Jim:
Are the "Safety Hoops" or loops under the axle on the trailer ready-made or did you have them made? This is a wonderful and very necessary idea -- and something my '61 Bambi doesn't have (at least, I don't think it does -- I'll have to go look).

Sissy
'61 Bambi

By Jim Dunmyer on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:29 pm:

Sissy,
Those safety hoops were on my A/S when I bought it. They're seen at:
http://www.oldengine.org/members/jdunmyer/airstream/jun23_08.jpg

Jim

By Scott & Lise Scheuermann on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:30 pm:

Sissy, something to think about with the safety hoops. If a tire goes flat, the hoop hits the ground, creating sparks. Take another look at the picture, the gas lines run directly behind the tire. Looks like a big accident waiting to happen unless one always turns off the gas. I have owned my A/S for 12 years now. Have kept good tires on her and towed her across the states several times with no tire problems. Others on this list have had blowouts, and they have reported no handling problems.

Scott

By Ray Plumlee on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:31 pm:

Sissy - took a look at those hoops - unless they are welded to the axle i wonder if the U bolt attaching them to the axle would hold up when a 2k lb. load "drives" them into the road surface - Ray P

By Bill Scott on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:32 pm:

Thanks Ray, ,,,,,,,,,I have always questioned those so-called safety hoops. They don't seem to make much sense to me. They are not on all single axle Airstreams, and I think they are an "After-thought", by some one. It seems to me, the hoop would hit rocks or drag on uneven surfaces while on mountain roads. Finally, please don't weld anything on that axle. That square tube is filled with rubber torsion bands and should not be heated. Just my 2 cents.

Bill

By Dave Huffman on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:36 pm:

Safety hoops got a lot of discussion over the past year. I thought this post was interesting:

Subject: Re: [VAC] Wheel Skid for Single Axel
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 08:12:40 -0700
From: Patrick Ewing
To: vintage@airstream.net

Paul,

If your trailer is from the 60's (or newer) I personally would stay away from the axle housing, especially any welding, because of the rubber inside the housing. Even with the bolt on units I wonder about possible axle damage if the skid were ever to be used. Remember they don't even recommend jacking up a unit using the axles. They want you to use a jack pad on the frame. You might want to consider something that attaches, even welds, to the trailer's frame instead. On my Bambi I have skids welded directly to the rear of the frame which protects anything that's underneath. The Airstream's that I've seen with wheel skids that were mounted on the axles were from the 50's and before the Dura Torque axles. This is a totally different ball game.

Pat

Paul Farley wrote:

Hi folks,
Does anyone have a source for wheel skids for single axle trailers? I'm looking for the type that will bolt via Ubolt to the axle housing. I have noticed a couple of different varieties ranging from triangular to elongated "S" shape. I'm working on the 10 ideas one solution approach and after speaking to a couple of local welder fabricators I decided someone in the VAC might have a more direct solution. Thanks in advance, Paul

By Jim Dunmyer on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:38 pm:

Ray,
Never, ever weld to an Airstream axle. There's rubber dohickeys inside that you will burn up and render the axle useless.

Remember that even in the event of a blowout, the axle probably isn't going to slam into the pavement as though it were dropped. And, it only goes a couple of inches anyway.

Jim

By Jim Dunmyer on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:39 pm:

Scott,
You're going to get sparks during a blowout, safety hoops or not. The wheel rim is going to hit if the safety hoops don't.

Sparks onto the gas line present no danger anyway as long as you have no leaks. (you did check that, didn't you?) Of course, it's still a good idea to have the gas 'off' while travelling, IMO.

Jim

By Peter E Kaiser on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:40 pm:

My first thought when I saw the U bolt was, what if it just spins on the axle and punches a hole in the belly.
Pete

By Ray Plumlee on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:40 pm:

Jim - You're right about not welding on the a/s axle - i was thinking about the axle on my 55 safari - it is a steel tube with springs & shocks - no torsion suspension Ray P

By Bill Scott on Monday, April 10, 2000 - 04:41 pm:

You are right again Ray. 1960 was the last year for a live axle with leaf springs. Starting in 1961, the Axle was a Dura torque by Henschen, which is a square steel tube packed with rubber torsion bands attached to the spindles. The Dura torque, is a spectacular example of engineering, and long lived ruggedness.

Bill