Rusted off? The whole tongue?! Ever heard of this?

[Skatiero]

Happened upon this posting for a 34' excella for waaaay less $$$ than I would expect. But the guy says the whole tongue rusted off! He claims it is common. Holy smokes! Is this true? Our similar-vintage trailer has no rust there!

1986 Airstream Excella

[4RXLA]

the front end is crumpled a bit. Perhaps it was in an accident that damaged the tongue?

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by Skatiero

Happened upon this posting for a 34' excella for waaaay less $$$ than I would expect. But the guy says the whole tongue rusted off! He claims it is common. Holy smokes! Is this true? Our similar-vintage trailer has no rust there!

1986 Airstream Excella

I've seen it before, typically on trailers that spend a lot of time near the coast. There is likely a lot more rust hidden in the belly pan too. Sad really.
Colin

[newroswell]

Tongue rusting off is absolutely not common. I'm with dougsale, probably an accident. Maybe dropped so hard it was bent, cut off, and not repaired? My first question would be does it have a salvaged title?

[newroswell]

Originally Posted by Colin H

I've seen it before, typically on trailers that spend a lot of time near the coast. There is likely a lot more rust hidden in the belly pan too. Sad really.
Colin

Colin, you've seen it all though! I love your work.

[RickDavis]

I saw one with the tongue cut partway through from battery acid running from one of those front mounted under couch battery compartments.

[Shacksman]

This 56 trailer rusted off going down the road. Made quite a mess when it hit the ditch.

[perryg114]

It is not worth $3900. I paid $5000 for my 81 Excella II and it is in alot better shape than that one although it did have some issues and still has some issues. I am sure there are frame issues at the back as well. I would say it is a parts trailer at best or a total rebuild from the ground up.

Perry

[marzboy]

Uh.. I would stay clear unless you get a better price and you are really handy.

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by newroswell

Colin, you've seen it all though! I love your work.

Thx,
Colin

[Klatawa]

We had a tongue rust problem on our 1965 Tradewind when we gutted and rebuilt it. The rust problem started at the Airstream factory and ended with squirrels. The rust was only at the back end of the tongue in the under body. Airstream boxed the tongue, thats a good thing but they step welded the plate on as the trailer got older the dirt filled the lower inside edge of the plate and instead of the water running out it ran to the back of the tongue and that is where the squirrels come in they built a nest at each end of the tongue with the insulation which held the water on the lower section of the frame. We did not have a problem gutting this trailer if it was not rotten, broken, rusted, missing or squirrel eaten, they chewed strait through solid wood cabinets, nasty creatures.

[r carl]

It may have been towed with a 1 ton with #1200 spring bars.

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by Colin H

I've seen it before, typically on trailers that spend a lot of time near the coast. There is likely a lot more rust hidden in the belly pan too. Sad really.
Colin

And how! The roadside tongue and frame under the belly pan were shot on my Argosy. I later found out that it spent its life sitting at the Delaware shore. Must have had curbside turned away from the salt spray.

[Bill M.]

A frame rusting through is not uncommon enough. I bought a 89 31' Excella that had only been pulled a couple thousand and then was parked on a site for a long time. I pulled it 600 miles home. Upon more careful inspection I found that I could stick a screwdriver though the A frame on one side right behind the caulk where it enters the trailer. I took it to Jackson Center and had a new A frame installed. They also fixed the leak in the Vista Window that probably caused it. It was also below a battery compartment that did not have a battery in it so I do not know if that was a factor. Reason I say it is not real uncommon is that I had seen a post on this forum from another person that had to have it done and I have talked to a fellow who had and A frame break while on a caravan in Alaska and had to have it repaired.

[CanoeStream]

overlander63 was actively using his Sovereign when he discovered the frame coming apart - 1, 2, 3

Knowwhuddimean? That pic is just scary.

[newroswell]

Originally Posted by CanoeStream

overlander63 was actively using his Sovereign when he discovered the frame coming apart - 1, 2, 3

Knowwhuddimean? That pic is just scary.

Wow, I see now why the east coast likes to buy their vintage vehicles from CA & desert states.

[JazzDad]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

This 56 trailer rusted off going down the road. Made quite a mess when it hit the ditch.

That'll buff out!

[Alumaholic]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

A frame rusting through is not uncommon enough. I bought a 89 31' Excella that had only been pulled a couple thousand and then was parked on a site for a long time. I pulled it 600 miles home. Upon more careful inspection I found that I could stick a screwdriver though the A frame on one side right behind the caulk where it enters the trailer. I took it to Jackson Center and had a new A frame installed. They also fixed the leak in the Vista Window that probably caused it. It was also below a battery compartment that did not have a battery in it so I do not know if that was a factor. Reason I say it is not real uncommon is that I had seen a post on this forum from another person that had to have it done and I have talked to a fellow who had and A frame break while on a caravan in Alaska and had to have it repaired.

We've all seen it enough of it to know it's not uncommon. enough.
No, I can provide a statistical analysis, but I have seen it in 25% of the Airstreams I have owned.

[Eric H]

It's funny to see this post, my Safari has pretty deep rust spots on the tongue that I'm welding today or this weekend, about to head to the shop to buy the steel!
My Safari did in fact live in VA Beach for most of it's life, and the rust throughout the frame has kept me busy welding. My Spartan which is almost 30 years older then my 74 Safari has a frame that's in better shape!!!!

[Alumaholic]

My '76 23' Safari with the rusted frame was parked in an RV Park at Atlantic Beach, NC. Eric H's pictures gave me a real feeling of deja vu