[arcamedies]

The first airstream I ever saw was in 72 in Florida when I had a 72 winnebago, with youth and lack of experience I couldn't figure out why a friend bought a small trailer (26 I think) with round cabinets (less storage) 38 years later I picked up a 76 Argosy 22 to restore that's in pretty good shape and know my 72 winnebago is long gone. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, where to start, hmmmm, Oh and I'm coming out of a 2007 39' diesel pusher, wanted to get back to little out of the way places.

[cburke]

Wow, now there is a change of pace.
Our last coach was a 74 Argosy 22. It was a front couch/side dinette. It was a real party floor plan. But a real pain getting ready for bedtime. Lots of cushions to move around.

The standard stuff to check include LP gas pressure and leaks, wheel bearings brakes etc. Make sure all the appliances work. Plan on replacing the furnace if its orginal.

Looking forward to more from you.

[airstreamjudy]

Hello Arcamedies,
Welcome and get ready for having some fun.
Post some pictures of your new baby. We love pictures here.
I'm in a '68, 24' Tradewind. Sure hope yours is not as bad as mine.
I've had so much work and fun in the renovation. I don't have all the answers but will be happy to assist in any way I can.
Keep us informed.

[arcamedies]

towed very nicely on back roads and doing 65mph on open road. exterior needs end caps cleaned up, metal solid, interior after 3 hours of spray 9 looks amazingly good, great for your sinus', upholstery shot, carpet laid over tile squares, two small water leaks , one glass caulking split, no big deal, so will pull everything up and see what's causing water at couch left side, maybe water tank? floor feels pretty stable, some minor flex everywhere but I'm 6'3" and 260, gotta loose weight previous owner replaced A/C, hot water heater, brakes, drums, tires, and has new lp bottles, will check furnace tomorrow. will need a stove top rusted, to late to check oven, may be able salvage it.

[arcamedies]

thanks for the note Judy, I can use all the help I can get and thanks for the info Charlie, looks like my 76 is the same as your 74. How can you tell if the furnace original?, still has the old univolt system I think, and it hums when switch turned on, I bought from the dealer I got my 2004 Winnebago from and they state inspected it (Maryland) they replaced the battery for the breakaway switch to work, missing battery tray though other than that inside of trailer is up to me to find out since I bought it cheap and as is.
I did get the original owners manual with it so tomorrow will go out to see what's what ,especially dump valves and water hookup, found water fill at the front, neat aluminum hatch. I'm impressed with how airstream designed the trailer and can see why it has held up so well.

[Cortés]

Originally Posted by arcamedies

towed very nicely on back roads and doing 65mph on open road. exterior needs end caps cleaned up, metal solid, interior after 3 hours of spray 9 looks amazingly good, great for your sinus', upholstery shot, carpet laid over tile squares, two small water leaks , one glass caulking split, no big deal, so will pull everything up and see what's causing water at couch left side, maybe water tank? floor feels pretty stable, some minor flex everywhere but I'm 6'3" and 260, gotta loose weight previous owner replaced A/C, hot water heater, brakes, drums, tires, and has new lp bottles, will check furnace tomorrow. will need a stove top rusted, to late to check oven, may be able salvage it.

Hey, this is a nice little unit.
Congrats.
And thanks for posting the great images

[cburke]

so will pull everything up and see what's causing water at couch left side, maybe water tank?

That is the location of the water pump and storage tank fittings. Best to remove couch pieces and get to it.
Your floor plan is exactly the same as ours. Cushions look original so plan on replacing them all. Be real careful around the refrigerator vent that goes up the wall behind it. It is very brittle.
When we picked up our's it had 5 or 6 different paint colors on it. Had it soda blasted and repainted with urethane in the original colors. New carpet, new curtains from Jim Ambroso, new cushions foam and covers and new furnace. Other minor fixes. Added awnings and front rock guards. Those clear glass wing windows are irreplacable.
If the furnace has a pilot light and not electronic ignition it is original and needs to be replaced. The heat exchanger is well past it's service life according to the manufacturer, Suburban.

[arcamedies]

Where would be a reasonable place to get a furnace from and what BTU? I'm thinking a suburban 19,000 would do it, but pricing found $780 locally for the part. Reputably shop here, been in business since 48 but always a bit pricey.

[arcamedies]

water found coming from left front wall, could be windows, very old caulking, or rub rail at bottom?? maybe? any suggestions? Having boats for years I always found that if you caulk anuthing not smooth it keeps water out

[cburke]

Originally Posted by arcamedies

Where would be a reasonable place to get a furnace from and what BTU? I'm thinking a suburban 19,000 would do it, but pricing found $780 locally for the part. Reputably shop here, been in business since 48 but always a bit pricey.

The original furnace in my coach was an NT22 rated at 22,000 BTU's.

Shop the Internet for a good price. Then see if your local guy will price match. If you are going to do it yourself you can just order it in.

While looking around you will likely see comments about using a larger rated furnace. I do not recommend you try this as the system is engineered to handle the NT 22, not a larger size.
Different rated furnaces are often different sized as well, so will not be a drop in replacement.