-To guarantee you don't damage anything you can put a PVC pipe about 10mm shorter than the drill bit. -To keep metal shavings from flying all over or falling into cavities, place a strong magnet wrapped in a plastic bag under where you drill the hole.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! It's been driving me CRAZY seeing people build all this sh*t and NOT explaining/showing HOW to fasten it to the walls/floor securely. Also, being able to remove everything with relative ease is a must for me.
Exactly!Here the same.Everybody envious and do not even fu**** show the details.But they showing their cunt asses in the van building process instead of this useful thing!Thank you so much man! I can not open the second link about stainless nuts.What is that ebay link about?
Rivnuts are so widely used in the yachting world, it's good to see them put to use in van builds! anything fixed to an aluminium mast as a retro fit, always needs a riv nut! :)
As a guy who went to University, this made me laugh out loud, as I have hands like feet... and made worse as my dad (74), was a mechanic. My contribution to DIY together, is usually the hoovering. Keep up the great vids Greg, as this is my big project with my dad, and possibly maybe I'll finish my 'apprencticeship' at 48 years young with him...!!!!
I love this, my father in law and I spend many hours in the workshop working together. Most of the time spent discussing how we should tackle a task. I do it my way, end up doing it wrong and he always says "Told you to do it my way" Should take note of the older and wiser one occasionally lol
Now we all know this is about Rivnuts... But you came to good ole Clacton! (well, almost). I used to love up the road from G Thompson Engineering and never knew he existed. Handy to know now if I need a frame like yours. Been watching them in order so far. Very interesting AND helpful.
I bought a tool for rivet nuts on eBay and still haven't used it since I liked them so much. Here's a tip for you. Next time spray the primer on the napkin instead and use a q-tip to pick up some primer and dab it on the new drilled edges. Leaves a nice covered edge without making a mess of the paint around the whole. Then just let it dry and go drill the next hole. This will allow the primer to adhere and then go back and put in your rivet nuts once they are dry.
really great video. This is the only self build camper video that feature fitting of Rivnuts. they seem to be the most secure method to fit vertical cabinets to side of van.
Love all your videos... re:danger of drilling too far can damage your metal on other side. I found a fix. I cut a little strip of PEX plastic plumbing in a length that leaves only about 1/2" of drill bit uncovered. When the drill breaks thru the metal the PEX stops the drill from going further! Simple and safe. After 13 years of cruising to 49 countries on 5 continents in our just sold sailboat we are building out a 2020 Promaster (tall and long) and have gone to school on your sharing your experience.
Another great instructional video Greg. Four suggestions: 1. Use a drill stop to ensure that the bit NEVER comes in contact with the exterior sheet metal. ~$5 of insurance to avoid an expensive and unsightly mistake. These can even be made from scrap PVC pipe. 2. Use a center punch before drilling in sheet metal to minimize the bit from wandering at the start, thereby ensuring precise alignment. 3. Use a slow speed and steady pressure to drill sheet metal. It's the most effective with the added benefit of minimizing pull-through once the tip pierces the far side of the material (again, see #1). 4. Mask the holes with a sheet of card stock with a hole cut in the center to avoid runs due to spraying too close. Then spray a couple light coats from ~8". Keep up the great work!
Wow, love that rivnut tool, that's an amazing piece of kit just perfect for van builds! I'm surprised that a perfectionist like you didn't use white primer! Cheers.
Greg, Hi. As ever, beautifully and clearly filmed and narrated. You even cleaned up the swarf. Some of the vids are out of sequence, obviously. You hadn't boarded up or even insulated the van, yet you're fitting Rivnuts to secure the angle for the bed base so you've done your maths very precisely. Just to say to folks, that these fixings work very well through ply too, especially if the ply is thin and where there is sheet steel behind (or where the ply is thick). I can imagine a lot of folks getting to the point where they're boarded up and then think of this stage and feel a little bit stuck and feel the need to go backwards.... not necessary. As always, you're a perfectionist and a treasure to the van build community. 21k subscriptions :-) R & T x
Another great video Greg, can't stop watching them! If i may give a tip about the spray primer. Sometimes it's easier to spray some in to a small cup and use a brush, this way you get to tricky corners and can put some on the inside edge.
Thanks for your time Greg, I am installing a set of L-brackets for my wife's wheelchair mounting in my van. this video was wonderful and allows me the knowledge to do this application. THANK YOU, I gave you a big thumbs up and did happily subscribe. CHEERS!
Rivnuts are great,,, I have used them,,, I have a cheap tool that uses a couple of wrenches to tighten up the Rivnuts,,, It works good but Not a fast way to attach the Rivnuts,,,That Rivnut tool you have is really nice for a faster way of attaching them,,,Nice job,,,Best Regards
I saw a similar tool that someone had made using two tapered metal blocks that slide against each other and was operated with a socket driver. Thanks for the nice comment
Thanks for the tool recommendation. I have been installing rivnuts without a special tool, which can be done with a simple bolt, nut and a plate with a hole setup, but thought I will be installing a lot more of these rivnuts, so I might as well buy a proper tool. Almost bought a cheap one, just like your first tool, but then saw your video and bought a much better one. Thanks!
Well the universe keeps conspiring to stop my travel plans. I've actually attempted to move in to the van already due to the pending house sale, but critical under-the-bonnet problems put a literal spanner in the works. Heading north once I'm mobile again.
Although I love and use Rivnuts Greg, I have several places where the panel I'm fixing into is 1/4" thick fibreglass in my Alero coach. A better solution for those spots is the 'Plusnut' which I'm sourcing now. They have a 3/4" long shank (multiple threads available) have a bigger head and collapse up to a "plus sign shaped" retainer behind the panel. Can be easily fitted with a right -sized bolt and an impact gun. Highly recommended, popular in the States.
Beautiful video. I will be using rivnuts to attach eTrack in myVan for a bed mounting system. I was thinking I needed some wood added for extra support; but (from Your demonstration) it seems the rivets will be strong enough. Thankhz so much for sharing. Wholeness n Essence of Love ((-;
Great video once again. I was wondering how rivnuts where installed. Now I know. Cheers. I would like to add that a step drill would be a better way of enlarging the 4mm hole out to 10mm. Where your drilling you’ll have no chance of hitting the outer skin as they are not long enough and you have more control with them.
