Rivet Alert--trim bands

[RVnDixie]

Thanks Shari,

I really don't travel with it yet as I am renovating it for now, I just noticed that every where I look there are loose rivets and missing ones. The axle & shock suggestion seems a logical solution to that problem. Are there any inspection tips I can use to find out if I REALLY need to replace those? The wheels seem to sit nice and straight and the shocks did not seem to have any leakage that i could notice when I re-packed the wheel bearings before I brought her home. I DID notice that the outside of the shocks and the frame had a bunch of surface rust, but nothing as far as I could tell that would suggest weak structure on those areas.

Thanks Again,

"T"

[Zeppelinium]

Well, you'd think that after I discovered all the broken rivets I'd have looked around for other non-obvious but important places where loss of rivets could be a real problem. Like maybe the hinge on the battery door?

For all of you with outside battery doors that are down in the banana skins, be advised that if that hinge lets go, the door moves downward, releasing the lock and totally departing [and opening] the compartment. Luckily the door is restrained by steel cables that provide support when the door is down and acting as a shelf. These cables will retain the door for miles, just a couple inches above the pavement.

But they don't do anything for the battery, which will waltz right out the side, disconnect, and not even say goodbye. Somewhere between Fallon and Gerlach there is a pile of battery parts...

There was no skin or door damage--took about 5 minutes to grab seven rivets and put it back on. Thanks to Buttercup, I got a loaner for a couple days before I got back to civilization and bought one.

As far as I know, this is the only door that is attached in this fashion. The floor-level battery boxes have a strong piano hinge and the rivets are more visible. I know there are provisions for a restraining strap for the battery inside the compartment, but I didn't see the need for it--I mean, the door is closed and locked, right? Besides, the original strap was long gone when I bought the Sovereign. duh.

Zep

[Royce]

Originally Posted by Zeppelinium

Well, you'd think that after I discovered all the broken rivets I'd have looked around for other non-obvious but important places where loss of rivets could be a real problem. Like maybe the hinge on the battery door?
...

Zep

Zep,

Thanks for the info. Lots of stuff to watch out for and it is easy to miss something.