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mgm · 11-21-2009, 08:16 PM

More Homework....

Well, i can easily afford to replace both ends of my trailer, i believe i can save the top center pieces, and perhaps even the bottom centers.

Pending on what i can live with..as far as dents and scratches. The cost of those panels alone will run me around $4400.

Throw in the Curbside front window and i should be close to $5000.00

I cannot find prices on the side panels yet, that run the length of the trailer, but if i can get them for around $1500 or less, then i should be able to make my budget. I only want to replace the curbside for now.

After adding $1100 for a new ac and the parts i need for it, $1600 for access doors, rear bumper, new LP tanks and cover, and a frame.

That would roughly have me around $9200.00

Throw in some last minute purchases for the rub rails, and new stainless wraps and i would be real close to $10k, which is what i will shoot for.

i can afford to spend a little more, which i know i will need for all the tools, rivets, and for the ribs that i will need to replace.

so This is my rough plan, i know that my estimate will grow...and grow haha

But for right now, i will do my best to stay around what i can afford

airbassador · 11-21-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgm

Just the fact that to repair my trailer correctly, it would require the complete intierior to be removed and the entire skin replaced.
($3000 to remove the interior, and another $3000 to reinstall it)
( new skin w/ door equals $17,000)

From the photos, it does appear that you'll be gutting it, popping the exterior skins and building new ribs. Then you get to put it all back together.

If your basically building your own Airstream, have you considered finding a vintage donor body? Every month or so I see an older Airstream that the owner gutted with the dream of rebuilding, but life or the difficulty of it got in the way and they're unloading it.

You would have classic lines, and all modern interior and appliances built the way you want it.

Aerowood · 11-22-2009, 10:14 AM

I've replaced a good bit of sheet metal on my Globetrotter. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I haven't done much this year as I have been traveling so much.

Kip

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f416...nte-26902.html

mgm · 11-23-2009, 05:35 PM

Productive Day...

Left for Jackson Center around 6am, and arrived close to 9. I made good time, touched base with the parts lady and the Service guys and asked the handful of questions i still had and then i was on my way.

Made it back to Indy around around 12:15 and put Bambi in the garage. The trailer fits in the garage i rented pretty easily. I will have plenty of room to work around it.

Had a dental appointment at 3...and had two cavities filled. Not sure if it was needed, but they numbed me up pretty good. 5 hours later and i still have this "elvis" lip thing going on. So i'm in for the night.

I did stop at Harbor Frieight and Sears to pick up some things.

...50 ft extension cord, 50ft air hose, 1/8 drill bits and some other random things. I will bring the bulk of my tools down here after Thanksgiving when i go home and then i will really start to get at it.

I'm hoping to strip out some of the interior tomorrow, as well as the window rock guards, and stainless wraps.

as for tonight...i shall relax

mgm · 11-24-2009, 06:46 PM

Well i got started...

Managed to pull out some interior panels. I only have hand tools, but i did the best i could and pulled out the whole dinette, the wood that supports the mattress, and some shelving units.

Didnt get too far in and i realized i needed some small bags and tape. So i can keep the screws organized with the correct panels.

Felt good getting started. Only could work for about 2 hours, but i made a dent. Finished pulling out the interior roof panel as well. The insurance company had started that job so it didnt take much to get it all the way off.

The garage got smaller and smaller with each piece i took out of the trailer haha.

But i think it will work out just fine

**Stefrobrts** · 11-24-2009, 06:49 PM

Good idea to bag your fasteners, and take lots of pictures or draw diagrams if there's any possibility you might forget how it goes back together in a few months when you're done! Yes, isn't it funny how they take up three times as much space once you start takin gthem apart

mgm · 11-24-2009, 06:52 PM

here she is in the garage...and a few more photos of the interior, prior to my removal

Airstream01 · 11-24-2009, 06:55 PM

When I removed the bed for floor installation, I used that blue painters tape to keep the screws with the panel they came from. Worked great.

obxgal · 11-25-2009, 07:02 AM

wow.. the woodwork is really pretty in those new models...

mgm · 11-26-2009, 01:25 PM

Well, i skipped town and drove 350 miles home for the Holiday. I will hopefully get another day of work done on the trailer, on sunday.

The Army is flying me to Mississippi on monday to train some people down there. So i will be away from the Trailer for 10 days or so, and then i will be doing some deer hunting in Pennsylvania. So i will say goodbye to her on sunday and wont get to work on her again till the 14th.

So my progress may slow down. But i'm hoping to have all the ribs exposed by xmas, and be ordering some parts by the end of the month.

I'm wondering what the cost would be, if i tried to order the front and end caps pre assembled. During my factory tour, i saw them carrying the ends around and they were all assembled, minus the windows. So i know they pre-assemble those peices during manufacturing.

I already added up some costs, and to replace every radius panel, on the front and back, it will run me around $4500. So if the factory labor only ran a few hours to have them all riveted together. It may be worth it to me, to just rent a Uhaul and pick them up, ready to go.

It would cut down alot of my work and then i could just focus on the curbside panels and ribs.

even if it was 7 hours of labor, and i doubt its that much, it would be well worth it to me.

If anyone knows if that can be done....please way in.

i will call JC on monday and see if thats an option

VIKING · 11-26-2009, 01:58 PM

Hi and happy Thanksgiving!
I don't think this has been mentioned before, so I'll throw it out there. There are several new Airstreams out there now that were in a flood and have been put up for sale since as "slightly water damaged". Perhaps one of these could be a donor trailer for your project. They would need to be completely disassembled to repair them properly, but you are already doing that anyway. You may find one with a perfect body to replace your severly damaged one, and swap interiors. The extra parts would help finance the repairs, and you might even get that $1100.00 AC as part of the transaction.
It's a long-shot, but may be worth looking into before you purchase thousands of dollars worth of parts.

