Awning railing rivet removal and reinstall...

[SylvieK]

Hello all!

My actual railing on my Trillium 4500 needs to be resealed, part of it is lifted and I even pulled out a rivet with pliers!!!! Sooooo....plan is to drill out actual rivets and clean off all the ugly silicone. My question is the following...what did you do with the leftover rivets? You leave them there, hanging loose somewhere stuck under the ensolite? Also I have been told to screw it back ( the awning rail) in with bolts, therefore showing through the ensolite. There is no way I want to let anything go through the ensolite, so I will use butyl tape and aluminum rivets. Any idea on the length that is appropriate? Any experiences with this projet is greatly appreciated. :-)

[River Robert]

I’m sure some more experienced people will pipe up soon. I need to do the same to my 1300 and I believe they were riveted through the shell before the ensolite was put on then the inside part of the rivet was covered with a layer of Fiberglass sealing it then the ensolite put over top. I would remove all of the old rivets for sure. One fix it is to pull back the ensolite drill new holes and rerivet the rail back into place then reseal over rivets on the inside with Fiberglass then reinstall the ensolite and of course use putty tape between the rail and outer shell. The other way is to drill holes through the shell and ensolite and bolt it in to place I don’t like putting hole in the shell so I’m not sure which way I’m going but I have been looking at Chicago nuts or barrel nuts they look a lot better from the inside. I’m always open to new ideas so I will continue to follow this post.

[David Tilston]

I would say that the awning rails on my Trilliums were installed after the Ensolite. There are small holes in my Ensolite where the rivets are. I don't think the factory put much effort into the install. I would not put putty under the rail. I would probably compress unevenly, making the rail less straight. There are closed end rivets. Those and a dab of calk in the hole should be fine.

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I would say that the awning rails on my Trilliums were installed after the Ensolite. There are small holes in my Ensolite where the rivets are. I don't think the factory put much effort into the install. I would not put putty under the rail. I would probably compress unevenly, making the rail less straight. There are closed end rivets. Those and a dab of calk in the hole should be fine.

I agree with not using the butyl tape, or any type putty tape under the awning rail. It could continue to compress after the rail is riveted in place. I did an experiment with a piece of rail riveted to a piece of fiberglass before installing a new rail on our Uhaul fiberglass camper. I riveted a piece of rail on with the butyl tape under it. Only a few rivets, but the rail could be moved a little afterward. When I riveted the rail directly to the fiberglass it was tight and no movement. When I installed the new rail I used a dab of ProFlex sealer at each rivet.

[SylvieK]

Smart and logical.....l’ll look into just filling rivet holes with flextra or some non silicone caulk instead of the putty. Thank you.

[getaway1]

Hello I just read your post about the rivets . My 1976 1300 has stainless steel bolts through the rail ,shell and ensolite with flat washers and cap nuts inside the trailer . Cost of production & labor may be a reason for differences too.
I can't say if mine is a factory install but there is buytl tape outside under the rail and it does not leak anywhere . I have yet to see another Trillium with rivets on the rail. Changes were no doubt made due to supply issues or fixes for problems with the leaks that occurred.
The shield over the door is riveted in place.

I would use bolts myself as rivets do loosen with vibration, bolts can be re-tightened if needed. Duane

[SylvieK]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

I agree with not using the butyl tape, or any type putty tape under the awning rail. It could continue to compress after the rail is riveted in place. I did an experiment with a piece of rail riveted to a piece of fiberglass before installing a new rail on our Uhaul fiberglass camper. I riveted a piece of rail on with the butyl tape under it. Only a few rivets, but the rail could be moved a little afterward. When I riveted the rail directly to the fiberglass it was tight and no movement. When I installed the new rail I used a dab of ProFlex sealer at each rivet.

So logical, thank you for answering 👍

[thrifty bill]

If you are going to abandon existing rivet holes, then I would patch those holes just like you would patch any other small screw holes in your trailer.

You can also go up one size in rivet diameter, do some minor drilling, and reattach in same holes. That would be my approach. Have to make sure larger diameter rivets are not a problem with your rail. If so, I'd patch old holes and drill new ones.