or anything to do with the hitch, you should get that fixed first. I figure as long as the AS is towing safely along behind us, everything else is going to be fine. Even if every other system quit working, it still makes a nice tent!

If you're not confident about the systems, you might want to find a good RV place in your neighborhood that can do an inspection for you, and give you a laundry list of repairs. It's entirely possible that many of the systems are just fine. Has it been used for camping recently?

Once you know the propane lines are good and there are no leaks, and how to start the furnace and appliances, you'll be well on your way. The plumbing is actually a lot like house plumbing. It's not as hard as it sounds. You can fix things as you go and enjoy whatever you have working at the time.

Good luck on your new adventure!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

In my opinion, if there's a problem with the axle/brakes, or anything to do with the hitch, you should get that fixed first.

It might be best to break the tasks down into three groups:
1 - Make it safe.
2 - Make it comfortable.
3 - Make it yours (meaning the custom touches that you want but don't really need).

You can further break down #1 into:
1A - Make it safe to tow.
1B - Make it safe to live in.

So, I have to agree with Stefrobrts, axles, brakes, tires, and hitch have to come first. Then propane system, electrical system, hygiene (mold/mildew), wastewater, freshwater, furnishings, and finally finishes, more or less in that order. Though you might decide on electrical before propane, or whatever, as best suits what needs fixing.