1959 Tradewind 24ft

[nmbosa]

Just watched the video and it's not clear whether that guy will try to complete the floor replacement with the pan in place. At one point he mentions reattaching the belly pan and towards the rear of the trailer it looks like you can see daylight between the bottom of the shell and the belly pan. I think he may have started dropping the pan.

The problem with not taking the pan down is that the original elevator bolts have nuts on the underside. The original framing members are not thick enough to simply use self-taping screws alone (they will just strip out). So, you need to get a nut on the underside to secure the floor to the frame unless you plan to replace all the framing cross members with a heavier gauge metal that will support self-taping screws.

More problematic are the c-channel to shell braces. There are several angle braces along the circumference of the trailer that attach to ribs of the trailer and are then bolted through the c-channel, through the floor, and through an outrigger with a nut on the bottom. Those are important to replace properly to make sure the shell, floor, frame attachment is solid.

Don't get me wrong - dropping the belly pan and reattaching it can be a real pain in the neck. To pull it down completely, you have to drill all the bucked rivets along the exterior bottom edge of the trailer. The belly pan is wrapped up and over the c-channel (behind the exterior skin) and the rivets go through the exterior skin, the belly pan, and the c-channel. Many folks here on the forum have just cut out the center of the belly pan and left the curved sections that are riveted to the c-channel in place. That provides enough access to get to all the flooring, while avoiding the more difficult full belly pan replacement.

By the way, not sure you had thought about this, but you are going to need to take at least the lower level of interior skins out to access the c-channel and get the new flooring in place. The upside to that is you will be able to run your wiring behind the walls before you put it all back together.

[nmbosa]

Here are a few photos of how everything is tied together through the c-channel. This should give you an idea of what you need to access in order to get the old floor out and put some new flooring in. To remove the old flooring, you need to access the c-channel and remove all the screws and such holding the c-channel down - some of which extend through framing outriggers. The new sheets of plywood need to extend all the way to the edge of the trailer and the c-channel will need to be screwed down to the new plywood.

You can also see in a couple of these pictures how the belly pan is slid up between the exterior skins and the c-channel and is wrapped over the c-channel in some areas.

[Muskie]

Originally Posted by nmbosa

Here are a few photos of how everything is tied together through the c-channel. This should give you an idea of what you need to access in order to get the old floor out and put some new flooring in. To remove the old flooring, you need to access the c-channel and remove all the screws and such holding the c-channel down - some of which extend through framing outriggers. The new sheets of plywood need to extend all the way to the edge of the trailer and the c-channel will need to be screwed down to the new plywood.

You can also see in a couple of these pictures how the belly pan is slid up between the exterior skins and the c-channel and is wrapped over the c-channel in some areas.

Norm
You have gone above and beyond, thanks.
I will now be able to make educated decisions along the way. Hard to admit to myself the mountain ahead of me. It looks like there is only one way to do it, and that is right. What I need to do is get all the terms, or vocabulary so I can speak the language.

I am keen to see how terrible it is, and I guess the main thing really is to have a sound frame, but the floor is indeed part of the structure as the shell rests bolted to it....ah ha..!

I can see why people take the whole shell off now.
More research is needed....
Thanks again for your experience.
-m

[Muskie]

The rescue mission finally happened! Got a dude with his 1/2 ton to tow her out of about a foot of snow, put some temp lights on her and she towed without a problem. Got it into the barn where she now awaits my proper inexperienced inspection. I will look into the floor issues, and see what I can do about the removal of the Belly Pan. Any suggestions are welcome. I was thinking of cutting it down the middle/ Or take off completely?
If anybody has any experience replacing the innards of the tongue jack, I have open ears...what model to buy etc.

Either way I finally have her inside away from this harsh winter. Amazing how nervous I was, but she rolled beautifully. Will update.

[Muskie]

She arrived as the sun was setting... Timing was perfect.

[65CV]

Congratulations. Glad to hear she is home safe and sound!

It will be really cool someday to take that same shot after she's finished and polished.

Hitch? Sorry, mine wasn't original. Shouldn't be hard to find a replacement unless you are looking for the exact bolt pattern.

