Community Forums

wildistheway · 08-26-2014, 11:26 PM

Sorry . . . I think it is attached here. Still trying to figure out this site!

Boomer-1964 · 10-21-2014, 05:29 PM

Daniel,

I did the same thing you did- I keep the back as a bed now. Great idea, no more making a bed late at night.

I also came across what I thought was just a little trailer to haul things but it turned out to be a USA VenturCraft Motorcycle camping trailer. It was in bad shape but the canvas was decent. I cleaned, repaired and replaced the 8' inch wheels with 12" wheels. It has turned out great!

Attached some photos.

Boomer-1964 · 10-21-2014, 05:33 PM

Here are the photos!

Harley1994 · 10-21-2014, 06:40 PM

Nice little camping trailer!

great find .

RJH103A · 10-25-2014, 08:58 PM

Hello everyone.

I am in the process of purchasing one of these Astro Allegros. I'll pick it up in a couple of days. I'll post pictures once I have it in my possession.

My stepfather owned a Toyota motorhome in the early 1990s and was pleased with it. I was looking to get one of those, but once I saw the Astro Allegro I liked the layout better and thought it would be better suited for my needs. It seems the Astro Allegro shares nearly the same floorplan as the LeSharos and the Rialtas. Having owned an underpowered Renault vehicle once in my life (had trouble climbing the mountains at full speed in Pennsylvania), I knew I didn't want a LeSharo with its Renault engine, drivetrain and electrical system.

This Astro Allegro will be my first RV and I will be learning as I go. I was wondering if anyone had any manuals on how to operate everything on the coach that they would kind enough to copy/scan and share/email with me. If there is a cost, of course I would pay.

As far as how many exist I found an article written by Bob Tiffin, President of Tiffin Allegro, in which he said they made 1,000 of the Astro Allegro M21s in the 1980s. From the article: "I reminded her that several years ago TMH had built a 21-footer. In fact, we built a thousand of them. But it cost too much to build them on the AstroVan chassis. The 27-foot Allegro was cheaper to build and was a much better value in the RV market."

I look forward to learning and sharing in this adventure!

Boomer-1964 · 10-25-2014, 09:44 PM

Hi,

Congraturlations on picking an Astro Allegro! I have owned mine for 4 years. Much of my story is on this thread. The one thing this Allegro has over the LeSharo as well is a stationary full bathroom. It is small but it is fully functional without having to move walls or insert drain floors.

I just recently started pulling a small trailer, my last post. This trailer loaded with cargo is probably at best 500 pounds. It is real light and can be pulled by hand. I bring this up because the V-6 in this unit is adequate for a motorhome. If you are planning to pull a boat or heavy items this Allegro will not be up to the challenge. I very rarely use the OVERDRIVE when driving unless I know the area and know I am going to be on relatively flat highways for a while. On flat grades, you will be doing 70 and forget. With a full load or towing something very small as I have started on a 60 degree grade or so, I can maintain 40 -45 mph by dropping down a gear. Many claim this unit to be underpowered, I think I am driving a motorhome and this is adequate.

Fully loaded I get a bit over 14 miles per gallon average between City and Highway. Yes, City, because of the 21' feet you will find you can use it around town or short trips to the beach. I acquired mine with 92K miles and mine is a 1988. Very few, have the rear bath option, as you can see me and Daniel on this thread have the same floor plan. Daniel took out the bathroom and did a beautiful remodel job. All on this thread. Mine did not look ANYTHING like it does today. It was left for years in someones backyard.

The biggest improvements I think I made with respect to performance was replacing all the shocks to Bilstein all around. My very first time driving it, I was scared out of mind, driving 11,000 pounds down the road and feeling like I was on a waterbed. If you experience this, new quality shocks will do the trick.

I look forward to your pictures and if you email me your address, next week when I am in the office I will make copies of materials I have- no charge!

