Best Blind Rivet?

Pop rivets are pretty good but not suitable for the exterior of our Airstreams. They don't seal well and have the ugly hole in them. Solid rivets are best but are labor intensive, and not practical if you don't have access to the back side.



I need a better blind rivet for exterior repairs and patches on the Airstream. Why can they make a Pop rivet where the mandrel snaps above the rivet head like an Olympic? It would be quite a bit stronger. Surely someone makes a rivet like this.



I have not been impressed with the tri-grip "Olympic" style rivets. I consider them decorative rivets. They are designed for plastics and brittle materials. The three legs spread the clamp load so the material doesn't crack. They aren't all that strong. Good for filling a hole.



I've read about closed end rivets used in marine applications. They seal good, but aren't the strongest 5/32 rivet on the block. They are about the same as the Olympic for strength, and they have an open hole when the mandrel pops.



I also read about Cherry Q aviation rivets. They seal, they have a smooth, round head. They are stronger than the standard Pop rivet. But they have limited grip range and are hard to remove. Has anyone tried these?



David



PS Hansen Rivets has a good website.