We just completed a 2,800 mile trip yesterday to Glacier, Yellowstone and Teddy Roosevelt National parks. The trip went very well with one exception. We were heading from Yellowstone to Medora, ND and when we got to Forsyth MT we pulled off to change drivers. I went back to check the car and when I opened the door, three of the bay doors were bulged out at the top and there was a gaping open area above them. I was extremely lucky to not loose the entire side of doors.
Well as you probably know, the rivets holding on the side trim, AND the top of the bay doors that hold their hinges had rusted or corroded to the point that they let go. There were a few still holding over the front wheel and then from just ahead of the back wheel to the rear, but who knows how long that would have held. Long story, but the short version is that one of the bay doors was still latched and the struts that hold the doors open were pushing up and helped hold the entire trim panel and doors from falling out.
I slowly peeled the trim strip from the molding (without damaging it) and drilled out what remained of the rivets, went to the hardware store, bought a rivet gun (now I have 3) and aluminum rivets and after taking off all the bay door struts was able to realign the holes to match up with the help of a punch, and re rivet it back on place. I carried the aluminum trim piece home in the car and still have to figure out how I am going to reinstall that.
I know Steve VW had to re rivet his and I read all the posts that evening. Fortunately my trim piece is in perfect shape. I am going to re rivet all old rivets on both sides because its not worth taking a chance. I got lucky on that one.

quote:

how I am going to reinstall that

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If i read your post correctly you will need to drill out the rivets and put the trim on with the rivets.

I really dont want to reattach the trim piece with rivets. It looks like it was originally installed with an adhesive that is somewhat pliable, like a 3M 4200. I wont use 5200 because that is too permeant in case I need to take it off again.

Hello Bob,

If the trim piece is flat and the surface on which it will be mounted is as well, you might want to consider 3M Very High Bond (VHB) tape. It holds tenaciously but can be removed. However, if the parts are concave or convex the VHB tape will not work and you'll have to go with an adhesive or strong sealant such as 3M 4200 or Sikaflex 295 UV or 221.

Since we are addressing fasteners and rivets, I really like our Milwaukee M12 2550 cordless pop riveting tool. Our family has been involved in the sign making business non-stop since 1914 and we've installed a lot of rivets. On our Breakaway, we removed all of the compartment frames and doors and rebuilt them and refastened them with new rivets(100's). And that Milwaukee tool seated every one effortlessly and uniformly. If you are going to do a lot of riveting, you're away from an air compressor, or you don't have forearms like Popeye, it might be worth considering the investment.

Good Luck,

John

Wow Bob now you have moved the replacement of those danged rivets higher up on the list. I have parts loose.

Hopefully Kevin was trying to make a joke as if you remember they had riveted thru Steve’s trim on one side to reattach the bay doors.

Just shy of 400 rivets. Maybe we could go together and buy a rechargeable rivet gun.

Let me know how you refasten the trim.

I was around 400 rivets when done.

Hi guys, I am finally back home after 2 weeks on the road visiting National Parks and a week plus of our national GMC Motorhome convention in Wisconsin. To put it mildly, I am wore out. Anyway, that is why I have not responded here.

First of all, John, thanks for the suggestions, they are good. If you look at Steve VW's post about his riveting experience,
https://www.barthmobile.com/eve...133923597#6133923597
he has a side view pic of the trim piece which is u shaped. So I will have to use something other than the 3M tape. I am not familiar with the Sikaflex 295 UV or 221 but I will check it out.

Dana, after manually riveting just the 20 or 30 to get back home, I think a rechargeable one is a great idea. And thanks for the texts when I was at the GMC convention.

Steve, I have been trying to figure out where there are that many rivets on the side trim, did you do more than the side trim on both sides? I am really curious if I am missing something.
My trim piece is pretty much intact so thankfully it wasn't riveted on like yours. I hope that means it will go back on in good shape since it has the body swirls painted on it as well.

Any other thoughts or suggestions from anyone is welcome. Oh, and Ed, if you are reading this, thanks for not riveting the side trim LOL.

I redid both strips on both side, about 90 rivets each. Across the back, then above the bumper. (Remember I had extra holes from where the trim strips were riveted, instead of replacing just the existing rivets. This probably added at least 30 more.)

Ah, the joys of owning older RVs.

That makes sense. I most likely won't get to mine until later this fall as I have a lot of other things to get done.
Yes the joy of it all. Well at lease we have good older engines that don't require DEF or all the other modern required "stuff".