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66Overlander · 03-09-2006, 09:02 PM

Here's wishing you luck! You tank plan sounds like a good one. For my curiosity are you planning to beef up that frame in the area of the tanks to handle the additional weight?

Chuck · 03-10-2006, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankornuta

I've finally ORDERED the tanks

which ones did you wind up going with? (manufacturer/model#)

38g is big. didn't think you'd be able to fit one that size.

ankornuta · 03-10-2006, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

Here's wishing you luck! You tank plan sounds like a good one. For my curiosity are you planning to beef up that frame in the area of the tanks to handle the additional weight?

I may box the 4" C-channel part of the frame where the water tanks mount and moving away from the water tanks, toward the axles in order to prevent bending in those places. Those are the areas that will endure the most stress from the weight.

ankornuta · 03-10-2006, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck

which ones did you wind up going with? (manufacturer/model#)

38g is big. didn't think you'd be able to fit one that size.

I'm not sure of the exact manufacturer of the tank; I ordered from Al's RV here in AZ. Brad/flyfshr helped me out with finding them and they were really helpful. The part number for the gray tank from their catalog (which I think is also available online) is #23705. The black tank was part #23724. I'll check on the manufacturer and post that information here as well.

Again, whether or not it "fits" depends on who you ask

It will not fit between the frame rails. The gray tank is just under 8" from the top to lowest point. The frame rails as you probably know are only 4" tall. Add to that the room that has to be left for drain lines (angling down) and vent pipes (angling up) and that really only leaves about an inch between the frame rails for holding tanks. These tanks will portrude below the frame rails and will be shielded by a frame that's being welded up to hold them in place as well as either 1" Ply or 16ga sheet steel.

I did a lot of "research" on Airstreams from different years to determine how they did it and this is pretty much how they do it. The portrusion is not noticeable standing next to the trailer, or even from a distance really, unless you are looking for it.

ankornuta · 03-10-2006, 03:53 PM

The tanks won't be here until Tuesday afternoon, around 4

I hate waiting.

uwe · 03-10-2006, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankornuta

I may box the 4" C-channel part of the frame where the water tanks mount and moving away from the water tanks, toward the axles in order to prevent bending in those places. Those are the areas that will endure the most stress from the weight.

I boxed on most of my frame during the "shell off" phase, including the tongue.
I used 4in by 3/16in flat steel. It added a few pounds to the weight, but not more than I could carry by myself, which is about 100lbs.

ankornuta · 03-11-2006, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uwe

I boxed on most of my frame during the "shell off" phase, including the tongue.
I used 4in by 3/16in flat steel. It added a few pounds to the weight, but not more than I could carry by myself, which is about 100lbs.

That's exactly what I bought today for boxing the frame.

Also, after checking out the weight of 3/16 sheet metal for holding up the water tanks, I decided to go with the 1" plywood afterall. I think it will be a little lighter and definitely easier to work with.

And now, after almost 6 months with no rain... I wish it would stop raining so I could get back to work!!!

Joey 73 · 03-13-2006, 01:16 PM

I have a 73 airstream 29 ft and i am doing a frame up restoration and need to replace some of the outriggers and some of the frame and was wondering what kind of steel should i use and where is the best place to get it at???

ankornuta · 03-13-2006, 06:37 PM

The frame rails are 3/16" thick 4" C-Channel. The outriggers are made of a thinner steel and are an "L" shape, 4" tall. I found a great salvage yard locally that also sells new steel. That's where I bought mine, but that's obviously far away from Florida....

Joey 73 · 03-14-2006, 12:21 PM

I Apreciate The Information About The Steel.this Is My First Time Owning An Airstream And I Have To Say I Dont Regreat It At All.I HAVE ONE DOOR ON MY AIRSTREAM.WAS IT REAL WOBBLEY WHEN YOU SEPERATED THE SHELL FROM THE FLOOR?I WAS GOING THROUGH THE FORUM LAST WEEK AND IT LOOKS DEFICULT.

malconium · 03-14-2006, 08:47 PM

Joey 73,

The channel for your '73 will likely be taller than the 4" that was used on earlier models. It is about 5" tall on my '73 31' unit.

Malcolm

ankornuta · 03-15-2006, 05:30 PM

So I just finished up the most of the welding that I'll be doing; the new platform for the holding tanks is installed and it doesn't look too bad. Actually, I shouldn't say that I welded it, a friend of mine did it for me at his shop. I wound up going with a sub-frame made from 2" angle-iron, holding up a 1" sheet of plywood. It's about 48" wide and 72" long. It extends below the frame rails about 6", starting at the rear axle and moving back from there.

My holding tanks also arrived and I went and picked them up this morning at the store. I had been waiting for them before starting the welding because even though I had all the dimensions, it helps to be able to lay everything out before melting the steel.

The new "sub frame" has really stiffened up the back part of the frame which was previously pretty much like a springboard. Right now the trailer is very tail-heavy, but that will all change once I put the batteries and fresh water tank up front.