Yes, I've never used one of those before, is it also easy to go too far and make the hole too large? I could feel when the drill was nearly through so backed off the pressure totally for the last few cuts and didn't have any issues.
Greg Virgoe you have about 4-5mm between each step. We used to use them all the time when fitting car aerials some twenty odd years ago. They don’t draw the cutting bit in like your fluted drill and rely on you pushing them. I have used the on the odd occasion to enlarge a hole in a piece of board from both sides as it give a beater finish than using a hole saw. I then just file out the centre to the same diameter. It’s tool abuse but it works well.
+1 for step drill - I found it more than halved the time it was taking to put fit rivnuts. Would've been even quicker but I made the mistake of installing recycled plastic insulation into the ribs which would frequently get caught up in the drill - if I was doing it again (*which I never will*) I'd put that in after all the holes in the metal were drilled and rivnuts fitted. Only once or twice did I drill in a step further than planned, but in those situations I just fitted a larger rivnut and bolt.
Many thanks for the advice, I’ve never heard of rivnuts until I sheared 2 bolts trying to remove a bloody mud flap bracket on my Defender, this tool should sort it for me.
I bought my own rivnut tool a few weeks ago, I now feel dirty everytime I touch a self tapper. I've got to say your tool is much more impressive. Like me you'll probably start fixing things that aren't broken just to use the tool.
Greg you can make a stop on your drill bit.....just take a piece of dowel say if your using 10MM bit use a piece of 20MM dowel cut to length to allow for the depth of hole your drilling (just a bit of end of drill sticking out) just drill the bit thru the centre of the dowel from one end and wallah instant drill stop!
Hi Greg, Awesome videos! I can see where other van converters have got their information from. My question is how did you level up and get the right height for the angle irons for the bed? Was the van level first? did you use a laser level? Or did you just measure up/down from a fixed point? Thanks and keep smashing the vids.
Hello Jason, that's a great question. A spirit level or laser level will not work in a van. Your van is never going to be level because you're in it moving about and altering the way the suspension sits. A safe easy way is to measure off fixed points like the floor or a centre line. The best thing to use is a digital level that you can zero say on the floor then everything you place it against is relative to the floor. As for the bed frames there is a crease about 2ft above the floor that is level and I used that as a reference point.
Hi Greg just started watching your videos very informative. Question what material rivnut and bolt could you use on a galvanised body like peugeot citroën and fiat. Thank you.
For heavy duty fixing I would use stainless. For lighter jobs like solar panels etc I would use aluminium. A paint layer around the hole before fitting will help with corrosion issues on dissimilar metals and bare surfaces.
Spray into the cap of your can to get some liquid paint. Then use a Q-tip as a paint brush to touch up the edges of your hole instead of making a large, unsightly blob on your truck.
hi! thank you so much for the video. i have a question. ive been using rivet nuts for light duty applications, say like mounting the number plate , or a hinge. but, can i use this for heavy duty industrial applications, like say to attach legs for a table that takes 1000kgs on it. where i would put the screw horizontally, and the screw is loaded in the shear mode.
You can google the shear load of M10 and M12 rivnuts and easily work out how many you would need. The shear strength is very good so it’s definitely plausible 👍🏼
What happened with the previous rivnut tool? I bought one from Amazon (no brand name, blue handles) and the mandrel insert snapped on first use. Just ordered one like that in your video!
Hello Greg. Great tool for the job, not sure if they are available here in the states or not. One thought for you, as you were drilling the holes for the Rivnuts I was thinking if you put a short dowel rod on the drill (sized to your needs) it should prevent you from putting a dent in the outer sheet metal as you mention in the video. The dowel can act as a depth stop. You could use the dowel as a second handle to steady the drill. Just a thought. Enjoy your videos.
Great idea Ed, I knew my lack of due care and attention would spark some interesting suggestions. Truth is I was looking for a piece of PVC pipe, conduit or overflow pipe to cut for a sleeve but didn't have any scraps lying about. Second, to that, I thought about drilling a larger hole through a piece of 2x4 but that didn't quite have the finesse I was going for. In the end, I just went for it. You can feel and hear when the drill is nearly through and can back off the pressure totally.
Hi, do those rivnuts will be used to fix the wall panels in the van or they should be used to fix others things ??? ( what ??) According to your video about panels, the walls can be fixed on wooden stick that are fixed directly to the van with self drilling screws. Thanks , Samuel
I love your videos Greg, and I can't believe your timing: I am just trying to work out how to use the rivnut tool I have been lent. I would be interested to see the crap one: does it look like an ordinary rivet gun? I might be better just to buy one of these. It looks as if the leverage will be far better. I really want them secure, because if they fail, it can be really hard to get something out again. I saw someone on the forum or a Facebook group who had one going round and round in his roof rib. I'd also be interested to see more about how you plan to fit the batten. I guess you are fitting the batten first and panelling after? My problem is: how will I ever find the holes again after I put plywood board up? My strategy at present is to use the existing self-tapper holes already in the plywood as pilot holes, and then enlarge them. I really want board then batten, (a) so I don't lose space, and (b) so I can also screw into (or replace) the batten. I wonder if you have got any tips.
Greg I'm really enjoying your build series, I love the level of detail you explain things to. I'd like to do a sprinter build myself but the internet has me really worried about the reliability of Sprinters after 2006, what do you think about reliability and maintenance of your generation of Sprinter? Are you worried about it? Is the problem overblown on the internet? Maybe the version sold in your country is different than the one here in the US? Thanks for the good videos and keep up the good work!
Hello, I would imagine that you will find cases of that kind of stories for all types of vehicles. I prefer the sprinter because it has the cam chain and not cam belt, so less likely to fail. They do seem to go one for hundreds of thousands of miles and just look at the volume sales. They would not be able to sell millions of them if they were so rubbish? Parts are easy to come by. They are very quick and easy to drive for a large van. They do have some rust issues but ok if looked after. Difficult to find a clean low mileage version but patience will pay off.
