I posted a thread on floor material, asking why a wood product versus some other...the replies were:1) too ridgid (andy of inland should jump in here)2) wood "gives" a little. Now in this thread the rigidity of an aluminum frame is questioned-Chrome moly steel would be another lighter, relative cost effective replacement medium for the frame, also.
I am contemplating the purchase of a 74-it is cheap, $1250 but probably needs a full monty-which is what I want to do. But again, not being a purist, either, I am looking for possible alternative materials.
Water is the problem. Other threads say "...don't seal the belly pan-it has to breathe..." "Don't put insulation in the bsmt cuz it holds water." There is another thread where a couple had to replace a major chunk of floor and then covered it all with plywood and finished the ply-this on a 2005 (I think) trailer-damage was caused by themselves.
So, water is gonna get in-why not mitigate what it can do? wood rots and molds survive-steel will rust but no mold. solid insulation will not absorb or hold water-batts will-some say the solid stuff deteriorates with down the road motion. but I gotta go with the anti-water stuff. I am thinking of building a fail safe plumbing system....piping inside of piping-the materials are inexpensive and if I do the labor then it may be okay. speaking of ridgid vs flex-ever notice the lp piping is pretty dang ridgid? and the DVW black pipe is ridgid-the old grey fresh water piping is SOMEWHAT flexible, but not like Pex. So, what is it? flex or ridgid?
In drag racing, the platform needs to be RIDGID on a suspended vehicle-it needs to flex for a vehicle that is not suspended. So what is an airstream? Suspended or solid mounted axles? hmmmm kinda both. and whattsup with this over balancing of the rotating assy on the axles? those oldtimers took airstreams up and down roads that make jeep trails of today look tame. what pops rivets? Interstate highways with unbalanced wheels or mountain dirt roads? Same goes for plumbing cracks, leaks. My brain hurts thinking about all this. There are two things to remember: 1) what worked in the past 2) what is the application of new materials/methods gonna do to the whole?
For me, I kinda like the idea of an aluminum frame with a 0.180 aluminum floor-lots of vulkem and highly specialized and strategically located drains in a virtually air tight belly. I would also clean up the "dirty-ness" of the belly area-recess those jacks, place a skin over the spare tire; place a rounded "skirt" over the axles-make sure the water tanks are completely inside the belly-even if it means sacrificing some head room inside-I am 5-10 and understand that I will shrink as I get older
. I may even consider a belly pan for my TV! no, not the one i watch, the one I drive....
I gotta go get that '74......fantasy airstream, here I come...
ol' bill the newbie with aluminum fantasies....
Hi, BoatDoc made his own stainless steel frame for his Argosy. Read his thread.
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