Underbelly Skin Replacement

[Morning Dew]

Hey all. My 77' 31' soveriegn needs some help. the underbelly is fine exept for the curved peices that begin on the underside and then curve up and conect under the blue strip that wraps around the trailer. these peices are dented dramatically and even have LARGE holes in some places. My question is where do i get the metal for this. and how do i shape it so it fits and looks like the original once did. Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

[thenewkid64]

Brian,

The bannana wraps as they are called can be handled 2 diffrent ways. On the sides it is just flat sheet aluminum. The front and rear corners are a diffrent story. Those will require purchase of new ones from an Airstream dealer or a very talented sheet metal guy. I belive Airstream stamps those to make the compound curves. You may want to start by calling a local dealer for pricing and availability then see if a local craftsman can make them for less. Good Luck, and Welcome to the forum!

[Morning Dew]

What about the piece right behind the tires. i think i kicked up a rock and i ripped a huge hole about 12 inches across.

[thenewkid64]

This would be a normal flat sheet. If you can measure the thickness you can get aluminum flashing that is the correct thickness and replace it back to where it is no longer damaged.

All it takes here is rivets, some paitence and a sharp pair of metal shears.

[Chas]

The front and rear curved sections can be removed enabling you to hammer the dents back out. You will need to remove the lower rub rail to get at most of the rivets. The rest of them are on the underside. While you're at it you should have a look at the floor framing, do something to slow down the rust process by treating it with POR-15 or a 3M product and then paint it the best you can, maybe replace the insulation. You may be in for some nasty surprises, anything from rotten floor edges, rust, or even snakeskins in my case.

Good Luck!!

Chas

[Morning Dew]

thanks for the warning chas. by the way, how should i remove the rivits??? how do i put rivits back in? i asume i have to buy a special tool. any idea on the price? thanks.