made alot of prgress yesterday! i finished getting the support crossmembers installed.... might have over did it with the 2x4 but i dont think she will move much.... i love triangles.... on to the rest of the rivets around the outside ....
i posted photo's of the framing and one of the tools i used to do it,
another high life please...
Well after the rivets were out yesterday i rolled the coach in the back yard and started lifting..... first i just wanted to break it loose from the floor but, after you get going its hard to stop... i ended up building saw horses instead of setting the posts in the ground... tho i wish i would have set the posts it would have been easier to support the shell as i was raising it....
I took the shell of by my self and I tell you what, it's a crazy thing, as your raising it up you really dont know whats going to happen, its pretty intense really gets your blood flowing.....
all in all taking the shell off is not that hard just time consuming...
thinking back it reminds of when i had sex for the first time... it was dark, was scared to death, i didnt know what to do... thank god i was by myself
made alot of prgress yesterday! i finished getting the support crossmembers installed.... might have over did it with the 2x4 but i dont think she will move much.... i love triangles.... on to the rest of the rivets around the outside ....
i posted photo's of the framing and one of the tools i used to do it,
another high life please...
Social lubricant ( aka beer) is also an excellent flow agent for Airstream shells.
Your framing looks substantial. You can save the lumber and build a barn for the Airstream afterwards.
Well after the rivets were out yesterday i rolled the coach in the back yard and started lifting..... first i just wanted to break it loose from the floor but, after you get going its hard to stop... i ended up building saw horses instead of setting the posts in the ground... tho i wish i would have set the posts it would have been easier to support the shell as i was raising it....
I took the shell of by my self and I tell you what, it's a crazy thing, as your raising it up you really dont know whats going to happen, its pretty intense really gets your blood flowing.....
all in all taking the shell off is not that hard just time consuming...
thinking back it reminds of when i had sex for the first time... it was dark, was scared to death, i didnt know what to do... thank god i was by myself
anyhow here are the photo's
Right on! Looks good, Todd. Now you have unobstructed access to your frame to make the repairs and modifications that you have planned.
You can also install whole sheets of plywood now, instead of half sheets.
What condition is your floor channel in? I had to fabricate all new floor channel, except for the 4 curved pieces.
Are your wheel wells in good condition? I tossed the inner, rectangular fiberglass wheel well covers, just insulated the metal wheel wells under the furniture. The fiberglass ones were heavy and smelly.
Let the fun begin!
Right on! Looks good, Todd. Now you have unobstructed access to your frame to make the repairs and modifications that you have planned.
You can also install whole sheets of plywood now, instead of half sheets.
What condition is your floor channel in? I had to fabricate all new floor channel, except for the 4 curved pieces.
Are your wheel wells in good condition? I tossed the inner, rectangular fiberglass wheel well covers, just insulated the metal wheel wells under the furniture. The fiberglass ones were heavy and smelly.
Let the fun begin!
I wasnt going to work on the trailer today...... but you know how that goes....
anyhow, i stripped the frame today of the floor and all of the other junk that remains after you remove the shell.... my floor channel is in good shape, i think i might have to replace about 5'. wanted to check the cost and i might just replace all of the sides and reuse my corners... i like new material to work with no holes. my wheel wells are both rusted up where they bolted to the floor. dont know if i should have them built from scratch or just scab in some metal to make them work. my inners have only a few holes and they could be reused with some easy repair.
well now that i'm all the way down to just the frame i can start planning out the fresh and grey tanks.... i do have a question for you Uwe. are your tanks sloped on the bottom to help drain or are the flat? they appear flat to me but, was thinking that they would need to be sloped on the bottom so you can complety empty the tanks.. am i off base here?
i'm tried and my hands look like i have been in a knife fight.... see ya
i do have a question for you Uwe. are your tanks sloped on the bottom to help drain or are the flat? they appear flat to me but, was thinking that they would need to be sloped on the bottom so you can complety empty the tanks.. am i off base here?
i'm tried and my hands look like i have been in a knife fight.... see ya
My tanks are flat on the bottom. I tilted the tanks slightly towards the drain outlets during installation by use of sacers on one side. It works fine, unless the dump station pavement slopes away from the sewer port, making the vehicle tilt the wrong way. Under normal use, the draining is great. The last few gallons take a little longer to drain out than on a tank with a big slope.
I wasnt going to work on the trailer today...... but you know how that goes....
anyhow, i stripped the frame today of the floor and all of the other junk that remains after you remove the shell.... my floor channel is in good shape, i think i might have to replace about 5'. wanted to check the cost and i might just replace all of the sides and reuse my corners... i like new material to work with no holes.
Floor channel is easy to make. You can bend up 040 aluminum in an bench brake. My bench brake had a 40in capacity, and wasn't very expensive. A fabricator can bend up some longerchannel for sure. Just bring them a sample. I used my bench brake on quite a few other jobs around the airstream, like fabricating the a/c ducts, and shaping the metal for wheel wells. this is it: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=46508
Quote:
Originally Posted by tgregory13
My wheel wells are both rusted up where they bolted to the floor. dont know if i should have them built from scratch or just scab in some metal to make them work. my inners have only a few holes and they could be reused with some easy repair.
I tossed the inners. Mine were huge, taking up too much space. I used the outers only, with insulation over them.
The rusted areas can easily be repaired with some galvanized metal sheeting from a home center. ( look in the roofing section.) I riveted new sections in and sealed them with vulkem where they meet the old metal. Then, a coat of POR15 or equivalent, and all is well again.
Just wanted to drop in and let everybody know i'm still at it.... the long hard cold winter has finally broke here in NC .... well we are done with the 40 degree weather anyway..... I only had one snow at the house this year, it started at 7:30 am stopped my 8:45 and was melted by 11:00 am.... took a photo of the shell before i de-iced.
today I'm taking the frame over to a friend of mine to get the new crossmembers welded in and the bracing for the grey and fresh water tanks to be put in the floor....
I also landed a contract with a local lumber yard to install a new fire alarm and security system.... l managed to get the plywood for the new floor worked into the deal
I had not logged in for a few months and just saw your thread today. It was nice to know there is another twisted being in NC with a 63 Overlander in pieces along the lawn and driveway. I started mine late last summer and worked like a madman til Thanksgiving. Did a total re-floor (shell on) pain in the ass operation. You photos helped answer a few questions I had about my frame and shell. Everything needing repair was in same condition as yours. The biggest difference, you are doing it the right way. I am always impressed with the folks on this forum willing to advise and guide. They know of what they speak. Read & heed.
And from the pics it seems we have the same taste in the soda pop with the foam on top. Brewed in NC!
Look forward to your next update. Hang in there.
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.... well we are done with the 40 degree weather anyway..... I only had one snow at the house this year, it started at 7:30 am stopped my 8:45 and was melted by 11:00 am.... took a photo of the shell before i de-iced. 
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