Removing Belly Pan

[garp]

I have recently aquired my first airstream and would like to drop the belly pan to inspect the frame and floor. Can anyone help me with advice about how to remove the belly pan? It seems to curve up the sides to a trim piece held in place by olympic rivets. Does this piece have to be removed? What is the best way to remove this style of rivet?

Any help much appreciated.

[uwe]

garp,
I was told to use a sharp drill bit and drill out the rivets. It is advisable to use the right size drill bit for the rivet that is being removed. The small rivets that hold on the interior skins utilize 1/8" size holes, so a 1/8" drill removes them easily. i am not sure about the size of the exterior rivets, but it should be easy to determine.
I found that once in a while a rivet would spin with the drill, and holding the head with needle nose pliers helped get the rivet out.
Good luck!
Consider a pneumatic rivt tool to re-install everything. hand riveting gets old after about 10 or so rivets.........

[ALANSD]

check elsewhere on the forums for photos of PeterH doing Olympic rivets on his motorhome.

[tenrsingr]

I remember reading somewhere that the removing speed is 20K rpms.

[Belegedhel]

Garp--What year and model trailer do you have?

The design of the interface between the bellypan and the shell changed in ~1969. 69 and later models, the skin will come up on the sides and just rivet onto the shell. This interface is hidden by a piece of trim that will have to come off first. Also, if the trailer is a 1969+, the bellypan will probably be in multiple sections. you might be able to do all the inspection you want without disconnecting the belly from the edges where it meets the shell, just disconnect on the underside, and let the side pieces hang. When you see what a mess is hiding under there, though, you will probably want to replace all the insulation, and if the frame is in need of repair, you will likely have to completely remove the bellypan anyway.

good luck

[Trons4u]

Like Belegedhel said, depends on what year. I'm trying to get mine off right now and it's a bugger. It goes up under the skin and bends inward over the C channel that lays on the floor. If anyone has any good tips for me I would appreciate it


lol...didn't realize this was an old post