Did Airstream Ever Use Olympic Tri Fold Rivets in Production

[dbj216]

My 1975 Overlander 27' appears to be built from the factory with Olympic style shaved rivets to attach the upper side skins to the formers. There are no Olympic rivets in the lower skins, the end caps, or the roof panels. I wonder of Airstream in their pursuit of cost reductions decided to use them just on the side skins. The labor savings would be significant, no bucking bar needed.

The windows, door frame are all installed with Olympic rivets. I do not believe there was damage to the trailer causing just the street and curb side big upper exterior skins to be replaced. My interior cabinetry is mostly original and in good shape.

It might be other models of mid seventies Airstreams were built with Olympic rivets on the side skins. Maybe one of you Airstream historians could confirm this was the case.

Here is a photo of the Olympic tri fold rivet, and a photo showing the rivet heads on my 47 year old trailer. The photo doesn't necessarily show the shaved rivet head clearly, but I did the best I could.

Please go out and look at your mid seventies Overlander and report here if you find Olympic rivet used in the upper side skins both street and curb sides.

Thanks,

David

[Wabbiteer]

In the 1970’s bucked rivet cost maybe three cents in bulk to Airstream & their labor to install one probably five cents so no way the factory would spend 10x the money — the only application for shaved rivets is after the trailer was built, they then save money by allowing blind one-sided installation to eliminate removing the interior built-ins & liners to hammer each rivet against a bucking bar.

I found shaved rivets on my 1973 on the lower window by the door, either a break-in or lock-out repair somewhen - and they leaked!

[dbj216]

Hi Wabbiteer: I lived in the Twin Cities for 27 years. Maybe you moved outstate, Itasca is beautiful. You helped me with my POR application here on these Forum about 10 years ago. Too much chemistry involved for me.

I understand what you are saying, and maybe so. Your 73 only has one stack window with Olympics. My 75 has both side skins with windows all in Olympics. It appears very intentional.

Let's see if anyone else has this condition.

David

[Shacksman]

Airstream may have repaired your trailer with Olympic rivets but they never built them with anything but buck rivets.

[Aerowood]

Sounds like a good time to learn how to install solid shank rivets.

Sent from my Lenovo YT3-X90F using Airstream Forums mobile app

[Minno]

Our '72 has Olympic rivets attaching the front curved panels below the front windows. We believe it was a replacement of panels. Not sure who did it, but would bet Airstream. They have never leaked, and we've reinforced the interior Trempro/Vulkem when we had the interior skins off. We've added Olympic rivets with various repairs/replacements over the years, and none of them have ever leaked because we've sealed them pretty well. Buck rivets leaked along our curbside vertical seam in front of the front side windows last summer. Unfortunately, we were in Alaska, without the means to figure out exactly where the water was coming from, and it buckled our floor by the time we got home. Now waiting til spring to replace flooring (subfloor mostly ok). It's a stepped process. First replace family room floor to get flooring to replace trailer floor....


Kay

[malett]

My 1994 classic has no bucked rivets what so ever. I have removed inner skins to track down leaks and have not found any bucked rivets anywhere. AS Factory service replaced a rear lower corner panel and used both olympic rivets and regular pop rivets on the exterior skin.

[dbj216]

Malett: Well, that is surprising for a 94. I think the evidence on my Overlander strongly suggest Airstream install the upper side exterior skins along with the windows and the door frame with Olympic. Maybe they figured the side skins are not a critical part of the semi monocoque body strength.

Minno: Hope you are enjoying your classic Minnesota winter. Wabbiter found Olympic on one of his lower "stack" windows and just figure it was replaced sometime along the line. I have certainly used Olympic rivets to attach a patch, or a new Airstream name plate, or replace a missing or loose bucked rivet. Like you folks, I do seal them up.

Let's see if anyone else finds Olympic rivets on their vintage trailers.

David

[cbburke]

Historically Olympic rivets are used to repair any exterior skin, window, or door frame. We used them on any coach we did not have access to the inside of the skin regardless of the year. The grinding tool used to finish the rivet head required a skilled operator to make the finished Olympic head match a bucked rivet head.
Was not uncommon for a new coach to come out of the plant with replaced sheet metal or windows.

[Minno]

David,
Snow's ok. Lots of it, for sure. Not as cold as past winters here. Spring thaw will be interesting in western MN....


Kay

[steve46]

Once I dissected my ‘76 Trade Wind, I did see that the front, curbside, curved lower panel had been replaced using Olympic rivets to fasten the new panel. My guess is that this is because of two possibilities: 1) the panel was damaged in the factory, but after the Airstream had been built out on the inside, or (and probably more likely) 2) a panel was damaged and then replaced after the Airstream was put into service.
Being a novice at the time, I did not realize that a panel had been replaced, only that there were a bunch of rivets with a higher profile than on the rest of the Airstream. Once the interior skins were removed it became apparent that the rivets in that area were not the usual variety.
Here are three photos:
The interior view—if you enlarge/zoom in—on the far left side shows the Olympic rivets covered with Vulkem.
The exterior photo with the window—the photo on its side—shows a line of Olympic rivets and one original bucked rivet just to the left and below the window frame.

[dbj216]

Hi Steve46: I think your assessment is likely correct. Did you check any rivets on the shell side skins? My 75 Overlander side skins are perfectly riveted with tri fold rivets. The window frames and the main door frame are perfectly installed with tri fold rivets. This is on both sides of the trailer, from the roof seam down to the midline of rivets, and from the front end cap to the rear end cap. My interior has not been "gutted" and the interior skins are original vinyl covered. I can't imagine this was damage repairs. It looks factory to me.

Maybe I have a unique one off Airstream.

David