[VAC] Re: jalousie Windows and metal fatigue

[Chris Elliott <celliott@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well , I have some new insight into the possible cause of the potential
cracked rib problem on 22` trailers .  I dont have it yet but having been
told of it , and having taken the inside panels down , I can see how it may
be an issue down the road . Because of the way the door and window line up
with the vents and windows on the other side , some of the ribs around the
door /window `s are offset by a foot or so and are cut off halfway . This
leaves only three that go from one side to the other in one piece ,approx 6`
apart. This is further apart than the ribs appear to be in my other trailers
.
   So I can see how the body might twist torsionally and rip the skin if it
was allowed to continue , if the front rib was to crack from the repeated
stress.
   Make`s me realize the importance of the inner skin in the structure , and
how much flex is designed in , and just how light the framing is . I have
seen small area`s before , but this is the biggest area I`ve had to open up .
Cant Imagine the roof taking the weight of an ac for too long without it
caving in .
  I would gladly pull the extra couple of hundred pounds if the gauge of all
the ribs and the steel chassis under it was a bit thicker . I may add a piece
fore and aft to try and strengthen it where the ribs dont line up . Will be
looking at it for awhile ,so Ive got some time to figure out how to beef it
up without replacing the window , I still have stuff to take out . I do wish
I had done the floor work in bath before i took the ceiling out It might make
the panels easier to line up when it comes time to reinstall them ,but I
figured I had to take the bath out , might as well take it all out , I wanted
to rewire and clean everything . Amazing amount of mouse leavings in there .
  I would really recomend taking insides out for that reason alone ,this
appeared to be a relatively clean trailer till I started poking around
....Plus you get to see how it goes together more clearly and the downside of
building them light. I would not be surprised if this problem has surfaced in
other models because of the asymetry of windows side to side , most all of
them dont line up or have vents in middle of ribs ,etc. I`ll try and take
some pics soon .
Chris 63  "flexable flyer"