Corrosion problems with new Airstreams

[Luckyducks]

Originally Posted by dkottum

My greatest concern for corrosion was the clearance light frames "digging" into the clear finish and starting corrosion (common problem on these models), and the fact that 7 of the 11 LED lights had visible water condensation in the lights shortly after I bought it.

I went to my dealer in Minnesota with the problem and the service dept refused to consider it as a warranty issue and was very rude (the end of my business with them).

I contacted Airstream about it and they offered to replace the plastic base and lens assembly with the Classic base which is cast aluminum, as well as the lens/LED fixture. Not as a warranty item specifically, but as a "good will" gesture. My sense is they are careful about replacement of standard parts which I paid for, with higher grade products from their premium model. That's fair enough and I was happy with the gesture.

As I was headed that direction anyway, I went to the Service Center in Jackson Center and they replaced my Flying Cloud plastic fixtures with the much better Classic bases and lens assemblies. There are two different Classic bases, one for the flat sides and another for the curved upper lights.

They sealed all the lenses completely, and the three rear upper bases completely. The other bases they sealed top/sides but left bottom edge open to drain.

If you have a 2011/early 2012 FC or Int'l inspect your LED clearance lights. The later models have a rubber gasket that prevents contact of the plastic base to shell. The early LED bases have a high probability of corrosion.

doug k

This also affects 2010 models. Mine is a 2010 and I was in Jackson Center last month for some warranty work. All my clearance lights and bases as you described above were replaced at no charge. Here's a pic of what one looks like. BTW, these are standard on the new Classics. Russ

[hissilver]

Thanks for all the research and advice....

[David Logue]

I've got the 08' safari se 25'. It has the filiform corrision on the tail light.
Been to the ocean once, washed the AS when we left. But is was showing up
Before that. Im in north Texas. Can the taillight assy. Be removed, ground down and re-apply some sort of clear coat? It is bad when you pay this much
And get this sort of product.
http://www.argentumsolutions.com/wik...form_Corrosion

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by David Logue

I've got the 08' safari se 25'. It has the filiform corrision on the tail light.
Been to the ocean once, washed the AS when we left. But is was showing up
Before that. Im in north Texas. Can the taillight assy. Be removed, ground down and re-apply some sort of clear coat? It is bad when you pay this much
And get this sort of product.
Filiform Corrosion - JAMWiki

David,

I believe you'll find that you have to remove interior panels to get the Tlight assemblies off, others have done the repair with them on.

I did the battery surrounds with them still installed.

Bob

[Luckyducks]

Originally Posted by David Logue

I've got the 08' safari se 25'. It has the filiform corrision on the tail light.
Been to the ocean once, washed the AS when we left. But is was showing up
Before that. Im in north Texas. Can the taillight assy. Be removed, ground down and re-apply some sort of clear coat? It is bad when you pay this much
And get this sort of product.
Filiform Corrosion - JAMWiki

David, if your taillights are like mine (on a 2010 Flying Cloud), they can be removed easily from the outside by just removing the 4 screws holding them on. After stripping the old clearcoat off, you would polish the cast housings, and then either reclearcoat before reinstallation or leave uncoated with frequent sealants or wax applied. A local body shop said he would spray clear on them for $50. I seriously thinking of not reapplying clearcoat. Russ

[Luckyducks]

Originally Posted by David Logue

I've got the 08' safari se 25'. It has the filiform corrision on the tail light.
Been to the ocean once, washed the AS when we left. But is was showing up
Before that. Im in north Texas. Can the taillight assy. Be removed, ground down and re-apply some sort of clear coat? It is bad when you pay this much
And get this sort of product.
Filiform Corrosion - JAMWiki

David, here's an official Airstream document that may help. It's a little old, 2006, but still applies. Your tail light housings should be easily removed. Russ

[David Logue]

Thanks for all the good input, I will be using it.

[DGQ]

Two new guy questions:

1. Ordered and finally picked up my 19 ft International CCD! I am considering the dealer option to seal with the aircraft sealant. Xzillon, I believe is the product. Apparently there is a five year guarantee against corrosion and "fill", and if does happen I assume the dealer provides the fix. Cost for my 19 foot is 950. Has anyone purchased this option from a dealer?

