standard practice from the factory in '66?

[GR8DANE]

Here's a couple of pics of the ribs as seen through the vent stack openings toward the rear of my '66 Safari. I'm sure someone can tell me if they will need attention or whether it's not an issue.
Continuing thanks to the braintrust that is airforums...

[HowieE]

Can you describe the orientation of the holes a bit more. Are they plumbing stacks and through the roof or something through the side wall?

[vinstream]

I see this more than once before! I always joked it must of been done at shift change or "green pea" Or late on Friday!

[goransons]

Looking at it I'm guessing we're looking at the first rib after the end cap too, where the fiberglass transitions to aluminum. Thats one of the big structure points I would assume. Also means you have a major aluminum seam to get in there and work without too much more to remove. probably a dozen rivets and you can peel the aluminum back, sister on some new metal (on the side away from the pipe) and button it back up and feel better knowing you have something structurally much closer to what was engineered.

[lynn]

It seems to have made it 42 years. Is it through the center of the rib or just the edge?

[GR8DANE]

yes, indeed, it is a vent stack opening and it appears that they cut through the part of the rib where the angle is formed. So skins out and attach a mending plate? Should the mending plate be aluminum and riveted in?

[goransons]

just a few rivets and you should be able to let the skin hang out of the way, I wouldn't take the panel out entirely unless you ahve a lot of other work to do. I'd use aluminum C Channel or similar, it is a standard dimension available at metal suppliers, and aluminum rivets, that way you have similar metals in there, wood in time could rot, especially with as prone to leaking as the vents are.

[GR8DANE]

Many thanks, Goransons! It will be a project that I can get done inside the trailer while it snows outside...