[sfalvo]

Awesome picture, looks like it came right out of a magazine or off a calendar. Congrats on getting her home.

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[traveluminum]

Here is a before and after shot of our 1959 Tradewind. It is a lot of work, but I am putting the finishing touches on it, and hope to be done in a month! Good luck

[sb55]

Originally Posted by traveluminum

Attachment 202649
Here is a before and after shot of our 1959 Tradewind. It is a lot of work, but I am putting the finishing touches on it, and hope to be done in a month! Good luck

How did you get from single axle to double axle?

[traveluminum]

It was a shell off restoration. At that point, it was just a matter of determining where I wanted the axles, and then moving the outriggers. We did go with torsion axles, so I had to build a bracket for the axles to go into.

[sfalvo]

I had the same question.

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[sfalvo]

Before pic also looks like a Call model and after pic looks like an OH model.

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[traveluminum]

The first time my wife and I walked to the back of the Tradewind it turned into a seesaw. She didn't want to get in it after that. When we decided on taking the shell off, we decided to go with the double axle. Airstream started putting double axles on Tradewinds some time in the early sixties, so it didn't look too odd.

[traveluminum]

It was a California model

[Muskie]

Originally Posted by traveluminum

Attachment 202649
Here is a before and after shot of our 1959 Tradewind. It is a lot of work, but I am putting the finishing touches on it, and hope to be done in a month! Good luck

Hey Thanks!
One question:
Are the torsion axles worth it? Did your leaf springs need to be replaced, or did you do it for cautious reasons?
cheers

[traveluminum]

I haven't pulled it enough to know whether the torsion axles are better or not. I have heard different opinions on both. One friend says the original leaf springs are just as good. I was not sure where to find the leaf springs for a tandem, so I went with torsion.

[Muskie]

Originally Posted by traveluminum

I haven't pulled it enough to know whether the torsion axles are better or not. I have heard different opinions on both. One friend says the original leaf springs are just as good. I was not sure where to find the leaf springs for a tandem, so I went with torsion.

Thanks, that makes perfect sense.

What is that TV? Looks like a Ranger? Is that enough truck, and have you tested it enough? I am looking into a TV so am very curious if I can get a pick up that isn't a V8. Cheers.

[traveluminum]

That is my Chevy Colorado, but not our tow vehicle. We tow with a Dodge Ram with the small 4.7 liter. It gets about 11 to 13 mpg towing our 1973 Overlander (4600 pounds empty) and has enough power for most driving. There were a few steep hills in Arkansas that we could have used more power, but we like it. I have heard a lot of good reviews about the Ford ecoboost v6, but they haven't been out long enough to prove endurance. Our last truck was a 2001 Ford 5.4 liter and lasted 250,000 miles, and our son is still driving it.

[Muskie]

Originally Posted by traveluminum

That is my Chevy Colorado, but not our tow vehicle. We tow with a Dodge Ram with the small 4.7 liter. It gets about 11 to 13 mpg towing our 1973 Overlander (4600 pounds empty) and has enough power for most driving. There were a few steep hills in Arkansas that we could have used more power, but we like it. I have heard a lot of good reviews about the Ford ecoboost v6, but they haven't been out long enough to prove endurance. Our last truck was a 2001 Ford 5.4 liter and lasted 250,000 miles, and our son is still driving it.

Yes, I am told a V8 is pretty much the only option, unless I get into specialized hitches.
-m

[jmlabs]

Congrats on getting it home! I'm looking forward to seeing progress on this one.

As you know, I'm doing a recording studio/office resto as well...

Are you going to remove the inner shell? I've removed mine and I'm replacing my original insulation with Reflectix and then a 1.5" - 2" layer of Roxul, which is a fiberglass-like insulation that recording studios use when building. It's supposed to insulate and dampen sound pretty well. I came up with this combo after some extensive research, it may not be the best, but I do hope it will be the most cost effective.

Good luck on the model, I almost wish I could have found one like yours instead of at 31 footer - it's SOOO big - at the same time, I can fit a lot of drumsets in there