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06-09-2014, 09:34 AM
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#1
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Member
Name: Richard
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 37
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Goop on rivets!
Hello everyone!
Browsing through the topics I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for regarding rivets and avoiding leaks. On our 76' Boler the previous owner put sealing goop (the kind you use on the roof of a house) on every single rivet on the roof (not below belly band however).
Wondering how necessary this is? I'm asking because soon I'll be sanding everything down in prep for painting the whole egg (Brightside woot!). I've looked at many pics of other eggs and cannot see any evidence of others doing the same thing with gooping their rivets.
So, once I've re-painted - should I re-seal every rivet on the top half of the egg again? Hoping it doesn't look unsightly as currently the goop is a bit discoloured and looks bad.
Or... any alternatives suggested?
Thanks so my everyone
Richard
PS: I used Tech Steel for the first time last night to fill some holes and cracking. Anyone else have good results from Tech Steel for minor fibre repair?
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06-09-2014, 10:54 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Name: J Mac
Trailer: 17b Escape
British Columbia
Posts: 125
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I recently replace a vent on my roof top. The rivets were sealed. It's not a case of the rivet rusting (they are aluminum) it's a case, I think, of sealing the hole after the rivet is in place.
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06-09-2014, 11:19 AM
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#3
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Member
Name: Richard
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J Mac
I recently replace a vent on my roof top. The rivets were sealed. It's not a case of the rivet rusting (they are aluminum) it's a case, I think, of sealing the hole after the rivet is in place.
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Ah okay so the rivets can leak then? That's my main concern.. that if I remove the goop, repaint, and then leave as is that they could leak. Just mystified that I don't see other Boler's with goop sealant on the rivets.
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06-09-2014, 09:48 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: '84 Bigfoot b17
British Columbia
Posts: 116
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I suspect there might be one or two out there with rivets shemeged with goop. Mine certainly was. Are the rivets tight? In my case many that held the awning rail down had pulled and been stressed over years and leaked like crazy. I have recent thread re our Norseman awning. You can always dip new rivets in high quality caulk first.
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06-09-2014, 10:36 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: Ted
Trailer: (Dark side)Crossroads Now
Glade Valley, North Carolina
Posts: 990
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Just last summer I went through and replaced every rivet on my Scamp. I was the 2nd owner. I had a couple that started leaking and after checking I had several that were loose. Sooooooo, I replaced everyone. Purchased new rivets, plastic washers and snap caps from Scamp. My wife was the rivet size engineer and acorn nut assembler. Took a couple evenings to replace all of them, but I now know that their right. Did the same thing with the window gaskets. They were so stopped up from mud daubers the windows wouldn't drain. PO had been sick and hadn't used it in two years. It sat under a metal carport all that time which is good for the camper but making a great home for the daubers. Purchased new seals from HEHR for the Scamp. Removed cleaned and replaced all windows with the new gaskets.
__________________
“I have tried to live my life so that my family would love me and my friends would respect me. The others can do whatever the Hell they please!” —John Wayne
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06-10-2014, 09:05 PM
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#6
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Member
Name: Richard
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 37
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Appreciate the info everyone, and I agree Papa T, the best way to know they are done right is when you've done it yourself. Hard to say how good they are since they are covered in the sealant goop but I'm thinking it won't hurt to put some on after the paint job is done. Better safe than sorry ;-)
Thank you all!
Richard
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06-10-2014, 09:36 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
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Sealant does NOT mean silicone. THAT crap should never touch the exterior of an all molded towable.
THE SILICON HATER = ME!
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
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06-10-2014, 10:28 PM
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#8
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Member
Name: Richard
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 37
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Thanks Donna D! Yes the goop is quite pliable so pretty sure it's same type of stuff for ceiling nail holes on asphalt roofs. Hope so at least!
Side note: I'm replacing all my inlet panels (power,water..etc) on service side and RV advised butyl tape for initial seal followed by RV rated sealant instead of silicone. Thankful for this advise before the fact ;-)
Richard
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06-11-2014, 02:44 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: '84 Bigfoot b17
British Columbia
Posts: 116
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D.
Sealant does NOT mean silicone. THAT crap should never touch the exterior of an all molded towable.
THE SILICON HATER = ME!
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X2!!!!!!!
Says the guy who redid his belly band in "30 year"fresh silicone! Maybe I'll get fired from the job site
Not looking forward to replacing the roof vent and more silicone scraping. PO must have used at least 1/2 a tube covering whatever was used before...
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06-11-2014, 03:15 PM
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#10
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Member
Name: Richard
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyhee
X2!!!!!!!
Says the guy who redid his belly band in "30 year"fresh silicone! Maybe I'll get fired from the job site
Not looking forward to replacing the roof vent and more silicone scraping. PO must have used at least 1/2 a tube covering whatever was used before...
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Curious now! Does everyone have a product they prefer to use in place of the evil silicone? :-) Since we are brand new owners we want to do it right the first time!
Thanks!
Richard
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06-11-2014, 03:31 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Name: kevin
Trailer: 13' Scamp
Colorado
Posts: 172
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Rivets
Don't bother sealing over the rivets. Rivets don't last anyways. If the rivet is in good condition it won't leak. Feel free to use a little dab of 3M 402 in the holes when you are replacing rivets. Gooping up the outside of your trailer is going to look messy no matter what you use. If you are worried how the trailer looks, drill out all the rivets and replace with stainless steel bolts with finishing washers. They look much better and are a much more permanent, never leak fix. I did it since most of my rivets were falling out anyways.
