In a message dated 12/9/00 5:17:13 PM Pacific Standard Time, homeplac@gte.net
writes:
<< I've got a '54 Safari that
needs floor and frame work. Would you mind explaining how you removed your
belly pan and how you plan to reinstall it. I have been told that by
clipping it loose underneath beyond the sight line you can save the bottom
panel from pop rivets. >>
Jim,
Yer gonna enjoy this prodject so much you'll have rivets dancing in your
dreams.
I'll assume that your '54 is basicly the same as my '53 in shell to
floor/frame mounting. I don't feel that the cut the belly pan below the sight
line will work for lifting OFF the shell. No way to bend the round corners
out of the way. The straight sides no big deal , but the corners no way. The
cut the belly trick would be great for repair work but not shell / frame
separation.
Here we go.....
First remove the inteirior. I left in the overhead cabinets ( just kept
hitting my head on 'em) for a little extra support when the shell comes off.
Notice how roomy and cavernous the inside now feels? Makes the trailer seem
bigger and the job more intimidating. Gives you second thoughts about the
whole idea of frame off rebuilding. Don't be a wuss,go for it!
Next remove the inteirior lower wall pannels. Take pictures so you have a
guide for reassembly and to show off later when proving you have very
credible braggin' rights.
Take some pics off the insulation placement since I didn't. Then rip out
the insulation and toss it.
Examine the lower rail where everything is mounted to the floor. The lower
rail on my '53 was mostly corroded to dust or very week in many places. The
belly pan AND the body pannels AND the inside wall pannels are ALL attatched
to this flimsy little rail with lots and lotsa rivets. The corners don't
have frame rails just little 3-4 inch peices of frame rail wood screwed to
the floor.
Remove all the rivets along the bottom body pannels and wheel wells. Do
this from out side by lopping off thier heads. Be as carefull as possible
about scratching the pannels but realize you're still gonna scratch something
with that many rivets to remove. Remove 3-4 rivets up the place at the
corners where the side pannels meet the round pannels (not the front and
back, just the sides)
Use a strong putty knife and light hammer to seperate the outer skin from
the belly skin. The belly skin ain't goin nowhere, it's still attached to the
lower shell frame rail. The ends where a little harder to seperate because
there is putty between the skins.
Make sure at this point that you have removed all wires,pipes,and whatever
from under the belly pan.
Now for the pain in the but part...The skins are seperated and you can peek
between 'em all the way around....See the heads of the rivets holding the
belly pan? The ones that you can barely see let alone get a chisle or cutting
tool to? They are also made from a harder matterial than the rivets holding
the body skins. Trying to chisle those rivets only cushes the frame rail and
tears the belly skin. Those rivets need to be cut with a cut off tool from
the backside. Happy, happy , joy ,joy!
After cutting all THOSE rivets do the putty knife thing again to seperate
the belly pan from the frame rail. In some places the pan will start to slip
out from between the body pannel and rail some places will need a gentle tug.
DON'T tug yet!
Put on your hazmat suit for the next part.....
Crawl underneith and remove the remaineng rivets that hold the pan to the
frame. Pick one side and move to the opposite side as you remove the rivets
the pan sections will prety much come off under thier own weight. The pannels
are overlaped. Start at the center pannels and work to the ends. The ends
come off last. don't remove the rivets down the center they hold the right
and left pannels to eachother.
At the front of my coach there is a steel plate riveted to the body and
bolted to the frame with a zillion rivets.the belly pan at the front is also
connected to that plate. I cut the pan away since I'm replacing all the belly
skin any how. Deal with it how you please, the body pannel still must be
seperated from the plate to lift the shell off.
That about does it to remove the belly pan...pretty easy ,huh?
Since i'm doin a frame off, I'll reinstall the belly pretty much the way the
factory did, then put the shell back on. There will be some differences ,but
I'll explain that another time. Hope this helps. Later
Trike 5384