How did AS factory do it?

[malconium]

I have defered repairing my floor a bit while I remove the inner skins, fix some leaks and etc. I will hopefully get back to work on the floor fairly soon.

There is one question that still puzzles me about my floor construction though. My unit is a 1973 31' Soverign International. It has the u-channel/c-channel style of extrusion along the base of the side walls. What I am having trouble visualizing is the order that the factory installed the floor and body for this configuation. I can easily enough visualize the older style u-channel where the floor was attached to the frame and then the body (with u-channel installed) was set on top of the floor and attached. The c-channel part of my configuration would need to be slid over the edge of the plywood from the sides. Is it possible that the factory flexed the body outward on the sides to get the c-channel part to slide down past the edge of the floor and then pushed it onto the edge?

Anyone know how it was done?

Thanks,

Malcolm

[74Argosy24MH]

Different vehicles, mh and trailer, but from the same time frame and sound similar in construction. My guess about assembly order from tearing mine apart: lay the floor, put the channel on it, ribs and then skin. On the mh I would guess the front was built as a unit and then set in place because there are some heavy extrusions welded into a cage. You can make a guess as to if your end sections were assembled on the frame or a jig. I doubt if the whole body is built and then set in place, to much chance for damage moving and installing.

John

[hohne]

...it was my impression that that the floor was put on the frame, and then the shell was put on. This was in the vintage days...

Recently, they put the shell and floor onto the frame as a unit...

[Silvertwinkie]

No question that today the shell and floor are joined together and then added to the frame. I have a picture of it somewhere.

Of course, that is for a newer trailer...no idea about the MH line or vintage.