Belly pan completely off......????

[VIKING]

I've only heard of crumbling issues with spray-foam insulation.

[putback]

When using non-permeable insulation under the floor there's one thing to consider when instaling. Traping water above the insulation layer from leaks, condinsation, ect. If the insulation is to well sealed or has sags the water can't get out.

[hessehesse]

Richard - here are some pictures of my belly pan drop. Yes, I didn't listen to the forum's to check this stuff out before I bought it (luckily I haven't paid yet!). Just did this last week and needless to say I think the critters had a "field day" in my airstream (it was sitting in a field for 5 years). I am now doing a complete gut - as the floorboards are so stained with rat pee that it is unbearable...(I found this out after pulling up the leopard skin carpet - no kidding). Anyhoo... hope this makes you feel good! John

[gutsgolf]

John don't get discouraged, we are all here for you.
richard

[airstreamjudy]

John, the bottom of mine was the same - all the older AS that have been setting around will have this nasty mess. This stuff is the worst mess I have ever seen except for the very large bugs/roaches. About two days after we started the tear out of the appliances, cabinets, etc. I used about 9 of the bug bomb cans over the next week. Every night we set off a bomb. I had a helper back in those days and he was kind enough to be the first to arrive in the mornings to clean up the bug mess. Now, that was nasty. 10 months later I am living/using my '68 AS. Everything is now clean, new appliances, old cabinets that have been cleaned, sanded and restained. Keep up your spirits. In a few months this nightmare will have passed . . . you will have others to worry about. It is worth it.

[gutsgolf]

Our company built a fense out of square tubing needles to say rust came out early. we put ospho on it and it worked really great

[gutsgolf]

There has to be a secret to getting that thing off. I have run into the strangest looking rivets, thank God for my dremel. Is there a rivet under the axel brackets. Why in the world did they make it so long. I need some pointers.
thanks

[Jim & Susan]

I had the same problem with that back piece of the belly pan. It's very long. There were no fasteners around the axles, but it was jammed in there "real good". Just took a lot of pulling and tugging to finally get it outta there. Of course, all that said, some P.O. may have modified a few things over the years.

Jim

[gutsgolf]

Thanks Jim,
I actually thought about cutting that thing in half. Those axles have it locked tight. I got frustrated and tried to cut around one axle . big mistake , well i am learning. Don't think I got that much tug power in me. well got to go back at it .
wish me luck.

[Minno]

I’m thinking maybe you would be better off cutting the belly pan into 3 pieces. Make one cut just before the axels, and then another cut after the axels. Then you can fairly easily remove the front and rear pieces, and hopefully, flex the remaining piece enough to get it out from the axels.

When they build these puppies, the axels are installed after the floor and belly skin, which explains why things are the way they are now when you’re trying to remove it.

When you reinstall the belly skin, you’ll have to seam where you made the cuts. To do that, cut about a 4 or 6 inch wide strip of sheet aluminum and use that, along with pop rivets, to make the seam. If you can make the cut near one of the cross pieces that the belly is riveted to, then the seam reinforcement piece will be supported by additional rivets when you re-install it. Hopefully that makes sense.

The belly skin doesn’t need to be completely water tight, or necessarily really pretty, so having the extra seams would not be an issue. Plus, they might come in handy down the road if you need to get access up there again.

Just a thought.

Chris

[gutsgolf]

that sounds like a great idea. i shoved the brake wires up in there before i realized how bad that thing was going to be to get out. When i got to the back the sheet of metal that goes under the storage area was over the belly pan. it had caught on low curbs and spots had been pulled down an inch or so. would you put the pan over that so it will slide

[Minno]

Not sure I understand your question.

Chris

[putback]

If you are going to leave you axles in place it seems you'll have to slice the pan. No biggie, lot of folks do. As suggested above pop rivit alum strips on the inside of the pan to rejoin the sections you cut. Saging sections are common, the small rivit heads pull through. When you reatach use the lg dia. head rivits, 1/2 inch head I believe. Belly pans are supose to "leak", only place water can escape. The rivits I've seen holding the pan to the Xmembers are 3/16 dia. not 1/8. Look close when you drill, sometimes the whole rivit spins. Which way do your seams run, lengthways of the frame or crossways? Get ahold of Mike [?] on "dirtiest jobs" vidios! Your doing the absolout dirtiest, filthiest, most misserable job in the Airstream resto world and nothing showes for your effort when your done! But its the foundation for everything after that do'es show. And you will never give a second thought to any weakness under the floor.

[k4ter]

Xyvek might work--it's waterproof from the outside but allows water vapor to escape from the inside.