Canadianguy -- I am pretty new to these trailers, but have done a lot of 'expedition' type off-highway driving in my Toyota Landcruisers - some of it in extremely rough country. I also built an off-road utility trailer and use an AutoHome Maggiolina hardtop camper-tent on the trailer. The trailer has a 38 gallon watetank, dual 105 AH batteries, charger, water pump, and kitchen box, plus 31" OR tires and 14" of clearance under the axle. It employs a swiveling pintle hitch to tow. Works well for extreme country -- but it is CAMPING.
I recently pulled my new-to-me 24' Argosy through a sizeable chunk of NW Nevada on a 5 day trip. Here's what I have learned so far.
The basic gear - tires, suspension, and so on held up fine.
The cabinets are pure CRAP (don't know if I can say the here) and will come apart with only moderate vibration and washboard roads. These will have to be replaced.
I now keep a box to store the bits and pieces that I find on the floor of the Argosy when I open up the trailer after running. I will eventually find everything that needs to be fixed or replaced.
The rock guard is a 'must have' for me.
I plan on applying Line-X (spray-on truck bed liner) to the entire front of the trailer below the windows. I may also apply this to the inside of the wheel wells and on the belly wrap.
I will follow Andy's advice and protect the wiring and gas lines under the trailer.
I will also install a more capable battery system an AGM 12V 245 Amp Hour battery to power the three way fridge I am going to install.
So I figure that about 100 hours and $10,000 will get this trailer 'battle ready'.
At some point in it's life, our Argosy has been hauled over some rough roads. We insepected the underside of it today, in anticipation of dropping the belly pan, and there is a hole in the belly pan where it was dragged over something sharp, and other indications that somebody took it someplace that wasn't too good for it. Nothing not repairable or too bad, just needs fixing. That seems to be the only damage done tho, nothing inside was in bad shape except there were a few rivets missing in the inside panels and a couple of screw missing in the airconditioner.
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Jim and Sandy
"To know is nothing at all. To imagine, is everything." --Albert Einstein
July Forth weekend took us thru the backroads of the Adirondack
State Park, this product saved our bacon. Will be covering the LPG lines before our next trip back.
One of the biggest problems, and concerns towing an Airstream trailer on gravel is all to often over looked.
Th LPG lines, underneath the trailer, will taken an absolute beating, to the extent of causing numerous LPG leaks as well as flattening the copper tubing.
The PM is rather easy.
Get some high quality rubber hose. Slit it from one end to the other, in a spiral instead of a straight line. Install the rubber hose over "ALL" of the exposed LPG lines, and tie it down with tie wraps, about every 6 inches.
Be creative when covering the brass fittings, and again hold the rubber hose in place with tie wraps.
The exposed wire for the brakes, should like wise be protected.
Rockguards and segment protectors are a must as well.
All you can do from there, is hope for the best.
Andy
Forgot to mention what you can do to protect the front end of the trailer, including the segments, segment protectors, banana wraps, and the rockguard.
Obtain a 4' x 8' sheet of 3/4" plywood.
Cut two notches in it on the long side, so that will fit over the A-frame. The notches should be about 8 inches deep.
Fiberglass the plywood on both sides, several times with a slow setting fiberglass mix.
Slip the plywood over the A-frame, behind the LPG tanks.
Hold the plywood in place with some bungee cords.
If the plywood will touch any part of the shell, then add some soft carpet to that area.
NOW, you can really travel over rocky roads.
When the rocks are really tough, like on the old Alcan highway, simply reverse the plywood on the way back home.
Looks crude, but works great.
When back home, cut the plywood up to firewood size, make a fire in a fire pit, burn the damaged plywood while you "SLOWLY" have some beer with your family and friends, and say "thank you" to the plywood as it burns, for saving you a ton of money, maybe even a ton and a half.
Thank you everybody for your expertise. So how long can I stay on the forum if I don't get an Airstream?
You do not need to have a A/S product to use these forums.
My advise is get an older stream. (pre '69) Replace the axles. And do not take one that is longer than 24' if you are going to tavel over 45 mph on those types of roads.