Good luck with your project!
Rich the Viking

lynn · 11-26-2009, 02:09 PM

You can order the end shells assembled if you pick them up at the factory.

mgm · 12-18-2009, 08:21 AM

Well, i have made some progress. The camera was dead, but i will post some pics here soon.

I have pulled some of the interior panels down now, and i got anxious to start drilling out the exterior rivets. So i have drilled out most of the rivets that are holding the front end cap on the sides.

I did as much as i could without a ladder. So that will be my nex purchase.

The rivets, drilled out pretty easily. I took the advice from some other threads that i read. To use a center punch on the rivets first, so the drill bits won't run all over.

I broke a bit or two, but i think thats gonna happen. Just using the cheap 1/8 bits from Harbor Freight.

I pulled the chrome adhesive off of the rub rail, and am starting to taker out the screws, that hold that on.

After that, i will just need my ladder to get roof rivets drilled..

overlander63 · 12-18-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgm

I did as much as i could without a ladder. So that will be my next purchase.

After that, i will just need my ladder to get roof rivets drilled..

I got one of these, they're kind of pricey, but the ladder will fit in almost any space:
Welcome to Telesteps

mgm · 01-18-2010, 06:39 AM

Well, i splurged. After my last factory tour, i have kind of been on the look out for a larger trailer. A couple of you guys had told me to look into the Georgia flood trailers, for parts and the sort.

And i just ended up buying one. The 2007 Safari LS SE 25ft FB trailer. It should be alot less work then Bambi and with rumors that i may spend next summer in Afghanistan with the Army. I really wanted to make sure i was on the road for this one.

So i splurged...My family tells me that i have a keen eye for junk lol. But i think i should be able to have this trailer road ready in a matter of weeks. Now i just need to work my way down to atlanta to pick her up. I will post more info or pics when i can.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f351...d-56857-2.html

I was told the trailer was all cleaned up and i got a great deal on it. Worse case scenario, i have no problem pulling the interior and replacing the insulation below the windows if need be.

Today is my birthday and i send my deposit tomorrow. I'm excited.

Not sure what i will do with Bambi...if i can afford to keep her, she may turn into a longterm project. I will just wait and see how my finances go in the next few months. Storage is my biggest issue for her. And as of lately i just didnt have the time to work on her as much as i planned. So i'm on the fence as what i will do with her, i will make a decision after i pick up the Safari

whitsend · 01-18-2010, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goin camping

If the repair price is too high just tell anyone that asks it was damaged by pirates in Somalia.

Hey - I lived in Mogadishu (Somalia) when the US Marines came ashore. I can assure you - if the Somali's got their hands on that trailer, it would simply not exist, certainly as a recognizable RV. The USA had only JUST completed a brand new (declared impregnable) embassy. It was completely stripped in a matter of days.

2airishuman · 01-18-2010, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgm

Well, i splurged...And i just ended up buying one...So i splurged...

wow

happy b'day!

i was young and impulsive once, although my weakness was fast cars and loose women...

the rest of my money was wasted...

_______

20k$ seems like a good deal on a reasonably new 25, but this one?

i dunno.

at the very least the rest of us in cyberspace will (hopefully) get to see what issues exist...

and you aren't totally UNaware, from the many flood thread/posts here.

so take lots of pics (close ups) of the inner recesses and hidden mysteries there in...

did u have anyone inspect before u bid?

ah hell, just go get it.

cheers
2air'

safari57 · 01-18-2010, 08:51 AM

OK, that's it, I need to up the ante' on my birthday presents the cat gets me. Obviously he's been slacking if someone else is getting an Airstream, even if it needs some work.

If Smokey Bear thinks he's going to continue to get Tuna treats he's got another think coming until he bucks up and gets me something "good" this year. And no kitty footing around either. He either bucks up or he eats what he catches

and given he considers us the worlds best hunters because he has never had to I suspect he'll get a tad skinnier pretty quickly. Not a bad thing either the little porker.

Oh yeah, MGM, happy birthday to you. You really know how to do it up right. Congrats on the new trailer. So it needs work, so do 90% of the trailers most of the rest of us buy and you are obviously well aware of the possibilities for both damage and what in the end you will have. Good for you.

Pictures would be really important. We have this need to see.........

Barry

mgm · 01-18-2010, 09:17 AM

Hoping to pick it up towards the end of the month. I'm excited. Everything should be working and ready to go. I will see what happens in the long run, if any issues arise i will post them.

For starters I will be ordering new cushions and the sort from JC. But it looks to have a new mattress already and the gentleman i bought it from has been super. So i really think i should be ok.

The Insurance company has gone over it and it sounds good and dry now. Believe me i read all the posts, and am aware of what i bought. But for the price, i couldnt beat it.

So wish me luck...one way or another. I will be making my way West in an Airstream this summer.

StingrayL82 · 01-18-2010, 09:59 AM

Looks like you're getting aluminitis...two Airstreams and still in your 20's. Keep that Bambi, it'll be good therapy for you, when you get back from OEF. I've been the lucky recipient of 68W and 18D work, when I was in Kosovo with 10th SFG(A), so surgery on aluminum should be a cinch for you.

Good luck with your new acquisition.