Pop rivet ends

[Bombo80]

We went on a full week camping trip to Kentucky. Each day we stopped there were a bunch of the rivet backs that seemed to come out of the refrigerator. W will insert a picture after I get home tonight.
I am wondering if anyone else has had this happen ??
I saw the same things in behind the exterior panel, behind the refrigerator. This is where the gas and electrical lines are located.
We are wondering if this could be problem down the road ??
This is our second year with the RV, and this did not happen last year.
My wife is concerned that the fridge is going to fall apart.
The only "bad" thing the happened on this trip was one HUGE sunken part on the road, near Elizabethtown, KY. Not a pot hole, but a very large sunken spot that it looks like many people have bottomed out their vehicles. The concrete is scraped and gouged.
Any ideas ?? or suggestions ??
TIA.
Al

[dutchmensport]

No help on the pop-rivets, but Elizabethtown, KY brings back a fond memory!.... yep.... the night we ended up staying in a motel because tornados were all around. That was a fun experience!

[Bombo80]

So, I have a photo of these metal shards that have been showing up by the refrigerator in our 2021 Hideout.

I initially thought they were rivet parts, but now they look more like small metal pieces that come out of a piece of metal while drilling holes.
Like I said initially, last year we never had these showing up.
Now we have more and more each time we travel.
If anyone has an idea of what they might be, or where they are coming from, we would be grateful for any insight.

[jancoe1]

You have a metal sided coach. All the doors, windows, accessories on the outside walls were routered open and that is the remnants of the process. All I can say is shop vac and eventually they will stop. Every coach is different. Some have been cleaned up well and others not so much. Luck of the draw here. Good luck with the clean up. It help when you pull drawers out and access panels so you get behind it all.

[NH_Bulldog]

Those little bits are a normal byproduct of the installation of the aluminum sides of your trailer and will will take a while to completely shake out of the nooks and crannies every time you travel down the road. Nothing to worry about and not any indication the trailer is falling apart

[Balvar24]

Originally Posted by Bombo80

The only "bad" thing the happened on this trip was one HUGE sunken part on the road, near Elizabethtown, KY. Not a pot hole, but a very large sunken spot that it looks like many people have bottomed out their vehicles. The concrete is scraped and gouged.
Al

In the South Bound lane of I65? It's been there for 20 years!

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by jancoe1

You have a metal sided coach. All the doors, windows, accessories on the outside walls were routered open and that is the remnants of the process. All I can say is shop vac and eventually they will stop. Every coach is different. Some have been cleaned up well and others not so much. Luck of the draw here. Good luck with the clean up. It help when you pull drawers out and access panels so you get behind it all.

Not so sure I agree with your "Some have been cleaned up well" statement. I still get sawdust in my old 2002 incandescent overhead light fixtures after all these years. Just curious but have you tried a magnet on those shavings? I had a metal building built a few years ago with similar siding as is on your RV and the shavings could be picked up with a magnet. The crew had a roller magnet type deal and they went over the area with all the shavings like a lawn mower and it picked them up (my dim memory but could be mistaken).

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Not so sure I agree with your "Some have been cleaned up well" statement. I still get sawdust in my old 2002 incandescent overhead light fixtures after all these years. Just curious but have you tried a magnet on those shavings? I had a metal building built a few years ago with similar siding as is on your RV and the shavings could be picked up with a magnet. The crew had a roller magnet type deal and they went over the area with all the shavings like a lawn mower and it picked them up (my dim memory but could be mistaken).

I think he'd need a special aluminum magnet to pick that debris up.

[RollaMo]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

The crew had a roller magnet type deal and they went over the area with all the shavings like a lawn mower and it picked them up (my dim memory but could be mistaken).

That might work if the debris is NOT Aluminum.

When we had a new roof put on our house, the roofers used that same type of roller device and rolled all around the work area.
Did a great job picking up all the staples/roofing nails that ended up on the ground from tearing the old shingles off.

[Bombo80]

Yup, I65 southbound is EXACTLY the one we hit. And we hit it at speed too.
Very big disruption.
We were so distracted, we missed the turn to go to Boundary Oak Distillery.

