Corrosion problems with new Airstreams

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Thanks Howard, I'm going to add painting those cut edges with Nyalic to my corrosion control plan. Looks like this is a one-time application unless a future filiform repair is needed.

I wonder if there is any flexing between panel overlaps. Have you noticed anything on your edges painted with Nyalic that indicates movement between panels?

Doug, I really don't think there is movement or flexing between the overlapping panels. That should be one of the stiffest most solid areas with the double surface and all the rivets--remember all those Navy planes you worked on. Even so, the Nyalic is relatively soft compared to acrylics or lacquer, so flex would not bother. That's its one draw back when used on, say, the boarding handle. Finger rings, etc will scratch it. Easy to touch that up when needed though.

A spray can of the Nyalic and a pack of those craft/artist brushes will do a million rock chips. Spray some into the lid and paint from there. Touch up kits and a full pint can of the liquid are available also. The pint costs almost $150 however and you would never use more than a couple of ounces. Lacquer thinner is for brush clean up. Acetone and even alcohol will work on the finish dried product, so just know that if you later use Acryl R or ParBond for caulking and need to clean that residue with alcohol. If your work is where you have touched up with Nyalic, you'll need to re-touch up.

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Chuck, it really doesn't matter that they are dragging the panel edges across the floor. The Alcoa precoated panel edges are already opened by the cutting process that sized them to fit. If they were to tip the panels on their side and drag them, they would ruin the panel and you would very clearly see it.

Airstreams are hand-built by assembly workers. If they used only highly-skilled craftsmen I couldn't afford to buy one, and I'm not sure they would be any better. Ours came out looking really good, so I'm satisfied with the process.
With more than a little pride that it is American made.

Doug, even though Airstream forms and cuts to size the Alcoa per-coated panels, I was under the impression that all edges were sealed prior to delivery to the assembly line. If not, every one of the curved/molded edges would spread Filiform up toward the rivets. But you know what, I'm going to call and try to find out just what Airstream does. Dan, customer service, has been there a long time and never not had an answer for my many questions. I'll start with him.

Stay away from trucks the rest of your trip home.

[dkottum]

Howard, I do remember those fighter jets I worked on and the pilots who flew them. You broke 'em and we fixed 'em, we had great respect for each other and were a great team.

I've got a least a million little nicks in a small area from that gravel truck. The Jerk. I hit it good with CorrosionX and wiped it up tonight until I can do a permanent fix.

[Howard L.]

Correction, it's a quart of the Nyalic liquid that costs $150. It might be difficult to buy it from the company anyway. They like to refer customers to their distributors. But individual spray cans of the product should be available and that's all you really need.

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Howard, I do remember those fighter jets I worked on and the pilots who flew them. You broke 'em and we fixed 'em, we had great respect for each other and were a great team.

I've got a least a million little nicks in a small area from that gravel truck. The Jerk. I hit it good with CorrosionX and wiped it up tonight until I can do a permanent fix.

Oh man!!! Bummer. I took a golf ball size one in the front just below the window and just above the stainless rock guard. It dented the skin at least 1/2 inch. Actually, in that place it doesn't show much. I saw it and a couple more coming and actually ducked. Heard nothing and thought I escaped. The one got me though.

If all your nicks are in a relative small area, you may be better off spot spraying the entire area instead of multiple little touch ups. Nyalic is only slightly more shinny than the Alcoa finish. The overspray shows only in certain reflective conditions. If you spray, just very lightly sand the Alcoa coat with 2000 grit , clean well then spray slightly overlapping the sanded area. Magnify this photo of my Filiform repair along the seam and rivet line. The clear coat overspray area is about 6-8 inches above the seam. Stops just below the running light.

You might try the touch up method first. If don't like, go to spray. Test spray first. It's thin stuff and will run very easily. Do the old auto paint job, shoot a very light coat first and let it get tacky (tack coat). Then ease the finish coat on carefully. Does not need to be thick-just enough to cover.

[dkottum]

Howard, I've got so many tiny nicks in the shell panels between the segment protectors behind the propane bottles, and the narrow strip above the segment protectors under the curved front window rock guards.

