Are Argosys built with the same quality of an Airstream?

[tracetms]

Hello,

I`ve been looking at a lot of trailers for sale, and I cant figure out why the asking price of an Argosy is considerably cheaper than the Airstream models
with similar size and year.

Is it just a preference thing? Or, is the quality not as good as an Airstream?

I would appreciate any replies.

[Silverhobby]

The outer skin is painted, but the build quality of the shell is no less quality at all. Argosy was the test "trailer" in some respects before the Airstream line got new items. Take the panoramic wrap front window on the Argosy. It was introduced in 1972 on Argosy and not available on AS till the early 80's.

[AWCHIEF]

Price is usually based on supply and demand. More people want Airstreams than Argosy. I suppose because Airstream are shinny and look higher class and quality, even if they may not be. Just my opinion.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by tracetms

Hello,

I`ve been looking at a lot of trailers for sale, and I cant figure out why the asking price of an Argosy is considerably cheaper than the Airstream models
with similar size and year.

Is it just a preference thing? Or, is the quality not as good as an Airstream?

I would appreciate any replies.

Argosy trailers are like Chevy's.

Airstream trailers are like Cadillac's.

However, the basics are the same in both.

Andy

[tracetms]

thanks for your replies.
I was wondering, if people fancy the shiny aluminum skin so much,
won`t it make sense to buy an Argosy, remove the paint and buff it up just like an airstream. Or, is it that once you paint the skin you can`t get it back to its normal state.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by tracetms

thanks for your replies.
I was wondering, if people fancy the shiny aluminum skin so much,
won`t it make sense to buy an Argosy, remove the paint and buff it up just like an airstream. Or, is it that once you paint the skin you can`t get it back to its normal state.

You can polish an Argosy just like an Airstream, EXCEPT that the front and rear caps are galvanized, which cannot be polished.

Some owners paint the coach a different color of their choice.

Andy

[TG Twinkie]

When you look at an Argosy take note that there are no rivets in the front and rear end caps. The end caps are one piece, either steel or fiberglass and can not be polished. I feel that any nicely painted Argosy can look as good as an Airstream. Look for posts by " Smokeless Joe" and you will see what I mean.
If you are buying a trailer to show off it's shiny exterior. Keep I'm mind how much work is involved in making it look that way and what it takes to keep it up.
If you are buying it to go camping or traveling or just to live in. You will pay more for an A$. You could use the money saved to update an Argosy and get just as much enjoyment from it.
The opinions above are from an Argosy owner.

[tracetms]

TG Twinkie,
Those are several good points you`ve mentioned and helpful. Basically, I`m looking for something I can go camping with my family for the time being and hopefully live in it for several months at a time in the future.

Andy,
Are the interior parts of an Argosy interchangeable with an Airstream?

[TG Twinkie]

All of the appliances, water heater, furnace, converters etc. are the same as an A$. Many parts are interchangeable. You can save a considerable amount of money on replacements for the above mentioned items by shopping on the Internet. They are not A$ or Argosy specific. Most, if not all RV makers use the same stuff.
Many of the so called upgrades you see in A$'s were test marketed in the Argosy.
As for the comparison " Cadillac vs Chevy". I would compare the Argosy more to the Oldsmobile or Buick. Not a Chevy.
But I am a little biased. LOL

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by tracetms

TG Twinkie,
Andy,
Are the interior parts of an Argosy interchangeable with an Airstream?

Many times, yes.

Andy

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by tracetms

Are the interior parts of an Argosy interchangeable with an Airstream?

They aren't far apart, that's for sure -- I've been in both and the genetics is the same. The '70s plastic airliner look isn't quite timeless tho'.... Interchanging from different lengths however could create havoc with space & functionality.

I would venture that the electro-mechanicals are pretty much the same. IIRC my '74 Argosy had a number of things optional -- air conditioning, stabilizer jacks and I forget what else. Not to say that those also weren't optional on Airstreams either.

I've seen aluminum-silver painted Airstreams that you can't tell from 20 feet. And one can do the same thing to an Argosy. The tell always is the end cap. And the title. I don't think painting would change the price differential though. Look at boatdoc's threads on re-doing his Argosy if you want to be convinced that A nicely done, attractive unit is always better if thinking about resale value.

