...sigh...

[pinkflamingoes]

is this the place? Sorry if I"m being obtuse; I dont see where else you could mean, but...I think Penguin understands my anxieties, being new to this...

[greg176]

A rule of thumb about axles is that if you can see the top of the wheel rim below the wheel cutout the axle is good.Using that as a guide I would say your axles are good.The best way is to look under the trailer and look at the angle of the axle trailing arm.If the arm is level or above level on an unloaded trailer the axle should be replaced.The spring of this unit is only rubber and thirty year old rubber can be quite hard.If they are bad I would reccommend getting the axles replaced before towing the trailer half way accross the country.You will need to get the brakes,tires,bearings,battery,wiring,and break-away switch looked at before towing this unit and that is alot of labor that would be included in an axle replacement , cheaper in the long run.Another option is to have one of the interstate vehicle movers deliver the trailer.Also check out threads for Dexter axles, they cost about one third as much as the Henscens.

[silver suz]

Pink Flamingo-check out all the pink flamingo stuff that is available! I even got a catalogue in the mail today with neon pink flamingoes and neon palm trees on the cover.!! There are palm tree sheets, shower curtains- what fun! Retro and aluminum and chrome are in. Start visualizing the inside arrangement and checking all the equipment. My first move was to get 8 pink plastic flamingoes to put in my wildscape area! It cheered me up while waiting for the trailer to arrive. Check out Tin Hut's decor- it's really great (except for the, ahh, umm, picture in the bath )silver suz

[greg176]

Looking at your photos I noticed that you will have to rebuild the aft compartment door. I am in the same boat with my trailer and hope to get a new thread going asking for as many detail photos as possible of that door so I can build a proper one.
As this door was not original to my trailer I may just eliminate it.
It looks like you will be doing some floor repair.Remember that the floor is an important structural element in the Airstream and it must be in good shape.If the rot is not everywhere it can easily be repaired with epoxy.

[Penguin]

Thank you, UWE. I was crawling around under my Trade Wind earlier this evening and noted the spot you describe for jacking.

And Greg 176, I am now a believer that seeing the distance between the top of the wheel and the wheel well is NOT a true predictor of axle health. In the photos of my Trade Wind, there are about 4-5 inches of tire showing. But those torsion arms are pointing at the sky! I think crawling underneath and admiring your trailer or trailer-to-be's belly is the way to tell.

That is just my experience with one trailer!

I am still not willing to put those axles on. Nor is my husband. So to the dealer we will go. The parts guy at my dealer (Out-of-Doors Mart in NC) wanted me to get the numbers off the tags on the axles for him. I found the tags this evening but they are as uniformly rusted as the rest of the axles. I hope he can order the axles using the VIN; that is what Andy asks for on HIS order blank, so it must be OK, right?

Pink Flamingoes, I got this avatar but I still can't figure out how to upload the pix so ... maybe tomorrow! Anyhow I want you to notice that there are two penguins looking out the window of the coach! It is a tiny photo and hard to see.

Connie

[pinkflamingoes]

Originally Posted by silver suz

Pink Flamingo-check out all the pink flamingo stuff that is available! I even got a catalogue in the mail today with neon pink flamingoes and neon palm trees on the cover.!!

What's the name of the catalog? I doubt I'll do Pink Flamingo decor, it's more of an inside joke with some friends of mine who won't leave me alone about my theories of what every person should have in their garden. BUT, I do like them, collect them to a small degree (and I love those gnomes with red hats!) and I'm planning to put some in my trailer somehow. Send on the catalog name!

I like the way Tin Hut did his, it's Pink Flamingoes/Parrots in sort of a Jimmy Buffett spirit, but not overdone. What scares me is his avatar! Is that really him?

[pinkflamingoes]

Originally Posted by Penguin

Pink Flamingoes, I got this avatar but I still can't figure out how to upload the pix so ... maybe tomorrow! Anyhow I want you to notice that there are two penguins looking out the window of the coach! It is a tiny photo and hard to see.
Connie

I think Handy Hubby can do the axle/wheels/tires, and I can just bring him beers when he bangs his finger. I'll be here at home, updating on everything he tells me on the phone from Wisconsin. I'm going to make him go the safe route and crawl underneath and eyeball the axles. Can't hurt, and we'll probably have to replace them anyway...but that's why we didn't want to pay over $2k for the trailer...replacing stuff.

Penguin, go to www.airstreamphotos.com and post your pictures there. I think if you're registered at this site you're automatically registered there too. I had to do a little fiddling to get them uploaded, but I figured it out eventually.

To put a picture in one of these posts is different, before you submit the post, click on "manage attachments" and find the picture on your computer...then after uploading, the photo will show up in this post window. If you don't see "manage attachments", click on "go advanced" and you can get to that.

I squinted and squinted at your avatar, all I see is a really cool tradewind! You should start looking for penguin decor! How'd you get to that name anyway?

[pinkflamingoes]

Originally Posted by greg176

It looks like you will be doing some floor repair.Remember that the floor is an important structural element in the Airstream and it must be in good shape.If the rot is not everywhere it can easily be repaired with epoxy.