The Capetown to Cario trip was mentioned above and those trailers had leaf springs. So the suspension was much different than torsion suspension. Using an older trailer of that vintage will limit some of the amenities unless you install them. Also the springs of something that old should be replaced. Going on a trip in the Yukon means the trailer needs to be in top shape.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action
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1966 Mercury Park Lane 4 DR Breezeway 410 4V, C-6, 2.80 - towing a - 1966 Overlander International Twin Bed
1996 Lincoln Mark VIII Diamond Anniversary 4.6L (275hp), 4R70W - 1990 Ford E 150 5.8L, E4OD, 3.55 ____________________________________
Phoenix ~ Yeah it's hot however it's a dry heat!
I have been on the road for a couple months this summer. I have traveled a bunch of gravel and marginal roads. I have lost some rivets and had some screws work out. Overall, the camper has held up but there will definitely be overhaul work this winter.
__________________ "If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful." Letter to his son Kermit, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 1915
Well Canadian Guy they let me stay on for two years befor I found the right AS ! Here in northern Vermont our paved roads are worse than most states dirt roads, we just keep moving the washboards and potholes around. I pulled a Ace and a Catalina for a couple years, both 1964, full restore, 16 ft, aprox 2000 lbs. Thought it went fairly well. Then I got a '64 A S safari. Pulled it over the same roads, paved and gravel. Get an older A S, NO contest, like pullin a box of packing peanuts! And I have'nt change the axle yet! Got a heads up on the hose over the L P lines. Works great, but when you're cutting a spiral down a rubber hose w/a razor sharp blade be very carefull. Makes it real tough to finish the job with skatey eight stiches in your left hand, I know.
Hi, rough roads? Southern California freeways. That's all I need to say.
Yes sir, as I enter into southern California, like near Banning, the familiar and never repeated nationwide, BOUNCE, greets us into the sunshine state. This is our 5 th trip with our 28 from Michigan, and I am amazed she hold up so well. Really, these are well made trailers. I would have left a trail of staples and glue with a SOB.
Still, with the state going broke like the rest of the country, I suspect it is going to get worse. I have decided to store her in california and make the trip 2 times/year w/o the streamer in tow. I do want covered storage, anywhere in the state. any suggestions?
One thing to think about in Yukon and NWT if you go really far north or to Yellowknife, is whether you can get on the river ferries because of the overhang. We saw an RV (class A or whatever, I never get those classes right—it's built on a truck frame) get stuck when the rear bumper dug into the ground while getting onto the ferry. It took about 20 minutes to break it loose. The landings are dirt and come downward to the river at a fairly sharp angle, especially if the river is low, then you have to go up a ramp onto the ferry. I understand there are wheels that can be mounted on the bumpers to prevent that on a trailer.
Some of paved roads up north can be interesting because of the wavy roads—getting near Yellowknife was an adventure a couple of years ago because they just paved over the old frost heaves without re-grading the old road to save time. I think they maintain the gravel/dirt roads in northern Canada very well, but watch out if it rains because that clay mud can be super slick. Some roads go through shale areas and can tear up tires, especially if they aren't new. And if you want really bad paved roads go to Nova Scotia; Newfoundland can be almost as bad. I'd say generally roads in Canada and better than in the US. Alaska is one state with a lot of broken pavement from frost.
One of the biggest problems, and concerns towing an Airstream trailer on gravel is all to often over looked.
Th LPG lines, underneath the trailer, will taken an absolute beating, to the extent of causing numerous LPG leaks as well as flattening the copper tubing.
Could you use that closed-cell foam pipe insulation stuff that you put on hot water lines?
I don't think that foam stuff would give much protection from a piece of gravel at 60 mph.
I used vinyl tubing. Not easy to cut lengthwise, but I used a carpet knife and it worked. Some places I used the clamps for the propane lines, some places hose clamps and even some aluminum tape in a few places.
I don't think that foam stuff would give much protection from a piece of gravel at 60 mph.
I used vinyl tubing. Not easy to cut lengthwise, but I used a carpet knife and it worked. Some places I used the clamps for the propane lines, some places hose clamps and even some aluminum tape in a few places.
Gene
Gene.
A very good copper pipe insulator, from rocks, underneath the trailer, is a good rubber water hose.
Cutting it in a spiral length wise, does the trick.
Holding it in place, is easily done with numerous tie wraps.
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July Forth weekend took us thru the backroads of the Adirondack
LOST IN THE SIXTIES
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Hi, rough roads? Southern California freeways. That's all I need to say.
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