Bumper/Storage Cleanup

[casa3805]

Hello all,
A short pictorial on a recent small job I took on. Even the little ones are important I guess.
My rear bumper/decklid/framing around it all were pretty funky. Many layers of paint, and it was all chipping and peeling. A gentleman at a vintage rally in Glenn Rose (Mr George Nixon) took me to his trailer to show me how he had stripped the bumper and made it look pretty darn good without paint. So...here are my efforts to do the same. I regret, that as always, once I get started I quit taking pictures. But here is what I have.
These first 3 pics give you an idea of what the inside of the deck lid looked like (imagine the whole bumper looked the same), the bumper after a try with citri-strip, and citri-strip really working away.
After several tries at removing the paint I realized how easy the bumper would come off. So I took off the bolts and carried it down to the shed for the rest of the work. Then I drilled out all the pop rivets holding on the deck lid and carried it down as well. (No pics at the shed on sawhorses but trust me, it was easier)

[casa3805]

After I took off the bumper and deck lid, it was obvious the inside of the compartment needed work too. So, air-compressor and needle-gun to remove rust from the frame, inside and out. cleaned it all up and repainted. Two coats of rust-oleum primer, then the colors. Blue on the inside of the storage compartment and black on the frame. Two coats of each, all brushed on, and then a couple coats of clearcoat. Also painted the inside of the bumper black.
Funny how all jobs have some "scope creep". The license plate light receptacle was rusty, so I took it off, cleaned it all up and repainted with a sparkly silver rustoleum. Also took out the plastic cover for the light and replaced it with a piece of plastic we cut out of a storage container we got from Walmart for a buck or so. You cannot tell it but I took off the bracket behind the license plate and cleaned/repainted it as well. Replaced the rusty bolts that hold on the license plate.
And then there was the spring for the deck lid. Did not even know I had one. It had pulled loose of its rivets and was stuck up in the back. Drilled it all out, fixed it up some, repainted and reinstalled. All fun! And now the deck lid stay open, and closed, just like it should!

[casa3805]

OK, just three more pics to waste your time on. Reinstalled the bumper (all new bolts and screws on everything) Pop riveted the deck lid back in place and waxed it all up. Here is the final look. Not too shabby for a pretty minimal investment.
One pic with deck lid closed and one with it open. Then just for fun, a picture showing the grooves in the deck lid. Did not even know they were their till I started stripping.
Well, I have to get off here now, Sunny Skye is yelling in the background, something about getting packed so we can get on the road to Blanco!
See you all there I hope!

[clancy_boy]

Nice work. Thanks for posting.

[drboyd]

So that's what those springs are supposed to do! Wow! Mine are all broken -- does anybody know where one could purchase replacements?

[Big C]

Very nice!

[sandlapper]

Originally Posted by drboyd

So that's what those springs are supposed to do! Wow! Mine are all broken -- does anybody know where one could purchase replacements?

The spring holds the bumper lid up. Replacements are available through Airstream dealers. I picked one up while at JC back in July. Can't remember the cost, it wasn't much but worth a million dollars for what it does!!

[casa3805]

Thanks for helping drboyd out John. I've been out of touch with the electronic world for a few days. (yes, camping)
Gotta agree, those springs help a bunch. Before I repaired mine, the bumper lid just fell back down on my hand or the cord at the slightest bump... I kinda felt the same way when I discovered mine twisted up underneath...So that is what those things are for! Worth the cost, whatever it may be.

[sandlapper]

Glad I could contribute something constructive on here. The spring was missing on my son's trailer, just happened to stumble upon them at JC during a visit back in July. Cheap thrills, made him a happy camper.

Got to give Airstream a pat on the back here. That little spring, probably unique to Airstreams, is still available. No telling how long they have been in use, and they may not even use them any more, but they still gott'em.