'77 Sovereign 31' Restoration

[Kristof]

Thanks for the positive note. The more I think about it the the shell on part appears to be more difficult than this experience. Any advice would be outstanding.

[dbj216]

I'm not much help as I've not done a shell off. But setting such a ungainly thing back on will be a challenge. Making the subfloor and c channels to fit the shell corner curves is critical. Same with the front and rear steel body mounting plates.

I might even consider "spreading" the sides of the shell ever so slightly to make them maybe 1/4" wider so they will clear the c channel. Maybe your bracing would accommodate this somehow.

It may be more of a challenge using ground jacks as opposed to a gantry. If the shell was suspended, it may be a bit easier to position. I wonder what your body shell weighs? Maybe 4 strong people could actually lift and position the shell an inch this way or an inch that way.

I don't know. But I bet you will get the job done.

David

[Kristof]

Two of us could move it at one point. We discussed how 8 strong guys could lift it - then thought of the safety concerns and quickly disregarded that idea. At the end of the day we ended up pounding on the frame a lot and moving it ever so slightly one way or another. We can actually suspend the frame on one 2 X 4 width (so 1.5 inches) which is just over the c channel. A few people with flathead screwdrivers . . . LOL! I think it will be time consuming but attainable . . .

[Kristof]

Quick Visit to tidy up the site, remove the wheel well covers (for reduced lift on the shell), rivet the belly panels back up for the journey home and remove some unwanted gear. Still aiming for next weekend for removing trailer from the shell.

[superdave74]

Kristoff,
I’m in the midst of a 1977 Sovereign rehab as well. Completely stripped the interior, removed floors, belly pan, tanks, sanded frame, replaced perhaps 12 outriggers welded a crack near the axle mount and strengthened with additional welded steel plating, primed and painted the frame, installed new axles and a lift and we’re just about to start rebuilding.
The problem we have yet to tackle is the rear angle iron which runs across the bottom of the rear wall connecting the body to frame. Ours is a bit rough, are you aware of any info on the thickness or angle for a replacement?

Thanks and best of luck with your project, Dave

[Joyflea]

I replaced mine with a piece of Perlin ,Miss spelled , after black tank was installed I cut a hole for drain . No more week spot . Used a lot of this 14ga metal for reinforcing. Have fun , looks great .

[ALUMINUMINUM]

My experience is only 1968, which is a different rear attachment than yours. A few years ago, a Forum Member published this drawing of how he improved and waterproofed his "Modern Seventies" Airstream's rear attachment.

[Kristof]

Hey,

The plate that I found in the back is exactly the same thickness as the plate in the front. It is about 1/16 inch steel. The bummer of that plate is it is part of the problem - ie my whole floor is gone in the back because of this plate. in essence the outer skin (I am not an expert) needs to be able to drain away from the plate somehow - perhaps by lengthening the outer skin over this plate and letting it run dry instead of pooling on the back bumper plate as it did before. Hope this helps. I have not got the shell off yet and did not do the kind of forensics you appear to have done by removing the floor first and leaving the shell on.

[Jeremy9107]

That design aluminuminum provided will work. I had same problem with water intrusion, floor rot and steel plate rusting. Followed that design and will not anticipate any further problem unless trailer is submerged in 4 feet of water. Also applied window flashing to steel plate where it contacts aluminum skin to avoid corrosion. And floor is made of Coosa which will never rot.

There are many threads here about poor design of bumper box and water intrusion with rear end rot. Some have removed bumper box. Some use heavy amounts of Sikaflex or Trempro. And others have done this. The build is a bit tricky with compound bends on the flashing but it's doable. It probably is easiest to do when shell is off but expect a cuss worthy frustration of a time when getting shell back on and all that in place. The below links show my build and the first one has a link to the reference where I got the idea. Credit to that forum member. Good luck

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f7/7...ml#post2056172

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f7/7...ml#post2068447

[glrtex]

Is your original frame still intact? Would it be possible for you to measure from the front plate that is welded to the front of the bow to the center of the door opening (Center between step outriggers).

That front plate is the one with a half a million rivets (holes). and the hole for the electrical connector.

My unit is a '76 31' Sovereign. I don't think there were any major differences in the door placement?

Can you also confirm the distance between the two step outriggers? The step is 21" wide, but I don't know about clearance.

Thanks in advance,


Greg

[Kristof]

Lawless folks broke into the compound Thursday night. Smashed and grabbed everywhere - the police have shut the site down and we are not allowed access until the forensics are finished. This weekend was shell off the trailer - so we are not very happy. Weather for the next 4 days will be the best it has been in months - sunny and dry. WTF? Oh well we will do what we can, maybe take Monday off if the compound is open by then. Good thing we took all the tools home last weekend . . .

[Kristof]

Yup we can do that when we get back into her. Right now we cannot even get through the gate into the compound.

[dbj216]

Gosh, awful news. I hope they can catch the perpetrators and convict them. I bet they are on camera somewhere in the compound.

Lousy luck. I hope your rig will be okay. Airstreams are an attractive target.

David

[Iansk]

Originally Posted by glrtex

Is your original frame still intact? Would it be possible for you to measure from the front plate that is welded to the front of the bow to the center of the door opening (Center between step outriggers).

That front plate is the one with a half a million rivets (holes). and the hole for the electrical connector.

My unit is a '76 31' Sovereign. I don't think there were any major differences in the door placement?

Can you also confirm the distance between the two step outriggers? The step is 21" wide, but I don't know about clearance.

Thanks in advance,


Greg

Hey Greg,

The distance from the front plate to the center of the door opening is about 90”
The step outriggers are 21 3/4” from inside to inside. My step is 21 1/16” wide.

Hope that helps. My ‘77 is mostly apart so let me know if you need something else.

Kristoff, hope your trailer didn’t get vandalized...

Ian

[Kristof]

A quick note to let everyone know that Lucy is totally fine, that we went out there today and every tool, jackstand, 2 X 4 and other sundries have all reported in correct.Tomorrow is a possible shell off day now as the weather is supposed to be excellent. MTF. Thanks for all you concern.

[dbj216]

Very happy your Lucy the Airstream survived the break in at the RV storage yard. I'll bet some others weren't so lucky. So far I have not had any thefts or vandalism with my trailers at home, or on the road. Knock, knock, knock on aluminum. There is no real in my Overlander. Well, there is plywood for a floor and under the cushions I guess.

David

[Kristof]

We do not normally have any issues when we are travelling and camping.

[Kristof]

Shell came off today. Still lot's to do but I consider this the half way point. After the sand blasting, frame repair, painting, it is just put the thing back together. I am looking forward to that!

Thanks to Clayton Mackay, once again a great fellow to compare notes with and super with a wrench/hammer/saw - you name it. I pride myself today for contributing - sometimes it may be easier to dig a trench than build a scaffold. Just saying. Those last two inches are crucial!

We are feeling pretty stoked today.

[Kristof]

https://youtu.be/e4DYJymDafM

[pvfjr]

Keep up the good work! I'll be watching closely as our 78 continues to sit neglected.