Community Forums

budh9534 · 05-10-2021, 02:51 PM

How do you remove a riveted cover at the shore power cord compartment? (Why didn't they use screws and make this easy?)

I'm sure I will be using screws to install the new replacement!

Hognuts1960 · 05-10-2021, 02:52 PM

Drill them out.

SacRV · 05-10-2021, 03:02 PM

I actually tackled removing some rivets over the weekend. I used a Dremel with a cut-off bit and it worked great.

Jon_C · 05-10-2021, 03:02 PM

Drill just until the head comes off then use a punch to get the rest to fall into the inside. Its really easy to do. You will need to use rivets to go back because there wont be anything for screw threads to hold on.

puttin · 05-10-2021, 03:03 PM

I think you'd find that riveting the new one on will be faster and will look just as good. If you don't have a rivet gun, get one...and buy some various rivets in different sizes and materials (I'd use stainless ones for your new cover).

carybosse · 05-10-2021, 04:02 PM

Agree with all of the statements about drilling out the rivets and replacing with rivets.

I actually did a write up somewhere about drilling out rivets, but in general, pick a bit just a little bit larger than the center hole of the rivet. All you want to do is drill out the wall of the rivet itself. You don't want to make a larger hole in your sheet metal or do any other damage.

Play with the pressure you use while drilling, typically I find more speed is better than slow speed. The rivet head may stick on your drill bit. Use a pair of pliers to remove, it may be pretty hot after drilling out.

If you use too much pressure, when the drill punches through, you might hit something behind the rivet and damage something. Something like the insulation on the power cord...

If you do find the sheet metal is damaged from you or a prior encounter, sometimes you can cover up mistakes with a washer the proper size for the rivet. In this case. that may mean you need to get to the back of the sheet metal, if you can access that area.

Of course, if you can access that area, or get your fingers behind the cover, then you might be able to use small screws with washers. I would be careful to not use long screws that might chafe the insulation on the shore power cord. Probably, the cord could never come in contact with the cord, but I know my luck.

budh9534 · 05-10-2021, 06:18 PM

By the way - an annoying thing about the new cover to be installed is that the so-called mini-plug put on the shore power cord barely fits through the opening - and only if all of the plastic is cut so those tabs are no longer there leaving as large a hole as possible - then the plug will fit with about 3/16" to spare.