Ugh. I'd NEVER do it that way. I might be premature in my ideas, but what I
have in mind is retaining the original contour and frenching in a flat door.
Might be easier to do a clamshell but you're going to have to deal with
longer ramps, which IMHO are a pain in the ass.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Kahler [mailto:brad.kahler@141.com]
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 3:09 PM
To: Bill Babcock; Jim Hill; FOT
Cc: N197TR4@cs.com; spitfiresuz@141.com
Subject: RE: Airstream
Bill and Jim, attached (fot won't get them of course) are two photos of a
trailer someone sent me of a trailer they saw that was modified with a flat
door type rear end. Personally I don't like the looks. Seems to ruin the
sleek lines of an airstream trailer. But that is one way of doing it.
I managed to find a used "rib" from an airstream the same as ours.
The plan is to remove the back portion of the shell, add the new rib into
that section and create a water tight junction at that point while pivoting
the shell at the very top. Have lots of thoughts on how to do that as well.
All in all I really think the clam shell approach is actually the easier of
the two methods and less costly to boot. Fewer materials involved and a lot
less fabrication I would think.
I will likely use the mechanicals from a vehicle wheel chair lift (getting
one from a friend real cheap!) to raise and lower the hatch. Although the
hatch doesn't weigh all that much (see picture of factory worker lifting up
the tail section) I like the potential added stability of using a powered
hydraulic unit.
Like I said we've been thinking about how to do this for well over a year
now and all the details are coming together nicely. Should be able to start
the actual conversion a little later this summer (of course at that time it
will be a 100 degrees here in Arkansas and I'll be working inside the
aluminum shell....!)
The trailer is now gutted, we'll be using it as a moving trailer to move all
of our shop and then the conversion will commence.
All in all we're both looking forward to the project.
Brad
On 24 May 2004, at 12:22, Bill Babcock wrote:
> I haven't gotten into the guts to see, since I don't have a trailer
> yet (soon, my pretty..., soon (rubs hands together)) but I don't plan
> on a clamshell. I figure on a flat door that is the first half of the
> ramp. I like the way a clamshell would LOOK though--very James Bond.
>
> With all my experience pop riveting on Peyote, and making flat curves
> with the illusion of compound I figure this project is a snap. Of
> course if it winds up really butchered and I roll Peyote out the
> result will be pure harmony.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On
> Behalf Of Jim Hill Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 12:07 PM To: FOT Subject:
Re:
> Airstream
>
> I had no idea that there was this vast underground of Airstream owners
> among the FOT brethren.
>
> While the Airstream trailer I have is rather shorter than the ones
> you've been discussing, it'll easily have enough room for one race car
> -- plus tools, spares and tires. And once the car is unloaded, the
> folding bunks and wet bar can be deployed.
>
> Not yet having begun the "conversion", I'd be most interested in how
> you plan to go about creating a hinged door at the back.
>
> Jim Hill
> Madison WI
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brad Kahler" <brad.kahler@141.com>
>
> > . . . I've been doing a LOT of research on what can and can't be done. .
> > . . The frame will need to be beafed up . . . The back end of the
> > shell at the last rib will be split at that point and we will hinge
> > the rear shell portion upwards, kinda like a clam shell.
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