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mccrosti · 08-05-2014, 07:09 PM

Colin has the end caps. Price is not bad considering the craftsmanship that goes into these.

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digidad · 08-05-2014, 11:35 PM

Dave, the interior or exterior end caps?

dbj216 · 08-06-2014, 05:34 AM

They are interior end cap segments. I mention them as an option to the fiberglass end caps. Some folks like the look of aluminum and rivets in their interior. Some folks have done interior end caps in copper! The interiors of these vintage Airstreams can get pretty elaborate. Creativity abounds!

Here is an Air Forums thread location discussing Colin Hyde's interior end cap "kit" that he is developing. I do not know if it is available. And I don't know what year body style the kit is for. The 1960s are different than the 1970s. I also heard Colin discussing his kit on The Vintage Airstream Podcast. This is a fun internet "radio" show that I listen to while working on my 66. I bought the discs so I can play a show when it's convenient.

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Interior End Caps

David

digidad · 08-06-2014, 10:31 AM

David, I love the VAP. Bought the DVD set as soon as we bought the AS. It's a little confusing, as I'm listening to the early shows on a daily basis (up to #49 so far), and then every two weeks I catch the podcast and Rob Baker is gone...

Went back and looked at my end caps again - the rear is fiberglass, but the front is some sort of thermoplastic.

dbj216 · 08-06-2014, 05:49 PM

My 66 Trade Wind is that way. The rear bath end cap is fiberglass. The tub and toilet console are fiberglass. The sink was thermoplastic, maybe vacuum formed ABS. Maybe Airstream designers felt fiberglass was better for the "water closet". The Trade Wind front end cap is molded plastic. The overhead lockers are molded in with a plywood fascia with opening doors.

My 86 has a ABS shower pan and water proof wall paper. There is not too much plastic in the 86 as it is a Limited with the upgrade hickory cabinetry. However the water tanks are all rotomolded polyethylene. I don't think there is any fiberglass parts on the 86.

Airstream was using more molded plastics in their process throughout the 60s. By the 70s, plastics had infiltrated the interiors quite extensively. All in the interest of weight and cost reduction I'm sure.

Yep, the VAP is a lot of fun and very informative. You will have to submit a question and see if you can stump the panel. You are going to know Overlanders inside and out.

David

mccrosti · 08-11-2014, 10:30 AM

Rob's got like 6 kids. And he is an Active Duty Marine Corps officer, I think it was a bit of a time crunch for him.

digidad · 08-11-2014, 03:29 PM

Had some time this weekend to get back to the airstream. Spent a while cutting the luan into 6" strips, and I can positively say that it's the most annoying thing I have every tried to cut on my table saw. I ended up cutting two sheets length-wise to get 8' strips for the end of each panel, and two more width-wise to get 4' strips for the edges.

I only got two of of the six panels done. I decided to do the #1 panel, up front, since it was likely to be the hardest. (I like to get the worst done first.) Took a lot longer than I though it would, because I had to figure out how to approach it. What I finally ended hitting on was taking an old roll of electrical tape, putting my pencil in it, and using it like a bushing to trace the C channel. I then cut it with a jigsaw, and shaped it with a rasp. Pin-nailed it to the existing floor, and wood-glued gussets at the template joints. Pictures below.

Did the same on panel #5 (next to rear), which went much quicker.

But in looking at this, I have a real conundrum. What am I lifting first? Panels #1 & #6 have the traditional "C" (or is it "U") channel, that is screwed/bolted down on top of the panel itself. If I remove the elevator bolts, the channel and the external skin will come right off. But the other four have "y" channels (for the lack of a better name) that encase the end of the panel itself. There's no way to get the channel off without either cutting up the panel, or pulling the channel (and thus the walls/ribs/skins) off to the side to remove them. Both options suck, since the panels are (it appears) in good enough shape to use as templates and thus I don't want to cut them, and once the bracing is in, I don't think I can flex the skin enough to get the panels out. (If I could, then the bracing wasn't very well done, eh?)

So what I'm temped to do is remove the remaining rivets that hold the ribs to the channel, and then lift just the skins. That will let me take the floor panels out of the "y" channels one at a time and replace them. Once that's done, I can put the skin/ribs back onto the floor, and replace those rivets.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

digidad · 08-11-2014, 04:53 PM

That DIY aluminum end cap is beautiful!