Greg Virgoe yeah hard to tell if what I've read is widespread issue or just a widespread story of a couple people that have had problems. Everything I'm hearing here in California is emission systems causing problems. They are beautiful vans though and nice builds like yours are really influencing me towards getting one. Thanks for the reply!
It would be really helpful if your links sent you to the exact same model that you bought, rather than just to eBay as a rivnut search!!! Thanks for the useful video though
how many rivnuts did you install on each side? Just got the aluminium frames and angles made up. the vid's have been a great help, need some more as about to put the walls in!
Hello Ash, I put them in at 300mm or 1ft centres so think that makes about 7 down each side. Which considering the load on 8mm bolt is loads. New vids will be out very soon
I ordered from Ebay and got the same tool as the one you are using (Toolzone). I found that unless you judge it very carefully (and stop squeezing the arms together when you judge the resistance is just right), you end up stripping the thread inside the Rivnut making it unusable. Is there a way of setting up the tool so that squeezing the arms together completely does not end up stripping the thread?
Hi really enjoyed your conversion journey, I'm hoping to convert a van later in the year & your videos are really helpful in doing my research. Can I ask if you have a fixed budget in mind for the complete build? Cheers John
Hello John, The van cost me just under £7k and I've budgeted about £8k for the fit out. The appliances are where the bulk of the money is, single ticket items are £500 each You could do it a lot cheaper than mine, I am putting a lot of things into this one. I will be doing a budget video very soon as we have nearly pinned everything down now.
@@GregVirgoe Nice vid once again Greg. Can I ask why this choice for the Rivnuts? Would it be unsafe to use Aluminium or plain Steel in the inside walls of the van?
@@mingueyox aluminium is a softer metal and you could strip the threads. Plain steel could go rusty. Where stainless is both very strong and corrosion resistant. Perfect 👌🏼
Hi Greg, which type of rivnut did you use, aluminium or stainless ? I chose stainless for strength, but require a bit more effort to fit. I've developed a passion for these rivnuts. So far, I've used them to secure the floor, the underslung water tanks and the electric step.
Hi, i've also used stainless steel in the steel walls of the van and yes they do take a bit more force to pull up but should also be much stronger. Have you got any more slideshows coming out of your tank install and step?
I have some footage, I will see if I can put something up. My build has been painfully slow, you must be way ahead of me now. To think, I was originally planning to get away Easter:(
Since you haven’t gotten quite to the point of hanging your Reflectix quite yet I thought I could pass along some information that might change your plan slightly. In and of itself it has an insulation value of about 1 or so because of the bubble wrap. Not very impressive. But you do agree it is a good vapor barrier. The unfortunate fact is most van insulators use it wrong. Where it shines [Yes pun intended.] is with an air gap incorporated into the installation. According to the manufacturer’s instructions it requires a ¾ of an inch air gap to be effective. This give a insulation R value of 6 for 1 layer and a whooping 21 for a double layer with 2 air gaps. While doing this properly it will reduce the interior space by 2 inches or thereabouts all around. Mount ¾ to 1 inch furring strips or battens to the outside of the van. You will probably do this anyway for installing the paneling. As you need something to hang it from. So mount the furring strips and first hang and seal the Reflectix. The mount a second set of strips and hang a second layer of the Reflectix. Then install your paneling. The reason this work in the reflection between the layers hence the name. The energy bouncing back and forth within the gap impedes the energy transfer. This will also work for the middle layer as it reflects off the foil backing of the insulating board. While the claims of 21 might be somewhat inflated it does work. I’ve helped using it in shop and home roofing insulation jobs. With no gaps it isn’t very good but with the gaps it is a whole different ball game. Whether this is useful to you it is something to think about. I hope this may help. Well sealed it gives a double vapor barrier an increase of insulation for minimal weight added.
I would be very wary of those R-value figures. Most are published only with it being incorporated into a build up of many other building materials. The bubbles as an air gap are not large enough to be effective. A cavity needs to be at least 20-25mm to offer any thermal transmittance properties 3mm bubbles just won't do the same job. In fact I know the science and calc's so well that if two layers of bubble wrap ever reached the dizzy heights of R21 I'd eat a whole roll of it with chips.
As I said The wrap in and of itself is barely above 1. It is the 3/4 to 1 inch gap set by the furring strips that gives the bounce,. And I also agree that R21 might be inflated but in retro fitting in construction I have been involved in it has involve thick batts of fiberglass or poly board against the roof often already there. The retro was adding two air gaped layers of the reflectix . While I was never involved in actual thermal measurements I have heard that in some cases that I heard back from there were significant improvements in heating efficiency.
I rivnutted my whole van the other day, to put up the load bearing wood. I think around 100 rivnuts. I made the mistake of doing all the rivnuts first, then screwing the bolts in, painting the heads with oil paint, then pressing the wood to it to find where I needed to drill through the wood. A pain in the arse to do. What I SHOULD have done was to first drill and secure the very ends of each lenght of wood, and THEN drill though both wood and steel beneath. It took me ages of faffing about with the other method, and I only realised how should have done it when I was finished. I just got carried away with my rivnut tool! If i easily could have aquired Plusnuts in Sweden, I would have used them instead.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing hey. All these things come from experience. You learn from your mistakes I've had plenty myself. These Rivnuts are good :D
Greg . Stainless, alloy or steel zinc coated ? How hard are the steel and stainless ones to crush, and does the alloy ones strip the threads easily ? Thanks Jon
I used stainless ones for the bed frame. They are quite tough to squeeze up which is why you need the bigger tool with more leverage. It is possible to strip the threads on aluminium ones so be careful not to over tighten those ones.
Hi Greg, I know you're traveling right now but I'm using M6 fitting and really struggling to close the rivnut tool. It is almost impossible to close, you make it look fairly easy. I can't figure out what could be wrong with my setup though? Any ideas?
With the arms wide open turn the wheel knob fully anticlockwise Wind on a rivnut until it hits the nut and can't travel and further Now turn the wheel knob clockwise till it stops with the arms open still Now the tool is set and ready to be inserted in the drilled hole. Squeeze handles together to full extent of the travel, this can be tough on larger sizes. Back the tool out by turning the wheel knob anti clockwise.