In my home remodeling experience, most floor rot (all rot, really...) is more extensive than you ever think or hope. We're planning on gutting the trailer, keeping appliances if they are in decent shape and work OK, but the rest, we're tossing and starting all the way over, even if that means a new floor. That means tearing off the vinyl stuff on the walls down to the aluminum, new custom cabinetry and furniture/beds/benches etc, even redoing wiring/plumbing all that good stuff if needed.

My question: do you have to pull the whole shell off to replace the floor (meaning subfloor?) We want to put in a plywood floor and maybe pergo over the top of that. We probably want to insulate under the floor too.

I am going to post another picture of some damage...what's the part called, and how hard is it to fix?

[whistler]

ingrid

If the whole floor is rotted then the best way to repair is the removal of the shell. I gutted my complete interior and found that the only rot was a area (in the rear bathroom area) of about 2 square feet. All I did was replace the last 4 foot secton. Some guys out there have done shell off floor replacement and they have documented the process pretty good, but it doesn't look like a easy job. At first I was going to just replace the entire floor, I figured a new floor would last another 36 years since the first one did. But like I said after everything was out down to the bare walls it turned out 90% was in really, really good shape. So there's always hope. Good luck.

whistler

[greg176]

Normally one must remove the shell to replace the floor.See the thread:Full month floor repair is looming.It has a lot of info on the subject.

[pinkflamingoes]

Originally Posted by pinkflamingoes

I am going to post another picture of some damage...what's the part called, and how hard is it to fix?

I posted the other picture in Exterior Restoration forum.

[Penguin]

Oh Ingrid, Have you ever heard those stories of the traveling gnomes? I think it started when someone stole some garden gnomes and then sent the missing-gnome owner postcard-photos from all over the world of these stolen gnomes, posing in front of world-famous monuments! The hapless ex-owner of the gnomes kept getting these postcards!

So ... gnomes ... travel trailer ... get the picture?

I adopted "penguin" after a trip (realizing the dream of my life) to Antarctica.

Yeah, that dang avatar is so teeny that the birds don't really show up; I posed them looking out the window. In the window to the right of the door you can see two bits of white; that's their chests! I will have to pose them standing outside the coach, I guess.

I will try again tonight to upload some pix; I mowed the yard last night after work and THAT of course has to be followed up by two beers, so the photo page seemed beyond me!

I am going to try to listen in on the chat next Tuesday night. They seem to think beer is a requirement there. Must be easier to log on than to operate the photo page!

[pinkflamingoes]

I've heard there was an international Free The Gnomes day in France too. Everybody went around stealing them in this one city one night.

I feel everyone should have in their garden:

Pink Flamingoes
A Garden Gnome
A Buddha
St. Francis statue
The Bird Girl statue replica

I said that at a party and got all kinds of other suggestions. I have the first two and am working on the rest...

[tin can luv]

St. Francis was a sissy....

In Gradeschool, (a catholic one) I dressed up as him for Saint Day. I was pegged St.Francis of a sissy for many months to follow....


P.F. I am not ignoring you, I'll get back ASAP, been playin in the A/S all day...

Ron

[pinkflamingoes]

St. Francis was a sissy....

In Gradeschool, (a catholic one) I dressed up as him for Saint Day. I was pegged St.Francis of a sissy for many months to follow....

that's terrible!

Originally Posted by tin can luv

P.F. I am not ignoring you, I'll get back ASAP, been playin in the A/S all day...
Ron

as you should be! When mine arrives I'll only be on asking for help and running back outside.

i.

[Tin Hut]

Why does my picture scare you? As a fellow 1967 Tradewind puller looks should not matter. I'm already feeling a chemistry between us. If you were close by I'd have a few cocktails and let you watch me operate heavy machinery.

[pinkflamingoes]

I think it's because I can't see a chin in the picture. Do you have one?

But you're so right...looks are irrelevant, especially after an offer like that!

Do I get cocktails too?

[Tin Hut]

See, I was right about the chemistry. I used to live in your neck of the woods, pretty country.

[Penguin]

Wait a minute: you two are talking about cocktails and letting that "St Francis was a sissy" comment go by!

I have always thought that St Francis was kind of a sneaky guy, letting his reputation hide the TRUTH about him. There he stands, smiling benignly, with birds all over his torso, TRUSTING birds these are, and he is a meat-eater! He was actually luring those birds close so he could catch them and eat them!

Friend to animals, HA!

That is my take on St Francis.

(signed)

Connie the vegetarian

(I do admit that his statue adds a nice look to a garden, though )

[59toaster]

Check the belly pan and make sure it's riveted to the cross members. When the cross member rivets fail the bally pan moves as air passes under it while being towed and the ribs will wear holes/slots in it. That's why you have holes/slots before and after the wheel wells if the trailer didn't get rubbed on something.

I dirty trick to hiding that damage without replacing the belly pan is to take some new 2024 t3 .025 (not Alcad) and have it sheared into 12 inch strips. You can butt that stip up to the seam where the shell overlaps the belly pan. Rivet it at the same spacing as the existing rivets. Roll it under and rivet again. It will appear factory to all but the most observant.

www.airpartsinc.com has the aluminum. You might check you local phone book under "metal" and see if you can find a company that sells "coils" of 2024 or 6061 in a .025 thickness. You may be able to find a 12 inch wide coil for a reasonable price.