2. Brought the trailer home and as I live in Oregon it was raining for a few days. After about day 5 I noticed a small drip from the front center window. (See attachment) It appears the leak is at the top seal of the center window rock guard. Is this an easy fix or is this a trip to JC? My dealer (Sutton RV) has been very thorough and accommodating but they are still working the issue after 8 days in the shop. Should I have concerns regarding the water tight integrity of the trailer? Thanks!

[Moflash]

Read the warranty carefully as I believe it will say if the product fails they will reapply it for free.They will not fix any filform damage just reapply their product.

A application of a good grade of wax along with corrosive preventive regiment might be a better choice.

[Gene]

DGQ, this sounds like the stuff they used to sell as an undercoat on new cars years ago until everyone figured out it was a scam. Sometimes it was just ordinary wax. Check it out thoroughly on the internet to see what it is.

Lots of bad reviews on Amazon ( Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Xzilon ) although there are some good ones. Seems like it is cheap to buy and the dealers make is big profit. Modern waxes with polymers will protect the trailer for quite a while (we do it once a year. Check out Griots online for Paint Sealant.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

"1. Ordered and finally picked up my 19 ft International CCD! I am considering the dealer option to seal with the aircraft sealant. Xzillon, I believe is the product. Apparently there is a five year guarantee against corrosion and "fill", and if does happen I assume the dealer provides the fix. Cost for my 19 foot is 950."

IMHO....Don't waste your money....Any quality sealer will do an equally good job. $50/ft is a little steep for wipe on wipe off.
From what I've read, it looks very much like a product we gave up on at the Chevy store I retired from....too many customer problems.

I use this every Spring. Easy to use and it gives you a chance to inspect things as you go.

Bob

[dkottum]

Unlikely to prevent corrosion. Spend less money on a annual paint sealer as mentioned by Bob. Then treat all the cut edges, rivets, and exterior fittings and wheels with CorrosionX quarterly, just dab or spray it on and wipe it off good. As soon as you can, spray all the exposed steel (frame, axles, tank straps, stabilizers) under the Airstream with Boeshield T9 which will leave a thin protective coating of paraffin wax on them.

The leak should be easy to fix but it can be tricky to find the source. Leaks can happen inside the shell layers and drain down between the vinyl flooring and plywood subfloor. The first indication of this is often a soft spot (rotten wood) in the floor. The only defense is one of these, used quarterly. I found a leaky door hinge on my our trailer with it, no other indication. Probe through the vinyl at the floor edge under doors and windows.

Sonin 50211 Rapitest 10% to 28% Pinless Analog Wood, Concrete, Plaster, Carpet, and More Moisture Meter - Amazon.com

doug k

[grabob]

This thread is about corrosion, but regarding your leak, we had some leaks at both front & back windows on our 08 19' SE. They were very hard to find and we exhausted 2 dealers before finding them ourselves. Look for incorrectly sealed rivets in the window drip rails, even small imperfections in rivet seating or poorly applied sealant. We had to remove factory applied sealant and re-fill "extra" rivet holes and recover some others, but this worked for us.

[dkottum]

David, the filiform corrosion problem isn't so much about the aluminum, it's about the clear finish they put over it and the method used. Airstream had to quit spraying clear coat on their trailers some years ago because they no longer had the safe facilities to do it.

The panels are prefinished at the Alcoa factory, then Airstream cuts and drills them for fitting and riveting together. It is at these cut and drilled edges where the filiform begins, then travels inward.

Moisture and salt are the elements causing it, Arizona trailers have almost none, coastal trailers plenty. Remove one of these and little will happen. That's why Products like CorrosionX and Boeshield T9 are effective; they create a barrier, but is must be renewed as it wears off. That's really not a home remedy but a maintenance practice that is effective. If the filiform is widespread, it must be removed and new clear finish put on.

It is unfortunate Airstream and its dealers do not provide recommendations for regional care of these trailers. Or perhaps find a way to finish those cut and drilled edges before assembly, but I suppose that becomes a facility problem. I see they do sell CorrosionX and Boeshield T9 in their store, as well as a number of finish sealants. I've got a pretty good supply and use them regularly. I think this works up to some point depending on where your trailer is located.

There are members here such as Robert Cross who have been successful removing filiform and documents their methods nicely. They are examples of how you can keep your Airstream nice as new in spite of this persistent problem.

