Pop Rivets

Well nuts may be a consideration for your application

Wall studs in most RVs are roughly 4' centers on newer ones, older RVs may be 16" centers. If using the Stanley rivets, a person could have a couple square pcs of polished Stainless or polished alum cut, pop those to the wall then screw whatever your attaching to the plates. Would give it a mechanical look.

No holding power in a thin panelled wall. Go to any hardware store and checkout the hundreds of wall fasteners available. Pop Rivets probably won't be in that group.

wa8yxm wrote:
Pop rivets may work if you can get around to the back side and install the washers, But if you are trying to install them in the paper thin laminate walls, They won't hold, they do not expand enough to hold.
Find a stud, and lay in a screw.. How I do heavy stuff.

I'm having the hardest time finding wall studs. Normal stud finders don't seem to work. Is there an industry standard measurement like the 16" on center for a house?
Thanks for any wisdom you can pass my way!

If you do go the molly route be careful. Most items will require two that are fairly close to each other. Those holes for the molly's will be fairly large leaving a very small space between the two holes.

I've seen that area fail when someone pulls hard on the item (i.e. towel rack)and then you're faced with a large hole.

Would be nice to fasten to a stud, but sometimes they simple are not where you want them too be.

OP here,
Thanks everyone for the replies. Lots of good info. I Just threw out the question for discussion.

I will go with the tried and true Molly Bolts. I already have a box of thin wall mollys and a "molly setter," similar to this that works great.

I think many have missed the salient point here.

You should NOT hang anything from the unsupported sections of the wall material. It just isnt smart. It wont last and may leave you with a large hole at some point that you wont be able to repair or cover because that wall covering is not available at just any Home Depot.

I only put fasteners (screws) into wall studs or crossmembers which are pretty easy to find by tapping on the wall.

I wonder how many who say they won't work have ever used them. I've mounted fire extinguishers', toilet paper holder, towel racks, and hooks to hang heavy decorations off of.

The trick is to have them long enough where they deform on the other side of the wallboard prior to snapping off. Unless you got some super cheap wall board, the stuff is stronger then what some are saying. I've seen the stuff used in the bottom of home made garage drawers that hold a large amount of tools.

Give it a try. If it doesn't meet your standard, the hole will be a pilot hole for that big molly bolt hole you'll be forced into making.

Pop rivets may work if you can get around to the back side and install the washers, But if you are trying to install them in the paper thin laminate walls, They won't hold, they do not expand enough to hold.
Find a stud, and lay in a screw.. How I do heavy stuff.

The pop rivets don't have enough surface area; you'd need a washer behind each one and access to put in the washer is unlikely. I've found that a "molly" type of fastener works best, sometimes plastic and sometimes metal. Just make sure there's nothing behind the panel like a water line.