riveting questions

[Uglydog56]

I am plugging the holes left this weekend from removing the two furnaces, the rv fridge, and relocating the hot water heater so it isn't directly under my head while sleeping.  Questions:

1.  I have some body seam sealer left over from my race car.  Is this adequate to seal with between panels before I rivet?

2.  All I could find locally is 3/16" aluminum rivets.  This isn't structural work, so is this good enough?

3.  Between the roof raise, reskinning to remove side windows, door relocation, and now this, I'm starting to get kind of a patchwork quilt thing going on.  While I don't particularly want to get into replacing large panels, I also strongly want to avoid the homemade skoolie look.  I will be painting this summer which should help.  Lots of rivets/panels: Character or craptastic?

Thanks,

[buswarrior]

International Bus Parts in Florida make all the different styles of siding.

www.ibpindustries.com/  (though, their website seems to be down at this moment)

It doesn't hurt to call and see what certain panel pieces might cost?

You might be surprised?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[crown]

 hi rick post some picture so we can see what your talking about maybe some one can give you a better way of doing
it    john owner of a  57 crown

[Uglydog56]

Okay here some pics as requested.  It's hard to get close enough to see detail, but far enough to give perspective.  Buses are kind of big.  Remember that once it warms up a little more, this will all be white with some brown/olive/scarlet stripes to break it up a little.  Apologies for my crude editing.



In this pic, the two left arrow point to the suction and discharge for the insta-hot I removed, both of which are just covered with furnace tape and plugged with foam.  The top right is where the water pump, filter, and fill connection used to be.  I already moved the water pump next to the water heater down in the bottom right corner in the "trunk" so I didn't have to listen to it cycle.  So I'm going to eliminate another air leak and just put in one of those external fill funnel thingy's like my travel trailer has.  Below that, there used to be a door (fell off like 10 miles after buying it) that gave access to a sliding tool tray thing.  The tray is going away because my grey tank is going there, so I'm just covering it.



The two arrows in this pic point to two vents, one of which was factory and one wasn't.  But the ductwork going to the round one is gone and I don't know what the heck it did anyway.  I think the right one was a sweaty unders cooler for the driver while running up and down the mountains at yellowstone.  Both are plugged underneath with pieces of polyisocyrunate.  So I'm removing them and covering the holes, so I can insulate the entire front bulkhead (currently none at all).



The curb side is the worst.  It already has several smaller pieces from during the original reskinning.  The two left arrows the the holes for the rear furnace (permanently removed) and the old water heater (it's getting relocated to the back bottom curbside corner).  The next three are the fridge roof vent, fridge rear access, and front furnace (permanently removed).  Additionally, I have to add a vent panel for the front mini-split in the right front corner where the original door was, and an access door between the current door and curbside parlor window for the chimney pipe (wife wants a wood stove).  So it's getting real busy real fast.

I want an airtight well insulated bus when I'm done, with as little beverly hillbilly as possible, but I'm on a time and money budget just like everyone else.  Thanks for looking.

[buswarrior]

Oh, ok, I've got it now!

As long as your "patches" have carefully spaced riveting, matching the spacing on other nearby rivet lines, once painted, I don't think anything will look wrong.

stay proportional, double/triple/half as many as the nearby line.

The eye is attracted to things outside a pattern, maintain a pattern, it goes invisible.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[crown]

 ok lets start with the holes up front under windshild my crown had the same one on drivers side i cut a patch about 1 1/2 ''
 bigger and used sickflex to bond to inside then cut a second patch same size as the hole and bonded it to the first patch  with the sickflex a little bondo [ one on top of other ]
and nice patch cant tell there was ever a hole there ouick and simple  if you can get to the inside on the other small holes
do the same john

[Uglydog56]

Thanks John and buswarrior for your ideas. Going to actually drill holes and apply rivets tomorrow.

[bottomacher]

If you're using pop rivets from a hardware store, you need to know that they're not waterproof unless they have a closed end. Not common in retail stores.

[jjrbus]

I agree, keep things proportional, if you can cover 2 holes with one larger piece it is less noticeable.  Once painted and from a few feet away most people will not notice unless it is out of proportion, different type or spacing of rivet etc.  JIm

[buswarrior]

Installing a new vent in the hole in front of the driver gives you options for airflow while going down the road.

I can't find a decent picture of one, with the proper spring loaded door and screen and seal, so when it is closed, it is closed.

Similar to the ones on the sides of a big truck sleeper cab.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Fred Mc]

If you are using pop rivets get the brand "pop"  in 3/16 as they have a mushroom cap that makes them waterproof and looks like the original rivets. As far as I know ther "pop" brand is the only one who makes these caps and they are NOT compatible with other brands.

[gus]

I wouldn't use seam sealer between Al panels since it is probably thick enough to allow the panels to loosen later on. However, if they are not structural this may not matter. I would just spray a light coat of zinc chromate or nothing at all.

A riveted patch with properly spaced rivets will be stronger than the original but must be absolutely tight with each rivet completely filling the hole.

[artvonne]

  I disagree. Seam sealer was found on every Bus we dismantled from the roof to the side panels. I have no clue exactly what it was but it was black and still semi soft even on 40 year old Buses. Best guess is butyl rubber like they used on windshields years back.

  If you use Clecos you'll get a better looking job.

[buswarrior]

You have to use something as a seam sealer, the water WILL get through between the sheets.

And, I second the clecos vote, gives you lots of time to get everything set just right and the panel snugged up all the way around before setting that first rivet.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[gus]

No properly riveted lap seam is going to leak water. I never use sealer.

I can't imagine doing any riveting job without clecos unless it happens to be , very very small.