Off-kilter window rivet holes

[Amy M]

I am not sure if this is a problem I need to solve. If it is, I don't know how to solve it.

I took the window out over the stove. I have found that the rivet holes along one side are so close to the window opening that the edges of two rivet holes are actually open to the edge of the window opening. I guess it should be obvious, but is this a definite problem? In order to deal with it, I would need to fill in and redrill every rivet hole after moving the window over 1/3 inch. There is not much clearance on the other side of the window opening, either.

[Raya]

You could probably just leave it, but... I would probably fix it. I'm not looking at your egg, but typically I would say not to move the window over, but rather to add a bit of new fiberglass.

Since it's not going to show, it doesn't have to be a masterpiece - just a small new strip that you can then re-drill the holes in, and have some comfortable overlap.

I think you'd probably raise the chances of a successful, non-leaking installation if all the rivets were "grabbing."

As you can tell, our eggs were not masterpieces of precision when they were built. On the bright side, it doesn't take much to make them "better than new."

Raya

[Amy M]

Well, that's probably an easier fix, isn't it. I'll ask the guy who is going to fiberglass in the vent hole if he can do it quickly.

[Raya]

If you've already got someone filling in a vent hole, and if you've got the window removed and all sealant, etc. off (so that he has clean glass to work on), it shouldn't be a huge job. Unlike the vent fill-in, it doesn't need to be cosmetically matched, which makes it a much smaller job.

Raya

PS: Here are a few photos from member "Jenny"s Boler restoration. In her case she was filling in the corners to go from square-cornered windows to radiused windows, but it gives you the general idea of how simple it can be. In fact, in your case it's even simpler: Where her filled in parts were going to show in the end (on the outside of the trailer's finish); yours are not - they will be completely covered up by the window once it's back in.

[Larry&Carrie]

Another option to consider is just use backing washers on the inside for the rivets to pull into, that will pinch the fiberglass edge... Larry

[Bud Kennedy]

Better than washers, a strip of aluminum with matching holes.

[Raya]

Okay.... I'm not picturing how the washers/metal strip will work

Will they be on the inside of the camper, on the inside of the window trim....? That must not be right, because it wouldn't really help the butyl/sealant to work well. Okay, can you elucidate for me?

Thanks,
Raya

[Larry&Carrie]

Okay.... I'm not picturing how the washers/metal strip will work

Will they be on the inside of the camper, on the inside of the window trim....? That must not be right, because it wouldn't really help the butyl/sealant to work well. Okay, can you elucidate for me?

Thanks,
Raya

Raya- they would be on the inside, as the rivet ends just come thru and squish up. The ensolite hides them, at least it does on my Scamp.

[Raya]

I guess I'm thinking that with that method there would still be very little flange area for the sealant to bear on (or in this case, the backframe gasket).

(Assuming that if the fastener holes not even fully in the flange, how much flange can there be? That's why I liked the idea of adding flange.)

Raya

[Amy M]

Just to follow up on this in case anyone else has this problem. I asked the fiberglassing guy about the problem and he didn't think it would be an issue if only a couple of the rivet holes were incomplete. He mostly works on boats but also had his own Casita for a while. And since he could have gotten a little more business by offering to fix it for me, I trust that he is probably right.

[Raya]

Amy,

Nice to have a fiberglass guy on hand, and I see your point about his motivation being the opposite of turning down work, so it's likely he's being honest.

That said, was he able to see how the backframe gasket seals? I ask because if you didn't have the window/gasket to show him, then maybe not.

Now I don't *know* this, so I may be off base; but I'm thinking that if the backframe gasket does not have a place to seal against, then it may cause a future leak issue. You can probably tell whether this is true or not since you have the window and gasket in hand. I have the same windows/gaskets on my Boler, but since they are currently installed in the trailer I'm not sure how that geometry works. I'm just thinking out loud.

Raya