69 Ambassador Frame On

[Dremel]

Slow but sure,

Cleaned up the frame with a wire cup on my grinder.

next will be the POR15, but instead decided to make a template for the first piece of floor.

Used a piece of plywood to make my story stick. ( never used that term for this procedure, in construction, a story stick is something else )

I used a square as my stick, since it was thin, I could push it right up to the outer skin. This way, I do not have to add on for the c channel thickness.

Transferred the story to a piece of 5mm luan. And it when right in.

I am not sure when I will get to apply the POR, It states that it should be at least 50 degrees. And it is not going to get there for a while.
Might be able to run the kerosene heater and do it at the warmest part of the day. Wont be till after Thanksgiving anyways.

[Aerowood]

Originally Posted by Dremel

I am not sure when I will get to apply the POR, It states that it should be at least 50 degrees.

It was snowing out when I sprayed the POR 15 on mine, no problems. Bought a cheap Harbor Fright touch up gun and just threw it away when done. All done outside in the gravel and rocks.

[Dremel]

I haven't given up yet.....ha

Some other projects have slowed me down, but when I am not in the trailer, I am still researching.

POR15ed the front rails,

played around in the back and pulled up part of the floor by my hands.

Purchased AC plywood. Had to go to Lexington to get it (1hr away) but this stuff is much better than the wood at the local Lowes.

[Dremel]

Two months since the last post.
I have been working on it. Any time I'm not, I planning ahead in my head and on paper.

Cut out the front piece of floor using the template I made earlier.
I gave it 3 coats of Poly and installed it.

[Dremel]

Later, I cut out the next piece of floor, and placed it in for fit.
I have not Polyed this piece yet.

[Dremel]

Then I started in on the rear. Pulling all of the rest of the floor.

This in it self can take a while

[Dremel]

Dropped the rest of the belly pan. Decided to pull it out entirely.
Cut it in half at the axles to pull out. Ended up cutting it around the axles.
Pretty much deciding that I will put in a new one when the time comes.

It is now officially fully gutted.

The frame has been wire brushed and painted with POR15

[Dremel]

I have cut the template for the rear piece of floor. But have not test fitted it yet.

I have 2 new grey tanks to go in the belly pan. 15 gallons each if I remember right. They will be plumbed together.

I have my new fresh water tank waiting for the near future. It will be under the sofa or gaucho or whatever I put up front.

New axles have been ordered.

The frame only needs a few spots of new metal.
I few of the "straps" that connect the outriggers. The piece that the banana wraps rivet to.

Also a few spots around the steps need patched.

Should be good for at least another 48 years. Then after that, I will not care.

[Aerowood]

Take a look at how the floor sits on the wheel well flanges. I routed the bottom of the new floor sheet to clear the wheel well flanges. This prevented the flooring bulging up at the wheel wells. This will make a big difference when installing cabinets, etc.

My plastic wheel well flanges were up to 3/16” thick.

[Dremel]

Thank you for the tip.

I will be putting back in the metal wheel wells next so that I can take the floor measurements.


Put the back piece of floor in last night

[Dremel]

A few posts to catch up.

One evening while working in the shop, I bent over to pick up some wood and almost grabbed this guy.....

Made me jump..

Then a second one came out

[Dremel]

I got 2 4 inch tall tanks from vts.
I was going to install then in two bays side by side, but that did not give much room to work on the connection.

So I left an empty bay between them. One is over the axles, the other is right behind the axle.

I am holding them up with 3 pieces of 1/8 in flat bar and 1 piece of angle on the end.
These are sitting on top of the frame cutouts held in place with u bolts on on side and j bolts on the other. If needed I could drop them out the bottom by sliding the bars out of the way.

[Dremel]

Ta da... the floor is in. Walls flexed to put in full sheets.

Elevator bolts in.

Channel attached with regular washers and bolts. Put them in all the outriggers and extra between the riggers holding channel to just wood. Nylocks used instead of nuts

Before floor, the wheel wells came out. Straightened any bent areas, riveted on extra metal where any tears existed and then reinstalled.

[Dremel]

Just in case, I did bevel the edges around the wheelwells

[Dremel]

New axles have arrived.....

I was hoping to get the airstream done as far as an aluminum tent before Alumapalooza in May.

Doubt this will happen, so we may be in our Trotwood or Shasta for that event.

[Dremel]

Practice.....

After that, my lovely wife took the bucking bar and we redid almost all of the skin to c channel rivets.

85% of them where pop rivets that someone else used.

They are all now bucked.

PS, my skill did get better than this sample pic. The belt line is a good place to practice since it will be covered with the trim strip.

[Dremel]

The next thing to fix.
A bent rib. Buckled and wavy. Empty rivet holes where filled with silicone

I made another post about this. Got some suggestion to try using a jack,
I may try it, but think it would be easier to cut out the bad part, reshape tight to the skin, then sister it back in with aluminum plate bolted on or riveted on.

I'm not sure the jack could push it tight to the skin

[Bubba L]

You’re making great progress. I ran into the same issue with the placement of the tanks and left a bay between. Normally if I see a bug like the one you saw, it would be a scorpion here in the Hill Country. But crayfish are kinda tasty. Keep up the good work and good luck. Bubba

[Dremel]

Next plan to check all rivets, replace those needed. Replace the Olympics seen in post 12

Replace roof vent gaskets

I wonder who was the engineer of having square vent covers for round pipe

[Dremel]

I will be redoing all the window glass to frame seals.

Wondering if I need to do the frame to skin seal and rivets.
They look ok, But if needed, now would be the time to redo since the inner skin is off.

Any opinions?