Rear Door Argosy 24 - new project!

[bhayden]

Being that aluminum is much harder than plastic and WE HOPE there isn't that much movement I think we're talking a geological time frame for any appreciable wear. What about using vinyl tubing? Easy to bend and comes in almost any size.

Pictures! Where's the Pictures? -Bernie

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by bhayden

Being that aluminum is much harder than plastic and WE HOPE there isn't that much movement I think we're talking a geological time frame for any appreciable wear. What about using vinyl tubing? Easy to bend and comes in almost any size.

Pictures! Where's the Pictures? -Bernie

Believe it or not, the PVC is harder than the aluminum.
Over a period of time, it can rub through the skin. Not in hundreds of miles, but in thousands of miles, and by the time you notice it on the outside of the trailer, it is too late.

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by bhayden

Pictures! Where's the Pictures? -Bernie

OK, OK - here are some taken when it was still for sale. Very original! Currently, we have stripped out all furniture and are commencing to separate top form bottom! Big project...

[Minnie's Mate]

Cool! It doesn't look like it needs a gut job in the photos. Are you doing a frame off for the floors/body work?

[bhayden]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Believe it or not, the PVC is harder than the aluminum.

Mmm, that's going to be a tough sell. I can imagine sawing thought a PVC pipe with a blade made of aluminum but not the other way around. Aluminum has a hardness of around 70 Rockwell B scale. PVC with a Shore D hardness of 80 converts to near zero on that scale.

Comparison of hardness scales (See figure 8.)

Of course that's not the whole story. Grit between the two pieces could act as an abrasive and even though plastic is soft in comparison to a drill bit it sure dulls the cutting edge faster than aluminum unless the speeds and feeds are carefully controlled.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by bhayden

Of course that's not the whole story. Grit between the two pieces could act as an abrasive and even though plastic is soft in comparison to a drill bit it sure dulls the cutting edge faster than aluminum unless the speeds and feeds are carefully controlled.

Exactly. Since it is between skins, there is no telling what could get in/on it. I had to reposition some PVC on our Argosy, it was rubbing, if not wearing, a hole in the aluminum.

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

Cool! It doesn't look like it needs a gut job in the photos. Are you doing a frame off for the floors/body work?

As they say looks can be deceiving. I washed the interior down and could not get rid of the smell, I had been uneasy about the floor some rot. I pilled one panel up front off the wall and found 3 dead mice, lots of droppings and tunnels in the insulation. So I pulled another panel and found 4 more dead mice more droppings and more tunnels... see where this is going? Needless to say; I have remove all interior panels and End Caps and have found a total of 9 dead mice. I figured as long as I'm here it will be a frame off to replace the floor make some changes in the tanks and I am going to build all new cabinets and seating.

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Believe it or not, the PVC is harder than the aluminum.
Over a period of time, it can rub through the skin. Not in hundreds of miles, but in thousands of miles, and by the time you notice it on the outside of the trailer, it is too late.

I was thinking of lining the skin with strips of something like PVC or ABS sheet maybe .030 thick. I thought this might cut down on the chance of the pipe rubbing through the skin. Another thought, maybe something softer that would cradle the pipe and keep it from abrading. Something like embedding the pipe in Silicone or a hard rubber sheet. Thoughts.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Janet's Husband

I was thinking of lining the skin with strips of something like PVC or ABS sheet maybe .030 thick. I thought this might cut down on the chance of the pipe rubbing through the skin. Another thought, maybe something softer that would cradle the pipe and keep it from abrading. Something like embedding the pipe in Silicone or a hard rubber sheet. Thoughts.

Why not use the prefab foam insulation that you wrap around pipes? The name of it escapes me...It's got a slit up one side of it, and fits over the pipe. Getting old sucks, but I can't remember why...

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Janet's Husband

I figured as long as I'm here it will be a frame off to replace the floor make some changes in the tanks and I am going to build all new cabinets and seating.

Gary, have you given any thought to replacing the fresh water tank (above the floor in the front) with a comparable between the frame rails fresh water tank fromk an Airstream? It will get one source of water off the floor, and lower your center of gravity. You could probably do the same in the back for the black tank as well, plus I think the OEM Airstream black and grey tanks hold more goo...

[3Ms75Argosy]

I REALLY hate to think what might be in my walls..... gee... thanks Gary!

"3 blind mice, see how they.... uh... stink?"

Tanks - I like what Sergei has done with his bathroom - he sunk the black tank between the rails under the floor - gives the bathroom some nice room.
Marc

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Gary, have you given any thought to replacing the fresh water tank (above the floor in the front) with a comparable between the frame rails fresh water tank fromk an Airstream? It will get one source of water off the floor, and lower your center of gravity. You could probably do the same in the back for the black tank as well, plus I think the OEM Airstream black and grey tanks hold more goo...

I'm planning on looking into that just as soon as I get the frame out and apart.

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by 3Ms75Argosy

I REALLY hate to think what might be in my walls..... gee... thanks Gary!

"3 blind mice, see how they.... uh... stink?"

Tanks - I like what Sergei has done with his bathroom - he sunk the black tank between the rails under the floor - gives the bathroom some nice room.
Marc

All ready got it measured. That is one of the reasons I'm looking into the vent move... possibilities. Janet wants me to have it ready for the BB Bash, two words Fat and Chance. Should be ready by BB-V.

[3Ms75Argosy]

ha! Maybe you'll have a nice Basecamp version... cots, and folding chairs? Maybe even put the shell on with a big hinge on the front.. the rear could open up, with HUGE air shocks (or struts) to keep it up?

Just kidding! But really, I'd love to see it one day soon!
Can't wait for the end of this month!
Marc

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by 3Ms75Argosy

ha! Maybe you'll have a nice Basecamp version... cots, and folding chairs? Maybe even put the shell on with a big hinge on the front.. the rear could open up, with HUGE air shocks (or struts) to keep it up?

Just kidding! But really, I'd love to see it one day soon!
Can't wait for the end of this month!
Marc

Hmmmm...Thinking.

[Janets Husband]

Well, finally got the last rivets out and the shell is off the floor sitting on 2x4 blocks. I'll put it on saw horses tomorrow and pull the frame out from under it.
I found that this model does not sit on just the C-channels and then bolted to the floor. There are extrusions that slide onto the the floor plywood and then slip inside the skin, they are then riveted to the shell.
Anyone seen this before?

[3Ms75Argosy]

Woo hoo - liftoff! How heavy was it Gary? Do you have pics of this arrangement? So is it a c channel around the plywood and rivets to the exterior shell? How do the ribs attach?. Funny that's different than the bigger Argosy's.
Marc

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by 3Ms75Argosy

Woo hoo - liftoff! How heavy was it Gary? Do you have pics of this arrangement? So is it a c channel around the plywood and rivets to the exterior shell? How do the ribs attach?. Funny that's different than the bigger Argosy's.
Marc

I don't know how heavy it is, I used a floor jack on the cross braces that I installed to hold the shell in shape. I can pick up a corner at a time by hand, not too hard. The ribs just sit in the C channel no connection they are riveted to the skin and that holds them in place. I will be posting pictures of the extrusion that clips onto the wood very soon. I wonder how many variations there are to the "shell to floor" connection there are?

[Janets Husband]

Here is the extrusion that clips to the floor and then riveted to the shell.
A real good way to hold the shell down. Has anyone seen this extrusion before, and what was the model it was in?

[Janets Husband]

Here is the Rib Connection to the C-channel. Or should I say the lack there of.