Timing of Side Skirt Installation

Well, the canopy is just about done. a few more countersinks and glareshield paint and I am ready for the riveting. Happy to report no cracks or other problems

My question is when to rivet the side skirts. I originally planned to rivet in advance, but after dimpling the upper holes, I wonder if I'll have a hard time squeezing it in. One of the sides bulges a bit.

I am wondering if others have had success this way. I don't like the idea of riveting after setting the canopy on.

Appreciate your experience here.

Thanks,

Larry

lr172 said:

Well, the canopy is just about done. a few more countersinks and glareshield paint and I am ready for the riveting. Happy to report no cracks or other problems

My question is when to rivet the side skirts. I originally planned to rivet in advance, but after dimpling the upper holes, I wonder if I'll have a hard time squeezing it in. One of the sides bulges a bit.

I am wondering if others have had success this way. I don't like the idea of riveting after setting the canopy on.

Appreciate your experience here.

Thanks,

Larry

Click to expand...

Hi Larry,

Well, my experience of this is zero - so feel free to ignore me !

it seems we are in about the same place. My canopy (slider) is finished all but for the side / rear skirts.

I elected to sikaflex mine, so my closing stages may well be slightly different, but for what it's worth here's my plan.

here's a photo of my side skirts as of today

https://www.flickr.com/photos/115470196@N06/14578452548/

What I have done is painted and sika'd the inner parts (not sure of part no) to the canopy but NOT the canopy frame.

next up I will put the canopy onto the fuz and then sika the inner parts to the canopy frame.

To make the alignment right I plan to cut 12 pieces of 2 x 2 wood (6 per side) at about 10" long. Oriented north / south I will use pieces of rope slipped under the gap between the bottom of the canopy / fuz side rails to draw the wood together across the fuz against the canopy frame and the fuz side below it. Hopefully the wood will make them lay exactly flat against the fuz / canopy side.

When it's all dry (hopefully in perfect alignment!) I'll sika the outside skins to the inner ones just using the clamps in the photo. I figure that if the inner skins are right the outer ones will clamp onto them in the right place.

Not to the vans plans admittedly, but I do think Sika is a good option.

Fingers crossed !

skirt

I did mine after installing canopy with a squeezer.