I'm from the rust belt where fenders are expected to rust off the car, and I've lived on the coast where my aluminum widow screens and frames turned to powder. This is another case of us foolishly putting metal into these environments, Nature at work, and our frustrations trying to beat it. I just don't think lawyers are a solution to all our problems.

doug k

[Jackfre]

Originally Posted by Luckyducks

David, if your taillights are like mine (on a 2010 Flying Cloud), they can be removed easily from the outside by just removing the 4 screws holding them on. After stripping the old clearcoat off, you would polish the cast housings, and then either reclearcoat before reinstallation or leave uncoated with frequent sealants or wax applied. A local body shop said he would spray clear on them for $50. I seriously thinking of not reapplying clearcoat. Russ

I would try the rattle cans of Wurth clear coat. I've used it over their paint on alloy wheels on some old cars. Does a good job and small packages.

[PharmGeek]

ive been interested in this thread as we are pondering an AS purchase in the beginning of 2014....

you all have put alot into this thread and provided a great deal of info...I feel IF we go the AS route, we will at least be more prepared to monitor for and stymie any corrosion....

We live 4 hours north of the gulf of mexico in Birmingham, AL....but we will take at least on week long trip to the beach per year, but likely more than that including short weekend trips...so assuming I would end up going the AS route, I want to be that much more careful about this.

I have a year to think about it.....

Has anyone within this thread compiled a lengthy all inclusive list of possible to do's and do nots to do the best we new comers and anyone can to prevent, mitigate, or cure these problems? I have gleaned alot from the thread, but perhaps a summary of the high points would help?

Like at this point is there a checklist that AS should/would give to new owners to do the best we can to prevent this and or mitigate? What would this checklist say?

Thanks!

[dkottum]

Pharmgeek, a checklist would not be universal, but regional. Or like us, this winter Arizona desert, next winter Calif coast, next Key West. Very different environments. Some pull their rig through winter salted roads, can't think of anything worse than that. Airstream ships new trailers over winter salted roads.

The prevention is to keep the saltwater off the vulnerable areas of the shell, frame, and running gear as best you can. It can be done with coatings such as CorrosionX, Boeshield T9, paint sealers, touch up scratches/dings, washing as needed, garaging, removing and recoating affected areas promptly. Regular washes, inspections, and reapplying are needed, more often in corrosive environments.

Good to include leak inspection in your regular maintenance. Look over the interior, especially under windows and doors, and around roof openings for signs of leakage. The ONLY way to inspect the subfloor is to use a Moisture Detection Meter and probe through the vinyl into the plywood subfloor. Probe the perimeter of the floor in various and likely places.

I like to do these things quarterly, especially after a heavy, lengthy rainstorm. Wash, inspect, repair as needed, and retreat with corrosion preventive coatings. This is also a good time to apply an ultraviolet protective coating to your exterior plastic and rubber seals, and lubricate hinges and locks.

doug k

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by grabob

This thread is about corrosion, but regarding your leak, we had some leaks at both front & back windows on our 08 19' SE. They were very hard to find and we exhausted 2 dealers before finding them ourselves. Look for incorrectly sealed rivets in the window drip rails, even small imperfections in rivet seating or poorly applied sealant. We had to remove factory applied sealant and re-fill "extra" rivet holes and recover some others, but this worked for us.

Originally Posted by Jackfre

I would try the rattle cans of Wurth clear coat. I've used it over their paint on alloy wheels on some old cars. Does a good job and small packages.

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

ive been interested in this thread as we are pondering an AS purchase in the beginning of 2014....

you all have put alot into this thread and provided a great deal of info...I feel IF we go the AS route, we will at least be more prepared to monitor for and stymie any corrosion....

We live 4 hours north of the gulf of mexico in Birmingham, AL....but we will take at least on week long trip to the beach per year, but likely more than that including short weekend trips...so assuming I would end up going the AS route, I want to be that much more careful about this.

I have a year to think about it.....

Has anyone within this thread compiled a lengthy all inclusive list of possible to do's and do nots to do the best we new comers and anyone can to prevent, mitigate, or cure these problems? I have gleaned alot from the thread, but perhaps a summary of the high points would help?

Like at this point is there a checklist that AS should/would give to new owners to do the best we can to prevent this and or mitigate? What would this checklist say?

Thanks!

If you've read the "corrosion threads"........

Here's another War & Peace one to read and contemplate....


It may help in understanding the Factories position on this and other concerns owners have.......or not.

Bob

[PharmGeek]

can we get these on audiobook for my commute?

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

can we get these on audiobook for my commute?

"You don't need to drink a tub of dye to know its color."

doug k