banana / belly skin - plastic type

[Chuck Neir]

I am refurbishing my parents 27' 1974 Overlander Land Yacht.

The banana wraps are quite dented. The underbelly and banana wraps have many locations where the rivits have pulled straight through or have torn horizontal through a joint where the aluminum panels were overlapped.

I have heard that there are plastic/rubber wraps that replace the aluminum for the banana wraps and underbelly wraps. They are apparently a grey or pewter color but do not match the aluminum metal.

Has anyone had experience with these? Are they more robust than the aluminum? Are they flexible? Do they dent? Do they shatter? Are they really better than the aluminum wraps? Do they hold a rivit without tearing due to trailer flexing? Can they be painted to match the aluminum metal?

Are new aluminum wraps available? Is it reasonable to try to bend out the dents in the existing aluminum wraps?

Any additional comments, suggested material sources and methodology would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

Chuck Neir
Sammamish, WA
chuckneir@comcast.net

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Chuck Neir

I am refurbishing my parents 27' 1974 Overlander Land Yacht.

The banana wraps are quite dented. The underbelly and banana wraps have many locations where the rivits have pulled straight through or have torn horizontal through a joint where the aluminum panels were overlapped.

I have heard that there are plastic/rubber wraps that replace the aluminum for the banana wraps and underbelly wraps. They are apparently a grey or pewter color but do not match the aluminum metal.

Has anyone had experience with these? Are they more robust than the aluminum? Are they flexible? Do they dent? Do they shatter? Are they really better than the aluminum wraps? Do they hold a rivit without tearing due to trailer flexing? Can they be painted to match the aluminum metal?

Are new aluminum wraps available? Is it reasonable to try to bend out the dents in the existing aluminum wraps?

Any additional comments, suggested material sources and methodology would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

Chuck Neir
Sammamish, WA
chuckneir@comcast.net

The metal banana wraps have been history for many years.

The plastic banana wraps, won't dent from small rocks like the metal ones.

The underbelly wrap has always been metal. In later years, that metal was prefinished with a "charcoal gray" color.

The banana wraps do not shatter unless hit with a big object.

You can easily prime them and then paint them any color you wish.

They are easily mounted with pop rivets.

Andy

[Lance M]

Hey Chuck,
You asked "Is it reasonable to try to bend out the dents in the existing aluminum wraps?"
I say yes. The aluminum banana wraps are soft and are not too difficult to get back into shape. It does take some time and patience . I use some body hammers and dollies. After getting them back in shape, you can sand them to a nice finish. Here are a few pics of the curbside wrap on a '66 Safari.

[marzboy]

Im with Lance on this one. Auto dolly and hamer kit from Harbor Freight, beer and classic rock.