Help! need info on weak spot in front floor.

[Venpetra]

We have a '77 Excella that we are trying to semi restore, i.e fix ugly,dirty or needed items. Came across an area in front of battery boxes that is weak and sags when stepped on in the center. The area that seems to be affected is only towards the front of the trailer where the Tv credenza was. The floor is not soft or rotted, but something underneath is lacking. Any ideas? We are thinking a crossmember to be rusted through or something like that. What do we do? Any help at all would be appreciated.

Thanks, Petra and Ventura

[CaddyGrn]

Hello and welcome to the forums.

You might use the search tool and look for partial floor replacement, or rusted frame... see what threads pop up. Lots of information. You might also post a picture or two and those with Excella experience may be able to really help you. It may be necessary to drop a portion of the belly pan to really get in and look at the area, but I can't visualize where your TV might have been located. Once you determine what the problem really is, then you can find the best solution!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)

[davidz71]

Hi Petra,
I had a '77 Excella 500 31' with the exact same situation by the front cradenza. You have probably had either a water leak around the front window or water has leaked around the battery box area and onto the flooring the battery boxes sit on. You can open the access vent panel in the belly pan and look up at the floor in this area. I could see my floor having a bow in the wood. I was able to push up on the floor and wedge a flat piece of steel in between the frame and the wood for additional support. What might happen over time, the battery boxes will sag more and place stress on the front sheetmetal where the outer box doors are riveted. The rivets will start popping and/or the front aluminum sheetmetal will split. I can't give you any more specific repair info regarding floor repacement.

[Venpetra]

Thanks all, we actually spoke with Airstream and they said all trailers of our sort,year etc, have a weaker spot there, since it wasn't intended to have weight on it. It is actually located at the very front of the trailer, where the battery box is, and under it...our spare tire. Therefor no support was installed by airstream at the time of manufacturing. There used to be a credenza there along the front that we tore out, and there are with weak spots in the floor. They actually told us to brace it up, similiar to what you did, and that "should" be sufficient. We have poked at it slightly through the week and it seems to solve the problem. so on Saturday we will install some sort of support from the bottom/bellypan up.
Thanks for your responses, Petra and Ventura