Repair Curtain Sliders

[benny@waskomtexas.com]

We had not had our Roadtrek very long till we pulled one of the curtain slides off. Shortly two more came loose. While we were gone to Colorado last month we broke another one. What I am calling "Curtain Sliders" are the white plastic parts that are attached to a thin piece of plastic stripping sewed to the curtain. The white plastic slides over the track. If the brad came thru the curtain material they would be much stronger.

Here is how I repaired the curtains.

1. I took the curtain off and into my shop.

2. I put the white plastic part in my vise and drilled the bradded part of the rivet. Be very careful not to get the plastic hot with the drill bit. Use a large bit, all you want is to cut away the bradded part.

3. Then use a punch and drive out the rivet.

4. Drill out the white plastic just the right size for a new brass rivet. (I had some that had been around for years)

5. Punch a hole thru the curtain, put a very small washer on the rivet, push the rivet thru the curtain. Then push the rivet thru the hole in the white plastic.

6. Hold the assembly on a solid metal surface, use a center punch to swell the end of the rivet. Then I used a drift punch to further bred the rivet.

7. Reinstall the curtain.

OK, so it does not look as good as new, the rivet and the washer show, you could paint them or cover them with cloth like a cloth button. Hey, this works and it has not pulled lose in over a year since I fix the first ones. Also we have learned to be careful with all the components of our MH. silicone spray would also help.