fastening items to RV walls

[Rmack1]

Does anyone have a suggestion about how to install upgrades to the inside of the exterior, or the interior walls of an RV? Any links would be appreciated.

I have a Rockwood Mini Lite, and it has very few structural members that would hold a screw well, even if I could find them, so I've been using Velcro.

The hook-and-pile part is very strong, but the glue that's on the backs seems to be vulnerable to heat. Even a lightweight roll of paper towels came unglued. I tried super glue and epoxy to hold even this light of an object, but it didn't last.

Just screwing in a wood screw or something would most likely not work very well. What's probably needed is some kind of expansion bolt. It would have to be very short so as to not compromise the outer hull, and have some way of expanding to affix to the back of the thin paneling that is on all of my walls, I would suppose.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[WandaLust2]

We haven't found any of the "glue" things such as Command Hooks to stick long term. Velcro backing doesn't stick well to some RV walls either. I've had both lightweight pictures and clocks fall. Now I use a hanger anyway and just use the Velcro to stabilize the picture or clock.

[lasparrot]

I use a small screw in the wall for pictures, etc. and further secure with earthquake putty. When I trade in my unit the screw holes are easy to patch, and the earthquake putty removes without a trace. Not so with velcro and other glue applications. I've also had bad luck with command hooks removing large swaths of wallpaper - impossible to fix or coverup!

If I were hanging something large and heavy like a tv, I'd use the method shown earlier with the large wood blocker.

[Rmack1]

I finally got the plastic hollow wall anchors, or whatever they are called, and they where the perfect solution for me.

It was a little hard to 'pop' them with the little included red tool, but with persistence, it worked. Plenty strong enough for my 'SWM' system components.

And I got my money back for that piece of junk tool I bought. All good.

[smokedummy]

What you may want is a "hollow wall anchor"? Not the plastic-insert kind, but the collapsing metal kind (sort of like a toggle bolt).

[Raften]

Make sure the pop rivets are alum and not steel.

[John_Joey]

Again, sorry you're having problems with the gun. Just so you know there is no cutter, the nail breaks when enough force is applied, this is where the "pop" comes from.

Just for the record, take the tool back to Lowes with a few pop rivets and ask them to show you how it works. You may find out you have a bad gun, or that you just need to exert much more pressure than you were to pop them. Either way you will gain insight/knowledge, you'll also learn about how long the rivet should be for the thickness of the material.

Rivets are used in a multitude of materials. Just look at your belt and you'll see them there even. Granted not pop rivets, but rivets nonetheless. Rivets are very strong when done correctly and can be used on a multitude of materials.

Again sorry you're having problems with them, I've used them with great success so it's very confusing to me why they would not be working.

[Clay_L]

CincyGus wrote:

SNIP

Lastly, they make a putty that wonderful for keeping things in place on counter tops. Comes in a little flat package. Gray in strips about 1" by 3" wide and the thickness of wrigleys chewing gum. Tear of a peice, roll it up in a ball and attach a couple balls to the bottom of your item and stick it to the counter. We use it for holding the toothbrush holder and soap dish in the bathroom and a utensil crock on the counter in the kitchen that holds all our cooking spoons, etc. Stuff is magic. Never moves but easy to pull up and leaves no residue if removed or repositioned.

We use that also. It's called poster putty, museum putty, earthquake putty and probably other names. We find it in the office supply section of Walmart or office supply stores.
It does a great job of keeping thinks like knick knacks and even small lamps in place.

[CincyGus]

I use a few things.

3M command strips with velcro for pictures. I usually use one in each top corner and one in the middle along the bottom edge. Have three or four 8x10 wood picture frames, just like you would use at home attached that have been to Florida and back to Cincy a couple times without so much as a wiggle. I checked them the first 2 or 3 times I took a trip and they have not budged or worked a little loose or anything.

3M command hooks for hats, and lighter items.

For heavier items, I use a 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" self tapping stainless steel screw. I use a stud finder and find a vertical wall stud to mount to. If it's something I will drive the screw all the way in, I use the 1 1/4". If it is something I need to leave a little of the screw head exposed, I use the 1 1/2".
I use these for coat hooks, our dirty laudry bag that hangs next to the bed, towel rack in the bathroom, etc.

If it is something heavy and I am mounting it on an interior wall, I use the little plastic wall anchors and screws, just like you would in dry wall at home.

All the above have worked for me without issue or anything coming loose or falling.

Lastly, they make a putty that wonderful for keeping things in place on counter tops. Comes in a little flat package. Gray in strips about 1" by 3" wide and the thickness of wrigleys chewing gum. Tear of a peice, roll it up in a ball and attach a couple balls to the bottom of your item and stick it to the counter. We use it for holding the toothbrush holder and soap dish in the bathroom and a utensil crock on the counter in the kitchen that holds all our cooking spoons, etc. Stuff is magic. Never moves but easy to pull up and leaves no residue if removed or repositioned.

[BigRabbitMan]

I have never thought that pop rivets (blind rivets) were to be used on wood type materials. I have only used them on metal as that is what they are designed to be used for. Go get some hollow wall anchors of the correct size and be done with it.

[Rmack1]

I tried everything with this pop-rivet tool I bought. I've come to the conclusion that I should have bought the slightly more expensive model.

This one just won't clip the excess rod. It will get stuck on the rivet no matter how many times I pump it, reposition it, whatever.

Next time I'm at a Lowe's or something, I'll look for hollow wall hangers, and maybe upgrade the pop rivet gun if I can get my money back.

[JJBIRISH]

click

I know pop rivets make for easy and solid mounting, but my experience hasn’t always been stellar in thin wood panels… maybe I am doing it wrong…
I have seen where the mandrel would pull through the soft wood panel or almost pull through before it would snap off… it didn’t make for a very secure mounting…
If secure mounting is important I believe the hollow wall anchor (Molly) in the link above is a much more secure anchor than the blind rivet in soft wood…

[John_Joey]

Also if the rivet is too long for the application you'll also have to slide the tool down the nail at least once after a couple of pulls. Just open the handles as wide as they go and slide it tight against the pop rivet and start to pump again.

Best thing to do is just practice "popping" a pop rivet. Or even just punch a hole in a can and then put a pop rivet into that hole and practice "popping" the rivet.

Sorry your first attempt didn't work out. Now that the hole is enlarged you'll need to use one of those smaller molly bolts in it's place. Use pop rivets for the rest.

Also the pop rivet size should be no longer they 1/8-1/4 past the void. If it is a very long pop rivet the mushroom part will not occur correctly.

Good luck.

[Rmack1]

John&Joey wrote:

Rmack1 wrote:

Tumbleweeds wrote:
Try These from Lowes
Hollow door anchors

Thank you, that looks like it will work.

I bought a pop-rivet gun at Lowe's, and it didn't work! It would pull back the nail, expand the end, but then it would get stuck. I had the tool fully compressed, but it never clipped off the little rod. I finally got it to let go of it, but the rod was still sticking out, with no visible marks that you would think would be there if the tool was trying to clip the excess off.

You didn't use the tool correctly. Instead of actually trying to mount something just use a pop rivet/gun all by itself. Keep pulling on the handle until the nail pops off. There is no cutter, you did not mushroom it enough that's all. You need to keep pumping on the handle.

Also sometimes you need to slide the tool further down the nail shaft as the pop rivet expands.

Got it! Thank you very much!

It didn't come with instructions, and I didn't realize I needed to keep pumping it.

[JJBIRISH]

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/WESTWARD-Hollow-Wall-Anchor-11K356?Pid=search

for something that will hold…

sorry I haven’t been able to post a link for some reason…