Inspection Of New Casita Trailer Roof Reveals 2 Loose Snap Buttons ?

[John Cole]

Hi All .... We have had are new casita spirit 5 days now & finally got around to washing/cleaning off the trailer when I got to the roof I found that two of the buttons were loose. One was still flat to the roof but could be rotated in a circle , the other could also be rotated but one side was raised about 1/16 of a inch & when I pushed it down it just came back up. Then I checked all the others which were tight,sat flat to the outside shell & did not move. Since Iam located on the east coast & won't be able to call casita til Mon I was wondering if any other trailer owners have had similar problems ? Is there a cause for concern ? I never thought of checking the roof buttons when it arrived on Sat. Its new , we should not have to be glueing down caps or worse worry about possible rivet problems ...... John & Gwen

[Raz]

Perhaps heating the one that's pushed up with a hair drier might make it flexible enough to snap? Raz

[Eddie Longest]

John
Good catch. Pop off the white cap If it's a rivet head under there, the rivet should be replaced. Casita told me they use mostly 3/8 X 1.25 long rivets. You won't find them at your local Hwd. store. I would cover the bases with painters tape and call Casita for new rivets. Once the rivet is drilled out you can unscrew and reuse the acorn nut.
No big deal since you caught it after the first 3K mi. shakedown trip. When you install the new rivet you can put just a little butyl tape under the cap base or a little marine sealant if you want a little extra protection.
Eddie

[Ice-breaker]

Originally Posted by Eddie Longest

John
Good catch. Pop off the white cap If it's a rivet head under there, the rivet should be replaced. Casita told me they use mostly 3/8 X 1.25 long rivets. You won't find them at your local Hwd. store. I would cover the bases with painters tape and call Casita for new rivets. Once the rivet is drilled out you can unscrew and reuse the acorn nut.
No big deal since you caught it after the first 3K mi. shakedown trip. When you install the new rivet you can put just a little butyl tape under the cap base or a little marine sealant if you want a little extra protection.
Eddie

With a brand new 2013 trailer, the new owner should not be having to fix these types of things themselves. Contact casita and have them arrange to fix it.

[John Cole]

Originally Posted by Eddie Longest

John
Good catch. Pop off the white cap If it's a rivet head under there, the rivet should be replaced. Casita told me they use mostly 3/8 X 1.25 long rivets. You won't find them at your local Hwd. store. I would cover the bases with painters tape and call Casita for new rivets. Once the rivet is drilled out you can unscrew and reuse the acorn nut.
No big deal since you caught it after the first 3K mi. shakedown trip. When you install the new rivet you can put just a little butyl tape under the cap base or a little marine sealant if you want a little extra protection.
Eddie

Hi Eddie ..... I am new at this, so please bear with me. I thought the reason for the white cap was to hide the rivet head while helping keep water off that area. Why replace the rivet ? Having a loose cap, does that mean a broken rivet which has to be replaced ?. The other cap does not lift up but it can be rotated completely around ? ..... John.

[John Cole]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

With a brand new 2013 trailer, the new owner should not be having to fix these types of things themselves. Contact casita and have them arrange to fix it.

I agree I should not but where to get it fixed ? & by whom Iam over 1,300 miles from their factory .... John

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by John Cole

Hi Eddie ..... I am new at this, so please bear with me. I thought the reason for the white cap was to hide the rivet head while helping keep water off that area. Why replace the rivet ? Having a loose cap, does that mean a broken rivet which has to be replaced ?. The other cap does not lift up but it can be rotated completely around ? ..... John.

I'm with you- I don't think that a loose cover is any indication that the rivet needs replacement- especially if it's not leaking. Which it probably will if you start drilling away at it! The cap is purely cosmetic.

My advice is: do NOTHING until you have a chance to talk to the Casita folks on Monday. Their customer service is reported to be excellent, and they deserve a chance to make this right before we all start weighing in....

Francesca

[Donna D.]

Yeah, contact Casita, but don't delay: Casita will be closed for the Christmas Holidays from December 22, 2012 - January 6, 2012.

If you're worried about leaks, maybe get some butyl and smoosh it in the caps and stick them back over the rivets. That would seal against the possibility of leaks.