How common is this type of damage?

[RxGuy]

Originally Posted by DaveMc

I've got a similar area on my front hatch. Our 2005 Safari has squared corners, so the issue manifests as a straightline crack about 3/8" long on both lower corners. I'll get around to drilling & riveting the end of the crack soon. We've had the trailer about a year and haven't noticed the cracks change after 6,000 miles of travel. The issue was noticed on quite a few of our year model (30' bunkhouse with a queen upfront), and talked about 7-8 years ago.

The cause seems to have been pinned on a flexing frame in excess of what the shell could stand, and that the door exacerbated the problem. It's clear from your pictures that the stresses are still there, and they do react to a curved hatch as well. Yours is buckling instead of cracking, but the result is the same. FWIW, I'm a nut on the stabilizer jacks and baby them throughout our stay at a campground, adjusting for tanks filling, etc. This old girl lived a rough life before us, so the cracks origination could most certainly be user-initiated.

Some sealing around the edges would take care of your immediate needs, and I'd keep an eye on them to see if things are continuing. If they do, I'd look for expert options. Good luck!

Dave

Thanks Dave,

When we bought the trailer there was no damage in this area, (believe me I would have noticed). It most likely happened on our trip out west this past summer, there were a couple of construction zones with moon craters. Probably happened entering/exiting one of those and over stressed the area.

[RxGuy]

Originally Posted by Ted S.

I went over to my trailer this afternoon. Not only did I notice the damage, but I noticed a popped rivet next to it. Then I looked at the other side, I had already replaced a rivet on that side and it popped as well.

There is absolutely no question there is a weak spot in the shell here. The wide opening on the storage compartment has a lot of trailer directly over it, and the stresses are concentrated in the corners which are right over the frame. Because that's all that is left.

The question is the fix. Somehow that has to be reinforced. Do you have any reference or link to posts on the issue 7-8 years back? Thanks

Ted S,

I tend to agree with you about there being a weak spot in the shell at the corners of the storage compartment. The designers were/are limited as to where they could put a storage compartment on a FB queen. Not sure they have any other option the way the trailer is laid out.

If you have popped rivets, the shell may have come loose from the frame.

I have no idea how you could reinforce that area. If you get it figured out, please let me know.

Thanks

Blair

[Ruscal]

If there was no hatch opening cut into the shell the shell would have more rigidity to fight the buckling, but it is a lot to ask of aluminum sheet metal to be required to resist the compressive forces exerted during frame flex. The concentrated loads applied at the tongue/shell juncture are I would guess, pretty high. Possible solution could be to create a gap between the shell and tongue members so the load would be transferred elsewhere. The trim strip could also be clearanced. The gap would allow the frame/tongue member to flex as it is designed to, and the shell would not be deformed. How much gap would you need? Maybe start at a half inch and see what happens when towing over undulating terrain. You could put modeling clay under the gap and observe how the clay deforms. The frame is basically a bow, and the body is rigid. Stress is high at the edge of where flex joins rigid. The hatch having to be there does remove a lot a lot of shear strength of the aluminum body which made the problem show up. Giving Airstream feedback of this would help with a future design solution.
Russ

[Ted S.]

The solution I'm looking at right now, although it is very conceptual, is to fill the small gap inbetween the door and the door opening to essentially make the door itself carry stresses through the face of the trailer as if there was no door there whatsoever.

That would be the easiest solution. I am not sure just how to go about that as I'm afraid it may bind the hinges but I think that is the easiest solution. I'm also hopefully going to contact a few repair shops around the country and see if there familiar with this issue.

I'm not ruling out it may be something with my hitch set up, tow vehicle or tire pressure, etc.

By the way, the popped rivets I have are the rivets in the face of the storage door frame right in the area of question.

[LAWBC]

Scale your rig and see the difference in weight distribution between your rear axle and front axle. I see your are carrying a bed cap which probably weighs in @ 150- 200 lbs . If you are carrying extra stuff in the bed you maybe limiting out on your rear springs and thus giving little margin for the trailers hitch. It could look level in relationship with the trailer to truck but the scales might reveal something else .
I know because I have a 1/2 ton truck and have to watch my bed weight and distribution. I made mods to my rear suspension, ie different coil springs (variable weight) and bump stops, This year because the truck is 5 years old I will be upgrading the shocks as well .

[CDONA]

I thought mine was due to impact damage.

[guskmg]

I would take pictures of any damage like that and send them to Airstream Customer Service for their perusal. I had outside skin cracks emanating from the upper inside corners of the battery boxes. Airstream repaired it under their "Goodwill Account" gratis. Years later, I had them remove the battery boxes for more storage after putting Lithiums under the rear Queen. While doing this they added thick 90 degree gussets to all the vertical front ribs where they attach to the "C" channel around the floor. So I suspect Airstream has recognized a structural shortcoming and it fixing it whenever the area is opened up for work. Obviously, they are sensitive to this type of structural strengthening when called to their attention. Different trailer lengths and floor plans are going to have different stress points develop as they are towed down the US Interstates. I once had a aeronautical engineering professor say that if the whole airplane does not disintegrate when one component fails then all the rest are over designed. Try that on for Airstream reliability. By that standard, with only a few parts ever failing, they are greatly over designed.
guskmg

[Zybane]

Shouldn't be running 1400 lb bars on an Airstream.

