I'd planned on separating the shell from the frame today, but it wasn't to be. After taking some time to study how the shell was attached, I found that there were multiple attachment points that needed to be documented and prepped. This day was spent documenting each attach point, removing some fasteners, and starting the installation of bracing.
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The access panel at the front of the trailer was removed to access the battery and tow vehicle harness wiring. The wire was exposed and the wire caps removed. The wiring was pulled thru the grommets in the "C" channel and stowed.
The remaining gold trim band was removed from the shell. It is attached with sheet metal screws at all points except where it terminates at the wheel wells. The termination point fasteners are solid rivets (drilled in pic below). The sheet metal screws are fastened thru the external skin into the "C" channel.
Removal of the forward gold trim band exposes the pop-rivets that attach the gold trim sheet (lower front of the trailer) to the "C" channel. These rivets must be removed.
The roadside forward access door must be removed before the forward gold trim band can be removed.
All direct shell attachments to the "C" channel are labeled and documented.
Having a buckeye drill helps remove rivets in tight locations.
The external skin is attached to the wheel well with two rows of solid rivets. There's also a stiffener within the wheel well cavity that must be removed.
There is a skin lap seam at the roadside wheel well. Six of the seam fasteners must be removed.
Leveling jacks were placed at the front and aft of the frame to level the trailer and provide stability during shell removal.
I began to brace the shell, but did not complete before running out of time.
That's all for today.