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robandzoe · 05-09-2008, 07:33 PM

If you heard last night's VAP episode, I stated just that Shari - each situation has to be taken into account. We're Olympic'ing a small panel on the Caravel.. but I'm glad the three panels we did on the SOTR are bucked since we tore her all the way down.

SYDTR!

Rob

Petethefeet · 05-10-2008, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robandzoe

One day, we have to bring our Sovereigns together. Very nice trailer.

Thanks Rob, I have admired your own Sovereign for some time myself, they would make quite a picture. As for getting them together, ummm, mate, hows about I meet you half ways, I'm not totally sure but I think that makes it the island of Guam!!

I was wanting to ask another question here, and I realise it is all relative to what you begin with, but broadly speaking, say, for example, one were to rebuild a vintage 30 foot trailer from the ground up, is there more work in the inside of a trailer or the outside of a trailer. I'm just curious to know whether I am nearing half way on this project or not.

Pete.

Frank's Trailer Works · 05-10-2008, 05:27 AM

when you go camping, that is the half way point... all those little details add up to a lot of time.

overlander63 · 05-10-2008, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

when you go camping, that is the half way point... all those little details add up to a lot of time.

I can attest to that. We got 90% done in a few months, we are at 92% now, after nearly a year.

robandzoe · 05-10-2008, 05:53 AM

I would state that there is more on the inside of the trailer.. all the things that take time and planning are inside the trailer. Zolatone, flooring, cabinets, electric, plumbing, heating, appliances, interior decorations, seals, locks, faucets, hardware... may I go on and on. I see New Zealand... well, we'll just have to meet in a virtual rally! Check out my latest pictures from this past week.

Inland RV Center, In · 05-10-2008, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petethefeet

Hi, thought I would tie up this thread with what I ended up doing. After considering lots of valid reasons from both sides with regards to Olympic vs. Buck, including thru advice from the Airstream factory itself , I decided, for my own reasons to replace the Olympics with the Buck rivet. " Buck it ", I thought " just do a bit each day and you'll be there in no time". The reason I changed them was simply because I could. And sometime soon, that option would have dissappeared behind the interior skin as it went on. I would really like to think that the Sovereign will still be around in another 40 years or so, and that the buck rivets will help that happen.

I forgot to mention a shell failure that you should fix.

Hopefully the inside is still gutted.

The shell in your model, above the windows forward of the door, has a great tendency to fatigue crack.

The fix is to double up the main bow section from the inside of the shell.

Adding stiffeners to both the front and rear side of those two windows, adds enough strength to avoid that problem.

The next trick is to have an aluminum material as thick as the main bows, but also contoured to the shape of the shell.

Adding some horizontal stringers above, between and below those two windows will also help. Buck riveting them to the added and present main bows is essential.

The cause of the problem is the weakness of the shell between the entrance door and station "0" which is the first main bow, is the 2 large windows.

Buck riveting those pieces in place is recommended.

Andy

Petethefeet · 05-10-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

I forgot to mention a shell failure that you should fix.

Hopefully the inside is still gutted.

The shell in your model, above the windows forward of the door, has a great tendency to fatigue crack.

The fix is to double up the main bow section from the inside of the shell.

Adding stiffeners to both the front and rear side of those two windows, adds enough strength to avoid that problem.

The next trick is to have an aluminum material as thick as the main bows, but also contoured to the shape of the shell.

Adding some horizontal stringers above, between and below those two windows will also help. Buck riveting them to the added and present main bows is essential.

The cause of the problem is the weakness of the shell between the entrance door and station "0" which is the first main bow, is the 2 large windows.

Buck riveting those pieces in place is recommended.

Andy

Bugger, and here's me thinking I was getting somewhere! Couple more years to go by the sound of things.

Andy, yet again, my thanks to you for your constructive advice, although I am in need of getting up to speed with the terminology.

Firstly, yes (thankfully by the sounds of it), the trailer remains unlined on the interior. Where you refer to the "main bow section", am I correct in taking that term as what I would call the ribs fore and aft of the windows in front of the door?
In the attached pics, the rib running directly between the door and the windows ahead of the door is actually curtailed, then offset to run down between the windows on the opposite side ( factory ). As I see it, the roof panel would be loaded in that offset area.
As for materials, just off the top of my head, I could fabricate and scribe some flat ali' to "flitch " onto the side of the existing ribs, doubling the joins of the flat with another flitch with good laps. I feel like I have an intimate relationship with every square inch of the skin of the trailer after the whole polishing episode, should I be looking anywhere in particular for evidence of this fault?
Should the reinforcement be carried on through to the opposing windows side?

