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Old 01-22-2019, 09:07 PM   #1
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1973 25' Tradewind
Indianapolis , Indiana
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 2
Importance of shell to floor connection on stationary airstream

This is my first post. I have a 26 ft airstream leveled on 4 cement pads in my back yard. I’ve gutted it. I hope to remove the skins, insulation (and whatever might be living inside). I’d like to tear the belly pan off as it’s a mess. I plan to seal for leaks,re-insulate,replace skins and paint. I want to put a new floor on top of the existing floor after I patch the old one. Since this trailer will be used as a studio, to do everything messy that I now do in my garage....is there any reason to really worry about how well the floor is attached to the shell? I’d like to insulate well under the trailer and perhaps skirt it with insulated material. As I read all the wonderful information posted, I have to remind myself this will not see the rode....and perhaps limit my worries. Can anybody give me a thing or two that I DON’t need to mess with since it’s stationary?
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Old 01-22-2019, 09:38 PM   #2
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2014 20' Flying Cloud
Sag Harbor , New York
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Welcome to the forum!

All structural components should be replicated +/- because loads from towing are only a small part of the forces acting on the shell. Wind loads in particular can be intense as in a tornado or major blizzard.

There are no shortcuts, in other words.

You have thousands of hours of work ahead of you. Saving a little time here and there will not result in anything of much benefit IMO, and may in fact do more harm than good. A false economy.

Do it right, and do it once.

Have fun,

Peter
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Old 01-22-2019, 11:09 PM   #3
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Virginia Beach , Virginia
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Agree with Peter. Saw a beach bound unit that got destroyed by wind when about 1/3 of the shell flew away because floor rot had ruined the shell to floor connection.
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Old 01-23-2019, 12:03 AM   #4
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2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
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Virginia Beach , Virginia
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You CAN hook the waste drain directly into your home's sewer system, even taking out the gray and black tanks if you choose to.

If there are two great truths about Airstreams the first is that no renovation can be done both profitably and right. No RV, new or vintage is an "investment" except for the enjoyment it provides to the owner. The second is that things change, and the sentimental value of an Airstream may disappear if your daughter can't pay her senior tuition at Yale. If you ever sell your house, I would hate to think your Airstream wouldn't enhance the price, but if that happened, being able to slap new tires on it and move it would be a good thing.

If the frame/outriggers is a rusted mess it will sag and crinkle the shell as it rusts so you have a choice, take a LOT of your time repairing the frame and outriggers and patching or replacing the subfloor one section at a time. OR spend big bucks and buy a new frame. You can easily cut and install the subfloor on that frame in a day or two, and move the axle(s) and tires from the old to the new frame. You can detatch the shell, pull the old mess out and push the new one under the shell, then attach. Not QUITE as simple as I've made it sound - the vintage shells can actually be imperfectly symetrical, so you'd need to make a template of the actual subfloor and cut the new one to match, etc. If you were putting the Airstream on the road, you might go totally whole hog with new axles ($1000 each) and a Coosa board subfloor ($300 per 4x8 sheet).

There is truly no limit to how much you can spend, but if there isn't a lot of new construction in your area, getting a new frame might run 2K, and a years work could be reduced to two to four weeks.

Sorry for drifting from your target questions... seriously good idea is to meet others who have done this work and learn from their adventures.

Good luck, Paula
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Old 01-23-2019, 06:35 PM   #5
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1969 21' Globetrotter
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Welcome from Colorado: I'm going to take the opposite side of this "stationary studio" debate. I feel the body of old Airstreams is their main advantage. The aluminum skins last a long time and gives an Airstream its identity. The other two major pieces, subfloor and frame, are rather standard stuff. I will say my fellow Forum members are right on. A weak body attachment due to a rotted subfloor and rusted frame takes much strength away from the trailer. One in that condition is not "travel ready" by any means. I've seen sides of body buckle and axle plates buckle due to the body becoming detached from the frame at the rear of a 70s Airstream.

We have a fellow Forums member who had removed the body from his frame during his extensive restoration. A strong wind came up and blew over the body and made a mess of it. Everyone always recommends stout body tie downs.

But wait, you are not going to trailer this "body". You want a "shack" that you can make a mess in. It will be stationary. You can work in there out of the rain and cold. You are going to take the belly pan off. Might as well loosen 4 bolts and drop the axles too. They will no longer be needed and likely in your way.

So with the belly pan down, frame exposed, interior skins off, the body attachment points all exposed (the C channel), why can't you fabricate a "foundation" for the body? People who pull the body off the frame brace the body so it doesn't flex when lifted or jacked up. I'm following a thread by kristof who just jacked up the body off the frame using 4x4 beams. Why not bolt the body to the 4x4s and then anchor the beams to the ground somehow. Think about building a very low deck and putting the Airstream body on the deck and bolt it down. Think of a larger storage shed in the back yard that happens to look like an Airstream. Why not if that's what you want to do.

You are basically sacrificing a 73 Tradewind 25, to make your extension to the garage. The result will likely never be worth much, and it will be a bugger to remove. Converting it to a "shed" from a travel trailer is certainly doable in my humble opinion.

Here is a photo of a old Airstream used as a permanent living quarters. I hate to think of what the subfloor and frame look like. It appears to have been in this location for a long time. It isn't a travel trailer any more.

David
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Old 01-24-2019, 03:14 PM   #6
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1973 25' Tradewind
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Thanks big time for all of the thoughtful responses. I’m going to do some processing over this. I’ve been wrangling over this by myself ... I’m so pleased to have your input.
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Old 01-26-2019, 04:41 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fluffy View Post
Thanks big time for all of the thoughtful responses. I’m going to do some processing over this. I’ve been wrangling over this by myself ... I’m so pleased to have your input.
Thanks for the update. You might enjoy reading the Love Shack thread, with its good sense of humor, and great photos:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f227...ck-183431.html

One thing can definitely lead to other things!



Good luck,

Peter
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