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Squid · 06-22-2010, 07:00 AM

You can replace the factory bulbs with LED bulbs? Are do you have to replace the whole fixture?

RichHog · 06-22-2010, 11:19 PM

Just ordered some led bulbs from LED for Rv and should get in tomorrow of Thurs. They are a little pricey at $14 each. Bought 12 to do two overhead lights. Will post results

mutcth · 06-23-2010, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squid

You can replace the factory bulbs with LED bulbs? Are do you have to replace the whole fixture?

Yes and no, respectively. The bulbs screw right into the factory fixture. The bulbs made for overhead use have the LEDs on a circuit board that you tape to the fixture, pointing down.

I have another order of overhead bulbs and a bulb for the porch light coming today.

Tom

65CV · 06-23-2010, 06:01 AM

Tom,

Can't wait to see this trailer tomorrow!

John

mutcth · 08-21-2010, 06:50 PM

Lousy picture of the 180 degree oceanfront view through the beloved panoramic windows at Graves Island Provincial Park in Nova Scotia.

And a pretty shot of the trailer at Porters Lake Provincial Park, just outside Halifax Nova Scotia.

Took the trailer on a 2500 mile/16 night trip through PEI and Nova Scotia with 10 nights of no hookup campgrounds. Trailer performed flawlessly, except for a mice invasion and breaking off the switch for the kitchen fan (luckily it was shut off.) 15 mpg out of the van didn't hurt either.

Tom

bolerama · 08-22-2010, 06:38 PM

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing. The bed looks so cozy. What a view! Sorry to hear about the mice invasion.
Lisa

Frank's Trailer Works · 08-23-2010, 03:25 AM

Big smiles from Baltimore on the "Trailer performed flawlessly" That is a huge relief...

mutcth · 08-23-2010, 10:04 AM

Big smiles back at you Frank. We're delighted with the trailer. It's such a happy, cheery place to be. We're amazed by how well it fits what we need and want in a trailer. And there's nothing like getting thumbs up as people drive by (even if other Airstreams don't wave back)....

Tom

mutcth · 03-30-2011, 06:35 PM

The Mini took another trip to Frank's Trailer Works. Then it got exiled for two months in the back lot at work until all of the snow melted out of my driveway. Towed it home with a guest tow vehicle from the office:

Got a bunch of stuff done:

Trimetric battery monitor for boondocking trips. (The owners manual reads like my engineering textbooks.)

PEX plumbing. All of the cool kids were doing it.

Got a new tire mount made that lets me fit a full-sized spare on the tongue and still have access to the water fill door. Also improved the propane tank mount to make it more secure.

Also had the underdinette mechanicals cleaned up. Now has 85% less rats nest! (Well, not literal rats nest.) Also has a new fuse box with blade-style fuses - no more glass fuses.

Can't wait to go camping soon!

Tom

Frank's Trailer Works · 03-31-2011, 03:06 AM

I cannot wait to camp with you. The weekend is almost here, why not go?

biggoofball · 03-31-2011, 07:03 AM

Wow Tom!! It looks fantastic! Great work by Frank as usual!

tinman54 · 03-31-2011, 09:49 AM

What a great little Argosy, looks like you are in for many good miles together!
Doug

Frank's Trailer Works · 03-31-2011, 03:20 PM

the unfortunate part about this Mini is now I have a thing for 70's trailer too!!!

mutcth · 03-31-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

the unfortunate part about this Mini is now I have a thing for 70's trailer too!!!

LOL. Fake woodgrain (even vinyl-wrapped aluminum) is contagious. I'm not sure we could ever give up that front wrap window.

Although I flip through Winnick's book and dream of real wood and 13 panels and copper or aluminium polished walls...

Tom

Frank's Trailer Works · 03-31-2011, 05:07 PM

all in your second trailer...

biggoofball · 04-01-2011, 06:33 AM

Silly me ... I bought two 70's trailers.

and the one I like the best is the one I'm selling. Although I've not been trying too hard of late.

mutcth · 06-16-2011, 06:53 PM

Buying more stuff.

Bestop tire cover for the spare, nicely color-coordinated in "spice."

After seeing the (more creative) vanity plate on Vintage Thunder, the most famous Argosy in the world, I needed a vanity plate of my own.

And the ultimate accessory. In the eternal words of Bob Barker, it's a BRAND! NEW!! CAR!!!!! (that just happens to look a lot like the 2005 that we traded in on this 2010.)

Trailer in action, boondocking at a riverfront site at Wilgus State Park in Vermont. Lots of fun playing "Watch the Battery Monitor As You Turn Stuff On and Off!" The LED lights hardly draw anything, which was nice.

Tom

the544man · 06-25-2011, 10:18 PM

Hey Tom. Nice work. I thought I'd check things out. Are you still towing with the odyssey? If so what's the weight of your trailer and tongue weight. If you have some pics of your distribution hitch that would be interesting to see. My bubble weighed in at only 2800 loaded with a tongue weight of 282lbs. I call that a perfect 10 percent up front. I'm towing without anything extra and it seems to tow fine. Thanks for the reply on my thread too. Cheers. Ted

mutcth · 06-26-2011, 10:37 AM

Hi Ted - I still tow with our Odyssey, when I'm not borrowing tow vehicles from work. The Odyssey is more convenient, especially for hauling the kayaks.

I have the transmission and power steering coolers and the hitch on our 2005 van reinforced by CanAm; I actually cut it off and had it welded locally into our new 2010. CanAm also sold me and set up the Eaz-Lift weight distribution and a Reese friction anti-sway.

I haven't measured the trailer, but I estimate loaded weight around 3300 (it's about 2700 dry) and tongue weight around 550 (400 is the original spec.)

It tows very, very well - if we get a 23' International at some point, I'm going to keep on towing with the van. I've driven enough other tow vehicles to know that this one handles very well, and I've talked to enough factory engineers to understand tow ratings and why they are what they are. (No one tows heavy loads with minivans/it isn't important for marketing, so they don't bother doing the validation work, despite the van's excellent dynamics.)

I used to tow a T@B teardrop that weighed less than your Bubble just on the ball. Towed that trailer nearly cross-country and back. After nearly 7000 miles of towing the Argosy, I can definitively say the heavier trailer tows better. The weight distribution stuff gave me back steering feel, one of the reasons I bought the Odyssey in the first place. (The Oddy drives really well for a minivan.)

I'll post a picture of the hitch work later this week when it's all hitched up and ready to go to the Bash.

Tom

mutcth · 05-21-2012, 06:25 PM

After three years (and a lot of time and $ invested), it's time to say farewell to our lovely Minuet. We upgraded to a 2007 Safari SE 23' to get some more space and all of those flashy mod cons. (But the old trailer is built better and is a heck of a lot simpler.)

We'll miss our Argosy, but hope that it goes to a good home. It's in the classifieds on this site.

Thanks
Tom