Uwe Salwender
salwender@sbcglobal.net
> I was on this list quite some time ago, but dropped off due to time
> constraints! Too many hobbies, too many lists, and something had to
> go!
>
> For a short reintroduction, we live in the interior of BC, Canada. My
> SO and I bought a 1967 Safari some time ago. The trailer never came
> home for a year after we bought it, but then we were off! We have had
> great fun with our trailer, and we have given her lots of exercise.
> But, no matter how much exercise we gave the old girl, her rear still
> sagged a bit, and it has suddenly got much worse. This last trip the
> slight tilt of the back bumper got a lot more noticeable, and the
> floor in the bathroom is headed south! Trailer is now parked until
> repairs are made. :(
>
> I do remember there being an issue with frame separation with these
> years of trailers, but I can't seem to find how to fix it, short of
> taking it to the plant. That is not going to happen, as it is a far
> jaunt from us! I did do a search on the archives, but only found
> mention of a couple of service bulletins, which didn't sound like
> they helped much, and that someone had a 67 that the bolts had
> rusted through.
>
> Does someone have the information on where I can find these two
> service bulletins, and/or how to actually fix the problem? I am
> rather fond of it just being rusted bolts...that would be a very
> easy fix!
>
> Happy trailering!
> Sharon, in BC
More than likely your frame is going to be ok. What happens in many
cases is that the wooden floor rots away along the rear curve due to
water leaks. Often the leaks originate from the corning windows, or
from a poor seal around the rear lower perimeter of the shell. water
collects on teh bumper storage lid or molding, and then soaks into
the wooden subfloor. This subfloor is a paramount part of the
integrity of an Airstream trailer. The floor section becomes soft
first, then gives way. Evidence of this is when you can step on the
rear bumper and watch a gap develop between the bumper and the shell.
You will also find rotten wood when you attack the floor with an ice
pick or awl. Try access through the rear hatch.
The cure is to remove the bath, and replace the rearmost section of
plywood, usually 4ft of it. You might be one of the few lucky ones
that just have a loose bolt or two......