Re: [VAL] Bike rack on rear AS bumper

[Uwe Salwender <salwender@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After having done extensive rapairs to Airstream
frames and floors on 2 trailers, I also do not
recommend adding additional weight to the rear bumper
of any Airstream product.
My findings revealed very flexible frames, weak rear
floor/frame/shell connections, and paramount
importance of a strong integrity of the
shell/floor/frame system.
This integrity is compromised easily by the following:
Floor decay
Weighty additions ot the rear bumper
Travelling long distances with a full black or grey
tank
Running gear that is out of balance 

I'd say the out of balance running gear is as big as a
problem as leaking trailers and subsequent floor rot.
Not many trailers have heavy objects atached to the
rear. Many more have water leaks and weak floors, and
out of balance brake hubs/tires.

I'd say that every vintage Airstream will need floor
repair sooner or later, if it has not already had it.
If you think yours does not, then you probably just
have not found the it yet.
My 1971 tradewind, for example, required about 11oz
per drum/wheel to get in balance. The wheel would come
to a stop like a pendulum before balancing the entire
assembly, not just the tire/wheel. Imagine this
imbalance 4 times at 65mph, highway speed. Add weak
torsion suspension to this,and it's a sure recipe for
disaster. Of course it had a rotten floor under the
bath, however, no frame separation.

My future trailer projects will all receive hydraulic
disc brakes for this very reason. The discs are
naturally much better balanced, present less unsprung
weight, and deliver real world stopping power with
superb self-cooling. I just put in an order for a set
of disc brake axles for my 1963 Overlander.
I look forward to eliminating the imbalance and
clumsiness of the conventional electric brakes, and
the associated problems over time.

So, perhaps it's difficult to say what actually causes
the common frame or floor failure, but adding moe than
10lbs to the bumper is asking for trouble eventually.
A set of bikes, or a spare tire with bracketry easily
approaches 60-70lbs. Imagine the distance from the
rearmost axle to the bumper being a lever, and the
weight of the extra items acting like a sledgehammer
every time you hit a sharp bump.......having intimate
knowledge of Airstream frames now, I sincerely don't
recommend it.

Best,
Uwe Salwender
Orange CA