Interior Wall Install

[beckettnole]

Hi all:

Anyone know how interior walls are fastened?

I’m told rivets but hard to vision

Pictures would be amazing

[InsideOut]

Yes, in a 1965, the rivets are fastened through the vinyl wallcoverering coated skin to the ribs. Just Aluminum pop-style rivets (not bucked) except where panels are pre-assembled before attaching to the ribs - like at the end caps & ceiling.

If you look real close, you can see them in this picture:



About 3-4 " on either side of the vent going down the center of the ceiling. The strip down the center, covers where the two ceiling panels come together.

Shari

[beckettnole]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Yes, in a 1965, the rivets are fastened through the vinyl wallcoverering coated skin to the ribs. Just Aluminum pop-style rivets (not bucked) except where panels are pre-assembled before attaching to the ribs - like at the end caps & ceiling.

If you look real close, you can see them in this picture:



About 3-4 " on either side of the vent going down the center of the ceiling. The strip down the center, covers where the two ceiling panels come together.

Shari

Awesome! I should have specified that I meant the bulkhead divider walls
I have the interior skins riveted up

[David F]

The only fasteners on the wood walls are at the floor (via blocks) and top of the end cap. The plywood panel simply rides in the C-channel receiver that is riveted to the exterior walls. This allows differential movement. Also, the panel is probably screwed to the end of the overhead storage cabinet.

[InsideOut]

Oh, okay - sorry I mis-understood. That same picture shows how the walls are attached too - in the upper right corner by the overhead cabinet. In both our previous '64 and our current '56, there is an aluminum 'U-Channel' with a leg:


That trim is riveted to the skins and the wood panels slide into it (ours is bigger 1"+/- & original, but the link product is the same). They then attached rivets through the u-channel/wood sandwich to hold the panels in place at the head/wall. They are also fastened at the floor with wood blocks as David mentioned.

This picture (our '56) shows the u-channel with a panel in place:



You can see the rivets periodically about 1:12" along the trim.

Hope this helps ~

Shari

[beckettnole]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Oh, okay - sorry I mis-understood. That same picture shows how the walls are attached too - in the upper right corner by the overhead cabinet. In both our previous '64 and our current '56, there is an aluminum 'U-Channel' with a leg:


That trim is riveted to the skins and the wood panels slide into it (ours is bigger 1"+/- & original, but the link product is the same). They then attached rivets through the u-channel/wood sandwich to hold the panels in place at the head/wall. They are also fastened at the floor with wood blocks as David mentioned.

This picture (our '56) shows the u-channel with a panel in place:



You can see the rivets periodically about 1:12" along the trim.

Hope this helps ~

Shari

Ok gorgeous!

Am I crazy to use really thin plywood to replace?
Just realizing it’s heavier and thicker than what I ripped out

[InsideOut]

What's "really thin plywood"?

The wood panels in our trailer are 1/4" birch ply...both the existing & replaced walls weigh about the same - we matched what was there.

Shari

[beckettnole]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

What's "really thin plywood"?

The wood panels in our trailer are 1/4" birch ply...both the existing & replaced walls weigh about the same - we matched what was there.

Shari

My guy helping renovate wants to uses 3/8 for sturdiness then sand 1/8 in the back for the channels
Good idea or bad? [emoji848]

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by beckettnole

My guy helping renovate wants to uses 3/8 for sturdiness then sand 1/8 in the back for the channels
Good idea or bad?

IMO > BAD Idea.

If 1/4" was good when it was built, 55+ years ago, it'll be fine now and will last another 50+ years. No need for the added weight. Also the "sanding down 1/8" in the back" opens up the possibility of it de-laminating with the movement down the road & jiggling against the trim. The wall panels in an Airstream are so small they don't span much without support - 1/4" is very sturdy. The only place we used 3/8" was on the horizontal seat & bed platforms under the cushions.

Shari

[David F]

I agree, stick with 1/4”. BTW, my walls were not riveted to the wall channel. My thought is allowing them to float will keep much of the stresses out of the woodwork.

[Tom1878]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

IMO > BAD Idea.

If 1/4" was good when it was built, 55+ years ago, it'll be fine now and will last another 50+ years. No need for the added weight. Also the "sanding down 1/8" in the back" opens up the possibility of it de-laminating with the movement down the road & jiggling against the trim. The wall panels in an Airstream are so small they don't span much without support - 1/4" is very sturdy. The only place we used 3/8" was on the horizontal seat & bed platforms under the cushions.

Shari

Thank y’all for the information. I’m replacing two walls in my 1977 Land Yacht.

[loriB]

thank you all for those comments - i am too far along now and used 1/2 in ply in some areas. Has anyone tried to remove one side of the u channel to adapt to be able to reuse the existing? thanks Lori