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Dremel · 10-27-2017, 02:01 PM

My first post.
I’ve been lurking here for a while, and study study study.

I have finally jumped in to our 29 foot 69 Ambassador project.

My wife bought this before we met. If has sat outside at our place for 3yrs and a few at her place before that.

The floor is rotted at the front and back. And we decide to redo it.

Jhiner1978 · 10-27-2017, 02:03 PM

Best of luck to you.

Dremel · 10-27-2017, 02:03 PM

Planning on a shell on floor replacement. Hopefully it will stay on that plan.
It is now gutted.
Only the water heater is still there. Looks like I have to take off some of the belt line in order to get it out.

Dremel · 10-27-2017, 02:04 PM

A New Home.
Move it into the barn so that I do not have to worry about the rain

Dremel · 10-27-2017, 02:05 PM

Removed my first panel

Dremel · 10-27-2017, 02:06 PM

All panels are out except the end caps.
Insulation was not a major mouse trap.

Things discovered.
Floor rot.
PO put down 1/8” plywood on the entire floor during some previous rebuild ( but did not fix the real floor )

Leaks at front and back windows. Water in the header.

A number of Olympic rivets in a few places used to fix something

A internal Rib was bent and out of place. Rivet holes filled with silicone.
Pics to come.

Next up is removing end caps, wires, water heater

Bubba L · 10-27-2017, 04:47 PM

Looks like a fun project. Having inside storage while working makes all the difference in the world. Don’t throw anything away in the event it’s unobtainable and take a lot of pictures. Good luck and enjoy. Bubba

Dingo Girl · 10-27-2017, 05:49 PM

I'll second the inside storage.
Good luck!

Dremel · 10-28-2017, 07:33 AM

Thanks, I'll be taking plenty of pictures as I go.
Yes, the inside storage will help a lot. Especially keeping the rain off when things like Windows are being worked on.

Dremel · 10-30-2017, 12:21 PM

Everthing is out. Including the end caps and the wiring.

I've done plenty of electrical, plumbing, basic house building, so I still feel comfortable. No expert, but comfortable. I've also completely rebuild a classic car, so all those experiancees, will help.

Dremel · 10-30-2017, 12:22 PM

Street side acoss from door, This rib is all out of wack. Guess the skin was pulled into shape, but left the rib.

Dremel · 10-30-2017, 12:27 PM

And the back where the Bath was, Full of Olympic Rivets.

Top three panels and the lower right ( from the inside ) must have all been replaced.

Will have to decide if to leave alone, or switch out to buck rivets.

I will be taking out all the windows and rebuilding them, so will have to choose olympic or buck for that also.

Dremel · 10-30-2017, 12:27 PM

OK, next to search on how to rotate my portait pics.

Jhiner1978 · 10-31-2017, 05:08 PM

Moving right along

Bubba L · 10-31-2017, 06:03 PM

Dremel, from what I understand from listening to the VAP and threads I have read, Olympic rivets are not structural. I know that a lot of people replace windows and minor patches with Olympics, but not end caps and structural panels. I think once you get into the drilling out of existing rivets and bucking in new, you may decide to remove the Olympics. Whatever you think. You’re well on your way. A lot of fun. Good luck, Bubba.

Dremel · 11-01-2017, 12:30 PM

Thanks for the advise.

I plan to get the solid rivet tools. With a bit a practice, I'll decide if I want to replace the Olympics. Now is the right time to do so.

Dremel · 11-10-2017, 11:03 AM

Since the last post, I have been figuring out how to get out the old sub floor.

I first pulled up the 1/8 board that was nailed to the subfloor. Used a crowbar and muscle.

Then cut the heads off the bolts.

I found that an osculating tool with a metal cutting blade works great to get under the C Channel and the other bolts.
However, I went through 2 blades and they are expensive.
Also used a cut off wheel in my angle grinder.

used a circular saw and sawsall to cut out sections.

I have the first 8 foot or so out. Looks like a Squirrel or Mice were living here and had their nut storage.
Pulled out the insulation and vacuumed.
The Steel frame looks to be in good shape.
I will wire brush it and then prep and paint with POR15

I do not know if this is how all 69 airstreams are, but my belly pan is one big flat piece. It rivets to the pieces that curve up to the side skin.

So , I can drop the bottom part so that I will be able to get to the bottom of bolts, and later insulate.

I am going to try to do this Floor replacement in sections.

Drop the belly pan in the front and rear of the axles.
Make floor pattern off what is left of the original floor onto 5mm luan type board. Then test fit it.
I will then use that as a pattern for the 5/8 or 3/4
POR15 it
Then put in the front 8 ft
Repeat on the rear section
Then Middle section.

Along the way, deciding on tanks and other stuff that goes in the floor.

I am trying to keep moving along, usually get about 2 or 3 evenings and 1 weekend day to work on it.

Received my buck rivet kit from VTS.
Will find some time to practice on some scrap.
They were out of the Olympics, but will get some of those to use in proper areas when they get more.

Iansk · 11-10-2017, 11:48 AM

Something you may want to consider while you have the front subfloor out is to weld a couple of cross braces across where the tongue enters the body of the frame. Seemed like quite a span without any support.
I did so on mine and it made a huge difference in terms of support there.
Below is a progress picture of what I'm talking about...
I welded the angle iron to the long span for additional support.

1" square tube fit just right and happened to be what I had laying around

Ian

Dingo Girl · 11-10-2017, 02:03 PM

I used bolt cutters to get the bolts in the C-channel out. Horned well since my floor was such a rotted mess

Dremel · 11-17-2017, 12:54 PM

Thanks for the idea's. That is a big space in the front.

Last Monday I got under the AS, and drilled out the rivets for the flat part of the belly. Went all the way back to the wheels.

This way I will be able to put the nuts of the bolts for the floor.

Layed some thin plywood on the ground to protect the skin from rocks, etc if I need to lay on it when painting or putting the nuts on.

Anyways, while doing this, I got cra* dumped on me that was still in the belly sides. Not much, but enough that the next few days, were spent fighting off what feels like a head cold. Probably breathed in a bunch of it.
Should have had on my respirator.
Just now getting over it. So, if that was the cause, then I wasted 4 days recouping.