My Rivnu tool arrived today with a box with hundreds of different sized rivnuts. It looks just like this one. So far, so good. I have a question which may sound dumb, but here goes: where do I get the bolts from? Do bolts come with standard threads? Do they come in different strengths? The pack of rivnuts that came with the tool are an assortment of sizes and materials. I think some are aluminium and there may be some that are stainless steel and others that I guess are steel but are slightly yellow unlike the ones that I think are stainless steel. Any advice on this front would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, they will usually be metric sizes M6, M8, M10 etc I used M8 which is an 8mm metric thread. So you just need M8 bolts to match. I would suggest using stainless steel as they are much stronger and will last a lot longer. You can buy the bolts online or in diy store. Search for Kay’s Fasteners they are brilliant cheap and really fast delivery. Hope that helps 👍🏼
Greg Virgoe Thank you so much for your reply. Today I found a store which specialises in bolts (about 15 minutes from home) where I was able to buy stainless steel bolts. It turns out that the tie down points in my van (Renault Master) are M8 and I have been able to use those to secure some of the crosswise battens for the floor. The original fasteners were too short, but longer bolts worked brilliantly. Next week I hope to finish my floor and then use the rivnuts tool to install supports for my bed. Your videos are fantastic, and although I can’t source all the same products here in Australia, the level of detail you provide makes it easier to find suitable substitutes. I can’t thank you enough!
@@GregVirgoe for stainless steel, ebay was coming up £6.99 for 5 (was M8 or M10) and keys fastners is coming up 27p each for M8; what a difference; thank you
You do not need a rivnut tool just use a nut and bolt. Wind the nut up the bolt screw the bolt into the rivnut hold the bolt steady and tighten the nut voila it's done.
Rivnuts unfortunately become loose within 1-2 years, and they are aswell not that foolproof, you need to drill exact hole Plus nuts (cross nuts..) are more reliable Or just to point weld them afterwards Love your videos though
-To guarantee you don't damage anything you can put a PVC pipe about 10mm shorter than the drill bit.
-To keep metal shavings from flying all over or falling into cavities, place a strong magnet wrapped in a plastic bag under where you drill the hole.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! It's been driving me CRAZY seeing people build all this sh*t and NOT explaining/showing HOW to fasten it to the walls/floor securely. Also, being able to remove everything with relative ease is a must for me.
Ciara Nolan you are most welcome. I’m really pleased it has helped you with your build. Best wishes Greg
Exactly!Here the same.Everybody envious and do not even fu**** show the details.But they showing their cunt asses in the van building process instead of this useful thing!Thank you so much man!
I can not open the second link about stainless nuts.What is that ebay link about?
Rivnuts are so widely used in the yachting world, it's good to see them put to use in van builds! anything fixed to an aluminium
mast as a retro fit, always needs a riv nut! :)
rosmutti they are a genius invention for sure 😊😃
Absolutely brilliant
This video alone has given me the confidence to have a go at converting a van.
Thank you 😊
It’s definitely something many people with no previous experience have done abs with great results too 😊👍🏼
Great video Greg. To stop the drill bit going further than you would want, slip a piece of pipe over the bit.
Yes, great piece of advice. You could also drill a larger hole through a piece of wood and use that as a depth stop.
As a guy who went to University, this made me laugh out loud, as I have hands like feet... and made worse as my dad (74), was a mechanic. My contribution to DIY together, is usually the hoovering. Keep up the great vids Greg, as this is my big project with my dad, and possibly maybe I'll finish my 'apprencticeship' at 48 years young with him...!!!!
I love this, my father in law and I spend many hours in the workshop working together.
Most of the time spent discussing how we should tackle a task.
I do it my way, end up doing it wrong and he always says "Told you to do it my way"
Should take note of the older and wiser one occasionally lol
I used a cone drill - saw it on a RUclips video, never come across them before. Very manageable and stable.
PermaHeretic never used one either. May have to try one myself.
While I do not have a steel panel van, I do have projects in my future that will greatly benefit from RivNuts! Thanks!
Now we all know this is about Rivnuts...
But you came to good ole Clacton! (well, almost).
I used to love up the road from G Thompson Engineering and never knew he existed.
Handy to know now if I need a frame like yours.
Been watching them in order so far.
Very interesting AND helpful.
I bought a tool for rivet nuts on eBay and still haven't used it since I liked them so much. Here's a tip for you. Next time spray the primer on the napkin instead and use a q-tip to pick up some primer and dab it on the new drilled edges. Leaves a nice covered edge without making a mess of the paint around the whole. Then just let it dry and go drill the next hole. This will allow the primer to adhere and then go back and put in your rivet nuts once they are dry.
really great video. This is the only self build camper video that feature fitting of Rivnuts. they seem to be the most secure method to fit vertical cabinets to side of van.
These do offer a fantastic reusable and strong fastening.
How much load do you think they can take? And do they squish out wide enough to not need a washer behind them? Cheers!
Love all your videos... re:danger of drilling too far can damage your metal on other side. I found a fix. I cut a little strip of PEX plastic plumbing in a length that leaves only about 1/2" of drill bit uncovered. When the drill breaks thru the metal the PEX stops the drill from going further! Simple and safe.
After 13 years of cruising to 49 countries on 5 continents in our just sold sailboat we are building out a 2020 Promaster (tall and long) and have gone to school on your sharing your experience.
Great video finally a video showing exactly how to use the rivnut set 😄
Another great instructional video Greg.
Four suggestions:
1. Use a drill stop to ensure that the bit NEVER comes in contact with the exterior sheet metal. ~$5 of insurance to avoid an expensive and unsightly mistake. These can even be made from scrap PVC pipe.
2. Use a center punch before drilling in sheet metal to minimize the bit from wandering at the start, thereby ensuring precise alignment.
3. Use a slow speed and steady pressure to drill sheet metal. It's the most effective with the added benefit of minimizing pull-through once the tip pierces the far side of the material (again, see #1).
