Soft Side and Rivets

[Bwht4x4]

I noticed while on my recent trip to DVNP that a couple of the rear rivets on the soft side portion of the camper are acting like a cookie cutter and are punching a hole in the fabric when the top is down and we're underway. Any thoughts? The camper is not even three months old and this was the longest trip to date. Another trip like this last one and I'm sure it'll cut it completely through.

 

[Beach]

You could install a chafe patch to the affected area or cover the rivet head with 5200 or similar sealant,or use a deburring tool/countersink to remove the sharp edge on the rivet head.

 

[Bwht4x4]

I was actually thinking a chaff patch and something to cover the rivet would be a good idea. Still don't like the idea that there's a weak spot in the side now and all it's going to take is one trip where these preventative measures aren't effective and I'm going to have a hole there.

 

[Ripperj]

Is there no warranty?
less than 3 months old, I would think FWC would have some input.

 

[Bwht4x4]

There's a warranty, but I haven't contacted them yet. I'm sure they will work with me on this, but I was curious if others had seen this before.

 

[JimW]

When did you stop by and take a picture of my camper? I have the same thing happening. It has just stayed like that and not got any worse. Another vulnerable area is where the top folds in and rests on the side cabinet and the sharp edges of the black panels. They rub together and it has produced a thin spot. I saw some fixes with a trim piece that others have put on but I just sanded the black panel and put a small radius on the sharp edge. I will keep an eye on this thread to hear what others have to say.

 

[BFH4N]

Maybe just use a small, very fine file to smooth the head of that rivet...

 

[longhorn1]

I would send the photo to Stan. Looks like a minor quality control problem that can be easily corrected in the plant. It doesn't take much for these membranes to get cut or punctured. I'm a building envelope consultant and I've seen the damage a trapped stone will do to the underside of a thermoplastic single-ply roof membrane. It doesn't take long for the stone to puncture the membrane from the underside.

 

[idahoron]

I would think a dab of JB weld and make it smooth would work.

 

[Bwht4x4]

Right now I'm not too concerned about being able to prevent further damage from occurring. That should be easy to do. What I'm bummed about is that this has happened and I now have a this area that has a cut that is nearly all the way through the fabric. With general wear and tear over the next 5 years it's very likely that this spot will fail and result in a hole. I plan on reaching out to FWC to see what can be done about it. I'll update WTW after that happens.

Thanks

 

[Bwht4x4]

Update on how FWC fixed this issue.

FWC cut these round pieces of the same material and glued them onto the sides over the heads of the rivets with vinyl cement. Their comment was that once glued they are permanent.

I think this is a great way to mitigate the damage that was being done. I'll report back on the effectiveness and longevity of this repair.

 

[DrJ]

I've had a similar issue as JimW.

It looks like the black lift panels produced a similar area to the front and back of my camper.
I have the arctic package on now all of the time too, which I am hoping would help.

I have also been looking to add some clear tape I used to repair the tent ends of a hybrid trailer on the areas as well.

JimW, did sanding those areas fix your problem or has it continued?

I never did contact FWC about it. My camper is only 1 year old.

 

[JimW]

The sanding has helped. I make it a point to lift/shift the tent material back up between the panels and the roof after I drop the top.

 

[erod]

Looks like a nice fix however I understand the feeling of not wanting to have the issue occur in the first place. Why not just cover rivets and edges of lift panels in the first place to avoid some of this all together? Our fabric top appears to be rubbing on both the rear lift panel and the small cabinet above the couch. With our weather here in Montana we pop up and down a lot so this is something I want to look into in order to preserve the fabric as best and as long as possible. For now I am tucking it carefully as I can under the the rear panel as I lower it.

 

[erod]

Any word on how this is holding up?

 

[Bwht4x4]

I just did a 1450 mile trip with the camper and four guys and some of it was some rough roads in Nor Cal. When I got home I checked the vinyl covers over the rivets and it looks good. No issues that I could see.