Visit our Popular Forums

hlink · 09-15-2008, 01:18 PM

is a belly pan necessary??
Working on my Airstream renovation I noticed the area in the rear has a lot of rust and mouse junk and dirt, mud etc in the belly pan. The only area not rusted and still in good shape is the steel that is exposed to the tires in the wheel well. Can I just place a sheet of aluminum on the steel prior to the insulation and flooring??

Why do we park on the driveway and drive on the parkway?

InsideOut · 09-15-2008, 01:23 PM

Are you talking about putting the sheet of aluminum on the "topside" of the frame between the floor & frame or the "underside" of the frame? If the top, as I suspect from your post...what kind of insulation would you then be using?

The wood floor really is an intregal part of the structural integrity of the trailer, to have it isolated from the frame would not be a good idea.

Maybe I read your post wrong...but that's what I thought you meant ~ please clarify.

Shari

P.S. Welcome to the forums!

purman · 09-15-2008, 01:33 PM

I'm reading it that way to Shari... How would you protect your insulation??.... even SOB's with insulated floors have some sort of belly pan.... most of the time it's some kind of pulled tight water proof fabric... Plus that pan saves your tanks...from getting direct hits from stuff on the road...IF the pan is rusted out the water doesn't always come from the bottom.. It can come from up above too...

Aerowood · 09-15-2008, 02:17 PM

The pan also helps with the aerodynamics's of the trailer keeping the air less turbulent under the trailer with equals better gas mileage for the tow vehicle.

mandolindave · 09-15-2008, 05:16 PM

Most SOBs don't have belly pans.
Secondly, the CCD airstreams don't come with belly pans.

That being said, I bet the belly pans do make them more aerodynamic.
For me, the jury is still out on the trapping moisture versus protecting the frame aurgurment.

purman · 09-15-2008, 05:30 PM

Our neighbors does have a belly pan, and if they have insulation then most of them do... I don't think it's about protecting the frame as keeping stuff in.. the frame is tuff it's the rest of the stuff I worry about.... tanks, pipes, insulation... foam or other...

tphan · 09-15-2008, 06:01 PM

I'm with mandolindave on this one- after seeing the rank, rotting, rusting, rodent-infested mess in my "basement", I am in no hurry to seal that back up again. If I ever do, I will NOT try and completely seal it, use NO fiberglass insulation, and do it in smaller pieces so as to have access for inspection, changes, rodent removal, etc.

CanoeStream · 09-15-2008, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandolindave

Secondly, the CCD airstreams don't come with belly pans.

AFAIK this only applied to the first couple years of 22' International CCDs. Pahaska's didn't have a belly pan. There was a membrane of some sort between the frame and chipboard floors. Nothing helped those miserable floors -- even a spun beef fat & sodium benzoate product Hostess Twinkie stood up better to moisture than those darned floors -- a topic unrelated to the belly pan ? I am sure.

Inland RV Center, In · 09-15-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hlink

i

Why do we park on the driveway and drive on the parkway?

The same reason we pay a "toll" on a "freeway.

Andy

hlink · 09-16-2008, 06:15 AM

Thanks for all the responce.
Yes I was talking about placing the aluminum on the top of the steel.
I am still working on the insulation thing. Thinking of board insulation??

Lumatic · 09-16-2008, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hlink

Thanks for all the responce.
Yes I was talking about placing the aluminum on the top of the steel.
I am still working on the insulation thing. Thinking of board insulation??

Board insulation while keeping moisture out also keeps it in. Might actually increase belly moisture related problems.