Towing a gutted 72 Excella

[Bauxter]

I am looking to buy a 72 Excella 31' that has been gutted. It has new Dexter 3500# axles and brakes. Should I be concerned that there are no bulkheads to support the shell on the inside? I am traveling from CT to Ohio. Tow vehicle is sufficient, with a decent anti-sway equalizer hitch. Most of the inner skins have been removed.

[kidjedi]

As long as the shell is attached properly to the frame, you should be ok. When you say "bulkheads," what do you mean? The ribs and skin are what give the Airstream its strength (monocoque design, like an airplane). My first AS was a gutted 25' filled with all the parts that I pulled from Indiana to Colorado with no WD hitch (just straight to the ball) and no problems.

[Isuzusweet]

I would remove the A/C units to reduce weight on the roof, but as long as the interior skin is in place, you should be good to go.

Make sure you have a brake controller.......and DOT manufacter date the tires.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[Bauxter]

Originally Posted by kidjedi

As long as the shell is attached properly to the frame, you should be ok. When you say "bulkheads," what do you mean? The ribs and skin are what give the Airstream its strength (monocoque design, like an airplane). My first AS was a gutted 25' filled with all the parts that I pulled from Indiana to Colorado with no WD hitch (just straight to the ball) and no problems.

The bulkheads are the pieces that run side to side (divider walls), which provides support under the ribs. I had a friend who lost a trailer because of a heavy snow-load, after he removed them in the winter. Since most of the inner skin is gone, the monocoque strength is reduced, and I was worried about unplanned stresses, caused by bad roads, causing damage to the shell.
If I buy this shell, I think I will build a 2x4 support frame under the AC, for transport.
Did you get a lot of bounce on your trip to Colorado?

[OTRA15]

Your concerns are justified IMO. When you build the 2x4 vertical supports under the A/C units, I would also brace diagonally left/right and fore/aft -- to the structure of the shell -- the same way that house movers do, when they move a gutted house. Is the sub-floor and framing strong enough to take the 2x4 towers and the bracing?

FYI the new search function in the blue box above [desktop version of this site] works great. Here are the "towing empty shell" results so you can check out the threads which have discussed this . . . there may even be some photos of the bracing:

https://www.google.com/search?q=towi...=airforums.com

Good luck, and please attach photos later, if you have a chance.

Peter

PS -- For one "look see" down the road upon which you may be embarking, "The Love Shack" thread might be a good read. The author has a great sense of humor, and has documented his work well:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f227...ck-183431.html

"Eyes wide open" . . . that's all!



PS2 -- The trailer brakes must be operating, by law I believe, although some commercial haulers can probably avoid this requirement with a heavy duty tow vehicle?