4. Mask the holes with a sheet of card stock with a hole cut in the center to avoid runs due to spraying too close. Then spray a couple light coats from ~8".
Keep up the great work!
Thanks John, all very valid tips.
Thanks for this, bought the same tool and had no instructions. I'm now a pro hahaha! Everyone needs a rivnut tool.
great vid, nice simple instructions, primer isn't a rust preventer though, it's porous to water
Andrew Thompson that’s interesting thank you.
There won’t be any water at that point so not an issue.
Wow, love that rivnut tool, that's an amazing piece of kit just perfect for van builds!
I'm surprised that a perfectionist like you didn't use white primer! Cheers.
Hi, I have got a spray can of white Hammerite but couldn't find it when I was filming, sorry for the drop in standards ;) lol
Greg, Hi. As ever, beautifully and clearly filmed and narrated. You even cleaned up the swarf.
Some of the vids are out of sequence, obviously. You hadn't boarded up or even insulated the van, yet you're fitting Rivnuts to secure the angle for the bed base so you've done your maths very precisely. Just to say to folks, that these fixings work very well through ply too, especially if the ply is thin and where there is sheet steel behind (or where the ply is thick). I can imagine a lot of folks getting to the point where they're boarded up and then think of this stage and feel a little bit stuck and feel the need to go backwards.... not necessary.
As always, you're a perfectionist and a treasure to the van build community. 21k subscriptions :-) R & T x
Yes this is the second one that is a bit out of sync. I may have to edit the titles and re-number them? Thanks again guys :D
Bought exactly that rivnut tool. It came with no instructions but thankfully I had your video to refer to :-)
Never heard of Rivnuts, very interesting, thank you for showing them.
You are welcome. They are an ingenious way of getting a really secure fixing into your van.
Another great video Greg, can't stop watching them! If i may give a tip about the spray primer. Sometimes it's easier to spray some in to a small cup and use a brush, this way you get to tricky corners and can put some on the inside edge.
Thanks for your time Greg, I am installing a set of L-brackets for my wife's wheelchair mounting in my van. this video was wonderful and allows me the knowledge to do this application. THANK YOU, I gave you a big thumbs up and did happily subscribe. CHEERS!
Rivnuts are great,,, I have used them,,, I have a cheap tool that uses a couple of wrenches to tighten up the Rivnuts,,, It works good but Not a fast way to attach the Rivnuts,,,That Rivnut tool you have is really nice for a faster way of attaching them,,,Nice job,,,Best Regards
I saw a similar tool that someone had made using two tapered metal blocks that slide against each other and was operated with a socket driver. Thanks for the nice comment
Thanks for the tool recommendation. I have been installing rivnuts without a special tool, which can be done with a simple bolt, nut and a plate with a hole setup, but thought I will be installing a lot more of these rivnuts, so I might as well buy a proper tool. Almost bought a cheap one, just like your first tool, but then saw your video and bought a much better one. Thanks!
That's good, pleased it saved you the hassle I went through :D
Thanks Greg.This vid really helps us rivnut newbies! Happy to see that the new tool worked well.
Yeah, it was an absolute dream compared to the first one. Thank you
I love my rivnut tool. I've put rivnuts everywhere. 😊👍
Thanks Mevi, you must be nearing the finish of your build. What are your travel plans?
Well the universe keeps conspiring to stop my travel plans. I've actually attempted to move in to the van already due to the pending house sale, but critical under-the-bonnet problems put a literal spanner in the works. Heading north once I'm mobile again.
Another excellent informational video
Many thanks JG :D
Hi Greg your videos are brilliant
Never even knew they existed 🤔 great vid
lol Now you do, cheers Dusty
Excellent as always, Greg...I found the content, riveting.
Yep, I drilled down the technique and didn’t screw around with this video.
Jack nuts are similar. Jacknuts are for softer material that a rivnut would pull out of
I love rivnuts there amazing!
They work really well, what more can I say.
Spot on Greg. Thanks once again 👍
You’re welcome ☺️
Although I love and use Rivnuts Greg, I have several places where the panel I'm fixing into is 1/4" thick fibreglass in my Alero coach. A better solution for those spots is the 'Plusnut' which I'm sourcing now. They have a 3/4" long shank (multiple threads available) have a bigger head and collapse up to a "plus sign shaped" retainer behind the panel. Can be easily fitted with a right -sized bolt and an impact gun. Highly recommended, popular in the States.
Yep, gonna get me one of those babies! Maybe two! Thank you!
It does work like a charm.
Thank you for watching.
Excellent. Just what I needed to find out. Thank you
Sandra Lloyd glad it was useful to you 😀
GV.. your are a true Jedi!
TTG Plays use the rivnuts Luke😂
Beautiful video. I will be using rivnuts to attach eTrack in myVan for a bed mounting system. I was thinking I needed some wood added for extra support; but (from Your demonstration) it seems the rivets will be strong enough. Thankhz so much for sharing. Wholeness n Essence of Love ((-;
Another informative video Greg, well done my friend...certainly coming together nicely 👍🏼😊
Thank you for your continued support Marc.
Top vid helped me big time! thnx from melbourne australia.
Thanks Greg that's going to come in handy
You are welcome Barry, glad you liked it.
Excellent video, thank you for this!
That's brilliant! Nobody ever mentions how they fix things to the sides of their van.
Glad you liked it. Thanks
Simon Sackett
Ikr
Really nice tool...thanks for the demo sir!
Cracking tool Greg, nice job 👍
Many thanks, much appreciated.
I luv you greg dont think i could do this with out you
Glad that the vidoes are helping you out :D
Learning a lot from you, one day I’d build one meself and send you a video.
I will look forward to that very much, best wishes with your build.
Great video! Very cool! THANK YOU!
Thank you! You got a thumbs up from me in 2019! Very helpful video.
Jose Luis Ruiz and I’m still reviewing all comments so thank you for watching.
Great video once again. I was wondering how rivnuts where installed. Now I know. Cheers.
I would like to add that a step drill would be a better way of enlarging the 4mm hole out to 10mm. Where your drilling you’ll have no chance of hitting the outer skin as they are not long enough and you have more control with them.
