|
01-24-2006, 05:38 PM
|
#1
|
New Member
1968 30' Sovereign
Chico
, California
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1
|
Help! I need advice on fixing a big dent.
Hello, fellow airstreamers: I recently acquired a 1968 Land Yaght Sovereign in very good condition. The body was perfectly straight until last week when a well drilling company doing work on a water system nearby had a piece of equipment break, sending a large piece of flying metal into the top, front curve of my trailer! The dent is about 2 feet across, centered on a longitudinal seam. It is relatively shallow and does no have any creases. I have spoken with every body shop and RV repair shop in my area (chico, CA) and no one has a clue how to fix this,..in fact, i;'ve been told by more than one party that it simply can't be fixed. Any information to the contrary would be appreciated. If it can't be fixed, I need to attach a value to the damage. In terms of a straight vintage airstream that is no longer straight, what might that be? Any info much appreciated. Thank-you
|
|
|
01-24-2006, 05:46 PM
|
#2
|
Retired.
Currently Looking...
.
, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
|
Welcome to the forums, I wish your first post could be about a happier event.
If you can't use a large suction cup to pull the dent out (doubtful, from your description), you will need to get the damaged segments replaced. You can go to Inland RV's website, ( www.inlandrv.com) and check the prices they have on their individual segments. Note the price does not include installation.
There are several RV shops in your general area that can install the segments for you, although it is an expensive job.
Good luck with it.
__________________
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
|
|
|
01-24-2006, 05:47 PM
|
#3
|
1 Rivet Member
1969 25' Tradewind
1994 35' Land Yacht Diesel
port saint lucie
, Florida
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 16
|
big dent
Hi Deborah, my husband fixed a dent on our 1969 tradewind, believe it or not with a bathroom plunger. It's worth a try. Good luck
|
|
|
01-24-2006, 06:00 PM
|
#4
|
Rivet Master
, Minnesota
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,721
|
Deborah,
The best guy in the world to help you is Kent White. He does aircraft restorations and he teaches courses in how to build anything out of aluminum. He is a short distance from you in Nevada City.
He may not be able to do the work himself, but he could direct to to a local aircraft repair shop that could do the job right.
Forget going to a body shop. Aircraft mechanics have all the right tools.
Here's his website: http://metal-working.com/index.php
|
|
|
01-24-2006, 06:16 PM
|
#5
|
Rivet Master
1958 30' Sovereign of the Road
Plymouth
, New York
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,776
|
Harbor Freight
Go to www.harborfreight.com and search keyword suction. Try one of these, as I have and they work pretty well. Good luck.
Rob
|
|
|
01-24-2006, 06:41 PM
|
#6
|
Rivet Master
1968 26' Overlander
Wenatchee WA
, Cape Cod
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 871
|
I hope Campcollector chimes in here....he had to fix his brand new trailer after a tree fell on it while they were sleeping in it. Lawncondo had a neighbor trim a tree onto her trailer.
As far as the value of your trailer you can go to www.vintageairstream.com . He has a pretty extensive list of how to price a vintage airstream based on what it has or has wrong with it.
__________________
Jim & Kathleen 1968 Overlander - WBCCI #5793
|
|
|
01-24-2006, 08:56 PM
|
#7
|
4 Rivet Member
1967 30' Sovereign
Leavenworth
, Kansas
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 382
|
Just thinking legally......
Hope you are charging the well drilling company for all the repairs.....
Sorry, my former insurance claim/lawsuit/damages brain cell just kicked in.
__________________
Beth and/or David
67 Sovereign, double bed, rear bath-"Moby"
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Hemi, Quad Cab-"Ahab"
"Vintage trailer, vintage owners"
|
|
|
01-24-2006, 09:52 PM
|
#8
|
Rivet Master
1977 31' Sovereign
1963 26' Overlander
1989 34' Excella
Johnsburg
, Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,944
|
You say the dent is centered around a segment split line. If the suck cup does not do the job you might try the glued in place hooks like they take dents out of cars with. You would have to cement a number of them centered around the middle of the dent and then make a rig or park the trailer close to something big that you could attach a line to and put a pulley system on to slowly pull out the dent as you carefully pound with a rubber mallet around the edge of the dent. If that fails you might try drilling out a numbr of rivets at the segment edge and put some wood screw hooks in them and then pull with pulleys as above. Then put the rivets back in using Olympic rivets. Alot depends on if there was any metal stretching that occurred when the dent was made. If the metal stretched nothing will get the dent out. I do not believe there are any interior ribs in that area so I do not think you can push from the inside.
|
|
|
01-25-2006, 04:50 AM
|
#9
|
Just an old timer...