I'm wondering if I could spray this entire area with Nyalic rather than touch up a million nicks, to seal the nicks and give an additional layer of protection in the future?

Yes the window rock guards were hit as well by the gravel blast; I think I can polish some of that out.

Edit: I see you were answering my question as I was asking it. Thanks Howard!

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Howard, I've got so many tiny nicks in the shell panels between the segment protectors behind the propane bottles, and the narrow strip above the segment protectors under the curved front window rock guards.

I'm wondering if I could spray this entire area with Nyalic rather than touch up a million nicks, to seal the nicks and give an additional layer of protection in the future?

Yes the window rock guards were hit as well by the gravel blast; I think I can polish some of that out.

Edit: I see you were answering my question as I was asking it. Thanks Howard!

Buy two spray cans, just in case one starts spitting or something.

[interstateflyer]

Originally Posted by Howard L.

Interstate and Doug, I'd like to add one thing here if I could, regarding a brand new trailer. Filiform, if you are unlucky enough to get it (some do and some seem to have no problem) is going to first show up from under a rivet or start on the exposed/overlapping edges of the body panels (or before the new clearance light gaskets, on each end of the light base). For the rivets, Corrosion X soaking in under the rivet head is about all you can do. For the exposed edges, where damage to the clear coat most likely happened during assembly at the factory, or in shipping, you can do more with. Re-clear coat each edge using a small artist touch up brush. you are in effect, just re-clear coating the edge in case the factory applied coat has been compromised. liquid clear coat of your choice, but as posted before, I use the polymer based "Nyalic". It adheres to to metal, paint, other clear coat, etc. very well and does not break down via UV, salt, etc. After the edges are dry, then apply your Corrosion X to the seams themselves. This takes very little time. It will not be necessary as long as the edges are coated well, but you will only know they are not after the filiform starts to form. So the edge touch up just guarantees full and permanent coverage. Here's what happens if an edge coating is compromised and you spend a couple of weeks next to salt air.

Attachment 211011

Order Nyalic on line:

Attachment 211012

Your clear coat on cast pieces and things like the wheel well trim will show loss of coating sooner than you would like. They are an easy fix with Nyalic also. Just sand with 2000 grit and either tape off and spray or if small like the boarding handle, hinges or trim, use a slightly larger brush. The product flows very well and thus small brush work looks as good as spray.

Tail light castings sprayed and door hinge brushed.

Attachment 211013
Attachment 211014

If I was bringing one home brand new right now, I would lightly sand and go ahead and coat right over the factory clear on the handle, hinges, tail light castings, wheel well trim and maybe even the rear bumper. Again, no problem if you don't the fix is easy when needed.

Great post Howard. It's such a shame that we have to go though this. I started the time consuming process two months after taking delivery.

There are people who sought legal satisfaction and have confidential settlements but had to give up their trailers.......so I hear.

I've elected to keep mine and occasionally use Corrosion X and acrylic on the panels when the squiggles appear. It works well and I've stopped it from growing. I'll try your method on the cast items.

[streaminwild]

I was at Carlisle last weekend and saw aluminum rims for sale with extream corrosion. I wonder if manufactors are using ''fillers'' to stretch the supply. My mother used milk for scramble eggs. Taco Bell uses 20% ''filler'' in their beef. This filler may be causing the corosion problems. This thred is the reason why I own a 1999.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by streaminwild

I was at Carlisle last weekend and saw aluminum rims for sale with extream corrosion. I wonder if manufactors are using ''fillers'' to stretch the supply. My mother used milk for scramble eggs. Taco Bell uses 20% ''filler'' in their beef. This filler may be causing the corosion problems. This thred is the reason why I own a 1999.

I think 1999 was the year they switched from the peeling Airstream applied clear coated panels to the filiform plagued Alcoa precoated panels. Which poison did you get?

[streaminwild]

Doug, I have a 1' by 2' section of pealing on the front panel above the word airstream thats it. I guess that's the lesser of the two evils. I bought it from a couple in their 80s. The trailer had been sitting unused for a while. I wonder what is American made anymore. My Dodge ram srt is assembled in mexico and my wifes Honda in Ohio. Go figure..... Have a nice weekend everone. Gregg

[Howard L.]