Yes, I've never used one of those before, is it also easy to go too far and make the hole too large?
I could feel when the drill was nearly through so backed off the pressure totally for the last few cuts and didn't have any issues.
Greg Virgoe you have about 4-5mm between each step. We used to use them all the time when fitting car aerials some twenty odd years ago. They don’t draw the cutting bit in like your fluted drill and rely on you pushing them.
I have used the on the odd occasion to enlarge a hole in a piece of board from both sides as it give a beater finish than using a hole saw. I then just file out the centre to the same diameter. It’s tool abuse but it works well.
+1 for step drill - I found it more than halved the time it was taking to put fit rivnuts. Would've been even quicker but I made the mistake of installing recycled plastic insulation into the ribs which would frequently get caught up in the drill - if I was doing it again (*which I never will*) I'd put that in after all the holes in the metal were drilled and rivnuts fitted. Only once or twice did I drill in a step further than planned, but in those situations I just fitted a larger rivnut and bolt.
+1 from me as well. Excellent tip.
Great stuff again, thank you so much.
Nice one Greg. It’s an expensive tool but a great one to have.👍
Not too bad Norman, at £29.
You can always put it back on eBay when your finished with it.
Greg Virgoe I did not scroll far enough down the ebay page I was seeing them at £56 and up.😳
Excellent how- to!
Glad it was helpful!
Many thanks for the advice, I’ve never heard of rivnuts until I sheared 2 bolts trying to remove a bloody mud flap bracket on my Defender, this tool should sort it for me.
Robert Roth it should do the job! Better to get stainless steel ones. 👍🏼
This video saved my life
Simply Simply Lovely!
It just works, effortlessly.
Thanks Karl
I bought my own rivnut tool a few weeks ago, I now feel dirty everytime I touch a self tapper. I've got to say your tool is much more impressive. Like me you'll probably start fixing things that aren't broken just to use the tool.
I often get comments about my impressive tool. 😆 lol
nice one Greg. thats the same one i have and great for the stainless riv nuts
Hello Nell, it’s does work a treat and makes easy work of the stainless ones.
Great work as always Greg : )
Thank you Adam
Greg you can make a stop on your drill bit.....just take a piece of dowel say if your using 10MM bit use a piece of 20MM dowel cut to length to allow for the depth of hole your drilling (just a bit of end of drill sticking out) just drill the bit thru the centre of the dowel from one end and wallah instant drill stop!
Perfect solution, thanks :D
this helped solve how i was going to secure airline alum channels
I'm pleased it helped you Joe 😃
Kool tool. Just got one. Thanks again
Awesome. Thank you so much!
Hi Greg,
Awesome videos! I can see where other van converters have got their information from.
My question is how did you level up and get the right height for the angle irons for the bed? Was the van level first? did you use a laser level? Or did you just measure up/down from a fixed point?
Thanks and keep smashing the vids.
Hello Jason, that's a great question. A spirit level or laser level will not work in a van. Your van is never going to be level because you're in it moving about and altering the way the suspension sits. A safe easy way is to measure off fixed points like the floor or a centre line.
The best thing to use is a digital level that you can zero say on the floor then everything you place it against is relative to the floor.
As for the bed frames there is a crease about 2ft above the floor that is level and I used that as a reference point.
Hi Greg just started watching your videos very informative. Question what material rivnut and bolt could you use on a galvanised body like peugeot citroën and fiat. Thank you.
For heavy duty fixing I would use stainless. For lighter jobs like solar panels etc I would use aluminium. A paint layer around the hole before fitting will help with corrosion issues on dissimilar metals and bare surfaces.
Spray into the cap of your can to get some liquid paint. Then use a Q-tip as a paint brush to touch up the edges of your hole instead of making a large, unsightly blob on your truck.
Good tip, but it’s all covered up with insulation and plywood so you can’t see it
hi! thank you so much for the video. i have a question.
ive been using rivet nuts for light duty applications, say like mounting the number plate , or a hinge.
but, can i use this for heavy duty industrial applications, like say to attach legs for a table that takes 1000kgs on it. where i would put the screw horizontally, and the screw is loaded in the shear mode.
You can google the shear load of M10 and M12 rivnuts and easily work out how many you would need. The shear strength is very good so it’s definitely plausible 👍🏼
What happened with the previous rivnut tool? I bought one from Amazon (no brand name, blue handles) and the mandrel insert snapped on first use. Just ordered one like that in your video!
Hello Greg. Great tool for the job, not sure if they are available here in the states or not. One thought for you, as you were drilling the holes for the Rivnuts I was thinking if you put a short dowel rod on the drill (sized to your needs) it should prevent you from putting a dent in the outer sheet metal as you mention in the video. The dowel can act as a depth stop. You could use the dowel as a second handle to steady the drill. Just a thought. Enjoy your videos.
Great idea Ed, I knew my lack of due care and attention would spark some interesting suggestions.
Truth is I was looking for a piece of PVC pipe, conduit or overflow pipe to cut for a sleeve but didn't have any scraps lying about.
Second, to that, I thought about drilling a larger hole through a piece of 2x4 but that didn't quite have the finesse I was going for.
In the end, I just went for it. You can feel and hear when the drill is nearly through and can back off the pressure totally.
Greg Virgoe Great minds think alike. 😁
Awesome video, I by chance found this last week and just saw you did a video of it as well. How's van life? Must be fun finally getting to use it.
Hi, do those rivnuts will be used to fix the wall panels in the van or they should be used to fix others things ??? ( what ??) According to your video about panels, the walls can be fixed on wooden stick that are fixed directly to the van with self drilling screws. Thanks , Samuel
I love your videos Greg, and I can't believe your timing: I am just trying to work out how to use the rivnut tool I have been lent. I would be interested to see the crap one: does it look like an ordinary rivet gun? I might be better just to buy one of these. It looks as if the leverage will be far better. I really want them secure, because if they fail, it can be really hard to get something out again. I saw someone on the forum or a Facebook group who had one going round and round in his roof rib. I'd also be interested to see more about how you plan to fit the batten. I guess you are fitting the batten first and panelling after? My problem is: how will I ever find the holes again after I put plywood board up? My strategy at present is to use the existing self-tapper holes already in the plywood as pilot holes, and then enlarge them. I really want board then batten, (a) so I don't lose space, and (b) so I can also screw into (or replace) the batten. I wonder if you have got any tips.
