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Old 07-31-2021, 07:25 AM   #1
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Skin no longer attached to frame

Hey all.

Noticed the lower rub rail starting to detach between the door and the wheel well on my 2020 Bambi 22FB.

Removed the chrome insert and noticed it was still riveted in place on the side of the door but that rivets had popped on the wheel well side.

I then removed the rail itself and noticed the exterior skin and underbelly were no longer fastened. There’s a mix of popped rivets and holes that never had any rivets in the first place. See photo.

Any hypothesis as to what the underlying cause could be?

Thanks.
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Old 07-31-2021, 07:45 AM   #2
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Quality control, lack of pride in doing it rite the first time? High unit demand.



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Old 07-31-2021, 07:50 AM   #3
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Quality control, lack of pride in doing it rite the first time? High unit demand.



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Likely all of the above but my ultimate question is, could there be a deeper problem related to the frame or subfloor that I need to look at or do I just rivet everything properly and call it a day?
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Old 07-31-2021, 08:30 AM   #4
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Likely all of the above but my ultimate question is, could there be a deeper problem related to the frame or subfloor that I need to look at or do I just rivet everything properly and call it a day?
Redo and seal well.

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Old 07-31-2021, 09:22 AM   #5
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I'd take this issue to the Mother Ship for warranty repair. Any potential structural issue will be investigated and resolved. Schedule now, as I believe you'll be looking at January at the earliest.
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Old 07-31-2021, 10:16 AM   #6
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Hi

On a trailer that still is in warranty, I see only one good answer: get it over to JC before the warranty runs out. Let them fix this. Also do up a list of any other odd items you might want fixed or added to the trailer. ( Yes, there is the variable of the boarder in your case, I'd still make the drive down to JC).

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Old 07-31-2021, 10:24 AM   #7
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Hi

On a trailer that still is in warranty, I see only one good answer: get it over to JC before the warranty runs out. Let them fix this. Also do up a list of any other odd items you might want fixed or added to the trailer. ( Yes, there is the variable of the boarder in your case, I'd still make the drive down to JC).

Bob
Variable of the border. That’s well said! Once it opens up, could make a trip out of it.

Until that happens, I am of a curious nature. What could have caused this? The skin is riveted into what other than ribs at the bottom? Is it like an L channel that runs along the length of the trailer?
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Old 07-31-2021, 10:26 AM   #8
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Hi

On a trailer that still is in warranty, I see only one good answer: get it over to JC before the warranty runs out. Let them fix this. Also do up a list of any other odd items you might want fixed or added to the trailer. ( Yes, there is the variable of the boarder in your case, I'd still make the drive down to JC).

Bob

Panel damage.
Did we have a blowout?

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Old 07-31-2021, 11:08 AM   #9
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When you find out, would appreciate you letting use know the cause!
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Old 07-31-2021, 11:30 AM   #10
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Panel damage.
Did we have a blowout?

Bob
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Nope. No blow out.

A few other data points:

- On the other side of this rub rail inside the trailer, the floor slopes towards the exterior by about 3/8 of an inch. I can tell since it is right under the dinette bench and there’s a gap.

- There’s been action in this area inside. There is one rivet that kept popping right above on the ceiling. It has stopped popping since I replaced it with a larger rivet. The screw that attaches the dinette bench to the wall right above that section also kept coming out until I went with a larger screw size.

So, there’s definitely more movement in that space for some reason. I chalked it down to it being over the axle and perhaps the new larger Bambi (6 inches more than the Sport) having insufficient support for the extra subfloor square footage and therefore more flex.

The other question I had was whether or not the subfloor overhangs from the frame around the wheel well. From what I can see with the rub rail off, there doesn’t seem to be a part of the frame that goes right to the edge of the wheel well. If indeed the case, that piece of subfloor would flex a lot and perhaps be responsible for the havoc around it.

Any thoughts welcome.
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Old 07-31-2021, 12:39 PM   #11
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Pics would help, but that slope (in the last foot or so?????) to the side wall sounds like broken or bent outriggers. This would definitely caus all sorts of rivet and c-channel problems.
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Old 07-31-2021, 12:43 PM   #12
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Steilkurve, it looks like your dinette issues and this new issue could be related.

