I’ve read all the threads about organizing a trailer’s dressing room and I am VERY excited to get started. However, I did not find much about what to use to attach things to the walls, and what I have seen is somewhat conflicting. I’m not confident in any adhesive to not fail after a hot summer or two, so would prefer some type of screw or bolt. Assuming I’m drilling blind (i.e., don’t have access to the back wall to secure a nut), some people say to use rivet nut (which seem perfect in theory), others say they will fail in soft aluminum (such as that commonly used in horse trailers). A few others say to use self-tapping sheet metal screws. Is this the common consensus? These would be for accessories, maybe a ring for a hay bag, but never for a tie-ring to which a horse would be attached (those I would have welded/bolted, if I needed more).
Please note that we over-engineer everything around here, but this is what we do:
Drill a hole, tap it (to add threads,) and then use a stainless steel machine screw with fine threads.
Theoretically a self-tapping screw does this, but… the threads are fairly large and the metal in the horse trailer is both soft as you pointed out, and not very thick.
My trailer had some rivet nuts in the back doors to hold some metal trim and I’m not impressed… they spin out fairly easily.
I did some poking around (to make sure that the things I had were actually rivet nuts) and came across these “jack nuts” which look more promising. They’re like the wall anchors for houses that go in and then spread out:
https://www.rivetsonline.com/rivet-nuts-threaded-inserts/jack-nuts#1
Super, thanks! Those expanding screws look like the ones we’ve used in the past to drill into brick, which I liked very much. Anything that expands behind the aluminum and functions as a washer/nut should do the trick!
The jack screws won’t go through the wall of the trailer? I want to install screens but don’t know what to use that is short enough that it won’t go through the wall.
Yes, they go through to the other side and then flatten against it. When the OP said they were drilling blind and didn’t have access to the back side, I assumed that meant they’re going into a wall stud, the hollow posts inside the dressing room that the outer skin is attached to. Not through the single-thickness of the trailer side itself.
What kind of screen are you trying to attach, and where?
stall window screens.
Yup, blind, not through the trailer wall. If I did that I would think I could just secure a bolt with a nut (or something…)
Hm. Maybe a photo would help and someone can advise on fasteners.
I will say that when I had a trailer with drop-down windows I was perfectly happy with the Professionals Choice screens that just attached in the four corners. Or maybe you are trying to attach brackets for that kind of a screen?
Yes, those are the ones I have and want to attach.
