November 27, 2015 at 09:29AM by advodna_dave

In my continuing series on Airstream field repair (we are literally parked in a field), and my continuing effort to make sure the trailer is ready to weather 6 weeks of a New England winter while we fly to CA, I finally got around to replacing some torn out rivets on the rear belly pan. I have no idea why the holes in the pan were cut so big or so close to the edges allowing them to either slip over the enlarged rivet heads or just tear out completely, but once a few went, there was enough weight for the rest to fail and leave us with a flap open in the back like an old timely prospector on his way to the outhouse. Solution? Trace some makeshift washers onto scrap aluminum using a two dollar Canadian coin (obviously) and cut out with metal snips. New 3/16 rivets and we're all buttoned up! #airstream #airstreamrenovation #oldtimeyprospectorreferences #rivetingstuff #livereriveted