air conditioner bulkhead

[boomerick]

Is the wooden bulkhead under the air conditioner on a '68 Sovereign necessary to bare the air conditioner's weight or did Airstream add body ribs to reinforce this area? Can I take the bulkhead out without affecting the body?

[TomW]

Originally Posted by boomerick

... Can I take the bulkhead out without affecting the body?

Yes.

An Airstream does not require any interior components for strength.

The bulkhead will add rigidity, but is not required.

Tom

[Tarheel]

I just put one in the rear of my 34, no bhd and the one midship is also free standing

[boomerick]

Thanks guys. The bulkhead will be leaving soon.

[smily]

I think you will find that if you remove the wooden re-inforcement, the skins will collapse when you tighten the lower section to the upper section and your unit will sirely leak becasue the gasket has nothing to pull against.

I hate to see you have to go back and replace the boards after you realize the leak is there.

just trying to help.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by smily

I think you will find that if you remove the wooden re-inforcement, the skins will collapse when you tighten the lower section to the upper section and your unit will sirely leak becasue the gasket has nothing to pull against.

I hate to see you have to go back and replace the boards after you realize the leak is there.

just trying to help.

Ken, starting about 1964, Airstream put in a reinforcing rib in the roof to help support the weight of an air conditioner, even if it had none installed. The rib is close to the front of the hole in the roof where the unit sits.
When we installed a new A/C unit, I cut and installed wood spacer blocks between the roof and ceiling where the A/C halves will clamp to the skins, to keep a collapse and leak from happening.

[smily]

I agree that there is a load bearing rib that will support weight but the rib as you mentioned is only one location in relation to the four sided hole.

If you tighten the typical four bolts, the skin will collapse where ever there is no "rib" (if there is no other support, spreader or spacer) and there will be an undulation in the upper skin where the water will run under the gasket.

I think we may be saying the same thing, I think.

[markdoane]

I thimk you're both saying the same thing.
When I hear bulkhead, I think of the interior partition, not the spacers between the skins. Maybe bommerick will clarify?

[boomerick]

Yes I'm talking about the wooden partition, inside the coach, located under the pre-existing factory installed air conditioning unit, and between the kitchen and the bunk areas.

[boomerick]

wooden, floor to ceiling, which creates the doorway between the kitchen and bunks

[Over59]

When you take out the AC check for support between the skins. Where I put mine there is a rib fore and aft by about 1/2 inch. I added heavy alum channel port and starboard of the hole for additional support. I love this airplane talk.

[boomerick]

I'm not gonna pull the air conditioner. I'm gutting the interior and didn't want to remove the bulkhead (room divider) underneith the air conditioner untill I was sure it was not bearing any weight. I'm not messing with air conditioner spacer. I just wanted to make sure the air conditioner wasn't going to start bowing down the roof eventually giving the "sad sov" a new and improved peanut shape.

[boomerick]

Then it would be the "sad peanut"

[Over59]

Not to worry. I think you could find an old post by Andy of Inland Rv where he states they provide no support to the shell. Save the pattern. It's a bear getting a new one to fit without it.