Pete
This feels like such a steep learning curve for me.

Inland RV Center, In · 05-10-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petethefeet

Bugger, and here's me thinking I was getting somewhere! Couple more years to go by the sound of things.

Andy, yet again, my thanks to you for your constructive advice, although I am in need of getting up to speed with the terminology.

Firstly, yes (thankfully by the sounds of it), the trailer remains unlined on the interior. Where you refer to the "main bow section", am I correct in taking that term as what I would call the ribs fore and aft of the windows in front of the door?
In the attached pics, the rib running directly between the door and the windows ahead of the door is actually curtailed, then offset to run down between the windows on the opposite side ( factory ). As I see it, the roof panel would be loaded in that offset area.
As for materials, just off the top of my head, I could fabricate and scribe some flat ali' to "flitch " onto the side of the existing ribs, doubling the joins of the flat with another flitch with good laps. I feel like I have an intimate relationship with every square inch of the skin of the trailer after the whole polishing episode, should I be looking anywhere in particular for evidence of this fault?
Should the reinforcement be carried on through to the opposing windows side?

Pete
This feels like such a steep learning curve for me.

Pete.

Don't give up the ship, er, the Airstream.

So far your doing great.

There is a learning curve to the terminology, but once you learn, it will stick with you better than your name.

The main bows are the ribs, if you wish.

The windows on the door side are the problem, not the road side.

The additions to the main bows forward of the door, only need to go maybe one foot or so, above the top of the wind.

What your trying to do it make a figure 8 from the floor to above the top of the window, forward of the door.

Hope this helps.

Andy

Petethefeet · 05-10-2008, 03:21 PM

Mmmmm, just been thinking ( scary ), if I understand the dynamics involved correctly ( and I'm not 100 % sure I do ), reading that the skin is stressing ( is that right? ), and the ribs are stressing in that area around the big windows ( hence the need to strengthen them ), and while wanting to adhere to the whole " lightness" philosophy as practically possible ( sorry about the P's ), could you not put a heavier guage interior skin in that area to act as something like a sheet brace? Or is it a deflection issue?

Inland RV Center, In · 05-10-2008, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petethefeet

Mmmmm, just been thinking ( scary ), if I understand the dynamics involved correctly ( and I'm not 100 % sure I do ), reading that the skin is stressing ( is that right? ), and the ribs are stressing in that area around the big windows ( hence the need to strengthen them ), and while wanting to adhere to the whole " lightness" philosophy as practically possible ( sorry about the P's ), could you not put a heavier guage interior skin in that area to act as something like a sheet brace? Or is it a deflection issue?

The sheet metal won't help.

It's the structure that has to be beefed up.

The sheet metal will flex.

The solid figure 8 around the windows down to the floor, is the strength that the shell needs.

If you still have questions, then call me Monday.

Andy

toastie · 05-11-2008, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petethefeet

I do keep it covered, I'm a bit worried about it becoming a traffic hazard with rubber-neckers driving past my house. Polishing it has been great for my tan, albeit from the neck up!
Pete

New Zealand!!, WOW, not to many Airstream in New Zealand I bet, I'm impressed, very cool..........I would go with Andy's suggestions, a very
Airstream knowledgeable person indeed.............

Petethefeet · 05-12-2008, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toastie

New Zealand!!, WOW, not to many Airstream in New Zealand I bet, I'm impressed, very cool..........I would go with Andy's suggestions, a very
Airstream knowledgeable person indeed.............

Nope, not too many Airstreams in NZ, Toastie, a small handfull at best, I would think. Which is good in someways but not so good in others. Thank goodness for all the talent on these forums is all I can say! Hey, I realise this is'nt really the right dept for this and it has probably being thrashed to bits anyway but Toasties reply highlighted it to me. I am no longer covering my trailer with those cheap tarps, now that I have the sides to my port closed in more, it is not recommended and I only did it under duress for a very short time as the trailer needed immediate protection from nearby rainsplash that was enough to bead on the roof but not enough to run off, developing into even more corrosion on the roof than was originally there, which set the polish back a bit. Back a bit on a Sovereign can be a "Big Bit" Even though it was only covered a short while, the tarp itself did have a negative effect on the trailer polish wise. I guess a different type of tarp may have been more forgiving.

More learning about Airstreams...
Pete