'64 Belly Pan removal

[PA BAMBI II]

I got the Bambi II home and ripped into it yesterday morning. I have the rub strip and front two corner pieces removed from the front underside. I cannot figure out how to drop the larger sections of the aluminum belly pan as they seem to be tucked too far up behind the front wall between the tongue frame. How high up does this thing go? I was on a roll...

I am used to removing rivets and replacing them in Airstreams...worked on Dad's for years. I just need to get this pan dropped so I can assess the frame rot situation and get it repaired.

And yes, I did find floor rot in the Bambi II. I removed all of the old flooring (disgusting brick vinyl tiles!!) and uncovered some issues. Plan is to gut the interior and assess some more, replacing part or all of the floor. Still need to get that belly pan off.

Wondering if the frame repair will be easier if the floor is removed first, or if the frame can be repaired with floor in place?

Hope someone out there can help with some of this...

Thanks! Ben

[VIKING]

Hi Ben/ PA BAMBI II
You can start by checking out the link to my long-neglected blog, below, before you drill out the bucked rivets that hold the bellypan to the bottom of the wall. You may decide not to remove them.
Welcome!

Rich the Viking

[bwaysteve]

On my 65 there were some blind rivets(You have to look closely.I did not have to remove the rub rail.I removed the rivets around the underneath perimeter and dropped it like a skirt,then removed the BP.Mine is an Ambassador and had 2 long BP strips riveted together in the center running the length.
I also found 6 bad areas of floor and removed all to replace.I found taking out the floor cleaning the BP then removing the BP gave me better access and was way cleaner.My thread is "Gutting the 65" and I may have some pics that help.Not sure how particular the Bambi is to the Ambie,but close enough to year to have some consistencies.

[bwaysteve]

PS Just checked a BambiII on the Archives site.The rub rails look to be the same where they just go around the front and also just the rear.I will bet you can leave the rub and remove all rivets from the bottom of the BP when those are removed the bucked rivets around the trailer that you did not remove will let that portion hang like a skirt and exposing the remainder of the rivets.
Viking gave me these hints and especially doing the floor first cause it's really nasty down there.