1995 Dolphin exterior mirror falling off

[The Incorrigible Dirigible]

The upper mounting screws attaching the driver's side mirror of our '95 Dolphin have come loose from the body; they seem to be rusted out. New screws do not seem to be working either. Has anyone dealt with a situation like this before? What's the best way to reattach it?

[Aigon77]

Have you found the solution to your problem? I don't have a dolphin but I think a sea breeze has just about the same construction. When I took out my passenger side, side window it had a black metal ( wall frame ) on both sides. I think the mirror is attached to the frame, so the hole where to screw went through is probably all rusted out as well. Can you put in larger diameter bolts it there? I would for sure spray a lot of rust converter in the hole plus some zink paint to stop the rusting. I will be working on my mirrors this spring as they shake more as I like, especially the driver side, so I probably have some rusting going on there as well. Let me know if and what you have done.

[The Incorrigible Dirigible]

Aigon,

Problem is still not solved. The Sea Breeze does have the same overhead-mount mirror construction, from what I've seen, although ours is mounted well above the window frame and separately. It didn't seem to have any kind of frame at all.

We tried fixing it by filling the holes with epoxy and re-drilling holes for the screws. This did not work well; the way the mirror is mounted, it pulled the epoxy out of the holes. Because of the way it hangs, it puts a LOT of torque on the mounting screws, and yes, they do shake a lot on the road even when they're not falling off!

I'll have to get in there and see if there are mounting holes that can be drilled out larger, or if I'll need to run carriage bolts all the way into the interior with a backing plate (and a LOT of water sealant!). That's all I can think of at the moment, and I'm doing a lot more thinking than acting because I'm hoping to come up with a solution that doesn't involve drilling holes through the side of our house!

[Theberrys]

I'll try again. Have you tried Blind Rivets? You can buy a kit at Harborfrieght for about $17.00. I'd use 1/4 20 screws and rivets.
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Dick

[The Incorrigible Dirigible]

Sorry, Dick, I saw your response in the other thread but forgot about it as we got into the whirlwind of the holidays. Thanks for reminding me!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theberrys I'll try again. Have you tried Blind Rivets? You can buy a kit at Harborfrieght for about $17.00. I'd use 1/4 20 screws and rivets. - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices Dick

[Theberrys]

Incorrigible

Test it on a simular structure and see if they stay in. For $17.00 you'll use it many time around the house and in the RV. I'v replaced a lot of loose sheet metal screws with machine screws using Blind Rivets and so far they have held up well. But the thickness of the material you install them is the governing factor for pull strength.
Here is a link to some 1/4" black hex head machine screws in various lengths $12.00.
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
Good Luck
Dick

[Richard S.]

A Well- Nut may be the answer. Trim out the gasket at the subject hole and install a well-nut. Well-Nut Threaded Inserts | Emhart.com

[Aigon77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Incorrigible Dirigible Aigon, although ours is mounted well above the window frame and separately. It didn't seem to have any kind of frame at all.

Sorry I didn't explain properly what I meant by black wall frame, what I meant is that the window is seated to the front and back beside the structural square black metal tubing frame that the wall beams are made of. It goes all the way from the top down to the wheel housing ( in this particular case) and I believe the bolt that was holding down the mirrors was a self cutting type, with the cutter upfront and larger diameter thread after the cutter. It is going through fiberglass/plywood wall into the square tubing frame. The massive dashboard inside with the TV etc, is supported by screws of the same type ( smaller ) going into the same tubing ( except from the inside). The reason I removed and resealed the passenger window was due to a factory poor installation of the window ( opening is cut 1/8" to big on the top corner of the window where water was coming in. It rusted the screw from the dashboard off and the sucker was shaking unbelievably until I realized where the screw was. The best/solid option probably is to take a drill and drill it through to the inside where you can use a washer and a nut. Just make sure to use SS screw as all other stuff will give you trouble down the road( rust ). I have fasten a CB antenna in that fashion, the washers and nuts are virtually invisible as they hide behind the interior blind/cover that sits above the passenger and driver side windows. Let us know how you do it. I potentially want to do both mirrors to stop the shaking ( if it helps....) If not maybe the koni's FSD that will come in this spring will help