Interior end cap fixes...

Silver Bullet · 01-02-2005, 02:13 PM

Our Globbie has the same "crack infestation" as has been reported here several times. We attacked with a vengence and can report on the results.

(1) Plastic Weld system; This can be had at any AutoZone for about 4 bucks. It has a psi rating of 3500 lbs and will fill gapped cracks. It is an epoxy so once it has set you can carve it with a sharp knife (preferably a diamond stone honed) or razor blade. Results.. It's strong and holding the original shape of the end cap.

(2) Acrylic Nail Sculpture; I'm going to be LAUGHED off the forum for this but, laugh as you may IT WORKS! We started with the two largest cracks at the front, one street and one curb. My wife (who does her own nails) came up with this. The gaps were approx. 1/8" wide to 0" about 4"-6" long, all above the front sofa. She used this to fill the crackes (it's thick so it won't sag and drop down inside past the crack) then once set, we filed and sanded then painted. Results.. WHAT cracks?

Durability of either of these two methods will be found out this winter and desert summer. As of now, WOW!

Oscar

PS These end caps are NOT fiberglass. They are an ABS plastic of the 70's. A previous PO tryed fixing ours with fiberglass repair and I peeled it of faster than wallpaper.

Ken J · 01-02-2005, 04:05 PM

Its a good idea to drill a small hole at the end of each crack so they don't run any further.

Ken J.

COArgosy78 · 01-02-2005, 05:13 PM

Thanks for the post Oscar. We, of course, are also going to need to deal with a couple of the infamous endcap cracks...mostly found in the rear bath area. Will be interested in your final results and update when possible. We will be tackling this along with other ongoing projects come Spring.

Silver Bullet · 01-02-2005, 05:26 PM

Yep, been done, but I'm not sure of the longevity. One of the previous PO's did the same and I have found cracks 2" beyond the drill mark.

I personally think it is going to be an ongoing battle of man, plastic and aluminum. Airstream was not on top of the game when they matched plastic to aluminum. The exterior expands and contracts well beyond the interiors plastic integrity, not to mention plastic, through time, dry rots meaning looses it's elasticity.

Oscar

gsymes · 01-09-2005, 07:37 PM

As a former Hobie sail boat owner (all ABS) I can tell you about my successes.
Using a Royalex Repair Kit resolved a lot of my problems on Hobies. I have also used fiberglass with successs. The big "but" is I was working with 1\4 inch plus thickness and filling dings and edge cracks. As long as there was ample support and mass around the crack everything was fine.
OK Airstream reality, I have my end cap sitting on saw horses in my shop as of right now. I repaired multiple cracks with fiberglass resin first then over layed them with cloth. I have been flexing the cap everytime I walk by it and two cracks have reappeared. These crack are in the upper corners were the aluminum storage cabinet attaches.
Solution, I have flush riveted aluminum to these corners on the hidden side then applied fiberglass gel to the interior side. When I reinstall the end cap I will shim the cabinet so it does not transfer the load to the end cap.
Actually I hope your repair works, because removing the cap is a real pain, but it does allow time to find leaks from the exterior. Ken J is right stop drill is a must no matter what happens.

j54mark · 02-06-2005, 08:44 PM

I did my repairs in situ. Since mine all originated at the point where the plastic meets the ceiling, I drilled the rivets to gain access. This allowed me to cement abs plastic stiffiners (made from scrap) to the top, unseen side. I then filled with a paste made from abs shavings and abs cement (used for plumbing).

I painted with Krylon plastic primer and a textured spray paint, using just simple masking.

I finally got some photos up on the Airstream Photos site: http://www.airforums.com/photo...er/139/cat/500

Mark