Rubber Hold Downs on Front Sunshades

[GinRose]

I am about to replace one of the rubber hold downs for the sunshade on the front of my Flying Cloud, it has what looks almost like a cut in the rubber that could fail the more I pull on it. My dealer gave me a complete part, mount included. I asked what type of rivet to use and he said an 1/8" pop rivet. The head on the current rivet appears to be larger than the ones I have. What size and type, aluminum, stainless, etc., do I use for this? Also there is a rubber backing on the mount. The new one did not come with it. I figured I would take the old one off, treat it with 303 and re-install it. The trailer is only a few months old.
Does Airstream use a specific type of rivet?
Thanks for any and all help.

[ALANSD]

Just match the head size if that is concern and put in a pop rivet it will be sufficient..

[rwiles]

I have exactly the same issue on my 2017 FC20. It seems like this is a AS manufacturing (part) flaw. Wish there was a replacement that didn't require the whole mechanism to be re-riveted....

[Spinonedad]

Shouldn't this be covered under warranty?

[centennialman]

I agree.....it should be under warranty. Have the dealer fix it properly for you.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Spinonedad

Shouldn't this be covered under warranty?

Originally Posted by centennialman

I agree.....it should be under warranty. Have the dealer fix it properly for you.

Spending $20 in fuel to travel to the dealer to replace a $5 part seems kind of counterproductive.

[BIGED52]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Spending $20 in fuel to travel to the dealer to replace a $5 part seems kind of counterproductive.

This won't likely be a warranty part! Rubber must be pliable and that means it will stress crack and check. It will also be affected by UV and heat damage just like tires are. If you adopt an aggressive maintenance program by applying a UV protectant or just a light coating of silicone spray to all rubber exposed to the elements that your trailer is exposed to you will slow the death of these parts. Be aware that vigilant inspection is still the best way to keep ahead of part failures. As far as rivets are concerned I think your best replacement would be Olympic Rivets of the same size as the ones you will drill out. They will look better and if properly caulked will perform better than a basic POP rivet. You can also go to any auto parts store and buy a sheet of gasket material in several colors that you can cut to size so the protection for your aluminum skin is maintained (that is the real reason for the gasket in the first place). I installed these holddowns on my Vintage trailer several years ago and they perform so much better than the old and rusty metal clasps that were factory installed back in the Dark Ages of trailer parts and accessories! They have held up very well over time! Hope this helps, Ed

[rwiles]

Originally Posted by rwiles

I have exactly the same issue on my 2017 FC20. It seems like this is a AS manufacturing (part) flaw. Wish there was a replacement that didn't require the whole mechanism to be re-riveted....

I called dealer (Los Angeles) and they immediately agreed to send me replacements at no charge. They seemed to realize there is a problem with these parts.