Relocating Airstream w/ inner walls removed?

[aholmquist]

Hello everyone. I have a 78 airstream, 31' sovereign. I have half of the inner walls removed to scrub and replace insulation but I have decided to sell it instead of continue work on restoration. It too large for my daughter and I so we will be getting a smaller trailer. I have a buyer and they want to start work immediately but they need to move it to their house. Is it okay to move an airstream with half of the inner walls removed? Structurally will it survive a short move of about 25 miles?

[Belegedhel]

You may get opinions about how the interior skins are a fundamental part of the structural integrity of the shell of the trailer, but although they may contribute something to the strength, and something to the ridgidity, it isn't very much as can be surmised by the fact that they are held in place with a pop rivet every 6 inches or so, compared to the bucked rivets that hold the exterior shell together every inch or so. Anyway, I took my trailer, camping several times as an aluminum tent, with no interior skins at all, and survived driving hundreds of miles with it without any issue.

So, my humble opinion is that you should not get too worried about moving the trailer 25 miles without all the interior skins in place. That being said, make sure that the door is held shut with something more than just the door latch, as you may notice that the trailer is a bit more "fluid" than it would be with all interior in place.

good luck!

[aholmquist]

Thank you so much! That is a HUGE relief! I am glad that is the case. It's 25 miles of flat well paved highway so it will be a smooth road. Good advice to secure the door!

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by aholmquist

Hello everyone. I have a 78 airstream, 31' sovereign. I have half of the inner walls removed to scrub and replace insulation but I have decided to sell it instead of continue work on restoration. It too large for my daughter and I so we will be getting a smaller trailer. I have a buyer and they want to start work immediately but they need to move it to their house. Is it okay to move an airstream with half of the inner walls removed? Structurally will it survive a short move of about 25 miles?

Have you removed the actual "inner walls," including their framing and skins/paneling? Or are you referring only to having removed about 1/2 of the interior aluminum skin from the exterior walls?

To these eyes, more clarity is needed before good advice can be given.

One option would be to move the trailer on top of a low boy trailer if vertical clearance is OK.

Good luck!

[aholmquist]

I have just removed half of the inner aluminum sheeting, along one wall. All support beams and braces are still in place. Just the 1/8" thick aluminum sheets.

[Wabbiteer]

Just avoid any 'Dukes of Hazard' style median/curb/culvert fully airborne jumps and it will do fine...

[J. Morgan]

So long as you don't accumulate thousands of pounds of snow on the roof you will be fine.


Superat stultitia.