Installing vinyl inserts

[juel]

I've tried the "search" but can't find the post about inserting the vinyl rub rail. I think I read that someone had used some type of screw or something to hold it in place. I look at mine and there doesn't seem to be anything holding it in place now. I have the new insert and want to put it in some sunny day. I also read that you should wait until it's warmer. If this vinyl shrinks when it gets cold, wouldn't it be better to install it when the weather is a little brisk and let it swell when it gets warm instead of installing when it's warm and shrink when it gets cold. Anyone who has actually installed this, help please.

[nickcrowhurst]

Juel, on my Excella the wide vinyl trim is held at each end by a pop rivet through a small , blue-painted, aluminum plate, about 1 inch high by half an inch wide. I installed one end of the trim with a plate and rivet, and then ran the whole trim round by folding it in by hand, with assistance from a blunt screwdriver on the thin stiff insert. At the other end I cut it about an inch and a half too long, and let that piece stick out for a couple of weeks. After that time it had shrunk a little, so I trimmed it to length, and riveted in the second plate. No problems after two years. With the thin trim without the plates, I just left them overlength for a couple of weeks before trimming to length. Again, no more shrinkage.Nick.

[Janet H]

we replaced the orange beltline insert on our argosy this fall. It was relatively easy to do. Reuse the tabs that hold the old stuff in. MAke sure rivets in the channel are in good shape - ours were fine. Wait until a warm day to work witht he vynl insert or it will be very stiff. It stretches when you put it in - leave extra on each end of each section - 4 inches or so. It will shrink over time - we left ours overnight before trimming and replacing metal tabs at the ends. You can do this job - it's not hard - just annoying.

[COArgosy78]

Hey Juel - how did your winterizing go?

Here are some pics of me this past summer as I added the rubrail and beltline inserts to our Minuet. I actually used my fingernail to insert (they are pretty strong), but my husband used a flatblade screwdriver and it went much faster. Also a pic of the endcap that goes over the vinyl after replacement. A rivet goes thru hole in endcap, thru vinyl and into trailer side to hold in place. The endcaps on our Minuet were only on the beltline, not on rubrail. The rubrail, we just used a rivet to hold vinyl. Hope that helps.

[juel]

Thank you all for the help. I think I can do this. I wish Spring would come so I can get started. The winterizing went without a hitch I HOPE. We blew out the lines, added anti-freeze, pumped it through, then blew out the lines again and left all the drains open. I think this may be overkill in Oklahoma, but we're new at this. Thank you again. This sight is wonderful for the trailer challanged.

[RichardT]

Originally Posted by juel

Thank you all for the help. I think I can do this. I wish Spring would come so I can get started. The winterizing went without a hitch I HOPE. We blew out the lines, added anti-freeze, pumped it through, then blew out the lines again and left all the drains open. I think this may be overkill in Oklahoma, but we're new at this. Thank you again. This sight is wonderful for the trailer challanged.

Next time just leave the antifreeze in the system till spring.