Heim Built
Front End Separation Repair and Airstream Upgrades
Heim Built designs and builds the parts that keep an Airstream's structure where it belongs. Karl Heim makes front and rear separation kits, 3-inch lift kits, tank straps, and 316 stainless trunk lids and battery box covers in his own shop, then ships them to owners and service shops all over the country. He works directly with the shops that install his separation kits and picks up the phone for owners who would rather do the work themselves, so either way you are dealing with the person who designed the part.
Call or message Karl · [PHONE]
Airstream Products
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Front and Rear Separation Kits
A Front End Separation repair is only as good as the brackets and the hands putting them in, which is why Karl does more than ship a kit and hope for the best. He designs the brackets himself and then works with each partner shop until they install them exactly the way he intended. He spent three long days at Cross Country RV Solutions in Alvarado, Texas, completing three front end separation repairs alongside the crew, and Midwest Airstream Service in Wisconsin had him on FaceTime for an entire day while he walked their team through every step.
The shops that use Heim separation kits are not shy about it, and one of them calls the Heim bracket the nation's finest. Karl works with partner shops in Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida, so if you are dealing with separation at the front or rear of your trailer, call him and he can tell you what your trailer needs and which shop is closest to you. [Confirm with Scott before naming partner shops on the site.]
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3-Inch Lift Kits
A Heim lift kit raises your Airstream 3 inches, and that small change does a lot. It helps keep the rear of the trailer from dragging, which is one of the things that leads to front or rear separation in the first place, and it also brings the steps to a more even height and makes dumping the tanks easier. One partner shop had a customer's trailer in at 7 and out by 1.
What sets the Heim kit apart is how much thought went into the newest version. Karl redesigned the washer so it still holds the bolt or nut while giving you an extra 3/8 inch of finger room, which makes the kit easier to install. He also added a reinforcing plate under the axle mounts, because he has seen several cracked axles on trailers running other lift kits and does not want his customers to be next. That plate is sold separately too, so if you already have another brand of lift kit, you can add the reinforcement without starting over.
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Tank Straps
Airstreams do not come with tank straps from the factory, and Heim tank straps add that support to help keep the structure Airstream built from failing. [Confirm Karl's wording on exactly what the straps support.] One owner had noticed the fresh water tank cover bowing from their travels. The straps arrived in about five days, the install took about two hours with eight drilled holes and the bolts Karl supplies, and when it was done the bow in the tank cover was gone. If you are installing them yourself, Karl will walk you through it over the phone, and partner shops can put them in while you wait.
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316 Stainless Trunk Lids and Battery Box Covers
Heim trunk lids and battery box covers are made from 316 stainless steel, the marine grade that holds up to weather and road spray, and each one is laser-cut and engraved with the Heim Built logo, so they look like they belong on a polished trailer from the first day. [Confirm fitment by model and year with Karl.]
Online Shop
We are working on an online shop so you can order straight from the site. Until it is ready, call or message Karl and he will get your order started and shipped.
How to Order
Right now every order starts with a call or a Facebook message to Karl. Tell him what trailer you have and what you need, and he will make sure the right part is headed your way, wherever you are, since Heim Built ships nationwide.
If you would rather have a shop do the work, Karl can point you to one of the partner shops he works with in Texas, Wisconsin, or Florida. If you are doing it yourself, he is happy to answer questions by phone, and install videos are in the works. [Add video link when ready.]
At the Rally
Heim Built had Booth 1304 at the 2026 Airstream International Rally in Minot, North Dakota, where owners could book a future front end separation repair in person. Follow Heim Built on Facebook to see where Karl will be next.
Other Work
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Airstream parts are only part of what comes out of the Heim Built shop. Karl has fabricated and installed stainless steel kitchen backsplashes, and he recently added some stainless work to his 1970 Chevelle, finished with Olympic rivets to give it a little Airstream style.
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Then there is the Heim train, which Karl and his dad built more than 20 years ago from an electric Taylor-Dunn cart. It has since been repowered with a 36-volt motor, and it now pulls a string of all-aluminum stacking trailers that seat 12 kids, with a fog machine and a speaker on board. At the 2026 International Rally it led the Vintage Airstream Club parade.
If you have a custom metal project in mind, call Karl and talk it through. [Confirm with Karl what kinds of custom work he wants to take on.]
About Heim Built
Heim Built is Karl Heim's metal fabrication shop in [TOWN, confirm with Karl; v1 research said Topaz, California area]. Karl was building things out of metal long before his first Airstream bracket, as the train he and his dad put together more than two decades ago shows, and his approach has stayed the same ever since. He builds it himself, he keeps making it better, and he answers the phone when you have a question.
Contact
The fastest way to reach Karl is a call or a message on Facebook, and if you are asking about a repair, include your trailer's year and length so he can tell you what you need.
- Phone:
- [PHONE]
- Email:
- [EMAIL]
- Facebook:
- Heim Built on Facebook
- Location:
- [TOWN], California. Ships nationwide.