They certainly do... I know mine has been turning into a total custom job. More so than I wanted it to, originally. I think I may end up having to replace some exterior skins, eventually...
it's best to do that early, while the interior inards are out. i'm going to end up replacing both rear quarters in our 62 globe trotter. overall, it's not as bad as it sounds... and riveting is actually kinda fun!
I second that about rivetting, it makes you look at airplanes differently - that last minute when you go between the air-bridge and the plane itself and can look down the fuselage at those rows of rivets.
You'll look at fuel tankers differently too. Especially the reflection when you're following a shiney one and your vehicle looks like its in a funhouse mirror. :-D
They certainly do... I know mine has been turning into a total custom job. More so than I wanted it to, originally. I think I may end up having to replace some exterior skins, eventually...
Some of my skins are less than perfect after being polished. I thought about replacing them but then decided those blemishes are what gives my little Flying Cloud character. It's like crow's feet on an aging actress.
__________________
Dave and Joanne
1963 Flying Cloud
2005 Silverado 4x4 3/4 Ton
I second that about rivetting, it makes you look at airplanes differently - that last minute when you go between the air-bridge and the plane itself and can look down the fuselage at those rows of rivets.
Great work Jordan.
Carlos
thanks man! i've always admired your and uwe's work from day one. i really fell behind this past year, but i wouldn't change that for the world. parenthood has its moments, but the smiles are worth more than i could imagine!
anyway, i'm finally figuring out a pseudo-schedule that allows me to work on the airstream again. a week of full days isn't in the cards, but none-the-less, i can find a few minutes here and there.
tomorrow i'm hoping to finish polishing the front inner end cap, and finish the insulation around the floor level there. i've got a pile of parts in the garage beconning me to install them!
I've got one panel on the curbside that I'd like to replace. The TW had a 2' crease behind the door when I got it. Not too bad, suppose I could have lived with it but when the door flew open at 65mph, now I've got another blemish in the same panel. One day I'll get this done and when I do, Dave, I'm going to be calling you so you can get a taste to see if this is something you want to do on yours.
Some of my skins are less than perfect after being polished. I thought about replacing them but then decided those blemishes are what gives my little Flying Cloud character. It's like crow's feet on an aging actress.
i like that approach, too. the biggest problem with this trailer is the PO sanded it all with what LOOKS like 100 grit sandpaper. whatever grade it was, it was course enough to flatten off some of the rivets to their shoulders. replacing the skin is time consuming, but almost the only thing i can do to make a restorable finish. getting the end-caps to shine up to even anywhere NEAR the new aluminum takes SO much more time than the skins on my other 2 trailers. if i worked a single panel for a whole day, it would just be getting close. i have high hopes, though! it'll just take elbow grease and dedication... both of which i seem to have (at the moment, anyway!)
I've got one panel on the curbside that I'd like to replace. The TW had a 2' crease behind the door when I got it. Not too bad, suppose I could have lived with it but when the door flew open at 65mph, now I've got another blemish in the same panel. One day I'll get this done and when I do, Dave, I'm going to be calling you so you can get a taste to see if this is something you want to do on yours.
Brad
FF
when my door flew open on my 64 Trade, it blew a hole in the side. i ended up patching it. hardly noticeable to the uneducated eye! one of these days i might get around to replacing the skin, but for now, it's my camping camper... i'd call her "patches" if she didn't already have a name...
SHOTGUN
on the street side, the panel under the galley window has a blast pattern of dents under the window. now THAT'S character!
I myself have the 60 trdwnd door dent in the curbside from the past .I
don't like it ,but I too have done alot to fix it.One thing was to remove a couple buck rivits on the middle rivit line at the center /lower portion of the dent ,pop! out came most of it as the structural rib was bent in some as well holding the skin in .I installed ,glued JB Weld a couple aluminum buck rivits back in place ,looks so much better .i also have a large patch panel on the streetside ,but they did a good job with it (past again)I go with the
character thing also ,thats what it is anyway .I figure my tradewind has
been places ( Wally Byam caravan to Mexico once )so who then knows
just what and where my trailer was when this happened ,with who??
See ,character .
well, the front cap is 85% there now! 5 1/2 panels out of 7 done! one thiing i've noticed is the curved segments second from each end are a different alloy of aluminum. i think i remember seeing a different code on the backs when i took them out, it makes sense, though. they contain the greatest compound curve of them all. the other 5 are 2024 T3. it's probably too brittle to make that curve. when i'm polishing, the center 3 took 2 passes with the wheel, and one pass with nuvite, and were good to go. the second to the end on the left too 3X that long, 3X the passes with the wheel, and it's still slightly less polished than the rest. i won't tell if you won't!
I've got one panel on the curbside that I'd like to replace. The TW had a 2' crease behind the door when I got it. Not too bad, suppose I could have lived with it but when the door flew open at 65mph, now I've got another blemish in the same panel. One day I'll get this done and when I do, Dave, I'm going to be calling you so you can get a taste to see if this is something you want to do on yours.
Brad
FF
I will hold your cold beverage and offer you hearty encouragement Brad. Actually I'd love to help you so I can see where we went wrong.
__________________
Dave and Joanne
1963 Flying Cloud
2005 Silverado 4x4 3/4 Ton
... well, i had a little time this evening, so i started on the door. it had suffered the inevitable suicide door flop open at speed treatment, so the frame was cracked, bowed, basically abused. i removed all the interior skins, cleaned up the crack, and david welded it back to as close tot he original bow as i could get. i can fine tune it once the interior pieces start going back on the door. after it was welded, i started working on the right vertical piece. first i sheared it to size, then used a break to give it the 3/8 inch lip that goes in where the door inside a door fits, then used the break again to make the outter edge (the door has a nice tapered edge to it.) looks really cool up close. this weekend, when it's light out, i'll get better pics. then teh ol basic cleco, rivet deal, and ouala.
in the meantime, here we are. i'm hoping i can finish the other 3 panels on saturday, and get the interior part of the door buttoned up as well. i decided to go with .040 for the door, both th eoutside and inside panels. it will definitely sturdy things up. i can tell already with just one of the panels done.
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replacing the skin is time consuming, but almost the only thing i can do to make a restorable finish. getting the end-caps to shine up to even anywhere NEAR the new aluminum takes SO much more time than the skins on my other 2 trailers. if i worked a single panel for a whole day, it would just be getting close. i have high hopes, though! it'll just take elbow grease and dedication... both of which i seem to have (at the moment, anyway!)
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