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Old 03-20-2017, 05:40 AM   #1
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Panel Replacement?

Checking out an Airstream and wondering if this damage will require replacement of the exterior panels affected, for both the scratches on the side and the dent on the top right rear. Advice? Best way to fix?? Possible cost?

Thank you!
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Old 03-20-2017, 04:04 PM   #2
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Panel Replacement?

Do you mind the scratches and dents? If they don't penetrate then all should be fine. Cost would be pretty high even if you do the work yourself and have the tools. Those endcap sections are near a thousand each as I recall and the body section is just flat sheet aluminum (NMT a couple hundred in parts) but a LOT of labor.

I am just guessing it would be 3.5K minimum if you paid someone, perhaps more.
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Old 03-20-2017, 04:24 PM   #3
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I agree with millertimeUS, very costly to replace the panels and then polish everything to match. If you do have it repaired, make sure you get references of previous repairs that they have performed to make sure they know how to repair!
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Old 03-20-2017, 04:34 PM   #4
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The AS won't "require" exteropr repair. YOu can use it as it is.

The dent on the rear end cap can be greatly reduced using something like a "Ding King" you won't get 100% but close.

Rather than remove a segment a new segment can be riveted over the damaged one. Will cost you a few thousand if you do the work yourself. If you have AS do it I guess $7500+

How about a creative patch over the damage, or rivet on a piece of trim
I have a scratched up side I am going to paint a mural over or a wrap.

I also agree with the above posters. Forget about it and go camping. You won't be worrying about scratches in the future.
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Old 03-20-2017, 07:25 PM   #5
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I like the creative patch idea! There is a member on here who has done some really cool aluminum patches, I am thinking like aluminum flames in bright mirror on that long one and then use the dent remover mentioned on the endcap.

Riveting over the original is also a solid plan, just wouldn't the rivets underneath cause issues?
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Old 04-18-2017, 01:11 PM   #6
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The $7500 number is likely spot on. RV shops that know what they are doing are charging $100/Hr for labor. If you can't live with it the way that it is, it needs to be priced right for the condition. You can never make up for a bad purchase. Unless you have had this unit professionally surveyed, be prepared for other things that will need attention.
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Old 04-18-2017, 08:58 PM   #7
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If you do it yourself. That end cap panel piece is $500-750. You can buy them from airstreamsupply.com or out of door mart or inlandRV (I believe).

I'm in Texas and 2024 T3 sheet is $100 for a 4x10.

Sure, it will be a lot of work but if you are comfortable replacing it with olympic rivets instead of buck it's likely work the $6k difference the others have quoted
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Old 04-19-2017, 12:10 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tabney0315 View Post

I'm in Texas and 2024 T3 sheet is $100 for a 4x10.
If you can get a 4 X 10 sheet of .032 2024-T3 for $100.00 a sheet you need to buy it all and resale. That price is considerably lower them current market price.
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Old 04-19-2017, 12:53 PM   #9
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If you can get a 4 X 10 sheet of .032 2024-T3 for $100.00 a sheet you need to buy it all and resale. That price is considerably lower them current market price.


What's the going rate? This is local metal distributor.

Also, what gauge would you use for interior wall? .032 or .020? You got me thinking about replacing all my interior walls.
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Old 04-19-2017, 07:19 PM   #10
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For an equivalent size sheet at Airparts, approximately 167.00. Minimum for me would be .032
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Old 01-25-2021, 07:57 PM   #11
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There are many companies out there selling replacement panels. Any recommendations from anyone?
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Old 01-26-2021, 01:39 PM   #12
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First off, welcome to AirForums!

Quote:
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There are many companies out there selling replacement panels. Any recommendations from anyone?
Several years ago, we got our aluminum from Airparts, Inc. because they offer 2024-T3 .032 in coil lengths by the foot instead of just the standard sheet sizes. I don't think a 1978 trailer uses the same 2024-T3 as our older trailers - 1978 has a milled finish - but Airparts offers other aluminum types/finishes as well. You could comparison shop - their website linked above is pretty easy to navigate.

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Old 01-26-2021, 03:15 PM   #13
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I have a '79 and it has 2024-T3. I had telephone pole rash along my rear Street Side, and it bugged me. I had a paintless dent guy get it out to just a wave, but getting the luster to match after you do some polishing of the scratches will probably require a big buffing job, or letting a little oxidation happen after you get it to a reasonable level.

The mill finish if it's there isn't noticeable. Your endcap can be fixed by a good paintless dent guy who's skilled with glue sticks and a heat gun. The crease on the side will bug you till you do something. Mine had a crease and a PO put a graphic over it that was tolerable till it got about 10-15 years since it was done. Your crease won't come out, but you could easily have a shop do an overlay with the millable pop rivets and just go from a rib in front, and then up to where an awning extrusion would go, to cover the top and make a good clean line front and back on the vertical. Add the awning extrusion to hide the top, the bottom won't show. You'd have to decide if you want to go under the window flange, which I think would be preferable. That would require removing the window and the interior skin, so that gets to be a bigger job than you'd do in your driveway. When you cover it up 9 out of 10 people wouldn't think anything of it.

If you like sport fishing, looks like it calls out for an overlay patch looking like a barracuda. That would be child's play. Jerry
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Old 01-26-2021, 04:07 PM   #14
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I have a '79 and it has 2024-T3. The mill finish if it's there isn't noticeable.
Okay, my bad...I'm not as familiar with '70s trailers as '50s & '60s...not sure when they switched over to the mill finish.

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Old 01-27-2021, 09:11 PM   #15
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A flush patch is also a possibility. It would require the inside skin to be removed to buck the inner row of rivets, but an aviation guy could put a doubler behind the skin, squeeze and dimple them with flush rivets and then fashion a tight fit patch that's flush on your Street Side without a major skin change. Somehow you'll have to get your aluminum finish to match. That could be with a very fine Bronze wool pad along the whole side after you stip the clearcoat, or you could polish one side. Your ears don't have to match, because you don't see both at the same time. Maybe this applies to Airstreams. Hope that helps, so if you haven't finalized the purchase, you know where you stand. Jerry
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