love our Basecamp, but looking for solutions to small issues

[basecamper]

We love, love, love our 2008 Basecamp! It's so easy and uncomplicated when we travel!

There are a few small issues that I wonder if anyone else has experienced....and would like to know if good solutions have been found.

1. There is a little rust on the big bars on top of the Basecamp. I have read that POR-15 is a great product for eradicating rust forever. Has anyone tried it? If so, what finish coating of the POR-15 is the right match, color-wise. If you have used something else successfully, could you let me know?

2. If we are caught in a particularly hard rain, we sometimes get a little leakage on the inside walls (from an inside seam between the rear and where the side window begin). Where would it be coming from? ...Is the best way to address this the Acryl-R, sold on the Airstream Store website, applied to the outside seams?

3. A couple of rivets have popped off inside. Is this a do-it-yourself job with a rivet gun and the right size of rivets?

4. The little clear silicone "bumpers" that are supposed to cushion the magnetic wall cushions keep falling off. What would you recommend to use in order for them to stay on for good. When in transit (on bumpy road), if these little silicone bumpers are not in place, the metal-to-metal contact of the wall cushion and the wall causes scarring of the metal. It even caused the doughnut-shaped magnet on the back of one of the cushions to become damaged, and it no longer will stay in place in transit. I have been trying to find a replacement magnet for that cushion, but am having trouble accomplishing that.

[wayner61]

Don't have a basecamp myself, but I will take a stab at a couple of the questions.

2. Look very very hard at the outside seams around and above where you think the leak is coming from. If you find a gap or crack, you will need to seal it with the appropriate sealant. I believe that Acryl-R is a "wicking" type of sealant that is well suited to panel overlaps and seams. I think that Vulkem or a similar sealant is preferred for windows and through wall or roof penetrations. Take all of this with the proverbial grain of salt though. I certainly am not an expert. An option may be to have your dealer look at it. I would assume that a 2008 might still be under warranty. For hard to find leaks, the Seal-Tech testing where they pressurize the inside of your trailer and then use soapy water outside to locate leaks works very well. The cost of the testing isn't covered by the warranty but the repair of leaks found is usually covered.

3. If they are the pop rivets that are generally used on the interior of the trailer, then yes. You certainly can do it yourself. Get aluminum pop rivets and a pop rivet gun and replace away.

Sorry, but I can't help with either of your other questions. Good luck though!

Wayne