My drooping end of my '69

[airstrmkids]

Hello,

I have rear end drop and I know there are frame repair kits out there but I am unable to find one. If anyone knows where I can find one please give me the link..


Thanks,

Scott

[Dan@LED4RV]

Scott,
Rear End Sag is not really a problem of the frame. It has to do with the rear of the trailer leaking in rain water and rotting the wood. The wood then gives way. The wood was the component that held the frame to the hull. The hull, body, fuselage (whatever you want to call it) has a lot of strength. If the frame were NOT to be reattached then it might bend, but hopefully yours is not in that state.

There are a few ways to do this.
1) You could take stuff out of the rear room of your unit and reattach the frame.
2) Take the whole body off the frame and redo the whole floor, or
3) Cut holes in the rear lower body panels and reattach the body to the frame.

The first one is the best if you can get to the inside lower wall without much trouble but if you have a rear bath, forget that. The last one, #3, is the cheapest way to go. Below is a picture of what your unit may look like if repaired this way.



You start with a hole saw and cut a small hole so you can get in there with some snips. Then you cut a triangle shape hole on both sides (left and right) so that you can use a large bolt and run it through lower frame and the u-channel that is on the bottom of the body. Some type of metal will be needed on the top part of the u-channel, like a washer on a bolt.
You then order a small piece of metal from an Airstream dealer to put back over the hole. You will need to rivet and seal the metal. The rivets will need to be dressed and the rivet dresser can be rented from Out-of-Doors Mart. No need to buy a tool you only need one time.

I would seal the metal on metal with aluminum Parbond and the lower rear deck to the body with TremPro Polyurethane Sealant 360002. You can see that this unit has been done this way and the color blends very nicely.

I hope this helps

Dan

[RaleighAir]

I'm dealing with my sagging sovereign rear now too - already took out the whole rear bath. I'm going to have to get new wood in there, just the rear sheet.
Below link pretty much covers it. I have to do the same thing.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...ures-9774.html

[Dave Park]

If anyone is within 250 miles of Austin, TX and has this problem, I am happy to help for free - just cover my gas and put me up and I'll bring my tools and experience and sunny disposition with me

[airstrmkids]

Unfortunately the frame is bent because the frame that holds the axels together is bent. I have a guy that can fix it but it will be cheaper if I can find the rear end frame repair kit.
The tin on the outside of the trailer is starting to buckle so it's the frame being bent
I wish it was the easy fix.

Scott

[Dave Park]

The rear end frame repair "kit" doesn't help repair the problem - replacing the rotted rood repairs the problem. The repair kit simply makes the job a little easier and does what it can to remedy the cause of the failure so it won't happen again. You do not need this kit to make the basic repair.

If your frame has rusted enough to break near the center, you're definitely headed towards frame-off repair territory, as it's best to have an unloaded and accessible trailer to get it completely straight and strong.

It may be that you might want to sell the trailer to a dedicated restorer who can invest the time, energy and money needed, and use that money towards a trailer in better condition? The decision is yours alone, but the question might be a prudent one to ask yourself.

[airstrmkids]

Well, 99% of the problem in the rear of my '69 I found out that it was floor rot. Put new floor in the rear and now trying to fix the problem that the frame is seperated. I think I know what I have to do. So I will keep you updated.

[RickDavis]

There is / was a frame repair kit available that consisted of plates that went over the axle area. There was also a service bulletin on the installation, which was basically suspend the trailer from the ends to reverse the sag. You usually can tell if the frame is bent by looking down the axle mounting plates and looking for ripples in the surface. Another clue is when the center partition starts pushing through the ceiling.
I put these plates on my 69 ambassador a number of years ago.
This repair goes hand in hand with the repair at the rear of the trailer.
Inland RV may have these plates. I got a quote from there once but it was at least 10 years ago so stock may have changed