Removing black tank

[goswick]

I want to remove the black tank from my 1968 Airstream Overlander. I have removed the rear belly pan and see the four bolts holding the angle iron for the support base. Before I remove the bolts do I need to remove the toilet prior to dropping the tank...also do I need to disconnect the exhaust/breather pipe?

Thanks for any help/advice/suggestions.

Pete

[Joyflea]

Yes , be sure have drained it and washed it out. Tale toilet out and take screws out of the flange and unscrew the flange from the tank . Then you will need to disconnect the vent pipe . Check for any other vents then you can lower the tank . Have fun .

[goswick]

Originally Posted by Joyflea

Yes , be sure have drained it and washed it out. Tale toilet out and take screws out of the flange and unscrew the flange from the tank . Then you will need to disconnect the vent pipe . Check for any other vents then you can lower the tank . Have fun .

Do you know how the vent pipe is usually attached to the tank? I haven't started taking the tank out and would be good to know what to look for.

Thanks

[1967Over_Int]

I’m about to drop my tank on my 67. This thread is exactly what I was about to ask. I hope others drop more info if possible. I’ve got my belly pan pulled back to the axles and was about to start ripping the bath room as I wasn’t sure what needed to be disconnected to allow the tank to drop.

[goswick]

Originally Posted by 1967Over_Int

I’m about to drop my tank on my 67. This thread is exactly what I was about to ask. I hope others drop more info if possible. I’ve got my belly pan pulled back to the axles and was about to start ripping the bath room as I wasn’t sure what needed to be disconnected to allow the tank to drop.

I've got my belly pan down in the rear, put Liquid Wrench on the underside bolts/nuts that are holding the black tank in place, removed the toilet flange (it unscrews from the black tank one you remove the 4 screws securing it to the floor) and now ready to start removing from below once the weather cooperates. I'm still not sure about removing the vent pipe from the black tank but hopefully it will become more obvious once I start removing the tank.

That is where I am so far and will keep you posted as to how things go....thankfully the wooden floor appears to be in good shape. I suspect that the previous owner replaced it when they replaced the commode.

[Joyflea]

Just cut the vent pipes nice and square at least 1&1/2 above the floor . That way you can glue them back together with a coupling . Have fun and get after it .

[mrdes8]

Yep, that's it, just dropped the black tank on my 68 Olander, the vent pipe inserted into a flange on the tank and had a large hose clamp around it, that was doing nothing, the vent pipe came right out the minute I touched it and tank right to the floor. Now it's time to check the floor...

Mark D.

[Hbean]

Hey Mark D,

What advice can you give regarding removing the belly pan? I’ve been brainstorming like crazy trying to figure out the best way to go about the huge project that is my 68 Overlander. I want to access the frame to remove surface rust and to address any bigger issues I may find. I’ve got the rear part of the pan somewhat down… I’m unsure what to do about the banana wraps… they don’t seem to budge. Also, can I just cut the pan at the axels to remove it and patch it back together once I’m ready to put it back on? It’s not in horrid shape, so I would rather just patch the few corroded spots vs. replacing the whole thing. Any thoughts on this will be appreciated. Thank you.

[Belegedhel]

Originally Posted by Hbean

Hey Mark D,

What advice can you give regarding removing the belly pan? I’ve been brainstorming like crazy trying to figure out the best way to go about the huge project that is my 68 Overlander. I want to access the frame to remove surface rust and to address any bigger issues I may find. I’ve got the rear part of the pan somewhat down… I’m unsure what to do about the banana wraps… they don’t seem to budge. Also, can I just cut the pan at the axels to remove it and patch it back together once I’m ready to put it back on? It’s not in horrid shape, so I would rather just patch the few corroded spots vs. replacing the whole thing. Any thoughts on this will be appreciated. Thank you.

This is a pretty old thread--the original participants may not be paying attention to it anymore. Your best bet would be to start your own thread with a relevant title, and I am sure you will get many responses as removing the bellypan is something that nearly everyone rebuilding a trailer has to do.

good luck!

[dbj216]

Welcome to the vintage Airstream hobby and to these Forums. There are a lot of folks here that have renovated, or restored, these antique Airstream travel trailers and enjoy traveling with them, Mark D included.

I've renovated four of these old Airstreams, including a 66 Trade Wind 24' and a 69 Globetrotter 21'. I also did a 75 Overlander 27'. Your 68 Overlander 26' is considered a gem of a vintage Airstream. It is the last year of the "twinkie" body style. Airstream built a new body style starting in 1969.

Okay, back to belly pan removal. Have you assessed your axles yet" If they are original, they are likely shot meaning the rubber rods lose their "suspension effect" after about 30 years. I think it is likely you will want to drop the old axles and get new replacements. I simply drill out the rivets holding the belly pan up and pull it down. The banana wraps front and rear are riveted to the C channel under the "rub rail" trim. So drill out the rivets of the trim and then drill out the rivets of the banana wraps.

Yes, you may enjoy starting a "project thread" in the Airstream trailer "knowledgebase" found near the bottom of the Forums page. Click on Overlander, and then your year range. Maybe you have been reading threads in this area already. Your 68 Overlander project will likely take quite a bit of time and money to complete. At least it does me.

Here is a photo of my former 66 Trade Wind, and of the rear "wraps". I took them down and made new ones.

David

[mrdes8]

Hey Hbean, welcome to the forums and yes I'm still here. Real quickly at first, belly pan removal on the '68 was pretty challenging due to the unusual rivets, at least on mine. Wouldn't drill, had to grind them all off. Next, at least in the rear of the trailer, the banana wraps wrapped around and into the "c" channel and were held in place with a couple pop rivets before the shell was dropped on, would be quite a project to remove if not doing a shell off job. Would be happy for you to private message me (through the user CP), maybe have a phone call, there's a lot of details here. Hope this helps some.
Good luck, Mark D