I'm new to this Airstreamin', should I say Airepairin'? Just got a '76 Argosy 20', in pretty good shape, but needs some TLC. This site is great!! Wish I had found it before I bought - ebay deal!
The top piece of plywood in the raised platform which the toilet sits on is rotten. Toilet just sits on the black tank without much other support. It looks like a job to get to it without tearing sink and cabinets out first. Is it "doable" to replace just that piece, the rest of the platform is good. Is it possible or advisable to put another piece of 1/4 inch plywood on top and still get the toilet to fit? If so, what to use, the plywood is white vinyl covered now. Thank you! - Scott.
Just out of personal frustration can I recommend against putting more flooring on top? I'm new to this too and am discovering the nightmare under the floor that someone installed to cover up old problems. The floor is rotted through completely now (through the wood, chip board (or whatever it's called), linoleum, and subflooring), all still moist as I pulled it up. A boater/professor of mine suggested i consider some epoxy options available at marine stores but i haven't looked into it yet. Right now I'm just exposing all the holes. But I'm busy considering my new flooring options which include replacing the floor all together with a new subfloor with radiant heat, or when I come back down to this planet and my budget, 5 ply ply wood (I think that was what was recommended to me).
Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Argosy ownership!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MontanaArgy
I'm new to this Airstreamin', should I say Airepairin'? Just got a '76 Argosy 20', in pretty good shape, but needs some TLC. This site is great!! Wish I had found it before I bought - ebay deal!
The top piece of plywood in the raised platform which the toilet sits on is rotten. Toilet just sits on the black tank without much other support. It looks like a job to get to it without tearing sink and cabinets out first. Is it "doable" to replace just that piece, the rest of the platform is good. Is it possible or advisable to put another piece of 1/4 inch plywood on top and still get the toilet to fit? If so, what to use, the plywood is white vinyl covered now. Thank you! - Scott.
Based upon my experience having my Minuet 6.0 Metre repaired, you will be better off in the long-run to carefully remove the bathroom vanity and toilet so that you will have full access to the "box" that the black tank sits in. Initiallly, my dealer thought that it would be possible to accomplish the repair by inserting an oak facia board to support the front of the platform and a new plywood top faced with a thin sheet acrylic. Less than a year later, everything came out to do the job -- as it turned out, the degraded top of the box had permitted the toilet to flex the blank tank resulting in cracks that had to be repaired -- with the area accessible, the tank repairs were facilitated as would be the inspection of the floor (my Minuet has composite aluminum floors so I didn't have the additional concern of floor rot). With the new materials (oak now frames the area where the tank rests to support the platform for the toilet), the toilet seems much more secure.
Good luck with your project!
Kevin
__________________
Kevin D. Allen WBCCI (Lifetime Member)/VAC/Free Wheelers #6359 AIR #827
1964 Overlander International/1999 GMC K2500 Suburban (7400 VORTEC/4.11 Differentials)
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre/1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible (8.2 Liter V8/2.70 Final Drive)
I'm only laughing because I'm in the same boat! My 76 Argosy is similar, the toilet sits on a 1/2" 6"x8" piece of pine that is mounted under the toilet flange - which then sits on the black tank. The thin 1/8" panels don't do any weight distribution that I can see... or even conceive of. I'm trying to unscrew the toilet flange, but the screws are rusted tight to the blackwater tank flange. One idea I have is to split the wood that is there, and then pull those halves out. Then the screws should just pull out, allowing me to put a full length piece of plywood (pre-sealed) and rescrew the flange onto the black tank. I'd support this plywood base front and rear with L brackets on the wall and a thick supporting wood in the front.
I'm new to this Airstreamin', should I say Airepairin'? Just got a '76 Argosy 20', in pretty good shape, but needs some TLC. This site is great!! Wish I had found it before I bought - ebay deal!
The top piece of plywood in the raised platform which the toilet sits on is rotten. Toilet just sits on the black tank without much other support. It looks like a job to get to it without tearing sink and cabinets out first. Is it "doable" to replace just that piece, the rest of the platform is good. Is it possible or advisable to put another piece of 1/4 inch plywood on top and still get the toilet to fit? If so, what to use, the plywood is white vinyl covered now. Thank you! - Scott.
Welcome to the Forum Scott. If you can get the new toy out this summer, come on by Finley Point at Flathead Lake. Look us up at the camp host spot. We'll be there late May thru early July.
FWIW I built a frame from 3/4X3/4 oak that completely framed the black tank and topped it with 1/4" alum.
It is no longer sitting on the black tank and don't move when you are sitting on it, like the original set up.
Don
PS: The alum. goes thru the cabinet and makes a great shelf under the cabinet that leaves me worry free if somthing spills.
Thanks everyone. Thought I had done something wrong or ?? posting - pretty funny - no replies for nearly a year then a veritable flurry!
I ended up doing a semi-permanent repair with some 'waterproof' white masonite and lots of aluminum angle. It took lots of scheming to get it in place without removing anything else. It looks OK, and really is quite strong. Kevin thanks for the heads up on the possibility of damaging the tank itself. I'll keep that in mind.
I haven't wanted to get too involved in the bathroom, as I may yet remove it and put some bunk beds and storage back there. Better use for us and "boondocking". All that work and we still haven't even used the toilet or shower yet! We have had the trailer out half a dozen times, and love it. Even used it in the mountains in February - beats the heck out of the old pop up trailer!!! She's awful wide though, on the narrow mountain roads, especially behind the mighty Explorer!
MTBOB I will look you up if I get up to Finley soon, will be up around the Seeley area this weekend. Bet you have had a wet stay so far! Scott.
Guys, I have the same problem with the plywood under the toilet in my 75 Agosy 28. Fixing it will have to come later... because I have all the panels from the front of the trailer stored in the back. When I work on the back, I'll be moving all of that stuff to the front.
We are just in the middle of replacing the floor under the toilet in our 65 ambassador. We couldn't even figure out how to remove the sink, shower unit. so we went to it from below. belly skin came off. black water tank.( which is broken) and the rusted out pan have been removed the old floor cut out where ever it was rotten and today we start to install the new floor. we now have to order a new tank a get a pan rebuilt. we are goint to see how much room we have a get a larger tank and run the grey and black water into one tank. We will let you know how it goes. Thanks to everyone for all the advice. I don't think we would have attemped this project without all the help we can get on line.
Mike & Jayne
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Rear toilet platform rotten, now what??
and don't move when you are sitting on it, like the original set up. 
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