We both first saw a Airstream Argosy for the first time at a tiny home show. It wasn’t even a part of the show. It was parked across the street for sale. However, we had no idea it was truly a Airstream. It was painted white and Airstreams were chrome. But after history lesson and some education from the owner, we started to connect to this lovely Argosy. It may have been love at first sight.
On the way home that day, We both knew we could no longer live without owning an Airstream Argosy 28ft twin bed center bath model. (Video Below) For a solid month, every moment was occupied with learning about and searching for our a Airstream Argosy Center Bath, our potential new home. In April 2016 we found her proudly displayed and rusting away in central Kentucky.
She was stubborn from the beginning. Her break lights had corroded, her hitch connections powerless thus dragging, and her tires firmly planted into the concrete dry rotting to the extreme. She wasn’t even considering budging. So we called her bluff.
We kept her patchwork of duct tape exterior in tact, threw some magnetized auxiliary towing lights to her rear, hitched her up and tested her out. well, at least that’s the shortened version of what occurred over the course of a seven hour negotiation in purchasing her!
It was an intense twelve hour ride home, bonding us forever. We joked about drivers steering clear from our path when approaching us and seeing our ‘rust bucket from hell’. We were beyond proud to be pulling her, though cautious and nervous. We hadn’t known what to expect and she wasn’t shy about throwing a fit. We were clearly newbies and everything we experienced came with an enormous learning curve.
Our Argosy eventually became agreeable in us partnering with her and lead us safely home to Georgia. Proudly, introductions were made to the family and celebration was underway! My Mom had her pegged from the start:
“I thought of the name Lucille (as in Lucille Ball), she’s a redhead! And a fitting match to the many exploits you and Scott are sure to find!”
So thus the name Lucille, Lucy for short, was born. Her fiery red hue of rust underbelly was her hint to us, she was gonna be a challenge! Though she was our beauty – unique and instantly full of hi-jinx from the day we bought her.
It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship and the journey we have been on restoring her has even been more rewarding than when we first bought her.