Debra

wildistheway · 10-26-2014, 09:39 AM

We just returned from a 4,500 mile, 6 week, 10 national park tour going up and down some incredibly steep grades, bad roads, intense rain, etc.. Allie (my name for the rig) performed perfectly. Not a single issue anywhere. Never really felt lacking in power and was perfectly content to not have a need to go fast. Better to enjoy the beauty! One of the best aspects of owning one of these as opposed to a giant rig is that we were able to take in to some very wild campsites. With a big solar panel on top we not once plugged in anywhere. We got rid of the the bathroom and put in a large fridge and created a new closet and storage space above and below the fridge. Put an outdoor shower in along with a instant on propane hot water heater and that was such a treat . . . hot sunny showers in the wild! One of the things that impressed me the most was how little propane the stove, the fridg, hot water heater used. Probably $40 worth, with some left over in 6 weeks. We put an extra 5 gal tank where the old fridg used to be. My only complaint is that I wish it had a bit more fresh water storage. I may figure something out there, perhaps something on top.

We ended our trip in Phoenix, AZ where it is stored for a few months before I fly out and probably continue on to Baja to go kitesurfing. Thinking about getting a motorcycle and trailer so we can park the rig and have transportation to go here and there. It was good to see your post Debra about your trailer. I'm going to try to find one that is super easy to take on and off. I don't want to sacrifice being able to slip into those special campsites.

I called Allegro and they said they made 3800 in 1988. You said 1000. Hmmmm. Who did you talk to? They guy I talked to had worked there for 30 years. But maybe he was referring to the whole Allegro line??? As for manuals, Yes, I do have the whole thing. I could take it down to get copied and send it off if you were willing to cover the cost.

Finally . . . I didn't see another rig like Allie on the whole trip, nor have anywhere on the road, nor did I see anything I liked better and we checked out lots of rigs . . . Sprinter, VW Rialtos, etc.. Totally happy with our and can't wait for the next trip!

Enjoy!
Daniel

Boomer-1964 · 10-26-2014, 10:12 AM

Just to add to Daniels statement about seeing another M21. Everytime without miss I either get an offer to purchase mine or meet someone because they like the oldies but goodies. Some will call it classic or vintage.

Daniel was lucky to find one in mint condition, mine was something most people would have not purchased. Get it, make it your own and enjoy the many thumps up!

Debra

Boomer-1964 · 10-26-2014, 11:21 AM

Attached is a copy of the original brochure I obtained.
It gives you all the specs and capacities.

Copy quality is bad, when you print it, you can always lighten it up.
It also shows and talks about the construction cage. Another bonus, no wood frame here!

Lorac · 01-22-2015, 08:20 AM

I have a 1987 Astro Allegro 21' that I purchased 2 years ago.
I NEED NEW TIRES Really need different captain chairs with head rests.
It's great finding other owners. Mechanically, mine is in great shape. Just turned 86,000 miles. Been doing some work on the interior. Removed the carpet in back and installed heavy vinyl. I too am thinking about making the rear into a permanent bed.

The exterior is really needing some work...paint for starters. Looks like it was in a minor wreck at one point. The hood and front right fender have been replaced and painted over. This has caused a separation along the eyebrow where the fiberglass meets the metal above the windshield, and a crack with rust is opening up.

I'm hoping to get to know you guys. Thanks for the pictures and the posting of the original brochure. Lorac.....(Carol spelled backwards)
Carol in Clearwater, Fl

Boomer-1964 · 01-22-2015, 06:21 PM

Welcome Carol ( lorac),

Post some pictures, things can really be appreciated more when you see where you started with a project.

This weekend I will be pulling mine out and I would be happy to get back to you with the tires and size I have on mine. I know in this thread Daniel talked about the tires he put on his.

Mine looks good now, but mine was a total dump when I purchased it. The carpet was beyond dirty and someone live in it for about a year who smoked. I took out all the carpeting and installed wood planks and bought a truck bed liner at pick and pull and used that for the front portion. That way spills and what not that happens up front while driving can just be wiped. I too could not understand how anyone drove these things with the original seats. I had mine removed and bought a used pair of nice captains chairs that you could almost sleep in while driving.

I will post pictures and information soon!

Debra