Howdy all! Saturday came and it was time to get some work done on Wally the Airstream. As you had seen in our previous posts, We’ve been working on getting the rear aluminum panels put back together and replaced as well as repairing the rear window frame.
Read MoreWell, we finally got our story straight on getting our aluminum in so it was time to cut and place the new panel in the rear of Wally the Airstream.
I’ll go into further detail tomorrow as to how we got it all together, but I wanted to get this posted tonight! Enjoy!
As we had previously posted, we had a new piece of a aluminum cut at Discount Steel and we received delivery today. Those with a discerning eye will identify that the piece is like a U-shape that encompasses the rear window. This isn't exactly like the original. When Jim did the shell-off restoration of the frame and the flooring, the new flooring ended up being a tad bit wider than the original. Because of that, the rear of the shell didn't fit exactly back together where it was originally riveted. Now, most would say, "Hey, that's not good", well, in this case it's actually okay with me. I like the idea of this new aluminum, which I purchased at a slightly thicker grade than original (.040 vs. .032) will support the window better. Also, the rivet holes that were drilled in the rear are a little too big for my comfort in the original pieces so this new piece will cover them over. All in a good day's work!
Read MoreWally had some dents and dings in his previous life! A few of them, we just weren't okay with leaving them where they were at. One of the challenges of working with a 59 year old Airstream is the 59 year old aluminum skin. While we have some AWESOME friends that have some amazing metal working skills (Rob is a master fabricator at Donnie Smith's in Blaine, MN), the metal is so old and oxidized that it has become brittle and a little more difficult than new to work with. So, we're moving forward with removing the two rear panels that were the worst offenders and replacing them. Drilling out rivets is fun! /sarcasm.
Read MoreHere we detail and blog the progress of the Airstream remodel of Wally the Airstream. Wally is a 1959 28’ Airstream Overlander.