We're all Andys on this bus.

[tracetms]

Thanks for all your inputs, my understanding of the differences in owning the two are much more clearer than before. I`m sure I`ll have some more questions later, but need to hit the sack for now.

[rogerdodger]

I owned a 1981 Excella II, and currently an Argosy. The only difference other than exterior paint, was the panel in the Excella II with tank levels(ie 1/4 1/2 full etc) which was immaccurate. My Argosy, fresh water is visible, black water look down the terlet, gray when full tub has water. Not much dif than Excella. LOL

[SStar]

Originally Posted by CanoeStream

They aren't far apart, that's for sure -- I've been in both and the genetics is the same. The '70s plastic airliner look isn't quite timeless tho'.... Interchanging from different lengths however could create havoc with space & functionality.

I would venture that the electro-mechanicals are pretty much the same. IIRC my '74 Argosy had a number of things optional -- air conditioning, stabilizer jacks and I forget what else. Not to say that those also weren't optional on Airstreams either.

I've seen aluminum-silver painted Airstreams that you can't tell from 20 feet. And one can do the same thing to an Argosy. The tell always is the end cap. And the title. I don't think painting would change the price differential though. Look at boatdoc's threads on re-doing his Argosy if you want to be convinced that A nicely done, attractive unit is always better if thinking about resale value.

We're all Andys on this bus.

Please clarify, are you saying that someone actually painted over the aluminum finish on an Airstream? Probably un-conventional however a few years ago I painted an aluminum horse trailer white after it became hard to maintain the finish. It looked great, and was very easy to upkeep.

[overlander64]

Greetings tracetms!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of Airstreams!

Originally Posted by tracetms

Hello,

I`ve been looking at a lot of trailers for sale, and I cant figure out why the asking price of an Argosy is considerably cheaper than the Airstream models
with similar size and year.

Is it just a preference thing? Or, is the quality not as good as an Airstream?

I would appreciate any replies.

When Airstream introduced the Argosy in 1972 it was, in part, a marketing ploy to attract younger owners into the Airstream fold. The Argosy was marketed as a "mid-price" alternative to the Airstream . . . I always thought of it something like the relationship between Oldsmobile and Cadillac or Mercury and Lincoln. The Argosy shared the same basic underpinnings with the Airstream, but had a lower level of standard equipment with many pieces of standard equipment on similar sized Airstreams being optional on the Argosy. There were also a number of features and/or designs tried on the Argosy prior to introduction on the Airstream . . . with a few that never made it to the Airstream line such as the composite aluminum floors utilized in some of the 6.0 and 6.7 Metre Argosy Minuets from 1977 through 1979. There was also one problem that the Argosys shared with the early motorhomes and "square Streams" . . . they were not eligible for membership in the Wally Byam Caravan Club International until about 1991.

Some of the features first found in the Argosy line were:

• Panoramic front windows . . . and their use in the rear of rear bedroom models as well. The biggest difference between the Argosy version and the Airstream version was that the Argosy panoramic windows were clear glass while Airstream utilized Solar Gray Tinted panoramic windows.
• Rear door entry coaches. While there were examples of rear door entry coaches in some of the Vintage Airstreams, they were not generally main-line production coaches. Toward the end of the first generation Argosy run, there were regular model rear door entry coaches in both the 22 and 24 foot lengths. These coaches provided unique floorplans the were, in some ways, the pioneers for today's front bedroom Airstreams.
• The Argosy Minuet line (1977-1979), offered a number of pioneering features that would see only limited use in the Airstream line in 1980 as the Airstream Caravelle (20', 22', and 24').
  • Narrower floor width 7-feet rather than 7-feet 8-inches.
  • Light weight window assemblies . . . utilizing a product similar to Lexan rather than glass . . . proven to be quite durable at least in my Minuet (I am not certain whether this made the transition to the one-year Caravelles).
  • Aluminum composite floors that were utilized in many (but not all) 6.0 Metre Minuets as well as some (but far from all) 6.7 Metre Minuets. It does not seem that this feature was ever utilized in any of the Airstream Caravelles in 1980.
  • Gray water tanks mounted on top of the floor. This certainaly wasn't a "better idea" as you still must deal with the shower's waste water as it could not be collected in the floor-top mounted gray water tank.
  • Vinyl-Clad aluminum cabinetry with light-weight plastic Tambour cabinet doors. Despite the "picture" that this description usually imparts, the cabinets actually don't differ greatly in appearance from the plastic/vinyl veneers utilized in the Airstreams of the period . . . the aluminum cabinets can be dented if roughly handled, but mine have held up very well . . . I wish that I could say the same for the plastic Tambour which was so badly warped that it had to be replaced when my Minuet was refurbished in 2006. This is another feature that I don't believe made the transition to the Airstream line.

