If only the weather was like this when I installed the fans...

I sought advice from others doing similar vintage trailer renovations and the consensus is that I should focus on outside to inside in my repair and renovation efforts. Get it dry, get it sealed, and then make it pretty.

To begin this, I am focusing on the roof first. I purchased aluminum sheet, 48”x48”, for the initial patches (and some practice). For the preparation, you will need a rivet removal tool. Although rivets can be drilled-out with a standard drill bit, it has proven true for me that it is easier with a properly designed tool. I bought mine from Vintage Trailer Supply. I spent about 15 minutes understanding the tool and the parts provided (for different sizes of rivet), and then moved to the trailer to begin the drilling fun. DO NOT BE IN A HURRY. Drilling out rivets takes time and patience. The tool occasionally gets gunked up with the shavings from the rivets and has to be cleaned out. Slow and steady is the best recommendation. For me, the starting point for testing the rivet removal tool was the street-side wall space under the kitchen window, where I have some corrosion holes to fix. This gave me an easily accessible point to work with the tool and see what I need to do before I climb on the roof. Having done this and successfully removing a series of rivets, I am ready to climb up top. I will be returning to the wall for continued repair later.

Additional Tools for aluminum patching:

Cut-off tool or aluminum snips
Rivet gun (buck rivet w/ bucking bar or universal rivet depending on your desire for originality or ‘get it done’)
Cleco fasteners (used to hold your metal pieces in place as you prep the installation)
Rivets (solid or universal)
Sealant (Sika Self-leveling Sealant is what I used)

Roof day proved to be a Texas classic… weather has been cold and overcast for weeks, but on roof day out pops the sun at a toasty 85 with not a cloud in sight. Needless to say, I cooked while I lay on the aluminum roof drilling out rivets for the vent pipe that used to service the heater assembly (missing) and the 12-inch x 16-inch manual roof vent that I will be replacing with a 14-inch x 14-inch MaxxFan Deluxe roof vent. I am hesitant to admit that I was terrified of cutting the aluminum sheet and patching the ceiling. I used a cordless cut-off wheel to trim out the roof opening from 12 inches to 14 inches wide, then cutting a 14-inch x 14-inch hole in the new aluminum sheet I purchased to patch over the extra length of the old vent and provide the precise opening for the new vent. I used the cutout piece to patch the heater vent opening and then placed the remaining piece over the opening for the vent. I then commenced to pre-drill the holes (starting with the corners) and placing cleco fasteners to hold the patch in place. Once I had the holes drilled, I removed the patch, applied Sika sealant around the perimeter and then replaced the patch with cleco fasteners in the corners. I then proceeded to rivet the patch in place and clean up the sealant that squirted out the sides. Next I moved on to the main vent patch, repeating the steps used for the heater vent but first dry fitting the vent insert in the hole to make sure position was good and that all of the previous vent spaces were completely covered. Then I proceeded as before with clecos, pre-drilling the holes, applying sealant, and riveting everything down. Finally I placed the vent collar into the opening (sealant once again around the fringe) and screwed the collar down. At the last, I placed the vent fan assembly on the collar and dropped it in place.

I probably should have paid closer attention to the fact that I had a secondary vent relatively close to the location of my powered vent. As it turns out, I needed another ¼ inch of clearance for the vent hood. Next week I will have to correct this too. Fortunately, the interfering vent is not used either and I will remove this and flat patch the hole as I did with the heater vent. Hindsight is sometimes a real bugger. Fortunately, I also utilized this opportunity to pre-cut the second vent patch piece I will need for the rear powered vent installation also to come next week.