Belly Pan Aluminium

[Streamsaver]

HI Everybody,
I have been reading these forums for a few months and just got up the nerve to post.

I am in the middle of a shell off restoration and I am worried about the belly pan. It has to be replaced. From airparts I can get the aluminium coil, but they list it is only 48'' in width. The aluminium I took off is 50'' wide. Has any one here bought coil aluminium from Airparts? Is it a true 48'' or is it like countertop laminate that always comes an inch or two bigger? I think I can make 48'' wide material work, but that won't give me much overlap.

Next question. Do I have to replace it with ALCLAD aluminium? Is cheaper material gonna corrode faster? Since it is on the bottom I don't care about how shiny it is or if it is polishable. I am just worried about the longevity of the material. What about clear coating the belly pan? was that ever done on the trailers?
Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[59toaster]

I have some Airpartsinc aluminum. I'll double check the width tomorrow.

I only replaced the outer foot and retaining the inner section that's not visiable. It is visable for about 6 inches so I went with Alcad for a little extra touch. I am reengineering my belly pans so that I can drop them for service or changes I want to make. The way I did this was to put down a stirp of 1 inch bar stock (1/8 thick). It's a few inches up under the side. The rest of the belly pan connects to it.

No, you don't need to use Alcad and in fact it wasn't alcad from the factory. It was plain T2024. Airparts has it as well.

I'll tell you what putting that belly pan back on and working the corners is a pain in the butt!

Also if you have not dealt with Airparts yet then I have to tell you they are GREAT. Very pleased with the experiance I had with them. The lady I spoke with was very knowledgable. NO BS on the shipping. It went out when they said it would and I recived when promised. I was charged actual shipping charges and not just a general charge. They were up front about the minimal extra charge for packaging on the sheet. They were the Cheapest I found and I couldn't find that Alcad for double the price local and I live 8 miles from Lockheed and 22 miles from Hartsfeild.

[Streamsaver]

Thanks for the response toaster! I have the original belly pan carefully stored and will use it as a template to make the new pan. I am a novice at metal work but learning very quickly. Just ordered a 20ft length of C-channel to repair the frame.
So the belly pan replacement is right around the corner.

[MarkR]

Sorry to interupt . . .
Toaster, can you clarify/explain the 1/8" Bar Stock Detail. I am going to have to replace the belly pan at some point in the near future and I'm assuming it's going to be a learning experience (don't really know how it goes together) . . . anyway being able to get to "stuff" underneath to service or modify or repair . . . seems like a good thing. Do you have any detail pictures of what you did or plan on doing?
Thanks,
Mark

[herbiff]

Hello fellow Airstreamers:
I just purchased a 1965 Globe Trotter. It's rough but fairly solid. Going for a renovation as opposed to restoration. Would appreciate any tips.
First question:
Is the gas line always ran outside the belly pan? I assume that is so no gas could be trapped if a leak were to develop. But isn't it exposed to more damage that way?

[Belegedhel]

Herbiff--yes, always run the gas line outside of your bellypan--yes it is exposed to flying rocks, etc.

Streamsaver--I bought coiled aluminum from Airparts, and yes, it is exactly 48" wide. When I rebuilt my bellypan, I needed sections wider than 48" as well, but what I did is use the new aluminum length-wise to go between my frame rails--that achieved the needed 50", and the 48" width landed nicely on cross members, just like the plywood subfloor does on the topside. My trailer is a 70's vintage, and the bellypan is in a bunch of sections anyway. My shell is made of 6061 T6, so I used the same for the bellypan. The original pan was .025" thickness, but I moved up to .032 so it would be a little tougher, and would show less ripples. Bending that aluminum around the edges to meet the shell was a bit of a trial.

good luck!