Mounting Walls - F or C channel?

[Harrysheets]

I am replacing the cabinets in a 1986 Sovereign and wonder if I should use F or C channel to hold in the back of the walls. The trailer came with brown F channel and I'm trying to go with a bare aluminum color. The only F channel I can find with a 1/2" ID is one from Brunner. This would work except the material is thicker and the slot is deeper, both of which will make bending to the wall shape much more difficult.

Has anyone just used 1/2" ID "C" or "U" channel and riveted it in from the back of the channel? Is there a reason the F channel is needed?

Thanks Scott

[Minno]

We used aluminum strips screwed to the cabinets and then riveted to the walls for our cabinets. For the uppers, we used a piano hinge. Made that weird angle much easier to deal with.
It's in our thread "Little Girl Refurb" in the '70's section of the forums, if you're interested.

Kay

[dbj216]

Hello and welcome from Colorado: We moved here after 27 years in Minnesota, 15 of it in Shorewood just north of you. Both sons are Minnetonka High and Univ of Minn. We loved it there and I've got a T shirt to prove it.

Airstream uses the "bulkhead wall" extrusion that is shaped like a sideways F. The wood wall fits into the F, and the stem is pop riveted to the interior skins. I've never make a bulkhead wall out of 1/2" material. Mine have all been 1/4 veneer plywood.

Here is a photo of the material I purchased from Vintage Trailer Supply. Not the best photo. I bought a couple three sticks of it. I did find it a challenge to bend to the variable radius that is the Airstream shape. But I managed "good enough".

David

[Harrysheets]

Thanks David,
I'm in the NE corner of Chan by Christmas Lake with 4 boys going to Tonka and two currently are Gophers. Very similar!

My Sovereign has / had 1/2" walls with one 5/8" wall. I'm in the process of making them all 1/2" using a furniture grade wood core. I guess I could use the 1/4" from VTS and just rabbit a slot in the rear. I will take a look at this material. Thanks! Scott

[bwoodtx]

This place will have what you seek.

http://www.outwater.com/home/index.cfm

[Harrysheets]

Thanks for the input. So far the only workable F channel for 1/2" material appears to be from Brunner (part F500). I looked at Eagle, Outwater and many others.
http://www.brunnerent.com/Tools/Port...10&strMetaTag=

The part F500 is thicker and deeper, both of which making it harder to bend. Anyone have success wit this part?

[dbj216]

I bent my 1/4" F channel using my trailer tire as a mandrel. I just kept working the material until I had the compound radius that pretty closely followed the wall. I was in and out of the trailer many times trial fitting. I finally was satisfied and riveted it to the wall (fiberglass in the bathroom).

I did this in my rented garage space in Watertown. We lived in Delano at the time.

David

[Harrysheets]

Thanks David, this is a good idea!

[drjudy]

I entered one piece to shopping cart; estimated shipping to So Cal was $101. Not gonna happen

[loriB]

Hi - does anyone have any grinding out the inside part of the F channel so it can be repurposed for other, larger thickness woods? It is beautiful vintage rose gold colour so trying to reuse it. thanks Lori

[Bubba L]

Lori, we used the typical 1/4” F-channel on both our trailers. In the 55 I wanted 3/8” bulkhead panels. Once the panel was cut to the correct fit, I routered the wall side of the bulkhead inside the cabinet down to 1/4” so it fit into the F-channel. You don’t see much of the channel inside the cabinets anyway where I routed to fit. I just wanted a bit sturdier of a bulkhead. Hope I understood your question correctly. Good luck.