Belly Pan Improvements - Vintage and Better!

As I'm not an expert, I really never thought much about the underside of our trailer.  I did know that Airstream trailers have aluminum belly pans which cover the frame, and the bottom of the plywood floors.  This keeps all the ugly, wet, muddy, floor-rotting frame-rusting, road debris from ruining the trailers from the foundation up. It is one of many reasons why Airstreams survive and are enjoyed for decades!

One of our improvements are in the area of the spare tire.  The tire will fit inside the trailer frame, recessed like the newer model Airstreams.  Our vintage Airstream will have this area lined in aluminum, keeping the plywood floor dry.  To protect the floor under the frame surrounding the spare tire, the frame is wrapped in more aluminum.

Originally the floor area under our steps appears to have be painted.  For our restoration, another belly pan improvement is a new aluminum lining to protect the area above the Swing-Away Step.  Colin Hyde fabricated this for us - thank you!  This will protect the floor from wood rot found when we first saw our 1955 Flying Cloud.