trailer rivet question

We've always taken them all out (at once) and replaced when finished.

 

I leave them in and wrap over them

 

The screws (not rivets) on a typical utility trailer need a #2 square bit to remove. Buy a bunch of the bits because if they get rounded at all, they ruin the screws. We remove them, then put them back after applying the lettering or wrap. We find that to be faster than doing a good job of heating and forming over the screws.

 

Leave them in, use the right material and they will stay nice for the life of the wrap. Also whoever does the removal won't hate you.

 

I always wondered which way was the "right" way...I always remove them. Seems like personal preference from the responses.

 

Are we talking actual screws or those 2" plastic button covers over top the Robertson #2 screws ??

 

My thoughts are, I'm wrapping a trailer for my customer, the customer and myself should understand anything over 5 years is beyond expectations. I plan on doing good work and providing good service and having repeat customers. I am not taking extra time to remove and reinstall screws from their trailer, risking striping the heads or the wood or aluminium they are in. Also when the trailer comes back for removal It's going to take a lot longer, costing my customer more money in the long run (and for the initial install), not to mention **** off my employees or myself. I would say the only thing they would be gaining with removing screws (and this could be argued) is it looks better within five feet, which is not the intended viewing distance. Wrapping over the screws with the right material and proper prep and installation, it will be a faster install, look great for years, remove much faster, and cost the customer less.

 

Years back I purchased a heat gun with a Teflon end for rivets ( 2 sizes) also came with a circular needled air release tool . Worked great - don’t know if they still make them , I’ll have to dig mine up and check the make . Let you know when I find it unless someone else knows who made it .

 

I haven't seen one trailer that wrapped over the screws where it wasn't pulling up and then cracking then pulling apart. It is almost impossible to keep all your vinyl around down around the screws. I take them out everytime. Some get stripped, some won't come out, you can buy new screws from any trailer dealer, some you can get slightly larger. For peace of mind, taking the screws out is a much cleaner design after a couple years after being installed. The screws will even started to corrode and no vinyl will stick long term to the screws. You also have the indentation in the head in which will eventually crack or get a hole in it because their nothing touching where the hole is. I have fought back and forth with others on this, and the amount of time to remove and reinstall is really easy and not that long. The problem screws is your only worry, and if you get extras from a trailer dealer, you are good to go.

 

The aluminum panels are usually glued or bonded in some way to the underlayment behind them. Otherwise if they are just held in with the screws only, they work themselves loose and rattle in the wind.

Like most things we take it on a case by case basis and decide if the graphic will look worse if we pull the screws or the number we'd need to remove outweighs the time needed to install over them and then massage the vinyl into them.

If we do pull them and the color behind them is a solid, primary color that we'd have a corresponding out of the can 1Shot match for, we'll dab them with some paint. There are several good tools for working on rivets and screws if you choose to leave them in.

 

Very good point about taking each job, case by case. Using this approach will yield happy customers for sure.

 

I would never touch up screws on a trailer with paint. You end up with painted screws once the wrap is taken off or changed. Ends up looking like a mess.
IMO you either go over them or under and i won't babysit each screws either. If i go over them it will be a very quick pass with a Rolle-Pro.

I personally prefer to take them off if i can. The vinyl install goes much quicker.

 

Doesnt the skin lose tension if you take out the screws? Theres a trailer manufacturer by our shop and they have a thing that pulls the skin as they fasten it. Similar to a chain link fence stretcher.

 

So you don't heat the material and squeegee the material down snug to the edge of the rivet? A Rolle-Pro only gets them so close. If we leave them in, we use a variety of tools and 94 primer to seat them properly.

Nothing drives me crazier than seeing a truck or trailer going down the road with puffed up, separated wrap like a zip ready to pop after it failed and pulled away from the metal.

The painted screw head dilemma is easily solved with a can of acetone or laquer thinner and about ten minutes of soaking.

 

No. The aluminum is held on with double sided foam tape. And when you put the screws back in the same holes they came out of, everything is back where it was before. They are not under tension.

 

I too have painted the screws if I didn't wrap over them. Its a thoughtful touch.

 

Are the screws really bothersome?

 

Not on that they are not...at least to me. Maybe that's why Toad said on a case-by-case basis.

They were on this puppy... I wrapped the whole thing in white instead of the customer repainting it. Painting the screws made it look a lot cleaner. Can you find the one screw I missed? Lol