Walls & wheel wells

[Emmaggy]

Has anyone seen a good solution for how far to take the interior skins down next to the wheel wells and does it make sense to replace the old cracked plastic wheel well covers with an aluminum solution? Or just buy new plastic ones?

Thanks

[Hittenstiehl]

Welcome
Not sure I know what you mean by how far down.

However I would say replacing the broken plastic wheel wells is worth it it if you are disassembled to that point. The wheel wells are what stands between your trailer and the road. The better and stronger the wheel wells possibly the less damage to the interior of the trailer in case of tire blow out.

It looks like new ones are for sale at High Sky RV Parts for $400.00 for two. They may not fit for vintage Airstreams.

The drawing photo is from Inland rv and shows some measurements as an example. The shiney aluminum example is from VARR restoration company and the black one is from Out Of Doors Mart.

Google
"AirForums Wheel Well Replacement or Build" for several examples.

[Dingo Girl]

I made some pretty beefy covers out of aluminum diamond plate.
I think the same thing. Maybe it will protect the interior in case of blowout.

[John Ware]

If my interior was stripped down to the wheel wells and they needed replacing, I would go with aluminum any day.

[Emmaggy]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Welcome
Not sure I know what you mean by how far down.

However I would say replacing the broken plastic wheel wells is worth it it if you are disassembled to that point. The wheel wells are what stands between your trailer and the road. The better and stronger the wheel wells possibly the less damage to the interior of the trailer in case of tire blow out.

It looks like new ones are for sale at High Sky RV Parts for $400.00 for two. They may not fit for vintage Airstreams.

The drawing photo is from Inland rv and shows some measurements as an example. The shiney aluminum example is from VARR restoration company and the black one is from Out Of Doors Mart.

Google
"AirForums Wheel Well Replacement or Build" for several examples.

Attachment 421634Attachment 421635Attachment 421636

Thank you so much!!

[Emmaggy]

Originally Posted by Dingo Girl

I made some pretty beefy covers out of aluminum diamond plate.
I think the same thing. Maybe it will protect the interior in case of blowout.

Thanks!! I think this is the way I want to go as well, I don’t have a TIG welder so I think I’ll need to get them fabricated

[Hittenstiehl]

If you can figure out your measurements and come up with a couple of photographs from the internet. A sheet metal or air conditioning type shop can fabricate them for you.

[Hittenstiehl]

Just fyi, It looks like poster Betty78 has some wheel wells for sale in the classifieds.

[Alumineer]

Our 74 land yacht had badly cracked interior wheel wells, and the outer wells had partially detached from the shell. I got a pair of steel tandem axle fenders, like what one would use on a flat deck trailer, shortened them to fit the land yacht wheel opening, and added steel inner and outer filler panels to seal to the frame and to the wheel arches in the exterior shell. I bolted these in place. After I replaced the floor, I made aluminum interior wheel wells from .032 sheet, and attached those with screws like the original plastic ones were done. Between the inner and outer I used rock wool insulation instead of fiberglass. Maybe it’s overkill but it should stand up for a long time.