Seeking Advice on 1976 Airstream Argosy 454 for Full-Time Living

[danielon]

Hello Airstream Community,

I'm considering purchasing a 1976 Airstream Argosy 454 that's currently listed for $24K. It looks great in the photos and has a history of 2-3 previous owners. My plan is to use this RV for full-time living, but I'm not very handy or mechanically savvy, and I work full-time. I also have about $5K set aside to make it 100% livable and restore it where needed.

Given my situation, I'd appreciate any advice or insights you could offer. Specifically, I have a few key questions:

1. What are the common repair and maintenance issues I should expect with a 1976 Airstream Argosy 454? Are there any potential deal-breakers for someone who isn't mechanically inclined?

2. Is a $5K budget realistic for making an RV of this age fully livable, including any necessary restoration work? What should I prioritize with this budget?

3. How reliable is the original 454 engine and drivetrain? Should I be concerned about major mechanical failures or expensive repairs down the line?

4. For full-time living, how challenging is it to maintain and manage an RV from this era? Are there specific upgrades or modifications you'd recommend to make daily life more comfortable and hassle-free?


Thank you in advance for your help.

Cheers!
Dan

[martin300662]

Welcome to the forum Dan.

To try and set the scene you need to first ask yourself 2 fundemental questions

1) Would you buy a classic car and try and use it as a daily driver (most folks will answer no, even if that classic car was fully restored)

2) If you bought a 50 year old house would you expect all the original appliances and utilities to work (again the answer is no)

I'm not saying 'forget it', there are van-lifer's that live in unconverted panel vans because they think they are stealth camping, but do not expect the Argosy to be anything like the 2004 International that you have and $5K is one minor repair of these things, a set of tires are half that, a simple brake refurb will cost $5K, etc etc The parts are not expensive but the labor to work on these buses is significant, mainly because everything takes so long to do, and thats if you can find someone/somewhere to do that work.

[danielon]

Hi Martin, sorry for taking long on replying and thank you for sharing your point of view.It makes sence and having this clarification I've decided to skip for now a vintage rig. Perhaps in the future when I retire.

have a great weekend!