Where to start?!

[C-Birdsong]

Hello everyone I'm starting my first renovation. I bought this beauty for $100 off a retired couple that made a huge upgrade.
It's a 1972 Argosy 20'

My question is where should I start in my reno?
Interior or exterior first?

Any tips for either? IE paint stripping, re-plumbing, rewiring?

Should I do a total gut of the interior?

I don't have a shop to work out of. All of the work will be done right where it sits in the photo.

Are there any really good links to Argosy renovations from beginning to end?

[cameront120]

Go to this section of the forum and note the "sticky" at the top of the page. It has links to all of the major renovations that have been documented on this site.

General Repair Forum - Airstream Forums

That might be the place to start and read everything you can about renovating an Airstream/Argosy. Along with this, you'll need to assess your trailer to determine what extent of repairs are needed.

[drboyd]

You got an awesome deal, seems like to me.

I'll suggest that the first thing to do is to figure out what you're going to use it for. If it's gonna be a chicken coop, it may not need anything. (Humor alert!) IF you're gonna live in it for 50 years, that's another issue.

Start with the safety points first. Tires, brakes, lights, hitch, bars etc etc. If you have any money left after that stuff, start cleaning.

And whatever you do, PROTECT those curved front windows. I understand they're super expensive.

[mpsgolf]

Novice here, never renovated one. But as a mechanical and aerospace engineer .....

I would start with a structural assessment. Skins, frames, axle, wheels, brakes. Years of life might have caused issues due to corrosion or just normal wear and tear. When you're confident you have a solid, safe structure to build on, then you can press on to internal systems, elect, plumbing and furniture.

[dbj216]

Welcome to all things Airstream. (And next of kin Argosy). That trailer will have many needs for sure, most of them do. But you have the chance to give it a second life.

From what I read and understand, a full restoration will likely cost in the $15 to $20K range just in parts like tires, axles, brakes, bearings, frame repair, subfloor replacement, plumbing, electrical, appliances, cabinetry, upholstery, etc, etc. So plan the budget. And the labor hours to complete the work may be 1300 or more. Pay yourself $10 and hour, or $13k in labor. It is easy to see how professional restorations end up costing $60k or more as overhead rates are factored in.

It will take a lot of calendar time to rebuild the thing, so don't plan on using it in a month or two. But when it is done right, it may be worth 20k judging from what I see in Airstream Classifieds.

The good folks in these Air Forums have done everything you will need to do. And they are happy to answer questions. This is a great resource for you.

Make it fun...

David

[C-Birdsong]

Thanks! The first thing I did was totally replace the whole break assembly with all new parts. Then rewired the the towing harness.

[dbj216]

Very good start. Trailer light wiring can be a problem, at least it was for me. The wire color conventions have changed over the years. Maybe you hooked up your tow vehicle 7 pin and verified all trailer light, brake, and charge functions are working.

And new brake assemblies makes sense. I went with the self adjusting ones as I figured it might keep the shoes closer to the drums, but I still check them out yearly. Maybe you inspected and packed the bearings while you were at it.

With the drums off, you can assess the condition of your "dura torq" axles. The typical starting angle of the swing arm is 22 degrees downward with the trailer in on jack stands. The typical life of the rubber torsion rod axles is about 30 years. The rubber gets hard and takes a set, especially if the trailer has sat parked for a number of years. If the swing arms tend toward horizontal when on jack stands, or the swing arms don't move much when the trailer is on the ground, then new axles are needed soon.

Many of the Air Forums participants call this the "slippery slope" where one project can lead to many more. The next thing you know you will be taking the shell off the frame and doing what's called the "full monte" restoration.

All I wanted to do on mine was replace the old, broken toilet in the back. I discovered a foot square hole in the floor around the toilet. This lead to replacing the subfloor in the bath, adding a new black tank and might as well add a gray water tank, might as well inspect the rest of the subfloor by removing the belly pan, might as well replumb the whole trailer, might as well replace that old furnace, etc, etc... A slippery slope to an empty checking account for sure.

But it is fun.

David

[C-Birdsong]

Haha! Thanks David.
Yeah I cleaned and repacked the bearings while I was in there. I plan on ripping out everything inside anyway because there us a fair amount of rotten wood from plumbing leaks. She's in pretty good shape considering the price I paid for her. My issues are how much original stuff am I going to need to hold onto because parts are so hard to find. I'm not much of a fabricator but I am a good mechanic and craftsman..
One issue I have come across is my interior rivets don't seem to be pulling flush. Is there a specific size that's recommended?

[idroba]

The 20' Argosy is one of the nicest sizes and floor plans. I would caution you not to do a gut job and then run out of energy and interest, leaving the project undone.

First fix the technical issues such as brakes and lights. Then fix all exterior leaks. Leave the axles for later, they can wait a long time. The floor is your biggest issue, you will need to assess if the rot and damage is bad enough to require a total floor replacement. If it is, you are in for a very big project, which will usually require total interior removal and lifting the shell off the frame.

I would urge you to label and photograph all parts you remove from the interior so you know where they go back, and how they are attached to each other and assembled. This is one area that causes a lot of jobs to fail, the parts are not identified and the task of re assembly is so daunting that you lose interest.

On Rivets not pulling tight: Almost all of the Airstream interior rivets are standard aluminum pop rivets, 1/8" in diameter. However they come in various "grip range" and if you get ones that are too long, they most likely will Pop the mandrel early and be too loose. So, short rivets for say two pieces of aluminum sheet, long ones only if the total depth of the assembly is thicker.

[Hittenstiehl]

Congrats on your acquisition.

Your plan of attack depends how you will plan to use it.

If you want to avoid further interior damage from leaks getting it sealed up from the elements is nice.

If you want to camp in it while this reno drags out get it roadworthy and safe with wheels, brakes, bearings, hitch etc.

You can always camp in a nicely gutted Aluminum tent.

Those who have no intention of camping in it till the renovation is done save the roadworthy stuff for after the interior is complete.

[OklaOverland]

Originally Posted by C-Birdsong

Haha! Thanks David.
Yeah I cleaned and repacked the bearings while I was in there. I plan on ripping out everything inside anyway because there us a fair amount of rotten wood from plumbing leaks. She's in pretty good shape considering the price I paid for her. My issues are how much original stuff am I going to need to hold onto because parts are so hard to find. I'm not much of a fabricator but I am a good mechanic and craftsman..
One issue I have come across is my interior rivets don't seem to be pulling flush. Is there a specific size that's recommended?

I did what you did first. I rebuilt everything that made it safe to tow and now I'm into a full she'll off restoration.

If you have a garage (or in my case a relatives garage) where you can store things I would keep everything you can. Even if you can't fix it you can use it as a templet.

For the rivers I've just been uses a metal drill bit and trying my best to stop when the head gives way.

Hope some of that helps and best of luck.

[C-Birdsong]

Shorter rivets worked perfectly! Thanks!