Take a look at the end of the bed frame video. I have the broken one in my hand during the summary.
Greg I'm really enjoying your build series, I love the level of detail you explain things to.
I'd like to do a sprinter build myself but the internet has me really worried about the reliability of Sprinters after 2006, what do you think about reliability and maintenance of your generation of Sprinter? Are you worried about it? Is the problem overblown on the internet? Maybe the version sold in your country is different than the one here in the US?
Thanks for the good videos and keep up the good work!
Hello, I would imagine that you will find cases of that kind of stories for all types of vehicles.
I prefer the sprinter because it has the cam chain and not cam belt, so less likely to fail.
They do seem to go one for hundreds of thousands of miles and just look at the volume sales.
They would not be able to sell millions of them if they were so rubbish? Parts are easy to come by.
They are very quick and easy to drive for a large van. They do have some rust issues but ok if looked after.
Difficult to find a clean low mileage version but patience will pay off.
Greg Virgoe yeah hard to tell if what I've read is widespread issue or just a widespread story of a couple people that have had problems. Everything I'm hearing here in California is emission systems causing problems. They are beautiful vans though and nice builds like yours are really influencing me towards getting one. Thanks for the reply!
Top tip. Dip the rivnut in silicon or other primer and it will seal the bare metal as it tightens
What material rivnuts did you use..and what material bolts did you use..
Brilliant video, many thanks...what length are the M8 bolts your using for the bracket to attach ? thx in advance Paul
You would need something about 35-40mm to go through the bracket, ply lining and into the rivnut 👍🏼😃
@@GregVirgoe thanks Greg you are a gentleman
Greg can you post a list of hand tool you used in the van build, crimper, wire stripper...
It would be really helpful if your links sent you to the exact same model that you bought, rather than just to eBay as a rivnut search!!! Thanks for the useful video though
how many rivnuts did you install on each side?
Just got the aluminium frames and angles made up.
the vid's have been a great help, need some more as about to put the walls in!
Hello Ash, I put them in at 300mm or 1ft centres so think that makes about 7 down each side. Which considering the load on 8mm bolt is loads.
New vids will be out very soon
Can you get these to work on a tube or does what you plant it in always have to be flat?
They will pull up but depending how thin the tube is they may deform the tube
I ordered from Ebay and got the same tool as the one you are using (Toolzone). I found that unless you judge it very carefully (and stop squeezing the arms together when you judge the resistance is just right), you end up stripping the thread inside the Rivnut making it unusable. Is there a way of setting up the tool so that squeezing the arms together completely does not end up stripping the thread?
Hi really enjoyed your conversion journey, I'm hoping to convert a van later in the year & your videos are really helpful in doing my research. Can I ask if you have a fixed budget in mind for the complete build? Cheers John
Hello John, The van cost me just under £7k and I've budgeted about £8k for the fit out.
The appliances are where the bulk of the money is, single ticket items are £500 each
You could do it a lot cheaper than mine, I am putting a lot of things into this one.
I will be doing a budget video very soon as we have nearly pinned everything down now.
What was the brand of rivnut tool that you returned. I'm in the States and Tool Zone one you have isn't available
Is there a reason, other than having to alter plan and design, that you didn’t use the predrilled holes supplied by the manufacturer?
really daft question here.... but!... how do the rivnuts stay in? If they slide in, how come they don't just slide out again?
Hi Greg, I was wondering if you worry about the metal shavings inside the metal ribs going rusty?
to help collect swarf or any small particles when drilling stick a large envelope or small tray under hole with masking tape
Great Tip David, I was being a bit lazy with debris management on that task.
Hi did you use steel or Aluminium rivet inserts and what would be the best
allanpennington I used stainless steel in the walls of the van and aluminium ones on my solar panels.
@@GregVirgoe Nice vid once again Greg. Can I ask why this choice for the Rivnuts? Would it be unsafe to use Aluminium or plain Steel in the inside walls of the van?
@@mingueyox aluminium is a softer metal and you could strip the threads.
Plain steel could go rusty.
Where stainless is both very strong and corrosion resistant. Perfect 👌🏼
@@GregVirgoe Hey Greg, thank you so much for your detailed feedback. Glad I bought this stainless steel pack of rivet nuts!!! Cheers
Hi Greg, may I ask, what size rivnuts did you use on your van? I got M4 by mistake I think they are too small.
I used M10 for my bed and M8 for the solar panels. 👍🏼😃
helped me alot mate dont say sorry
Hi Greg, which type of rivnut did you use, aluminium or stainless ? I chose stainless for strength, but require a bit more effort to fit.
I've developed a passion for these rivnuts. So far, I've used them to secure the floor, the underslung water tanks and the electric step.
Hi, i've also used stainless steel in the steel walls of the van and yes they do take a bit more force to pull up but should also be much stronger. Have you got any more slideshows coming out of your tank install and step?
I have some footage, I will see if I can put something up. My build has been painfully slow, you must be way ahead of me now. To think, I was originally planning to get away Easter:(
The weather has really slowed things down for us, it's very difficult working outside when it raining so much. Hoping to catch up now.
Since you haven’t gotten quite to the point of hanging your Reflectix quite yet I thought I could pass along some information that might change your plan slightly. In and of itself it has an insulation value of about 1 or so because of the bubble wrap. Not very impressive. But you do agree it is a good vapor barrier. The unfortunate fact is most van insulators use it wrong. Where it shines [Yes pun intended.] is with an air gap incorporated into the installation. According to the manufacturer’s instructions it requires a ¾ of an inch air gap to be effective. This give a insulation R value of 6 for 1 layer and a whooping 21 for a double layer with 2 air gaps. While doing this properly it will reduce the interior space by 2 inches or thereabouts all around. Mount ¾ to 1 inch furring strips or battens to the outside of the van. You will probably do this anyway for installing the paneling. As you need something to hang it from. So mount the furring strips and first hang and seal the Reflectix. The mount a second set of strips and hang a second layer of the Reflectix. Then install your paneling. The reason this work in the reflection between the layers hence the name. The energy bouncing back and forth within the gap impedes the energy transfer. This will also work for the middle layer as it reflects off the foil backing of the insulating board. While the claims of 21 might be somewhat inflated it does work. I’ve helped using it in shop and home roofing insulation jobs. With no gaps it isn’t very good but with the gaps it is a whole different ball game.
