Rear Floor Rot on '67 overlander

[pinktrailer]

I am looking for any quick fix ideas for the rear of my 1967 Overlander. It seems to be just the rear two inches of the plywood which is rotted out. The curbside bumper has dropped about one inch, and the bolts are partially exposed. The water seems to run right down the back of the trailer, and curl right into this area. I had the roadside rear floor section replaced a few years back, and this is already starting to rot as well.

I am looking for a quick fix idea right now, as I really don't want to pull out the entire bathroom. The soft floor does not extend into the bathroom area at all yet.

[DKB_SATX]

The problem with a quick-fix since the trailing edge of your plywood is gone is that the subfloor is part of the structure of your trailer, and the front and rear sections are the most important to overall structural integrity. The "slow fix" of replacing the subfloor, properly sealing up that intersection of outer skin, banana wrap and subfloor and maintaining that seal will last decades, but quick fixes tend to have short shelf life.

[mrgreen]

i don't have a 67 but if my 69 is anything to go by i geuss it's because airstream has the banana wrap riding on top of the body here (overlapping instead of underlapping) if i was doing a quick fix i would drop the belly pan and tank if that's where it is ,cut in some new ply back to good wood and then sure the join up with a frame made from angle iron and flat iron atleast 12 inches long to mate the new wood to the old, if you had a welder you could weld in a new piece of steel to support the new wood, i think this fix would probably last well. as for the water ingress if you have a belly wrap i would drop this and clean really well and then seal a new piece of aluminium over the join where the water usually gets in

[pinktrailer]

I know that you are right, and that is what has to happen, but was hoping I might be able to do something so that I was safe, pulling it a short distance.

[pinktrailer]

Originally Posted by mrgreen

i don't have a 67 but if my 69 is anything to go by i geuss it's because airstream has the banana wrap riding on top of the body here (overlapping instead of underlapping) if i was doing a quick fix i would drop the belly pan and tank if that's where it is ,cut in some new ply back to good wood and then sure the join up with a frame made from angle iron and flat iron atleast 12 inches long to mate the new wood to the old, if you had a welder you could weld in a new piece of steel to support the new wood, i think this fix would probably last well. as for the water ingress if you have a belly wrap i would drop this and clean really well and then seal a new piece of aluminium over the join where the water usually gets in

Thank you! This is exactly what I was hoping I might do for now. Welding in a piece of steel would definately work to secure it temporarily. I also very much like the idea of pulling the belly pan, rather than taking out the bathroom at this point, since the problem doesn't go in that far.
You've given me hope!

[mrgreen]

Originally Posted by pinktrailer

Thank you! This is exactly what I was hoping I might do for now. Welding in a piece of steel would definately work to secure it temporarily. I also very much like the idea of pulling the belly pan, rather than taking out the bathroom at this point, since the problem doesn't go in that far.
You've given me hope!

i would say if you weld in a new piece of steel you can say job done as it will last as long as the trailer, what is really important is fix that darn leak!

[aquinob]

Originally Posted by mrgreen

i don't have a 67 but if my 69 is anything to go by i geuss it's because airstream has the banana wrap riding on top of the body here (overlapping instead of underlapping) if i was doing a quick fix i would drop the belly pan and tank if that's where it is ,cut in some new ply back to good wood and then sure the join up with a frame made from angle iron and flat iron atleast 12 inches long to mate the new wood to the old, if you had a welder you could weld in a new piece of steel to support the new wood, i think this fix would probably last well. as for the water ingress if you have a belly wrap i would drop this and clean really well and then seal a new piece of aluminum over the join where the water usually gets in

There is no quick fix for this problem. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't see how this will work or how you can do this just by working from underneath the trailer.

The rot is most likely all the way back under the sink, so in order to get the old plywood out and patch in the new, you still need to remove the bath furniture and fixtures as well as any plumbing that is in the way. Welding in another piece of angle iron to attach to the intact ply may add some support, but the whole box structural integrity of the frame and superstructure depends on that continuous perimeter attachment and this fix doesn't sound like it would correct that. Check my blog if you want to see what I've been going through with a bathroom repair/remodel.

[68 TWind]

You might enjoy seeing how TomW fixed his 67 Overlander. Tom had done a complete floor several years before and but did not want to tear out the whole bathroom again.
Here is a link to his blog site with pics: Adventures of a Curious Fellow: Only Eight Years Between Failures?

Also a link to his old web site where he details his original work on the Overlander:
1967 Airstream Overlander

[pinktrailer]

Thank you all for the blogs and information.

I pulled off the trim yesterday, and almost have the banana wrap off. I found a 1-3/4" tear in the wrap, totally hidden under the trim, which certainly has added to the problem, if not causing it. I, too, think I am going to have to work from above as well, but will see how things progress.