[sheriff1]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Shouldn't be running 1400 lb bars on an Airstream.

I have a tongue weight of 1250 lb, what bars should I run...

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by guskmg

... I once had a aeronautical engineering professor say that if the whole airplane does not disintegrate when one component fails then all the rest are over designed. ...guskmg

That's a curious statement by an "aeronautical engineer" because all modern airplanes are designed to have multiple stress pathways in a "fail safe" design ...such that any single failure will be covered by other structure. The only other acceptable aeronautical design is a "life limited" design in which structure which is not covered by the "fail safe" method is replaced regularly on a predicted schedule with new.

(I'm often confronted with false claims of qualifications in casual conversation by know-it-alls like me.)

[Travtrog]

I have the same exact cracks on my 2011 27FB, just noticed today. . Has anyone had any luck resolving, correcting issue? Thanks in advance.

[RxGuy]

Originally Posted by Travtrog

I have the same exact cracks on my 2011 27FB, just noticed today. . Has anyone had any luck resolving, correcting issue? Thanks in advance.

I had the damage fixed at JC, total cost $2168.00. Insurance covered it and they waived the deductable, so that was good. I asked them to replace the original storage compartment door (single latch) with the double latch style.

Travtrog, have you looked behind the wrap protectors? I had a couple of rivets that had actually worked their way through the chrome rub rail insert. So the shell had definitely come loose from the frame in that area.

I asked when I had the trailer there if there were any "fixes" for this problem to prevent it from happening again. They said no.

Thanks

Blair

[Wconley]

I found cracks in the same location of our 2009 27FB. I stop drilled the cracks and used Sikaflex to seal the cracks until I replace the panel. The dealer asked about how much weight was being carried in the storage compartment so I’ve moved my heavy tool bag into the bed of my truck as a precaution.

[hhendrix]

Originally Posted by Wconley

I found cracks in the same location of our 2009 27FB. I stop drilled the cracks and used Sikaflex to seal the cracks until I replace the panel. The dealer asked about how much weight was being carried in the storage compartment so I’ve moved my heavy tool bag into the bed of my truck as a precaution.

I had the same cracks on both corners of the front compartment of my 2009 27' FB. Turns out my F350 with the camper suspension and 1200# bars were beating the trailer to death. Way to stiff suspension and and bars for the trailer. They are compression fractures from the shell being pounded down on the frame from to stiff suspension/hitch set ups. I switched to 600-800# bars and life was much better for truck, trailer, and occupants.

[sheriff1]

Had the same on our 2010 27FB, towed with minimal weight in compartment by F250 with equalizer 1000 lb bars. Stop drilled and Olympic rivet with grey sikaflex as well. I think it's a design flaw.

[KJRitchie]

So far no issue on my 2008 Classic 25fb. Use an Equalizer with 1000lb bars.

Kelvin

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by hhendrix

.. I switched to 600-800# bars and life was much better for truck, trailer, and occupants.

Bingo, Heavy TV+light bars=happy trailer
Less is more, not only the front of the trailer will thank you but also the back.

[Wconley]

Our trailer is new to us since October and only have a few hundred towing miles since we got it. I’m not sure if the cracks were there when we bought the trailer and I only discovered them when I was waxing it last week. We have a 2013 F150 with Blue Ox/1000 lb bars. So I have a relatively softy sprung truck with bars on the high side for acceptability. I haven’t yet taken the trailer to a CAT Scale to know if 750 lb bars would be better.

[66Overlander]

Inland Andy used to recommend 600 lb. bars with 250/2500 and above trucks, 800 lb. bars with 150/1500 trucks, and 1000 lb. bars with cars and other lightly sprung tow vehicles based upon his decades of Airstream experience. I believe him. The stiffer the tow vehicle suspension, the lighter the bars, to keep from beating up the Airstream. Plus the heavier vehicles don't need as much weight transfer. And that was before Airstream weakened the trailers by putting in a front storage compartment.

Of course there were no Airstreams with ~1200 lb. tongue weights back then, like the sliders and new 33' Classic have. Might have to adjust slightly if your tongue weight is that high.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

Inland Andy used to recommend 600 lb. bars with 250/2500 and above trucks, 800 lb. bars with 150/1500 trucks, and 1000 lb. bars with cars and other lightly sprung tow vehicles based upon his decades of Airstream experience. I believe him. The stiffer the tow vehicle suspension, the lighter the bars, to keep from beating up the Airstream. Plus the heavier vehicles don't need as much weight transfer. And that was before Airstream weakened the trailers by putting in a front storage compartment.

Of course there were no Airstreams with ~1200 lb. tongue weights back then, like the sliders and new 33' Classic have. Might have to adjust slightly if your tongue weight is that high.

You might more closely follow up on that question. With either Andy, at Inland or at Can Am, as the latter has said that weights between present and past TTs are not as divergent as appears. (“Standard” options and the like).

For the OP and others: skin cracks are going to appear even on full BOF trailers like Avion and Silver Streak. At the door and forward on the starboard isn’t unknown. And usually from improper leveling order.

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