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DarienGeorge · 04-30-2020, 10:07 AM

We purchased a 1969 Safari about four or five years ago, and started gutting it, but then got sidetracked with the birth of three kids... Well we now have more time and started getting back into it. We have gutted most of the inside and removed the interior skins. On the Kitchen side opposite the door, all of the ribs were attached the interior skins and not the exterior shell. Is this normal or did this maybe get in a wreck and they did a less than stellar job of fixing it? Any advice or help would be appreciated!

The ribs on the other side are all fine. Additionally, at the top of the three panels its says in red marker- Bad, Badder, Baddest..

DremStremer · 04-30-2020, 11:04 AM

I think your guess about the trailer being in a wreck is correct. The outer skins would have been attached to the ribs when it was built. Someone did a bad job of replacing the outer skins without riveting them to the ribs. You can also see in your pics that there is no sealer sprayed on the seams or around the windows. I found the same thing on my trailer. One panel had been replaced but not riveted to a rib and no sealer at the seams. Now that you have it opened up you can correct the problem and rivet the skin to the ribs. As well as apply sealer to the seams.

Bubba L · 04-30-2020, 11:10 AM

I have never heard of ribs or horizontal stringers not being attached to interior and exterior skins. Most of the time the stringers weren’t attached to the ribs, just floated. But still attached to the skins. So on the street side, there’s not a rivet line on the exterior where the ribs are located by the kitchen? Are there rivets locates on the exterior but missing the ribs? All have to be riveted, inside and out, to form the semi-monocoque assembly design. Let us know. Thanks

DarienGeorge · 05-01-2020, 10:34 AM

Yes, after looking at the outside, it is clear that they removed and replaced panels and didnt rivet the ribs to it. In fact, I can see now that it looks like the rivets arent the same through the other side.

Now... any thoughts on how exactly I should go about fixing it? Should I remove the existing rviets and replace while also adding rivets for ribs?

Bubba L · 05-01-2020, 10:46 AM

It should be reworked correctly for towing purposes and keeping water out. I would drill out all the pop rivets, or whatever they used, and replace correctly. If you drill out what is there, you can seal the lap joints like they should be. Since the inside skins are off, bucking back with modified brazier would be fairly simple and give you ease of mind. Definitely buck the ribs back to the exterior skin.

57Vintage · 05-01-2020, 10:50 AM

Unless the exterior panels that were replaced don't match the finish of the originals, I'd leave them in place and just replace the rivets (such as incorrect ones in the picture).

Remount the ribs to the exterior panels. My suggestion would be to drill a top and bottom rivet hole from the inside to set the position of rib, then drill the rest in line so they look correct from the outside.

Good excuse to start buying clecos and cleco pliers

Once all the structure is back in place start the leak testing and get ready to reseal.