There was one large ommission when comparing Argosy to Airstreams with the same feature. When the Argosy was introduced with the Panoramic front windows the publicity was that the particular tempered glass that was utilized in the Panoramic windows was strong enough that protective travel covers weren't necessary . . . unfortunately, use through the years has proven that this is not necessarily the case. It appears that the three-piece Panoramic rock guards were standard on the Airstreams that were so equipped, but I have not been able to find evidence that they were ever offered even as optional equipment on the Argosy. Many owners find that adding these three-piece rock guards are cheap insurance to protect the very expensive deep-wrap side windows that are part of the Panoramic window installation.

Some of the items that were optional on Argosy products that were often standard equipment on similar-size Airstream coaches of the same era were: systems monitor panel (usually installed inside of cabinet over kitchen range), air conditioner, water filter, double-door refrigerator/freezer (a single door Dometic was typically standard on Argosy travel trailers smaller than28-feet), roof vents with fans, 6-gallon rather than 10-gallon water heaters typically standard, curbside awning optional, 20-pound LP tanks typically standard rather than 30 or 40 pound (and were steel in some years rather than aluminum), television antenna/amplifier, stereo radio with antenna, scare light beside entry door, and single house battery on most Argosy travel trailers with a second optional on some.

Argosy was also the platform where the "traditional" riveted aluminum motorhome body was first produced. The transition from Argosy motorhome to Airstream motorhome did not happen until the last year of two of the first generation Argosy model run.

I am sure that I am missing a few things that were first tried in the Argosy, but the coaches are quite durable, and I have found my Minuet to be as enjoyable, if not moreso than my Airstream in some situations.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

[tracetms]

overlander64,

That`s quite the story and history of an Argosy. WOW! Thanks, it was educational and enjoyable. I`m starting to warm up to the idea of an Argosy as an introduction trailer to the Airstream family.

TO ALL ARGOSY OWNERS, if you don`t mind, I would like to hear; If you only had one choice, which Argosy would it be? The year, size, and particular features.

And/Or

Any suggestions as to which Argosy trailer would be a great starter trailer to fix up for a first timer? The main use would be for camping and visiting national parks for a month or longer with my family of four in the summer.

All inputs welcomed!

[billymyers56]

My wife and I have a 1972 Argosy 22'. We have had it a little over a year. Fixed up and repainted. We spent 25 nights in it over the year. Really like a lot.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by tracetms

overlander64,

That`s quite the story and history of an Argosy. WOW! Thanks, it was educational and enjoyable. I`m starting to warm up to the idea of an Argosy as an introduction trailer to the Airstream family.

TO ALL ARGOSY OWNERS, if you don`t mind, I would like to hear; If you only had one choice, which Argosy would it be? The year, size, and particular features.

And/Or

Any suggestions as to which Argosy trailer would be a great starter trailer to fix up for a first timer? The main use would be for camping and visiting national parks for a month or longer with my family of four in the summer.

All inputs welcomed!

Any of them...

My favorite is the rear door 22' always thought that was a neat layout. Second favorite is the 25' Airstream Caravanner.



Aaron

[tracetms]

Aaron,

Does that rear entry trailer have the panoramic windows in the rear also?
If so, would you have any idea what year that Argosy 22ft. would be?

[tracetms]

billymyers56,

She sure is a cutie, got me curious on how the interior looks. If you got more pics, sure would like to see them.

Thanks.