What should I do?I

[martymcclain]

Well here goes...my first post... I have been paying down on 1961 Airstream Safari. The roof has some dents from previous owner climbing on roof to check out Air conditioner. Should I attempt to pull dents, replace panels. If I were to replace segments who has that year segments? Or do I fabricate my own? Any help will be greatly appreciated....

[Belegedhel]

Welcome to the forums!

A picture is worth 1000 words, especially where dents are concerned.

Some people have had luck using "paintless" dent pulling techniques to get a near-perfect appearance without any disassembly. If the metal has been creased or badly mangled, you may have to either replace the segment or at least remove it and have the dent worked out on an English wheel.

If the dent is in a flat sheet, then you can fabricate your own replacement without too much special equipment. If it is in the formed end-cap segments, then you aren't likely to find any new parts anywhere, and you will either be buying something used, repairing the ones you have, or finding someone who can fab you one up on an English Wheel.

good luck!

[65CV]

Welcome to the forums!

If you look hard enough or ask the right questions, you'll find any info you need here.

Belegedhel is absolutely right -- flat panels are not too hard to replace. Curved endcarps are the toughest. Hopefully, the PO (previous owner) walked on the flat part.

No matter what, the panel that is dented is stretched and it will never get back to perfect.

Post some pics and people here will lead you in the right direction.

There is a Safari specific location within the forum. I'd recommend starting a thread here and you'll get a lot of interest from fellow Safari owners of the same vintage. You may want to brows other years like yours.

Finally -- if you're up for a LOT of reading -- this older thread may scare you but has a lot of information on anything you want to do to your trailer.

[martymcclain]

Thank you Belegedhel and 65CV for your reply and suggestions. I will post some pics...

[martymcclain]

w

[mimiandrews]

You have damage to a couple of end cap segments. Those are hard to replicate due to the compound curve in the aluminum. There are also dents in the roof segments behind the end cap. Those are conventional sheet metal repair.

If aluminum curves in only one direction, a flat sheet can be formed to fit. It's those compound curves that require either factory equipment or a very skilled English wheel operator.

[Belegedhel]

Yow. Those dents don't look like something that results from the PO climbing up on top. Not unless he weighs 400 lbs and was climbing around in stilletto heels... And what happened to the AC and the foreward vent? Looks more like a tree fell on it or it was towed under some kind of overhang.

Regardless, you have lots of work to get rid of those dents. I'll stick with my earlier recommendation to start out with the various "paintless dent removal" techniques. If you do a google search for "airforums paintless dent removal" from outside the forums, you should find several threads that show what other people have triedand how effective they were.

The next thing I would try is to remove the interior and interior skins, and acquire/build a "dent roller" and try to work the dents out from the inside. If satisfactory results can't be achieved, you then have to buy a new sheet and create a replacement for the flat sheets that form the roof/body, and you will need to remove and repair with an English Wheel, the formed, end-cap segments.

good luck!

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Let's back off a bit:

What's would a similar trailer cost that does not have all the damage? Factory panels are going to cost a lot. My *guess* is that a replacement trailer is the less expensive solution. If nothing else, combine the two into one "good one".

Bob

[Bill M.]

I outdoor try a compressor powered suction cup from Harbor freight and just live with it after I did all I could with the removal.

[martymcclain]

Originally Posted by Belegedhel

Yow. Those dents don't look like something that results from the PO climbing up on top. Not unless he weighs 400 lbs and was climbing around in stilletto heels... And what happened to the AC and the foreward vent? Looks more like a tree fell on it or it was towed under some kind of overhang.



Regardless, you have lots of work to get rid of those dents. I'll stick with my earlier recommendation to start out with the various "paintless dent removal" techniques. If you do a google search for "airforums paintless dent removal" from outside the forums, you should find several threads that show what other people have triedand how effective they were.



The next thing I would try is to remove the interior and interior skins, and acquire/build a "dent roller" and try to work the dents out from the inside. If satisfactory results can't be achieved, you then have to buy a new sheet and create a replacement for the flat sheets that form the roof/body, and you will need to remove and repair with an English Wheel, the formed, end-cap segments.



good luck!

Thank you, I will make a decision when I get it home. If the interior wasn't all original and in really good shape, I probably would have passed this one up. We'll see......

[martymcclain]

Originally Posted by martymcclain

Well here goes...my first post... I have been paying down on 1961 Airstream Safari. The roof has some dents from previous owner climbing on roof to check out Air conditioner. Should I attempt to pull dents, replace panels. If I were to replace segments who has that year segments? Or do I fabricate my own? Any help will be greatly appreciated....

It has been pointed out that this is a 1961 Tradewind, not a Safari. Thanks

[martymcclain]

Originally Posted by martymcclain

Well here goes...my first post... I have been paying down on 1961 Airstream Safari. The roof has some dents from previous owner climbing on roof to check out Air conditioner. Should I attempt to pull dents, replace panels. If I were to replace segments who has that year segments? Or do I fabricate my own? Any help will be greatly appreciated....

Correction.. this a 1961 24 ft. Tradewind, not a Safari. I stand corrected.