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76argosy28ft · 01-10-2004, 06:42 PM

I just bought a 1976 Argosy 28 foot rear bedroom model. It came without a furnace. From the paperwork I deduced that it had a ducted suburban originally, so that is what I bought.
My question is, where do the ducts go. There is one register under the sink right next to the furnace location. Other than that I can find no evidence of ductwork anywhere in the trailer. The book says that ducts go to the tanks to heat them, but I don't know where. I have looked under all cabinets for holes to the tanks, have pulled up the carpet in the bedroom to look for old register holes in the floor, and cannot figure out how it was. I figure for that size trailer I can get away with the register under the sink and two more, but how can I heat the tanks.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Navigator · 01-10-2004, 08:27 PM

Mine has a bottom discharge into a plenum that transverses the length.

Dick

j54mark · 01-10-2004, 08:39 PM

We are talking about a trailer, right? Not a motorhome?

Until someone who actually knows comes along, let me tell you what I THINK you will find:

There will be the duct to the front of the coach, which you have located. There will be another directly underneath the furnace going to the forward tanks - this requires removal of the knockout in the bottom of the furnace plenum. Another goes aft to the bedroom, under and through your galley and closets. The last goes alongside it to an opening in the floor, which both crosses under the floor to your bath, but also dumps into your aft tank.

There is a service manual for those years, and someone here can tell you if that is covered therein.

Good luck.

Mark

76argosy28ft · 01-11-2004, 09:36 AM

This is a trailer. My internet connection is slow enough that I didn't see the icon I had selected until it was too late. Do these ducts run underneath the floor? There is no evidence of holes in the plywood for ducts to enter. There is no "duct" running to the front of the camper, instead just a register cut into the cabinet right next to the furnace location. I did notice this morning that the hole in the floor where the kitchen sink drain goes into the tank is 4" in diameter, as if maybe it could accomidate a duct if the pipe were gone.
I have thought about taking the belly pan loose to look for duct work, but honestly its too cold right now.
Dick, Is your plenum that transverses the camper made of sheet metal? I could imagine that there may have been somthing like that, but is now gone.
I have the owners manual which has water and electric schematics, but no furnace stuff.

davidz71 · 01-11-2004, 10:48 AM

I guess we would have to have an Argosy owner chime in here but will tell you that the Suburban furnace in my '77 31' Excella 500 has galvanized ducting alongside the streetside and slightly above the plywood floor. The furnace is located underneath the sink in the kitchen area. One duct is located inches away from the furnace and exits the side of the cabinet blowing into the front area where the couch and entertainment credenza is. The only other duct is located in the rear bathroom and exits behind the toilet. Of course, there are hoses branching off these that go to the freshwater, grey/blackwater tanks to keep them from freezing. My service manual shows ducting on either side of the coach depending on layout selected but does not show any main ductwork below the floor.

j54mark · 01-11-2004, 11:08 AM

The duct material in my '85 is plastic flex, but I can see no reason why you could not use a combination of flex and metal vent pipe to make your runs. In the side bath model there may be a duct that runs under the floor, or it may just use the tank pan as a plenum.

Mark

OakHill · 01-11-2004, 11:30 AM

Under sink with ducts going aft

OakHill · 01-11-2004, 11:35 AM

Well so much for picture Attachment.

Is yours a twin or a double bed in the Back? Pm me with a E mail and I will send you Picture of were it all goes. And maybe figure out how to get them up here. Jim

davidz71 · 01-11-2004, 11:37 AM

Have you checked all your outside compartments for evidence of 2" gray thermaflex hose to the tanks. A diagram I have shows two hoses in the middle of long rectangular ducting that goes to the tanks for heating them. The diagram also shows two variations of duct work, one a double bed model where the register comes out straight toward the end of the trailer at the end of a long rectangular duct whose widest measurement is horizontal to the ground and then another configuration for the center bath rear bedroom that shows the ducting dropping straight down and curving toward the street side of the trailer. Is your furnace on the curb side or street side of your trailer?

OakHill · 01-11-2004, 12:04 PM

2nd try

davidz71 · 01-11-2004, 12:12 PM

OakHill,
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Furnace is in the same place as mine but duct work is definately different. Thanks for helping 76argosy28ft.

john hd · 01-11-2004, 01:26 PM

looks exactly like my '92 excella, minus the nice floor!

john

76argosy28ft · 01-11-2004, 04:47 PM

Now we are getting somewhere. My furnace location is the same as Oak Hill. I see two 4" ducts heading aft. Where are they headed? I have a rear twin and figure I can put a register in the back next to the nightstand, but it must have been somewhere originally.
I like to 2" flex idea. I have seen no evidence of it, but it would make sense that it went down the aformentioned 4" hole that the sink drain goes through.
Can I just send a duct down there again, or do I need to work to make sure that there is circulation around both tanks? Given that this is a center bath model, I am guessing that they are right next to each other.
David 71, is this an Argosy schematic? My furnace is on the curb side. It sure makes sense that a second duct going under the floor would have heated the tanks and then come up in the bath.
Thanks everyone, for the info.

wahoonc · 01-11-2004, 05:04 PM

I have a scan of the duct system for the equivalent Airstream from 1975 that I can email you. It covers the 29', 31' Twin with center bath. It shows all the duct sizes and approxiate locations. PM me if you want it!

Aaron

76argosy28ft · 01-11-2004, 05:08 PM

I'm not up on this forum lingo, I would love to see the scan. What does PM me mean?

wahoonc · 01-11-2004, 05:25 PM

PM is "Private Message" if you click the PM button at the bottom of my post it will allow you to send me a message off forum, then you can include an email if you want to. And it doesn't appear in public

Aaron