Rusted Frame Questions

[BruceClan]

I have a gutted '78 Sovereign. The frame is coated in rust and appears to have been eaten away in places. (See pics) How much trouble am I in for? Can we just clear the rust, or do we need to reinforce? What's a fair price for repairs?

(Of course my computer is being helpful and has rendered every image upside down...)

[GMFL]

You are in a BAD spot. Doable but BAD. Outriggers as well as most of what I see will need to be cut out and replaced. Rust is like metal cancer and if you do not get it gone it will only get worse. There are chemical treatment that can stop surface rust but “rust rot” will have to be replaced. Rust can also hind much bigger problems. I would think it best to have the frame sandblasted and then you can better see what you are dealing with.

[rugjenkins]

Actually it not that bad. There are alot more that look way worse. Gmfl is right about the outriggers, but those are simple to replace. As for the rest of the frame, a good welder can take care of you no problem. Mine looked worse than yours. No need to panic. Sandblasting is great but it is expensive. Wire wheels on grinder work just as well. It all depends on what you can and want to do yourself. Take it to a good welder to get a good opinion on what to do.

[Belegedhel]

It looks like your belly pan is still in place. You need to go ahead and remove that, as the undersides of all these frame members will be in even worse shape where they come in contact with the belly pan, water gets trapped there, and corrosion is aggravated by contact with the aluminum.

Your frame shows rust/rot that is fairly typical of trailers that age. Your best bet is to take to a professional welder and get their opinion as to how much is salvageable, and how to fix what needs to be fixed. I had to replace about the last 4 ft. of my frame, including the cross members and outriggers. I paid about $450 for the repairs, which didn't seem unreasonable.

Good luck!

[BruceClan]

Thanks for the email responses, those are very helpful. We had it looked at today at an RV shop and they said the same: replace the outriggers and repair or replace some of the middle beams of the frame. They have a local metalworker they use, and will get us a quote and a timeframe, but they said it’s likely a monthlong wait. We’d like to look at other sourcing options, but not sure where to start. Where and how did you get replacements for your outriggers?

[dbj216]

I'd recommend you have your shop and welder look for frame rail straightness and buckling. These seventies Airstreams are plagued with rear end separation. When the rear frame crossmember rusts away and the rear plywood subfloor rots away the body gets detached from the frame. As a result, the frame rails can "sag" downward and even buckle. Look for cracks in the axle plates, and look for bulging or buckles in the frame rails after the axle plates. Your welder can jack up and straighten the frame rails and stiffen them. Strengthening your 40 year old rusty frame is a good thing to do "while you're at it".

David

[Cleone]

I just acquired a 1979 Sovereign Land Yacht. I am concerned about the rusted frame. Most of the storage cabinets and built ins are in good shape and I would like to keep them. I do not want to "gut" her but feel it may be necessary in order to repair the rusted frame. Is it best to remove the belly pan and assess the rust damage from that angle or is gutting inevitable?

[dbj216]

Greetings Cleone: Welcome to the vintage Airstream hobby. Gee, a 79 Sovereign. I've not seen one of those up close. Maybe you can post some pictures when you get a chance.

I worked all last winter on a 76 Sovereign. It had a classic case of rear end separation, and 9 rusted outriggers, and other areas for repair. I recommend you start from the bottom up with a thorough assessment of your trailer. For example: tires good, axles good, waste water tanks good, subfloor good. Axle expected life is about 30 years before the rubber rods go stiff as hockey pucks. Do the bumper bounce test for rear end separation. Stand on the rear bumper over the frame rail, and bounce like you were on a diving board. Watch for any gap that opens between the body and the frame rail. Do this test on both frame rails. If you see a gap open up, well then, the fun begins. Also check around the interior perimeter of the subfloor with an ice pick. Try to poke holes in the subfloor plywood. If you find rotted floor, especially in the rear compartment, well then, more fun begins. Make notes of everything you find that needs repaired.

It is certainly possible to repair the frame rails with the body on the trailer, and cabinets in place. It is harder, but possible. Gotta prevent fires if welding on the frame. We did significant repairs to the 76 Sovereign with the body on, but the cabinets were out.

Depending on what you find, you may be in for a 1000 hour and $10k project to bring your 79 back up to snuff and completely travel ready like many of us have. Our 76 renovation project thread is linked below if you care to look it over.

David

[Cleone]

Thanks for the info. This will definitely be a labor of love but well worth it. I am in no hurry to get it on the road but we are going into the dark days of winter in western PA so I would like to get it waterproof and critterproof before the snow starts to fly.