Doug, one last thing and I'll get off line here. Your damage area, behind the propane tanks will fix just fine with no overspray or blending of the clear coat since you can spray the entire area. Just tape off the stainless rock guards, window guards and belt line strips then, spray the whole area. Don't think you will, but just a reminder, do not sand the Alcoa clear coat any more than to just dull it a little as prep for the Nyalic. If you sand through to the aluminum, you lose the Alcoa glow and end up with the dull gray of bare aluminum (it will not polish back up to the Alcoa coated color). There is the one RustOleum bright silver metallic paint that blends pretty well, but don't go there for just this rock chip problem.

Clear coat sanded through to metal:

[dkottum]

Howard, thanks again for the detailed information, very useful. I'll take a closer look at the gravel damage today and decide how to fix it. We landed in Battle Lake yesterday after six months away, plenty to do here as well. Gardens, house, family, too many cars, boat, dock, Dr. appointments. In the meantime the CorrosionX is on there to protect the exposed nicks in the finish.

[ggoat!!!]

Originally Posted by Howard L.

Don't think you will, but just a reminder, do not sand the Alcoa clear coat any more than to just dull it a little as prep for the Nyalic. If you sand through to the aluminum, you lose the Alcoa glow and end up with the dull gray of bare aluminum (it will not polish back up to the Alcoa coated color).

Clear coat sanded through to metal:

I agree...that looks terrible!!! I'd rather have corrosion than a bunch of non-matching silver spots and uneven lines. Bleh!!!

[dkottum]

ggoat, someone ought to take you behind the barn and teach you some manners.

Howard has offered repairs and contributed more to solving this corrosion issue than anyone here. He is taking damn good care of his Airstream and showing us how to take care of ours. You are offering nothing, go away.

[Landrum]

I'm at Foley RV tonight sleeping in my new AS. I was walking around and spotted a 2004 getting some work done. That's the first one I've seen in person with a considerable amount of filliform along the edges. I would much rather have that fix (sanding off the filliform and touch-up sealer) than the filliform.

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by ggoat!!!

I agree...that looks terrible!!! I'd rather have corrosion than a bunch of non-matching silver spots and uneven lines. Bleh!!!

You are correct if your area is small. Don't take the time, just stop it from growing--corrosion x, etc. But if you have a bigger area, you might want to reconsider and do a repair. You have the , after sanding, picture there. Look at the same area after -- spraying with metallic paint and then re clear coating. It's not a perfect match, but much better than corrosion, and as you will agree, much better than just sanding and leaving.

Having trouble getting more than one photo on tonight, will shoot you a photo of paint used.

[Howard L.]

Here's your paint. Depending on where, what and how big an area you are going to fix, then repaint, you will have to prep the area differently. In this case a template slightly larger than repaired area was cut out of poster board, taped into place, shimmed from behind to hold off the surface (so as to allow a soft painted edge and not a sharp one as tape would). It's a little work, but it comes out looking pretty good if you are stuck with larger areas of the corrosion. Best fix--- don't let it get that far. Set up an inspection and maintainence program like Doug talks about.

[ggoat!!!]

Originally Posted by dkottum

ggoat, someone ought to take you behind the barn and teach you some manners.

Howard has offered repairs and contributed more to solving this corrosion issue than anyone here. He is taking damn good care of his Airstream and showing us how to take care of ours. You are offering nothing, go away.

If you had the perceptual ability to comprehend what you were reading, you would realize that I was AGREEING with the example that Howard gave as what NOT to do; i.e., sanding too deep.


Now that you've been schooled as to what everyone (including Howard) clearly understood from my post (i.e., reiterating to not sand too deep), I offer this advice:

1) Knees.
2) Commence.

[ggoat!!!]

Originally Posted by Howard L.

You are correct if your area is small. Don't take the time, just stop it from growing--corrosion x, etc. But if you have a bigger area, you might want to reconsider and do a repair. You have the , after sanding, picture there. Look at the same area after -- spraying with metallic paint and then re clear coating. It's not a perfect match, but much better than corrosion, and as you will agree, much better than just sanding and leaving.

Having trouble getting more than one photo on tonight, will shoot you a photo of paint used.

Looks great, Howard!