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memgrove2000 · 04-07-2010, 05:23 PM

Mike, Our trailer is not here and I am changing from 20lb LP tanks to 30lb LP tanks tomorow (in the rain it looks like) and I want to change to the new thredded rod. I want to take all the hardware with me when I go. SO my question is. What size Thredded rod did it take? How long? We too have the aluminum wing nut handle.

VIKING · 04-07-2010, 08:16 PM

I just checked mine, which is shown in a picture in a earlier post. It is a 36" length of 1/2" stainless steel allthread. It hangs down 5" below the bottom locking nut. I would have cut it off, but I had something else to do that month

. You ever tried cutting a 1/2" stainless rod? No thanks.
It does'nt hang as low as the jack does anyway, so I don't mind it.

Rich the Viking

memgrove2000 · 04-07-2010, 08:47 PM

Thanks Rich. I will be able to get the parts on my way instead of back tracking.

I will take the Roto zip with the cut-off wheel if I think it is too long.

I like the newer tank covers and may just leave it long and see if we get one of them and use it to secure the cover as well. But that is another season away.

Thanks again.

mello mike · 08-15-2010, 07:21 AM

Mike,
Did you ever do this modification?

memgrove2000 · 08-15-2010, 01:26 PM

Yes , Mike
I did put the new all thred rod in back in April. I Left the all thred Rod long at the top with a nut on it it now holds the Lp tank cover on as well (never more than finger tight). Our cover is plastic like the ones on the "SOB" trailers just painted silver to match the airstream. We use have to bungie the cover down to travel with 20 # tanks but now the rod holds it much better and is much quicker to remove the cover to service the tanks. (after camping in March I was granted the larger tank upgrade just not to aluminum tanks) I dont think the nut is needed any more as the cover fits the taller tanks just right with no movement.

247stream · 08-17-2013, 07:31 AM

this might be an old thread but the information is still pertinent and likely critical to all new AS owners who have so many to-do projects that they don't consider this potential and disastrous problem that can easily be remedied. as always, thank you for sharing, for me it is very timely as this is exactly what we're working on now.

LFC · 08-17-2013, 06:02 PM

The cover is kinda flimsy to reply on holding full propane tanks in place.

TouringDan · 08-17-2013, 06:51 PM

Thanks Air forums. Another very important lesson learned. I am going to upgrade my tank hold down system.

Dan

kevinb · 08-17-2013, 08:30 PM

Lots of good ideas here, I placed a lock through the tank and base on the A-frame, now my tanks aren't going anywhere.

kevinb · 08-17-2013, 09:35 PM

This is a picture of a 59 pacer that is on the airstream archives site, it shows another safe means of securing tanks

drboyd · 05-30-2015, 05:05 PM

I read this thread several months back, and I finally got all the stuff together to upgrade my tanks and hold-down system.

The new hold-down rod is threaded 18-8 stainless, but my friendly local metal fab buddies bent me a "candy cane" hook on the bottom. No worries now about even the bottom nuts coming off.

Just tilt your head to the right - sorry about the photo rotation! And yes, the propane line does look like it's been through the wars; it's on The List.

switz · 05-30-2015, 06:31 PM

A very pertainent thread. Will mosey into town tomorrow and find the stainless steel rod and a hand full of stainless steel nuts and washers.

Our existing steel rod is nearly white from salt corrosion damage from the drive to Arizona from the factory in late January 2014. When it arrived, the tailer looked almost like Moby Dick, the big white whale.

So far in my travels, the big box stores lack a reputable jobber to keep the stainless steel fittings drawers full of inventory. I usually have to drive to several to get "all" the stainless steel parts for a given job.

Thanks for revisiting this thread guys/ladies, that tie down rod failing was not on my mental inventory for things to make better or repair in advance.

unifreck · 05-30-2015, 07:13 PM

Big box stores have very POOR grade of stainless steel fasteners that will rust and corrode like regular steel, just a little slower. If you want better quality, decide what you need and get MARINE quality stainless from a reputable marine supplier. If you ask the sales people or manager of the big boxes they will tell you they don't know because the buyers just send the low bid supplies. I live on the beach and have learned the hard, expensive way.

slowmover · 05-31-2015, 03:37 AM

Be prepared for sticker shock at WEST MARINE. If there is more than one project, then some of the online suppliers might be a better choice. That said, I sure have spent a lot at WM the past 20-yrs for car and trailer supplies (mainly ANCOR wire and associated; highly recommended).

drboyd · 05-31-2015, 01:23 PM

If you're in an area with some industry, you'll probably have industrial supply houses; they'll have the good stuff at a reasonable price. In Phoenix, that would be Copperstate or Industrial Metal Supply.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-31-2015, 03:00 PM

Hi, I always carry a pocket screw driver with me and it has a magnet on the end. If it sticks to the stainless steel, it will rust. I try to buy items that my magnet won't stick to.
Yes, West Marine is quite expensive; I look at things there and go n line to see if I can find the same thing for less.

switz · 05-31-2015, 10:29 PM

Went to the trailer and measured and I need a 36" stainless steel treaded rod. I found a few items at Home Depot to help hold all in place. I found two U-bolts and then acquired stainless steel flat washers, lock washers inside tooth and wing nuts.

I had installed the "BOLT" lock earlier. It is keyed to the truck ignition key.

drboyd · 06-28-2015, 07:03 PM

I just made up a couple of 1/8" wire rope pieces; I'm gonna loop one end through the handle on each tank and the other end will go around the rod under the regulator. For less than $10 at Homey D, it's cheap insurance.

Pictures will be available sooner or later if anyone is interested....

Alphonse · 06-28-2015, 07:18 PM

Drboyd, thanks for resurrecting this thread once again. Looks like it has been resurfaced at least three times if not more. Very good info here.

Boxite · 05-04-2016, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwightdi

Some Airstream tie down rods were just cross pinned at the bottom. Sometimes the pins would break. I replaced mine with a threaded rod with two nuts at the bottom.

Some of the cast aluminum cross tees for the top of the tanks have been known to break. The casting have low ductility becaused they chose the wrong alumimun alloy when they made them. I think it was a high silicon alloy which is high strength but low ductility. I have a broken one of those too. You can not do anything about that but you should not overtighten the hold down wing nut.

A cross tee which is not tight enough may allow the bottles to wiggle and rotate to the point it will come to the opening in the handle and fall off the front of the trailer. I had it happen to me. I solved that one with a securing pin assembly which I made. Also works for steel tees.

Those spring-loaded "D" pins will not remain secure if your "T" handle loosens. The wire-spring bails will simply twist open and let the bottles fall.
Those are completely false security when used in that manner.
The wire-bails cannot be expected to anything other than prevent the pins from shifting due to their OWN weight... not the weight or momentum of the "secured" device (the bottles.)
That said... Kudos to this entire discussion and the OP for bringing it to our attention.