Rear End Separation

The Airstream bulletin, is out of date by almost 40 years.

The steel frame kit, is designed to beef up the frame, for the axles, "ONLY".

It "DOES NOT" and will not correct or prevent rear end separation.

It does not add any additional carrying capacity for the chassis.

It does not correct bad axles.

It does not eliminate the need for shocks.

It does not eliminate the need for running gear balance.

It does not make the trailer ride any better.

But, "it does", add strength to the frame so that the frame will not buckle or bend AT THE AXLE MOUNTING PLATE, ONLY. NOTHING MORE.

Elephant ears, is a sheet metal patch at the inside lower corners of the rear quarter panels, at the rear plate junction.

That patch covers up the "INCORRECT" way to repair rear end separation.

Most of the time, when rear end separation has taken place, the rear floor channel has cracked in half, in more than two places.

The proper repair is easy.

1. Remove the rear quarter panels.
2. Remove most of the rivets from the rear plate, so that you can curl the rear plate upward, out of the way.
3. Observe the damage to the floor channel. Remove the channel, have it welded back together.
4. Add an additional gusset the outside of the frame, under the floor, for additional bolts.
5. Jack up the frame to it's correct position.
6. Assuming the floor is ok, and that the rear "hold down plate" is ok, reinstall the floor channel, with new 1/4" grade 5 or better hardware. Drill additional mounting holes through the gussets that were added. Use washers under the bolt heads and at the bottom of the plywood floor. Add steel plates above the floor channel at the frame and gusset areas, that will spread out the stresses.
7. Add additional rivets to hold the "INSIDE" quarter panels with greater strength.
8. Reinstall the quarter panels and rear plate, with olympic rivets at the sides and top. Use plenty of Vulkem sealer between the seams.
9. Use 3/16" pop rivets at the bottom of the quarter panels.
10. Reinstall the rub rail molding.

The above is a professional way to correct the rear end separation problem, and, at the same time, gives the rear shell to frame attachment considerable additional strength. Done properly, no evidence of repairs can be seen, other than the olympic rivets.

Keep the bikes or whatever, "OFF" the bumper.

The elephant ears is a dead give away of "short changed" repairs.

The axle beef up kit, won't do a thing for the above repairs.

The cracked frame and axle mounting plate are a GROSS abuse of the coach, by ignoring the fact that you "MUST" balance the running gear correctly. To this day, people say "what a waste of money". Oh well, they will pay dearly later on.

Lets not blame Airstream for the frame damage caused to the trailer, because of willfull disregard for basic running gear PM.

That problem is caused by and will continue to be caused by lack of proper running gear balance, PERIOD.

Adding frame beef up plates, simply allows you to continue that disregard.

The elephant ear patch, is a "mickey mouse" method of repairing rear end separation. It's done by assuming the rear floor channel is OK, which it rarely is, and not inspecting anything. Usually the rear steel hold down plate is very rusted and must be replaced as well. But you cannot see it unless you remove the metal.

The correct way to repair rear end separation, has been and will always be to remove the two rear quarter panels and lift up the rear plate. It's amazing how many times you will find the rear floor channel, which is an aluminum extrusion, broken in several pieces. It must be removed and rewelded. Then you can reinstall the floor channel. However, you add a steel plate on top of the floor channel at the frame and add additional bolts. You "also" add a steel angle underneath the banana wrap thats welded to the outside of the frame. You install additional bolts through it and the steel plate that is on top of the floor channel. You may also have to replace the rear hold down plate, that most owners don't know it exists.

You have now substantially increased the hold down ability of the shell to the frame. This repair cannot be done using the elephant ear approach, which again, will get you down the road for a short time, and relieve your pocketbook, only to happen again, usually very shortly.

There are always at least two ways to repair anything. The right way and the "good enough" way, which is far removed from correct.

Additionally, just because the rear end separation repairs may have been done as outlined, does not avoid the need for "correct running gear balance."