2004 22' Interstate
Tipton
, Iowa
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,766
|
I have to agree with Silver 67. Go get the estimates to replace the panels and present the bill to the drilling company's insurance company. Then go have your trailer repaired with new panels. That's why they have insurance.
Roger
__________________
havin' to fix my broken Airstreams since 1987...
AIR 2053 Current: 2004 Airstream Interstate "B-Van" T1N DODGE Sprinter
Former Airstreams: 1953 Flying Cloud, 1957 Overlander, 1961 Bambi, 1970 Safari Special, 1978 Argosy Minuet, 1985 325 Moho, 1994 Limited 34' Two-door, 1994 B190 "B-Van"
|
|
|
01-25-2006, 04:58 AM
|
#10
|
Rivet Master
1958 30' Sovereign of the Road
Plymouth
, New York
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,776
|
Ding King also
I used the Ding King as well on dents - it works well on Airstreams, not on Argosys as the paint the Argosy pulls off before the dent pops. I'd get a panel repair estimate still and present it to the well driller too...and if you just decide to pull the dents, you've got something in your pocket for the damage they did!
Rob
|
|
|
05-28-2008, 10:30 AM
|
#11
|
3 Rivet Member
2001 19' Bambi
Ashland
, Oregon
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 106
|
Wow, this is a two-year old thread. I just started a thread about a dent in my Bambi and was interested to see the replies on this one.
So, how did this one work out?
|
|
|
05-28-2008, 11:52 AM
|
#12
|
Retired.
Currently Looking...
.
, At Large
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 21,276
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muddy Waters
Wow, this is a two-year old thread. I just started a thread about a dent in my Bambi and was interested to see the replies on this one.
So, how did this one work out?
|
We don't know, the person that started the thread never came back.
__________________
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup.
Terry
|
|
|
05-28-2008, 01:00 PM
|
#13
|
Site Team
1974 31' Sovereign
Ottawa
, ON
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 11,219
|
Just emailed her to ask. We'll see if the address is current.
|
|
|
05-28-2008, 01:26 PM
|
#14
|
Rivet Master
2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Vintage Kin Owner
Virginia Beach
, Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,801
|
Basketball
Hey Terry, was it you or someone else who used an underinflated basketball to push out a dent from the inside?
Paula
__________________
Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.
|
|
|
05-29-2008, 09:39 AM
|
#15
|
3 Rivet Member
2001 19' Bambi
Ashland
, Oregon
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 106
|
I loved that idea and would try it but can't access from the inside of the A/S.
|
|
|
05-29-2008, 09:44 PM
|
#16
|
Site Team
1974 31' Sovereign
Ottawa
, ON
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 11,219
|
Well, to this time, no reply from the OP.
|
|
|
05-30-2008, 10:54 AM
|
#17
|
3 Rivet Member
2001 19' Bambi
Ashland
, Oregon
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 106
|
We picked up our trailer yesterday from being serviced and though they tried to get out the dent, only part of it came out. Oh well. We'll just have to live with it or try our own solutions, some of which will based on the advice given on here.
The saga continues.
|
|
|
06-07-2008, 10:34 PM
|
#18
|
Site Team
1974 31' Sovereign
Ottawa
, ON
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 11,219
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aage
Just emailed her to ask. We'll see if the address is current.
|
Never got a response, nor any "no such email" message return.
Seems we will never know!
|
|
|
06-08-2008, 07:42 AM
|
#19
|
Rivet Master
1971 25' Tradewind
1993 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Estancia
, New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,743
|
After trying the above if it didn't fix the problem, you could take out the interior endcap and try pushing and rolling the dent from the inside. I would guess you would be taking out the interior skins anyway if you need to have segments replace. A posted photo would help.
__________________
Sail on silver girl. Sail on by. Your time has come to shine.
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|