Is continuing to buck a factory rivet just opening a can of worms?

[Aktundra]

I am doing a shell off on a 1963 Bambi.

As I look at the original work done in the Airstream factory, it appears to me that some of the rivets were just barely compressed/expanded. The tails are sticking out from the inside of the exterior skin well over an 1/8 of an inch, with very little, if any, mushrooming on the back side. On the one hand they have held for the last 40 years, and entire seams are consistent. On the other hand some seams are leaking, and the rivet is by no means compressed 1 & 1/2 times the tail diameter.

Just wondering if I continue to compress these old original rivets, if it might help seal seams, or if it will just open a can of worms?

[Mixter]

Amen to that!!!!! I'm shocked at the amount of crappy bucked rivets in mine. One horizontal seam all the way down the side of my trailer has the aluminum extrusion on the inside... (I guess to stiffen up horizontally?) This us the line of rivets about mid high on the door, that goes front to back.... Well the entire rivet line is drilled through the middle of that extrusion and the rivets arent long enough to go all the way through so they are just barely flush. How'd they buck that? I dont even know how they are holding.... I think they leak but cant tell because the extrusion covers the entire seam. The extrusion is behind the ribs, so no chance of re-doing it without major surgery.

I too, have many, many, many rivets that are barely bucked, and/or barely come through the metal. I learned to buck from the Youtube.com videos that explain a properly bucked rivet comes through the material 1.5 x the diameter, and should be bucked to 1.5 diameter.... clearly the Airstream builders did not watch that video....

I have successfully re-bucked some that were coming through enough, but seams like I've had more luck just drilling them out to 5/32 and putting a nice new one in.

This has gone on, and on, and on.... One of these days I'll have hit EVERY rivet on this thing.

I have also shared your same thought of "it lasted 40 years", which I can only come to the conclusion that the riveted construction is pretty strong and durable to have lasted even though they were done so poorly... OR, I'm way to meticulous in doing mine "properly", AND mine should last well beyond 40 years...

[Inland RV Center, In]

If the structure hasn't failed, the why toy with those rivets?

Sometimes, seeking improvement makes things worse. I feel that is the direction of your uncertainty.

Have a couple of cool ones and the riviting issue will go away.

Andy

[Aerowood]

As I have replaced almost all the rivets on my GT, I feel your pain. My Gt leaked like a sieve so I opened up every seam to apply sealer. and replaced all the rivets in doing so. Once I set my mind to it it really doesn't take that much time, and with a Bambi the seams are not that long.

In my opinion re-shooting rivets is just a waste of time, just drill them out and replace, you will end up with a better product.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Aerowood

As I have replaced almost all the rivets on my GT, I feel your pain. My Gt leaked like a sieve so I opened up every seam to apply sealer. and replaced all the rivets in doing so. Once I set my mind to it it really doesn't take that much time, and with a Bambi the seams are not that long.

In my opinion re-shooting rivets is just a waste of time, just drill them out and replace, you will end up with a better product.

The added leak prevention is to inject Vulkem sealer when ever possible, into the seams, and then install the rivets.

Problems? None.

Rewards? Many.

Life span? Forever.

Costs? A little time and a few dollars for the sealer, and rivets.

Andy

[Aktundra]

Was able seal most seams with liberal Capt Tully's on the outside and fresh flex seal on the inside. However I have one seam that is still leaking. The factory riveting on most the seams..... seams a little "light" on the amount of compression, but this remaining troublesome seam is the worst of the bunch.

I am concerned, if I try a do a proper job on this one seam on the nose peice, if it might cause a ripple that will cascade across the other seams causing them to leak again since their original riveting is a little suspect.

[truckasaurus]

The riveting on the trailer I'm taking apart right now is the worst riveting I have ever seen. It is considerably worse than day one at aircraft structures school. I think maybe the Airstream techs relied heavily on Vulkem and it's now clear how that panned out over time.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

The riveting on the trailer I'm taking apart right now is the worst riveting I have ever seen. It is considerably worse than day one at aircraft structures school. I think maybe the Airstream techs relied heavily on Vulkem and it's now clear how that panned out over time.

Airstream did not use Vulkem when they built your trailer in 1960. it didn't exist.

Andy

[truckasaurus]

i didn't know that, interesting factoid.