Re: [VACList] Bill Thomas Airstream in Missouri (was Bambi got hit)

["T Meeker" <tmeeker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Amanda,

They wanted to do a cheap, easy repair.  Not the correct way, but the cheap
way.

I will also say that now since I've been investigating the type of blind
rivets used by Airstream repair places I am not pleased with this type of
hardware, at all.  These blind fasteners are not a whole lot better in my
book than some of the hardware store bought drywall fasteners; the kind
where you drill the hole, insert the fastener, then turn the screw into the
fastener until the rear collapses and snugs itself up to the opposite side
of the drywall.

For as much as we spend to repair an Airstream I would personally think that
they'd use a much better fastener.  True, it may be next to impossible to
*easily* remove and replace all the solid rivets you'd be able to do IF you
could easily get to them.  But, to lay a sheet of aluminum *over damaged
skin* strikes me as a "cheap, easy repair."  Personally, I'd *never* do that
type of repair on either of our Airstreams.

And for fasteners that would never leak if properly installed I'd go for the
CherryMax Rivets dipped in Vulcum.  I spelled that right didn't I?  Vulcum?

Tom