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• 1982 ARGOSY 24T

MAJOR ATTRACTION! BARN FIND!!

For: TransAir 24 for: CONVENTIONS, CAR SHOWS, FAIRS, FLEA MARKETS, VENDORBOOTHES, VAN LIFE

Do you have a passion and knowledge about Airstream motor homes? There is significant upside ($50k to $ 100k+). This is a rare, shorter-wheelbase version custom-built by Airstream for a traveling salesman. It has a compact kitchen, bathroom, and shower at the rear, and a no-window display area between the two entry doors where anything could be displayed and public foot traffic could be controlled. It would be great for convention/flea market vendors, car show enthusiasts, and food trucks, and it could still be used as an accommodation for the owners. Also, it would make the coolest Van-Life home in the world. Mechanically, it wouldn't take much to get it back on the road again, but it is now a project. (Refurbished, it would be the most interesting, cool unitever!)

This rare Airstream Motorhome is a complete barn find, stored outside since 2010, with the owners intending to eventually ship it to the Netherlands, where they were then and are now residing, and convert it into a classic retro food service truck. Plans changed, and it never happened. 

Because of being stored outside for over a decade, this riveted aluminum structure has been weeping and seeping moisture inside, along with some rodent infestation(shown in pictures), especially in the rear area of the kitchen/shower lower cabinet areas, along with rusting the stove and causing a soft spot on the floor in front of the refrigerator. 

Another area of moisture intrusion was the cabinetry in the closet between the passenger seat and the entrance door. I assume other areas will be found during restoration disassembly. (Most cabinetry looks good and is solid. Not sure how much of the lower cabinetry in the kitchen would be salvageable.) 

To restore the interior to a new condition, the entire interior should be disassembled, the inside of the aluminum coated with an epoxy or other acceptable product to ensure it will not leak in the future, and then the inside insulation, plumbing, wiring, finishes, and equipment replaced or restored. 

On the outside for a like-new restoration, most of the aluminum skin (except for a small amount of small srapes and dentsto fix) only needs the old caulking and window/door gaskets, equipment removed, and the existing aluminum skin polished, then new window gaskets, caulking, and RV equipment replaced. 

Underneath all the storage boxes for equipment, there is rust, especially in the floor areas where moisture would pool. Overall, the boxed areas are simple DIY metalwork. The chassis is solid and only needs cleaning and undercoating. (There is an unsightly expanded foam product that had been used previously underneath to seal voids that will need to be removed.) Some painted areas over fiberglass will need some small patching, but mostly will be repainted. 

When the motorhome was first stored in 2010, the owners replaced most of the disc brake components at all four corners. Now the brake hydraulics are not functioning, which could be as simple as needing new fluid or bleeding, but may be more complicated. 

Three years ago, the owners spent their vacation time maintaining the 454 Chevy engine, which likely included servicing the lubrication system, cooling system, fan belts, spark plugs, and wires. The engine starts right up and runs as you would expect of a 45k-mile vehicle. With no brakes, we were not able to run the transmission through its gears, but we do think it probably operated satisfactorily because of all the effort the previous owners put into themechanics of the brakes and engine. 

Because of the popularity and higher value of this era of Airstream motorhomes, the rarity of this particular factory build, the documentation from day one, the low miles, the great mechanical condition of the engine, and the DIY skill level it will require to work it and the higher end value that it will be worth,  it will be an excellent project  for the new owner that wins this bid. 

It was originally purchased December 11,1981 in New York. then sold December 27, 1985 in Connecticut, March 26, 1990, and to the last owner, September 03, 2010.

Comes with every document since it was ordered from the factory, including: As- built drawings, factory build orders, ownership chain, brochures, shop manuals for the Chassis and motorhome, every maintenance and repair record.. With everything organized in tabbed notebooks. 

Please text Ken @ (360) 910-1686