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06-11-2014, 06:01 PM
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#12
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Moderator
Name: RogerDat
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 16
Michigan
Posts: 3,744
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I used a small amount of the butyl tape used to seal windows, vents and such.
Placed a wafer made by pinching a little ball of butyl tape under the snap cap base that the rivet goes through. Essentially made a washer that was squished as the rivet tightened. Then used a toothpick to wipe off any excess after I put the snap cap on.
I Butyl tape. Does not stick, shrink or harden to the point it won't come right off and it conforms to shape to create a good seal.
Sounds like your camper had no snap caps on the rivets. Mine didn't either when I got it.
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06-13-2014, 09:00 AM
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#13
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Member
Name: Richard
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerDat
I used a small amount of the butyl tape used to seal windows, vents and such.
Placed a wafer made by pinching a little ball of butyl tape under the snap cap base that the rivet goes through. Essentially made a washer that was squished as the rivet tightened. Then used a toothpick to wipe off any excess after I put the snap cap on.
I Butyl tape. Does not stick, shrink or harden to the point it won't come right off and it conforms to shape to create a good seal.
Sounds like your camper had no snap caps on the rivets. Mine didn't either when I got it.
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Yes, I think you are right mine didn't have them. Do Boler's have a standard size of rivet to use when replacing them all? Looking them over.. some have raised.. some are flat. Looks like a project WELL worth undertaking!
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06-13-2014, 10:01 AM
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#14
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Moderator
Name: RogerDat
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 16
Michigan
Posts: 3,744
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Different items use different rivets on a scamp. I started this thread when I started replacing mine on an older scamp and others have added to it.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ist-52225.html
Boler & Scamp may not be identical sizes. Someone with Boler experience might look at this list and post any differences they know of....
The rivet and acorn nut size problem I ran into has a solution on the second page of that thread. Might prove useful.
Scamp store sells a snap cap kit that has enough large and small snap caps to do a whole camper. Might want to call scamp and see if you can get it shipped US Postal it's cheaper than the online store shipping. One can purchase snap caps other places online also.
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06-13-2014, 01:32 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: Scamp 13
California
Posts: 1,890
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I use a dab of 3/M 5200 on the shank of the rivet just before I put it in the hole. The excess slides up under the head of the rivet. After popping the rivet I put a dab of the same sealant in the hole where the shank of the rivet pops out. Then I snap on the cap. Done carefully you wont see any sealant. Replace the top cap every 5 years and you wont have issues with rivets. The plastic caps and bases are not UV stable. The cap is sacrificial once it fails, it exposes the base. Once the base fails the rivet goes loose and lets water in. Take an afternoon every few years and replace the top cap and all will be fine unless you are off road adventurous shaking everything about. Then you will be replacing loose rivets as soon as the acorn nuts start popping off.
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06-24-2014, 09:21 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: 2001 Spirit Deluxe 17" K5NAN
Texas
Posts: 688
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I am curious about the use of the 5200. I thought that it was a permanent adhesive and extremely strong bond. I believe Robert Johans uses it to adhere wood blocks to the bare interior of FG to hang cabinets. Would not the 5200 literally make changing rivets out a real challenge? I'm just thinking out loud as I want to replace some rivets and am considering doing something similar but would want to remove the rivets at a later date if needed. The 3M 4200 states" Formulated to allow for disassembly of parts". Has anyone used the 4200???
Comments appreciated.
Thanks
Applications:
3MTM Adhesive/Sealant Fast Cure 4200 is designed to allow disassembly of wood and fiberglass parts
bonded together. If a permanent bond is desired, use 3MTM Marine Adhesive/Sealant 5200 or Marine
Adhesive/Sealant Fast Cure 5200.
Typical bonding and sealing applications include:
-Fiberglass deck to fiberglass hull
-Wood to fiberglass
-Portholes
-Deck fittings
-Moldings
-Trunk joints
-Between struts and planking
-Stern joints
Sealing of:
-Some plastics (test before assembly)
-Glass
-Metals
__________________
Mike
K5NAN
"Miss Adventures"
If you Rest, You Rust
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06-24-2014, 09:37 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: kevin
Trailer: 13' Scamp
Colorado
Posts: 172
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4200 fine 5200 = wrong
You are entirely correct. Every once in a while I would love to delete somebody's response because it is just plain wrong. 5200 is permanent. Installing rivets with 5200 is going to create a big headache down the road. I have used the 4200 to glue on my water intake port and vent fan port. Its good stuff.
If you are replacing rivets I recommend using stainless steel hardware, looks better, last longer, seals better.
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06-24-2014, 09:55 AM
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#18
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Member
Name: Richard
Trailer: Boler
British Columbia
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinScamps
You are entirely correct. Every once in a while I would love to delete somebody's response because it is just plain wrong. 5200 is permanent. Installing rivets with 5200 is going to create a big headache down the road. I have used the 4200 to glue on my water intake port and vent fan port. Its good stuff.
If you are replacing rivets I recommend using stainless steel hardware, looks better, last longer, seals better.
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Wow - thanks for that tidbit! I am about a month away from this project so made this adjustment in my "need list" to use the 4200 instead of the 5200. Thanks folks!
Richard
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