So... I didn't bring my camera with me to the shop so I don't have pictures to post right now, but I'll take some pics when I pick it up and bring it home tomorrow morning. I didn't feel like towing the trailer with no marker lights or brakes in rush hour traffic... for obvious reasons.

ankornuta · 03-16-2006, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joey 73

I Apreciate The Information About The Steel.this Is My First Time Owning An Airstream And I Have To Say I Dont Regreat It At All.I HAVE ONE DOOR ON MY AIRSTREAM.WAS IT REAL WOBBLEY WHEN YOU SEPERATED THE SHELL FROM THE FLOOR?I WAS GOING THROUGH THE FORUM LAST WEEK AND IT LOOKS DEFICULT.

The body is surprisngly wobbly when removed from the frame. It's very important to brace it well before removing it so that you have a place to lift it from, as well as to keep it from flopping around too much.

The frame is also incredibly flexible once the body and floor are off. The rear end is a lot like a spring board. Mine has stiffened up quite a bit since I built the subframe to hold the water tanks.

To be honest; removing the body from the frame is a lot of work, and it is horrificly nerve wracking as it breaks free. However, it's really not all that hard. This is almost cliche, but it seems that putting it all back together is a little tougher because you have to be confident in what you're doing, especially if you're making changes, like adding holding tanks for example....

Joey 73 · 03-16-2006, 06:35 PM

Thanks For The Infomation It Helps Alot.i Just Bought A Welder And A Cutting Torch And I Started To Pull The Under Belly Off And Its Not A Pretty Sight At All. From The Looks Of It I Have To Replace About 4 Foot Of The Frame In The Rear And Replace 3 Cross Members And Im Missing 8 Outriggers And You Where Right Malcolm It Does Have A 5 Inch Frame. The Metal I Found Is About 4 Dollars Per Foot Does That Sound About Right. Joey

ankornuta · 03-17-2006, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joey 73

Thanks For The Infomation It Helps Alot.i Just Bought A Welder And A Cutting Torch And I Started To Pull The Under Belly Off And Its Not A Pretty Sight At All. From The Looks Of It I Have To Replace About 4 Foot Of The Frame In The Rear And Replace 3 Cross Members And Im Missing 8 Outriggers And You Where Right Malcolm It Does Have A 5 Inch Frame. The Metal I Found Is About 4 Dollars Per Foot Does That Sound About Right. Joey

I'm not sure if there's a big price jump from 4" c-channel to 5" c-channel (3/16" thickness) but I paid about $2 a foot.

Joey 73 · 03-17-2006, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankornuta

I'm not sure if there's a big price jump from 4" c-channel to 5" c-channel (3/16" thickness) but I paid about $2 a foot.

IT SOUNDS LIKE I NEED TO SHOP AROUND A LITTLE MORE FOR A BETTER PRICE THANKS

Joey 73 · 03-19-2006, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankornuta

I'm not sure if there's a big price jump from 4" c-channel to 5" c-channel (3/16" thickness) but I paid about $2 a foot.

THANKS IT SOUNDS LIKE I NEED TO GO SHOPPING AROUND A LITTLE MORE ON SOME THINGS.IS IT BEST TO USE 3/4 INCH PLYWOOD OR 5/8?? AND WHAT KIND OF BOLTS DID YOU USE TO PUT THE FLOOR BACK ON THE FRAME?I HOPE YOU DONT MIND ME ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!

JOEY

Jim & Susan · 03-20-2006, 01:42 AM

Joey, my '73 Overlander has 3/4" ply for the floor.

ankornuta · 03-21-2006, 04:55 PM

This weekend I'm going to treat my frame with POR-15. All the stuff I ordered finally came in, and I need to do that before I wrap up my tank storage box I built. The instructions seem fairly straight forward and I'm going to wear gloves and long sleeves because I've heard plenty of horror stories about its' skin-staining properties.

After painting the frame, it's time to box in the support I built for holding the water tanks beneath the frame. The 1" plywood will be bolted to the 2" angle iron that holds it in place. Silicone will be added to this junction to help waterproof everything from the bottom. 5/8" ply will be used to close in the sides. 2x4 pieces will help to secure the tanks, then nail straps will hold them down. Foam will be placed around the tanks to insulate and help hold them in place, plus prevent critters from moving into the "dead space".

I was thinking about coating the bottom of the plywod with galvanized steel for added protection against moisture, but then I found out that it's possible to treat wood with Por-15 as well, in order to completelty waterproof it. Has anyone else tried this? While a bit pricey, I think it might not be a bad idea for the flooring as well, or at least the bottom and sides of the floor.

Jim & Susan · 03-21-2006, 06:01 PM

Ank, on the '73, the back and both sides of the water tank frame are welded to the frame. The front of the tank frame is bolted into the two side pieces. The 1" ply simply slides in there, no need to bolt it in because of the way the frame works.

As far as POR-15 on the ply, I still prefer your original idea of some type of metal beneath the plywood. On the '73, there is an aluminum sheet there. The same stuff the rest of the belly pan is made of. Once in place, the whole thing is sealed with some type of auto-body type of undercoating. I don't know if that was factory applied, but it seems to have worked well over the years. That piece of 1" ply was in good shape (no water damage from road spray,etc) after all those many years. Sikaflex or Parbond would probably be much better sealant around this area. The undercoating has been a real pain to clean up so that the POR-15 could be applied to the frame there.

I used West Marine Epoxy to treat the plywood perimeter on the floor, rather than than the POR. It costs about the same as the POR, but is made specifically for wood applications (and is hard as nails after it sets up).

Jim