[wiredgeorge]

Just occurred to me to check a panel on my shop with a magnet and they are indeed steel or a ferrous alloy as they are magnetic. I wasn't really sure if the panels on an RV were actually aluminum as I have never had an RV with that type siding.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Just occurred to me to check a panel on my shop with a magnet and they are indeed steel or a ferrous alloy as they are magnetic. I wasn't really sure if the panels on an RV were actually aluminum as I have never had an RV with that type siding.

They are aluminum, I use a 20V Bauer router with a spiral bit at work. Just re did 1/2 of a curb side on a toyhauler and used it to cut out the windows.

[Balvar24]

Originally Posted by Bombo80

Yup, I65 southbound is EXACTLY the one we hit. And we hit it at speed too.
Very big disruption.
We were so distracted, we missed the turn to go to Boundary Oak Distillery.

The best "real" distilleries nearby for Tours are Log Still, Bardstown Bourbon Co. and LuxRow. All three have continous columns as opposed to the little pot stills. Log Still won't have great parking/access for RVs. BBC and LuxRow do, however. A bit off topic, I know.

[travelin texans]

From my experience I'm quite certain that if the worker on the factory floor drops something, cut something out, or trims something that drops it won't get picked up by anyone at the factory, depending on the dealer they may clean it up a bit.
My last 5er I took the baseman wall down as they forgot to plug in the vacuum, I filled a gallon can with screws, wood cutouts, little pieces of wire & 1/2 gallon of just saw dust. Every time we moved the back of the couch would be covered in sawdust from the cabinets above
Helped my buddy change out a drain valve, when we dropped the Coloplast a 20 volt DeWalt drill fell out with the battery on it & a #2 Roberson bit in it.

[drrelli]

Free tool with every purchase?!?

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

From my experience I'm quite certain that if the worker on the factory floor drops something, cut something out, or trims something that drops it won't get picked up by anyone at the factory, depending on the dealer they may clean it up a bit.
My last 5er I took the baseman wall down as they forgot to plug in the vacuum, I filled a gallon can with screws, wood cutouts, little pieces of wire & 1/2 gallon of just saw dust. Every time we moved the back of the couch would be covered in sawdust from the cabinets above
Helped my buddy change out a drain valve, when we dropped the Coloplast a 20 volt DeWalt drill fell out with the battery on it & a #2 Roberson bit in it.

It is funny, and interesting, what you can find in these things. On this one I pulled the basement wall to check out the "innards" and there were 2 pieces stained luan cut to fit something (about 1/4 sheet each) and a new stack of shop towels? Of course that was in addition to the bucket full of chunks, screws, metal shavings, dust etc. - a veritable treasure hunt.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

From my experience I'm quite certain that if the worker on the factory floor drops something, cut something out, or trims something that drops it won't get picked up by anyone at the factory, depending on the dealer they may clean it up a bit.
My last 5er I took the baseman wall down as they forgot to plug in the vacuum, I filled a gallon can with screws, wood cutouts, little pieces of wire & 1/2 gallon of just saw dust. Every time we moved the back of the couch would be covered in sawdust from the cabinets above
Helped my buddy change out a drain valve, when we dropped the Coloplast a 20 volt DeWalt drill fell out with the battery on it & a #2 Roberson bit in it.

CAN'T BE TRUE! Amish craftsman don't use power tools....

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

CAN'T BE TRUE! Amish craftsman don't use power tools....

True story:

I went to the Newmar plant several years ago. Spent 3 days on the assembly line, our “guide” had 30+ yrs seniority. He said he didn’t own a car but was allowed to drive the shop truck. One older guy was working on a heated floor, listening to Willy Nelson on CD in the coach’s radio. Said he only listens to CDs at work.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by drrelli

Free tool with every purchase?!?

I never get tired of chuckling at the story about the owner who found his black water drain blocked by a hammer head.

[NH_Bulldog]

4 full camping seasons and my water pump filter is still catching bits of plastic