what is the bumper to hitch length

[volvophile]

Hi yall,
I'm new to the forum to help me decide on wich one of these to buy, so I have a couple of stupid questions up my sleave
At the moment, I'm looking at a "75 Excella 500 31'
Is 31' the length of the vessel or the length of the whole Shananay from bumper to hitch?
It might sound like I'm picking nits, but I have a 34.5' driveway, so that extra toung length comes into play.

Also does anyone have links to a photo of the frame modificaions they did to keep the back end from drooping?
I'm trying to get an idea of what to look for when I do a visual inspection of this thing.

Thanks,
Dave.

[overlander63]

Dave, welcome to the forums.
Trailer length is measured from tip of tongue to end of bumper, or overall length. A 31' coach will be 31' total, with about 28' being the trailer.

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by volvophile

Hi yall,
I'm new to the forum to help me decide on wich one of these to buy, so I have a couple of stupid questions up my sleave
At the moment, I'm looking at a "75 Excella 500 31'
Is 31' the length of the vessel or the length of the whole Shananay from bumper to hitch?
It might sound like I'm picking nits, but I have a 34.5' driveway, so that extra toung length comes into play.

Also does anyone have links to a photo of the frame modificaions they did to keep the back end from drooping?
I'm trying to get an idea of what to look for when I do a visual inspection of this thing.

Thanks,
Dave.

DAve,

Airstreams are measured from bumper to balll. Therefore the total length of the Excella is 31'. However, having said that the length is even feet and can be from just over 30' to just under 32'.

Bill

[dwightdi]

If it a rear bath you could have a problem. Mid bath not as much a problem. The frame modification is a reinforcing plate bolted to the web that hangs down between the wheels. I think yoou can still buy one from Airstream or make one yourself. The modification to the back is two bolts that install between the c channel on the bottom of the body and the frame. To due it the Airstream way you need to cut away the outside or inside of the body to get at the c channel and then drill thru c channel and frame and install bolts with a c-channel stress spreading washer like piece. This causes the body to take some of the load off the frame. The frame is holding up the rear mounted gray and black water tanks and they (when filled) are the major cause of overloading and bending the frame between the axles when the trailer goes over a signifigant bump or hole. Dynamic stress can be two to three times the static stress. A faster way is to drill thru the bottom frame or the rear acces door, c channel and frame member below it. Then install the stress spreading 4" by 1" "washer" in the bottom channel of the door and bolt thru it to the steel cross member below it. This usually overloads the door frame leading to distortion and other possible damage but it is a quick fix. I have also seem people install rods all the way from the back window frame all the way down inside the wall to the frame. There is a link somewhere on this forum to the tech service bulletin from Airstream.

[driftwood]

Volvophile,

Try this link for a start on the separation:

http://www.airforums.com/forum...end+seperation

Then try an advanced search.

[jcanavera]

Understand that Airstream over the years has not always stated the true length of a trailer in the model description. For example I have a 30' Classic Slide out. Actual length? The same as the 31' Classic. Just slightly shy of 31'.

Jack