Rear end metals arrangement...'73 Rear bath

[lojoma]

Hi all,

I have combed through many posts about rear end rot and I'm still a little confused about a few points. Mainly I want to make sure I'm visualizing how it's all put together for my '73 Safari.

I attached a drawing showing how I THINK it's all arranged, but I would appreciate corrections.

A couple of questions in particular:
1) The solid piece that covers the rear crossmember...is it an L-shape? How is it attached? Is it just welded on the ends to the C-frame? Is it attached to the crossmember?
2) The aluminum piece that the hinge is attached to that slides under the back end...what to do with that piece? I understand that's a main source of water wicking in back there...but how do folks correct that design flaw?
3) The angle bar that the hinge is attached to...is that's all it's for? Does it attach to anything else?


Thanks for any help here!

[Belegedhel]

Yes you have it pretty accurately laid out. My '73 didn't have any reinforcing layer of aluminum, and I don't recall any steel angle that helped support the hinge for the bumper trunk, but who knows, it may have disintegrated by the time I took it all apart.

1) The solid piece you are talking about is the rear hold down plate, right? Yes, it is "L" shaped, but not at a 90 degree angle. There are three or four big bolts that hold the rear C-channel, subfloor, hold down plate and rear most cross-member together. No welding on my trailer at least.

2) Correct this issue by building a piece of flashing out of aluminum that essentially takes the place of the reinforcing aluminum you show in your diagram, and the base of the "L" extends to the left (in the diagram) and fits under the aluminum of the bumper trunk so that water that heads toward the subfloor gets redirected toward the back (bumper trunk).

3) Again, I don't recall having this angle in my trailer. Seems superfluous.

good luck!

[lojoma]

Thanks for the reply!

1) No, I'm not talking about the rear hold-down plate. I'm talking about the part that is aft of the rear crossmember. It has holes in it for the dump valve and the shore power cord.

2) So you mean make an L out of the reinforcing aluminum and continue that as the bumper cover? What do you do at the ends of it?

3) Maybe someone added it to mine at some point. It seems it would be a pretty flimsy attachment without it. Hmm.

[Belegedhel]

OK, I get what you are asking about in #1--In my trailer that cover piece was made of aluminum sheet that was just pop-riveted to the rear most cross-member. I replaced it with the same sort of thing.

For the "flashing" that keeps water away from the wood, it does get trick when you get to the curved part of the rear of the trailer. I think I did some strategic cuts to make the bend, and put a bunch of sealant on it.

I got truly anal about rebuilding the rear-end of my trailer (pun intended). I installed a 3/4" x 3/4" square tube underneath the wall so that if the wood ever rots out again, the mechanical connection between the body and frame will remain intact. Floor is still supported in the rear by an extra wide rear most cross member that had to be fabricated. I think someone else did essentially the same thing and crated a diagram like the one you have of what they did. You might try searching for things like "rear end rebuild" or "rear end separation fix" and you should find several hits.

good luck!

[lojoma]

Awesome, thanks. I have read so many posts on this my eyes are glazing over!