All the movement that you are getting which caused your dinette to dislodge seems to be affecting other parts of the trailer.

If I didn’t know better, I would say that the AS Factory used a 2019 22FB frame (8” narrower) but that would be crazy! So forget I said anything about that.

I took some pics of mine showing the gaps in the wheel well and underside as well. Have look into the space behind the wheel to see if there is a comparable gap with yours.

Sorry to hear about your ongoing issues!
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Old 07-31-2021, 12:45 PM   #13
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Not too why the last picture was rotated 180 degrees?? The little tube like thing points down for orientation.
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Old 07-31-2021, 12:58 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dznf0g View Post
Pics would help, but that slope (in the last foot or so?????) to the side wall sounds like broken or bent outriggers. This would definitely caus all sorts of rivet and c-channel problems.
Here’s a photo of the slope and then the outrigger. Outrigger doesn’t seem detached from the frame or bent out of level too much… Welded in slightly off level perhaps?
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Old 07-31-2021, 03:14 PM   #15
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Here’s a photo of the slope and then the outrigger. Outrigger doesn’t seem detached from the frame or bent out of level too much… Welded in slightly off level perhaps?
With photos.
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Old 07-31-2021, 03:23 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by steilkurve View Post
Variable of the border. That’s well said! Once it opens up, could make a trip out of it.

Until that happens, I am of a curious nature. What could have caused this? The skin is riveted into what other than ribs at the bottom? Is it like an L channel that runs along the length of the trailer?
I would take it to Can Am in London Ontario and let them sort it out. They handle repairs for Airstreams. No need to drive to the mothership.
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Old 07-31-2021, 03:45 PM   #17
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Hi, check for wheel balance and buy Centramatics.
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Old 07-31-2021, 04:21 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by PB_NB View Post
If I didn’t know better, I would say that the AS Factory used a 2019 22FB frame (8” narrower) but that would be crazy! So forget I said anything about that.

I took some pics of mine showing the gaps in the wheel well and underside as well. Have look into the space behind the wheel to see if there is a comparable gap with yours
Thanks for the photos. Compared to mine and looks like the gaps are similar. So we can set that fear aside.

I was able to get my endoscope in the underbelly. All seems in place and in good condition. Frame and outrigger are not broken as far as I can see and extend indeed all the way to the skin. And based on what I can see of the subfloor, it seems in good shape as well. That’s good news. No major damage it would appear.

My hypothesis:

1-Read in another post that AS sometimes channels wires between the frame and the subfloor. Yes, you read that right. If those wires exit before the end of the frame it would make the subfloor dip at that spot.

2-One of the outriggers was welded slightly uneven. Doesn’t look likely from my inspection.

3-The skin and underbelly behind the falling rub rail were not fastened appropriately at the factory and moved more as a result, causing the dinette and rub rail problem.

I’m tempted to think stuff coming loose was caused by the latter given I cannot see any structural issue with my video and visual inspection. Perhaps it was exacerbated by a wheel imbalance, WD and tire pressure.

I’ve fastened everything, including rivets in holes that the factory had left empty. Will keep me going for the rest of the summer and I’ll see what if it moves again.
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Old 07-31-2021, 04:35 PM   #19
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ROBERT makes an interesting point about wheel balance.

Could the wheels/tires be shaking the trailer apart? Your problems seem to be localized to the curbside and infront of the entry door.

My tires have some depressions in the sidewalls so I might run them down to the tire shop and get them on the balance machine to see if they are all over the place.

When we are driving I don’t see any bouncing when I periodically check back to see if the Airstream is still there. Have you noticed any bouncing and I know your roadways are usually in rough shape so apart from driving through igh the potholes.

I would try the gopro or camera on your next trip to see the flex from the inside.
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Old 07-31-2021, 04:42 PM   #20
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Gator makes a good point, Can-Am is a bit of a drive from Montreal but they do have a good reputation with Airstreams and Andy has always shown a willingness to help regardless of where you bought your Airstream.

We are not as lucky on the West Coast to have such a resource.
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