O Shiny · 08-11-2014, 11:58 PM

Just popping in to say hi and thanks to all of you for the advice and support. Todd and I are still having fun on this project, although I'm already getting antsy for the interior work...which is a looooong way off. My first contribution was getting clear title for the trailer, which had expired, out of state registration. My next project will be the windows. We're hoping to add a couple, believe it or not, if I can source them from a similar trailer!

Todd was itching to do a frame-off restoration despite my misgivings...he was giddy as a little girl when he found enough frame damage to justify it. Which should give you some idea of his enthusiasm for this project.

millertimeUS · 08-22-2014, 01:43 PM

Digidad here is what you need to do.

Remove all the bolts and screws holding the channel to your floor. The front and rear of your trailer is U channel. Now that will just come right up as you lift, the channel still attached to the shell.

The straight side sections are C channel clamping the floor like a sandwich right? You have to drill out the exterior buck rivets on those that hold the exterior skin to the channel. Once you do then when you lift it will leave the channel on the flooring, also saving those pieces for good templates. Pull the channel off then get the old floor off the frame.

Then you get to see that frame in all it's rusty glory

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mccrosti · 08-28-2014, 10:05 AM

Digidad,

The Vap does not lie!! Remove all of the rivets! Then LIFT!!'

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millertimeUS · 08-28-2014, 01:03 PM

I hear the VAP episode also, unsure why Colin recommended this approach, but I respect his opinion.

You can leave the curved channel sections attached to the shell, why drill those rivets out when the channel can stay attached to the shell and lift right off? When you lower the shell back just bolt the c channel back in.

What benefit is there in removing the channel in the curved sections? Just extra work and less support for the shell.

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76 'Airstream Tradewind

RM66caravel · 08-28-2014, 02:06 PM

I am not sure about leaving it on the shell but I really don't know why you could not as long as the belly pan is not on so you can bolt the channel back on!
Cliff

Yes I said that! Or did I?

mccrosti · 08-29-2014, 04:48 PM

Guys I think the issue is that the C channel helps keep the shape of the shell once removed. If it's in the air it will deform.

digidad · 08-31-2014, 10:14 PM

We asked three welders out to bid on repairing the frame. All three said that there wasn't enough left of the old frame to make repairing it feasible, and so we asked for bids to build a new one using the existing remnant as a jig. Prices are about $3k which, while not too surprising, was a disappointment. The wait is about 3 weeks until any of them can get started, and we have an OktoberFest party to plan, so there's not going to be much body work going on.

In the mean time, I'm starting on the items that will be inaccessible once we start putting the insulation and the skins back on: First up, tail lights.

Looks like VTS is out of stock on the replacement cans, so that may have to wait. Has anyone completely removed the inside and outside pieces of the taillight assembly, or can they be repaired with out all that work?

millertimeUS · 09-01-2014, 08:48 AM

Sounds like you all are on your way! Just keep taking bites out of that elephant. The trick is to always be moving forward

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Swahealy · 09-02-2014, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mccrosti

Guys I think the issue is that the C channel helps keep the shape of the shell once removed. If it's in the air it will deform.

I removed my curved c-channel pieces mainly because they were pretty twisted and corroded. When I lifted my shell the shell held its shape just fine. No deformity.

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millertimeUS · 09-02-2014, 09:51 PM

My point was less about support. If they are damaged and/or your banana wraps rivet into it then remove it. Otherwise it seems unnecessary, that's all. To each his own, lots more experienced people on here than me that's for SURE

mccrosti · 09-05-2014, 08:15 PM

I've taken apart my taillight pieces and was able to rebuild the cans. It's pretty easy. Just make sure when you reinstall you have a good ground.

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digidad · 04-07-2015, 11:39 PM

OK, so we suck at updates. And once we got behind, I kept wanting to getting all the in-between photos up, which got me farther behind.

Ah, the hell with it. Admit defeat, and start from current.

Anyway, Mike-the-amazing-welder just finished up on the new frame, and dropped it off last weekend. It's beautiful! The only things remaining from the original frame are the back bumper (which he straightened, un-dented, and welded back together), and the stair release knob.

Next step: Paint it!!

I've bought some SEM green self-etching primer, and hope to get to that this weekend. We'll clean it first with lacquer thinner, and then a power wash. (Why green you ask? So I can see what I've painted. And in ten years, when I'm in the belly pan, I can tell the frame from dirt and grime.)

But what paint to use? Seems like all the etching primers are expecting to be followed by automotive topcoats, which our frame doesn't need. Any suggestions?