Skin Overlay

[Dwight]

I was speaking with the west Texas Airstream dealer about skin replacement and he advises to overlay the new skin over the existing skin. I am sure that I have read a thread that this is a "no-no" (but can't remember where), so why are Airstream dealers willing to do this? Why are dealers also replacing the rivets with ones that have the rubber washers under the rivet head?

[Paul Mayeux]

the most recent thread I have seen this discussed is:

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ead.php?t=9362.

Andy at Inland RV says it's a no-no. The rivet head with the washer is also frowned upon by Andy because the washer will fail leaving no seal. I know from experience the washer failure will happen from dealing with metal building roofs where the washer under the screw head fails from the uv rays from the sun and the slight expansion and contraction of the roof sheets due to heating and cooling.

[Dwight]

Thanks for the link, I knew that I had seen it somewhere in the forums. I questioned the west Texas dealer in Lubbock about the washers under the rivet, but they said the factory did it that way.