Hail Damaged Excella 35......

[longhauler]

Hello...

Check out this hail damage... This is a '91 Excella 35 coming up at auction (was a writeoff) I'm looking to bid on it. It is hours from where I live and all I have is a few photos and a brief option list. It should go cheap (I will be buying it over the phone if the price is right) I really know little about it - would anyone take a look at the photos I have to help determine what this would be worth / options etc. The damage is tolerable and I would likely not fix it anyways. Send me an e-mail at ontario@sympatico.ca and I'll e-mail the photos to you. Thanks in advance. Greg

[jcanavera]

Greg, if that's the worst of the hail damage consider it minor. I wouldn't remove this trailer from consideration because of this.

Jack

[Pick]

That's nothing. I got a few hail dents in mine, much bigger than those.

[Silvertwinkie]

If that's the worst, and the rest is in good shape, grab it. That damage is nothing and in some cases normal temp flucuations will lessen the damage unless it already has and it was worse at some point.

[Pahaska]

Do you have a photo of the end segments? These are made of much thinner aluminum and would be damaged much more severely.

A few years ago, I took an $8000 settlement for hail on my SOB trailer and had the factory replace the roof. A good friend who was parked next to me got the very same settlement and went to the dealer and traded on a brand new unit. The dealer took off very little for the hail damage and my friend had a new trailer at no cost. I'm still kicking myself for not simply trading mine in.

[nds]

If the only damage is dents and the outer skin wasn't torn in anyway to allow leaks, I wouldn't be too concerned.

I've seen this product advertised and I think it would be ideal for these type of dents. I would think the majority of them could be removed and with most of the dents being on the roof, would only concern myself with those that are actually visible.

The Ding King

[Chas]

Man, that baby is totaled!

Why don't you buy it and part it out? I would like to get the Zip Dee window awnings off of it and the front gravel guards! Can you get me the measurements?

Chas

[nds]

You are kidding, right Chas? Unless you're seeing something I don't in the one picture provided.

[Chas]

Yes I am. Kidding. I really want those window awnings though! What pattern are they? Pacific Blue Ultima I hope.

Chas

[longhauler]

Hello To All.....

I heard it is possible for someone with a WBCCI book look up who owned this unit? If the # is re-assigned would an older book work? I would like to call them (auction only giving me photos - no descriptions) (It is in NC) A day and a half 'till auction closing.

The # is 17553


Thanks for everyones input!!

Fishing for a deal on some awnings, are we Chas ?

[j54mark]

Products like the Dent King will only make your Airstream look worse. They may work just fine on steel, but aluminum works entirely different.

Mark

[qqq]

Go for it!
The AS looks perfect to me, the "salvagedirect.com" site has done a good job with their pics.
I wouldn't worry too much as it is not too old.

Hart

[nds]

Originally posted by j54mark
Products like the Dent King will only make your Airstream look worse. They may work just fine on steel, but aluminum works entirely different.
Mark

Why is that? The only thing the tool is supposed to do is pull the dent back out. Pretty much the same tool that they would use if you had it done.

[Chas]

Originally posted by longhauler




Fishing for a deal on some awnings, are we Chas ?

Yes,

And some rock guards which thanks to your pic look to be available!

As far as I.D.'ing the previous WBCCI owner you won't have much luck. First off you need to be a WBCCI member to do so, period. Second, unless this number is still active and even if it is, there is no sure way to determine if this number still applies to this unit and whoever owned it at the time this number was assigned to this unit. Numbers can be reassigned if they become available, like if a member decided not to renew.

Chas

[j54mark]

"The only thing the tool is supposed to do is pull the dent back out. Pretty much the same tool that they would use if you had it done."

Not with aluminum. Aluminum, unlike steel, does not "pop out". To work out dents in aluminum you must work from the ourside in. Now, there has been some success reported with suction cups, but even then you work it from the edges around and around and the towards the center. I suppose you could do the same thing with one of these glue type tools, but it would be incredibly tedius.

Mark

[nds]

Hmm, I saw this tool (not the Ding King, but the professional model) in among tools that were linked on the Vintage Restoration site, so I assumed that it was applicable for this use.

I stand corrected.

[j54mark]

I think I will back up a bit and say that I do not absolutely know that a Dent King type approach will not work. I will say that I have seen it fail, rather spectacularly. I will also say that it will not work in the way that it can sometimes work with steel - just popping out the dent from the center.

There may be a technique whereby Dent King could be used on an Airstream, but somebody would need to explain it to me.

I say all this, not to discourage anyone, but to prevent the inexperianced from making an irrepairable mistake.

Mark

[59toaster]

If that's the worst jump on it.

Our resident Airstream dealer, Andy, has pointed out that this sort of damage will fade with time. The properties of the aluminum that is used will tend to have the dents that are not creased pop themselves out with heat cycling. If he's correct then about 50% or better of what you see in that picture will proably begone in a year. THe cold of winter will cuse considerable shrinkage and next summers expansion sould do the trick.

As a example. The thin aluminum Hehr vents on our 59 look like somebody worked it over with a ball pene hammer from hail over they ears and there is no hail dents on the body at all.