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Rivet replacement
On my 1995 Country Coach, I have a stainless rivet that came out in the back. It is at the top of the trim piece that surrounds the tail lights. I believe the standard rivet used is 3/16 inch. Is this the correct size and what is a simple rivet gun that would be recommended to put this back in? Thanks.
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24 Replies
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That’s a question for CC owners who know the specific rivet.
It should be Stainless Steel, it should be the same diameter as those already in place. the open hole should help determine what size was in that place.
The head likely should be polished. The larger rivets like those on the skin probably require a pneumatic gun. Smaller rivets probably can be set with a hand powered gun.
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I have replaced a few on mine, they are polished stainless. I believe I purchased mine from CC in Junction City. They are alive and well although they were purchased by Winnebago, they can still source most every part on their conversions. Should you choose to do it with a hand gun, you will need a jumbo with three foot, yes foot, handles and even then it requires substantial force. Be sure you ask for a Conversiom Bus Specialist when you call CC…….. BTW after the rivet is installed put a dab of clear silicone on the center hole.
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Thank you both, I have a call into country coach. I don’t think I’ve seen a rivet gun with that long of handles! That’s some powerful riveting.
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Yes, Where in the hell has flyu2there been. We just learned from a reliable source that he has been polishing his rivets, one at a time.
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I have a Marson Big Daddy riveter. We used them on aircraft spars and the like. Not too many blind rivets used on airplanes save the Cherrymax.
FWIW the rivets that I replaced, believe 6 of them, one was missing and 5 were walking or becoming lose. Find a dark circle around the rivet where it touches the skin means the rivet is lose, really should be drilled and replaced. Should there be a bunch in a row, probably should use Cleco’s (temporary rivets) to hold the panel in place while replacing rivets. That’s all probably way more than folks wanted to know….
Jeff and Lindsay
91 Marathon XL -
There’s a member on youtube who goes by “RV Chief’s Prevost” and he has a huge channel with video’s of his CC remodel. One or two of them cover replacing rivets with a pneumatic rivet gun. IIRC, I think he put sealant on the rivet or on the skin before inserting it into the hole.
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I mean to tell you, that there are really a bunch of videos there. Don’t think that is a CC being remodeled as nearly all of them have the famous mother and daughter boards (ECC) in the forward belly, I rather think that is a name that has been conjured up.
I can only speak as to what I was taught regarding rivets. First, never but never put glues/silicone between the rivet and the skin, silicone or whatever will eventually break down and the rivet will become lose. Pneumatic rivet tools require some training before one can expect good results. Even the manual tools require some practice before using unless one likes to do jobs twice or more. I do believe why CC puts a dolup of silicone on the finished prodect is to prevent rust, not from the ss rivet but from the hardened steel pull pin.
I didn’t find the video on the setting of rivets however I found a couple that were interesting albeit slightly in error. Tire dating was way off the mark.
Just an old A and P talking now……
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Yeah I remember watching the tire date code one. At least he got the year right.
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I have watched a few of the Cheif’s videos in the past. I would like to have His Li battery setup.
Safe travels,
Rocky -
After re reading this thread and finding the You Tube Guy’s video on rivet setting it would be my best advice to either take it to Prevost or a Bus Qualified Body and Fender Shop; failing that try your local airport and solicit the assistance of a licensed airframe mechanic (probably the easiest). Should you be comfortable with setting rivets you will already know what I am about to say.
I did find the video that showed rivet installation. Thankfully he did not use a sealant before setting the rivets but unfortunately he was not too familiar with the pneumatic gun that he had purchased for the job. The end result as it was shown, was a gun that was improperly set up, way too much pressure at the onset and falling off rapidly as he set the rivets. I am sure that was in part do to the compressor being used (one can hear it in the background). The overpressure at the gun caused the material (skin) to be sucked into the rib tightly causing dimples on each piece of skin that received a rivet. I also noted that the pull pins were broken well above the rivet head rather than flush or below. Two rivets required the holes to be drilled, perhaps the wrong size rivets were selected. While it is indeed difficult to really do a bad job riveting like this, I mean they were tight, it is akin to painting a scratch on ones car with a broom.
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I just want to follow up. I received a call back from Country Coach in Oregon. I was told they no longer have the stainless rivets and the size was simply a guess amongst several different sizes (I did talk with the parts guy who was there even when my Prevost was built). I will be in Nashville in a few weeks and will just stop by Prevost and see if they can put one in. I hate to stop for one rivet, but I’m not sure of any other plan. Thanks for the replies.
1999 XLV X-6872, liberty #440 -
Call international bus & parts in Apopka,fl they have every rivet you need. Darrell
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FlyUthere: After watching the rivet setting video, do you think we’re better off hand setting the rivets vs getting a fancy pneumantic rivet gun? I bought a couple of panels and rivets from IBP that I’ll be installing this summer to correct some driveway rash on lower panels. I was planning on buying or borrower from a local racer one of those long handled rivet setting tools to do it with, but then thought about pneumatic. Now I’m back to thinking manual setter. Your thoughts.
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Dick….
First thing I would do is make certain that I have Cleco’s to fit and hold the panel in place. I have only used the aircraft Cleco’s and have been told by car builder friends that the aircraft are much better than those offered by places like Eastwood. They run a couple of dollars each and a good set of Cleco pliers about 20, try Chief or Aircraft Spruce.
Hopefully your panels are pre-drilled, I won’t get into that one! However, if you do, measure three times, drill once. Also if your in an area that is to be painted I would use a steel rivet vice SS (don’t believe there is a galvanic issue there)….much easier to paint.
The rivets that I replaced were up high so access for the hand puller was easy. I said access, not force, the SS rivets fight back however I believe you do have better control; it would take two men and a boy to suck the skin in as was shown in the video. As I mentioned the object here is to attach the skin without dimpling, so a bit of a soft touch is better (think something about shear should be in here). Should you choose an air rivet puller, I would put a few rivets in the old panel to gain the proper air adjustment…the sweet spot. I have a rivet gun, not a puller…..use it to set standard and flush rivets (with a partner holding a small bucking bar). I can set that thing by ear!
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Now Flyu2, tell us how many times you have rivited a bucking bar up into the wing. They sure do make a noise when you turn the wing over … not that I would know, you understand. Give your dog Spot a pat on the head for me.
Burro
Fred
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