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Old 04-07-2008, 07:04 PM   #1
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What is the purpose

What is the main purpose of the front metal plate, and how should be installed?...............thanks
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Old 04-07-2008, 07:18 PM   #2
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That is supposed to "locate" the front of the body, and help keep it from shifting around.
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Old 04-08-2008, 05:07 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by overlander63
That is supposed to "locate" the front of the body, and help keep it from shifting around.
The PO installed new alum. on the front outside, shouldn't that piece be riveted to the metal plate...........thanks
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Old 04-08-2008, 05:39 AM   #4
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The last Airstream I had ripped apart to where I could see the plate, it was attached by welds to the A-frame, and the front skin of the trailer was riveted to it.
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Old 04-08-2008, 05:57 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by overlander63
The last Airstream I had ripped apart to where I could see the plate, it was attached by welds to the A-frame, and the front skin of the trailer was riveted to it.
That was my thinking but I wanted to make sure, thanks very much.......
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Old 04-08-2008, 09:33 AM   #6
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My Gt had about 6 pop rivets only that picked up the outside skin, vertical steel plate and the "C" channel. I installed solid rivets with approx 1 inch spacing along with the rivets in the top section of the plate. I also installed another piece .040 aluminum inbetween the verticl steel and the outside skin that also picked up the vertical ribs.
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Old 04-08-2008, 11:12 AM   #7
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yes, Overlander63 is correct. The front plate is the main support for the front of the shell. On our 76 the front panel I blieve is actually thicker (.40?) than the side panels. The plate was welded to the frame and has 3 rows of bucked rivets into the front panel.
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Old 04-18-2008, 10:00 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aerowood
My Gt had about 6 pop rivets only that picked up the outside skin, vertical steel plate and the "C" channel. I installed solid rivets with approx 1 inch spacing along with the rivets in the top section of the plate. I also installed another piece .040 aluminum inbetween the verticl steel and the outside skin that also picked up the vertical ribs.
My plate was completely rusted off and the front panel was never attached,
the PO installed a new front panel that wasn't attached to the steel plate, just floating in the wind. Did your steel plate have a 90 deg bend than welded to the frame and I assuming that the front panel needs to be 90 deg to the frame........hanks
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Old 04-21-2008, 09:24 AM   #9
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Yes, that's correct. The plate has a 90 degree bend where it is welded to the frame and the front panel is perpendicular to the frame.
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Old 04-21-2008, 09:50 AM   #10
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Toastie,

I don't know what that row of white dots are in the photo of your plate up in post #1, but that's where my front plate has three rows of bucked rivets, on about a 3-inch matrix. I think I had 22 rivets in all.

Just to give you an idea of the stiffness of my '77 Safari, when I took all the rivets and bolts out of the front 4' of the shell-to-frame connections and used a jack to push up on the shell to lift the front end (to get the front section of the floor out), the shell only moved up 1/16th"!

Even with that stiffness, you still need to tie the front panel to the steel plate. The aerodynamic lift on the shell is a very big force, so without that tie, you can damage the shell.

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Old 04-21-2008, 09:51 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toastie
What is the main purpose of the front metal plate, and how should be installed?...............thanks
That plate is called, "the front hold down plate."

It holds the front part of the shell to the frame.

Without it, the front shell will received damage everytime you hit a bump.

Add additional rivets to it. That will increase the hold down "ability."

There is a similair plate at the rear, but much smaller.

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Old 04-21-2008, 07:19 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In
That plate is called, "the front hold down plate."

It holds the front part of the shell to the frame.

Without it, the front shell will received damage everytime you hit a bump.

Add additional rivets to it. That will increase the hold down "ability."

There is a similair plate at the rear, but much smaller.

Andy
Here is a picture of the new front hold down plate and thanks for the heads up on the rear, the PO owner took the rear flooring out with plate, placed new plywood without going under the u-channel, no damaged to the outside, my guess is that the trailer just sit.
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Old 04-22-2008, 02:00 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toastie
Here is a picture of the new front hold down plate and thanks for the heads up on the rear, the PO owner took the rear flooring out with plate, placed new plywood without going under the u-channel, no damaged to the outside, my guess is that the trailer just sit.
Originally that front hold down plate had 3 rows of rivets.

Increase it to 5 rows.

Andy
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Old 04-22-2008, 05:59 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In
Originally that front hold down plate had 3 rows of rivets.

Increase it to 5 rows.

Andy
Will run with 5 bucked rivets. When installing the new floor should I run the plywood right to the end of the outriggers, the old floor doesn't appear to go right to the end...............thanks
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Old 10-25-2009, 07:52 AM   #15
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My 53 flying cloud had no such plate in the front or back. While impossible to add it now, I did add thick angle aluminum to the front and back to rivet the shell to. This was better than the nothing that was there.
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Old 10-25-2009, 10:36 AM   #16
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I do not see a plate on the front of the new models. (90-00's)
What keeps the front from shifting/bouncing today.
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Old 11-12-2009, 03:26 PM   #17
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Notice the damage to the front trim piece due to the lack of a front hold down plate.
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