Whether this is useful to you it is something to think about. I hope this may help. Well sealed it gives a double vapor barrier an increase of insulation for minimal weight added.
I would be very wary of those R-value figures. Most are published only with it being incorporated into a build up of many other building materials. The bubbles as an air gap are not large enough to be effective. A cavity needs to be at least 20-25mm to offer any thermal transmittance properties 3mm bubbles just won't do the same job.
In fact I know the science and calc's so well that if two layers of bubble wrap ever reached the dizzy heights of R21 I'd eat a whole roll of it with chips.
As I said The wrap in and of itself is barely above 1. It is the 3/4 to 1 inch gap set by the furring strips that gives the bounce,. And I also agree that R21 might be inflated but in retro fitting in construction I have been involved in it has involve thick batts of fiberglass or poly board against the roof often already there. The retro was adding two air gaped layers of the reflectix . While I was never involved in actual thermal measurements I have heard that in some cases that I heard back from there were significant improvements in heating efficiency.
I rivnutted my whole van the other day, to put up the load bearing wood. I think around 100 rivnuts. I made the mistake of doing all the rivnuts first, then screwing the bolts in, painting the heads with oil paint, then pressing the wood to it to find where I needed to drill through the wood. A pain in the arse to do. What I SHOULD have done was to first drill and secure the very ends of each lenght of wood, and THEN drill though both wood and steel beneath. It took me ages of faffing about with the other method, and I only realised how should have done it when I was finished. I just got carried away with my rivnut tool! If i easily could have aquired Plusnuts in Sweden, I would have used them instead.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing hey.
All these things come from experience.
You learn from your mistakes
I've had plenty myself.
These Rivnuts are good :D
timothy790110 n
Norman Gills n?
This comment will probably save me hours of work!
Greg . Stainless, alloy or steel zinc coated ? How hard are the steel and stainless ones to crush, and does the alloy ones strip the threads easily ? Thanks Jon
I used stainless ones for the bed frame. They are quite tough to squeeze up which is why you need the bigger tool with more leverage.
It is possible to strip the threads on aluminium ones so be careful not to over tighten those ones.
Riv nuts are the nuts
Sorry if this is a stupid question but does the rivnut secure to the van in the same principle as a actual rivit ?
Yes it compresses and bulges out behind the panel and locks in very tight to your drilled hole with added scoring for extra grip.
Hi Greg, I know you're traveling right now but I'm using M6 fitting and really struggling to close the rivnut tool. It is almost impossible to close, you make it look fairly easy. I can't figure out what could be wrong with my setup though? Any ideas?
With the arms wide open turn the wheel knob fully anticlockwise
Wind on a rivnut until it hits the nut and can't travel and further
Now turn the wheel knob clockwise till it stops with the arms open still
Now the tool is set and ready to be inserted in the drilled hole.
Squeeze handles together to full extent of the travel, this can be tough on larger sizes.
Back the tool out by turning the wheel knob anti clockwise.
My Rivnu tool arrived today with a box with hundreds of different sized rivnuts. It looks just like this one. So far, so good. I have a question which may sound dumb, but here goes: where do I get the bolts from? Do bolts come with standard threads? Do they come in different strengths?
The pack of rivnuts that came with the tool are an assortment of sizes and materials. I think some are aluminium and there may be some that are stainless steel and others that I guess are steel but are slightly yellow unlike the ones that I think are stainless steel. Any advice on this front would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, they will usually be metric sizes M6, M8, M10 etc
I used M8 which is an 8mm metric thread. So you just need M8 bolts to match. I would suggest using stainless steel as they are much stronger and will last a lot longer. You can buy the bolts online or in diy store.
Search for Kay’s Fasteners they are brilliant cheap and really fast delivery. Hope that helps 👍🏼
Greg Virgoe Thank you so much for your reply. Today I found a store which specialises in bolts (about 15 minutes from home) where I was able to buy stainless steel bolts. It turns out that the tie down points in my van (Renault Master) are M8 and I have been able to use those to secure some of the crosswise battens for the floor. The original fasteners were too short, but longer bolts worked brilliantly. Next week I hope to finish my floor and then use the rivnuts tool to install supports for my bed. Your videos are fantastic, and although I can’t source all the same products here in Australia, the level of detail you provide makes it easier to find suitable substitutes. I can’t thank you enough!
Phoenix Starr, that’s really good to hear, thank you 😊
@@GregVirgoe for stainless steel, ebay was coming up £6.99 for 5 (was M8 or M10) and keys fastners is coming up 27p each for M8; what a difference; thank you
My dad has an old RS rivnut gun, but it only goes up to M5 which has 7.9 half the torque of an m8. How do I know if the torque is any good? Ideas
Your videos are so well done. This looks like a plusnut tool. Is it the samething?
Made by the same company. Very similar in design. Plusnuts are longer and have splits in the side so they spread out further behind the panel.
You do not need a rivnut tool just use a nut and bolt. Wind the nut up the bolt screw the bolt into the rivnut hold the bolt steady and tighten the nut voila it's done.
Is this a 13 inch or 16 inch tool?
Would this procedure apply to fitting L track to the floor of a van ?
You can use rivnuts to bolt anything to your van 👍🏼😀
Rivnuts unfortunately become loose within 1-2 years, and they are aswell not that foolproof, you need to drill exact hole
Plus nuts (cross nuts..) are more reliable
Or just to point weld them afterwards
Love your videos though
Unfortunately couldn't find plus nuts or cross nuts in the uk. Only jack nuts but don't seem that sturdy.