Skin Damage Advice

[Lumatic]

The good:
State Farm totalled this trailer and offered my a 15K settlement. I took 11k and kept the trailer. The damage is for the most part superficial.

The bad:
While talking to my wife on the cell I cut it too close coming through a gate and scraped about a 6 foot section of roadside skin on my 71 Tradewind.Both upper and lower skin segments are damaged. A lot of scrapes, a couple of creases and about 6 popped rivets

The ugly:
See the pics

PS I have also thought about replacing the tambour doors on the galley and wellwheel which is on the same side as the damage.

So/
1.A complete repair would be to replace both upper and lower segments which would basicly remove the entire side exterior skin. The upper skin is not damaged very badly
2. I could just replace the bottom segment
3. I could patch the bottom section with a partial segment replacement
4. I could replace the popped rivets with Olympic rivets for a quick repair
5. Paint a mural on the roadside.

I think the minimum repair necessary would be to replace the popped rivets.

What would you do?

[reinergirl]

If you do a panel replacement are you going to remove the interior to replace the skins with bucked rivets or do it solely from the exterior with olympics?

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by reinergirl

If you do a panel replacement are you going to remove the interior to replace the skins with bucked rivets or do it solely from the exterior with olympics?

Have not made up my mind yet. If I did a partial replacement I think I could rivet in a sheet of aluminum from beltline to the seam between upper and lower segments about 6' long over the old skin without removing it. The unknown x factor is damage done to the horizontal ribs where the rivets have popped. The heads are still there but they are not attached to anything underneath.

[adonh]

Did the good come after the bad and you have $11,000 from State farm to repair the damage?

[Melody Ranch]

Talkin' of a cell phone and driving….let's not go there.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by adonh

Did the good come after the bad and you have $11,000 from State farm to repair the damage?

Yup

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Marshal, We have dialoged enough for you to know I am talking straight up.
DO NOT USE OLYMPICS. They are absolute garbage. They will leak for sure!. I have stopped using them except in cases where I know a leak will not matter.
If you want to call me and talk about this issue with your skin, give me a call. If I do not pick up, leave a message and I will call you back asap. I think you can easily find my number.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

Marshal, We have dialoged enough for you to know I am talking straight up.
DO NOT USE OLYMPICS. They are absolute garbage. They will leak for sure!. I have stopped using them except in cases where I know a leak will not matter.
If you want to call me and talk about this issue with your skin, give me a call. If I do not pick up, leave a message and I will call you back asap. I think you can easily find my number.

I have used them but not extensively. Even with copious quantities of Vulkem they have leaked? The rivet line in question is the horizontal one between the beltline and top of the segment. No seam would be involved and I only see 4-6 bad rivets. I guess I could put in Olympics temporarily, how ever long temporary turns out to be, to keep the rivet line from unzipping when I am towing it. If I go big and replace the whole segment, pull out the galley, closets, inner skins and do the wheel well while I am at it no question about bucking

Did you have your 62 appraised? James Polk's appraisal saved my bacon. Without it I am sure State Farm would not have offered me near as much.

[Wabbiteer]

on the Oly's - given enough time they will find an excuse to relax, about one out of fifteen of these near vintage rivets loosened.
Pictured is a leaker - the inside was slathered with vulkem but the 'grasshopper' legs and uneven aluminum cuts/borders in the window opening left gaps that allowed rain water sheeting down the trailer side to siphon into the shell.

[overlander64]

Greetings Lumatic!

I had a similar incident with my Overlander, but the fence wasn't quite as tall so the damage was only on the lower panel. I am posting a photo of my Overlander with its repair below:



The overlay panel runs below the front window to just beside the water fill opening. This repair panel also hides the original furnace vent that was much larger than its modern replacement. The overlay panel doesn't actually extend to the upper side panel, rather the repair shop added a row of rivets about even with the top of the water fill. Vintage Airstream followers likely can spot the overlay from any distance, but this repair was done before the days of Airforms or a strong Internet following for Airstream. Overall, I am satisfied with the overlay and haven't had any problems with the repair (it was completed in 2000).

Good luck with your deliberations!

Kevin

[Inland RV Center, In]

I have used over 100,000 olympic rivets since 1968. I am also guilty of having any and all Airstream dealers use them correctly, at least 40 years ago, when I first hand directed all the Caravanner Insurance metal repairs.

If the drilled holes are correct and the vulkem sealer is properly applied, they will [b[NEVER[/b] leak.

Even moderate vibration will not make them leak, or get loose.

Installing the Olympic rivets is not difficult or a major secret, but if not done exactly as they should, they they indeed can leak and become loose, and especially if they as used with the neoprene washer, which in time, fails itself.

As with most things, that are not properly installed, the party will be over in short order.

Andy

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by overlander64

I had a similar incident with my Overlander
Kevin

Can you tell me if the repair patch was bandaided over the original skin? Which is my guess. Did they use Olympic or bucked rivets? I am considering doing something similar, but it would be twice as high and twice as long.

[overlander64]

Greetings Limatic!

Originally Posted by Lumatic

Can you tell me if the repair patch was bandaided over the original skin? Which is my guess. Did they use Olympic or bucked rivets? I am considering doing something similar, but it would be twice as high and twice as long.

Yes, the overlay was simply placed over the damaged skin. The rivets are Olympics, and they were installed with ample sealer by a long-time Airstream dealer's shop. The Overlander is stored outside so it gets full exposure to rain, snow, ice, etc. and I haven't noted any leakage from the Olympics at this time. Most of the repair is in the area of the front lounge and isn't hidden by cabinets so leaks would be fairly obvious. Given what has been posted here, I will be keeping a close watch on the floor in the vicinity of that repair.

Good luck with your deliberations!

Kevin

[65 newbie]

How do I go about getting instructions on replacing skins from the roof of my 65 Globetrotter? Or is there anywhere I can find how to do books on replacing windows, vents etc.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by 65 newbie

How do I go about getting instructions on replacing skins from the roof of my 65 Globetrotter? Or is there anywhere I can find how to do books on replacing windows, vents etc.

The dealer that will be selling parts to you, should be the one to teach you how to do those easy tasks.

Andy

[65 newbie]

thanks Andy I was given your card a couple weeks ago and have been meaning to call you guys. I'm currently building a barn to put my new trailer in to start restoring, can't wait to talk with you guys

[Julie-Bob]

I have hail damage to my 25' need to purchase new skins. I have part number from Airstream for the panels I need. Where can I get them less than what Airstream wants? Any after market companys?

[Greg@AirLA]

The formed segments are made exclusively at the Airstream plant in Jackson Center, nowhere else. The factor that drives the skin cost up is shipping, some dealers stock quantities large enough to allow them to stock these segments with no inbound freight charge.

Greg