[slowmover]

The Airstreams are so valuable that you'd want to have a high confidence of the outcome before you took an air nibbler to that beautiful sheet aluminum.

Several tens of thousands made. Not "valuable" in the sense stated.

Are there wrecking lots with damaged Airstream and Argossy trailers?

Yes, COLAW in Missouri is one. Argosy is a bit rare and not worth fixating upon.

Were this my approach -- modifying an all-aluminum trailer -- the early 1950's Silver Streak Clipper freebeard shows above would be the ideal candidate as the shell itself is already a very good shape. I sincerely doubt a home-made project OR existing trailer mod would offer any significant (measurable) improvement. And let us also consider that proper weight balance is already inherent. This FAR outweighs mpg "fun". And that changes require an engineer. At what point is engineering expertise required is central. I say, stick with what is already engineered.

One will have ones hands full with re-building an antique like this (pipe frame and floor rot) so facilities to do a shell-off restoration are needed. Expect that years will be required. One man is looking at all his spare time from a career job even with outside help on occasion. There are far too may examples of this in resto threads elsewhere. Trailers are not simple taken as a whole.

(Sorry to hear of that aluminum sheet fiasco, freebeard)

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