Corrosion problems with new Airstreams

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by Sky

Thanks Howard. I'm going to refinish the battery door frames, and I thought I would try this stuff unless someone else already has.

Toonbrite Aluminum & Fiberglass Cleaners Polishes and Clear Coat

When I finish the frames, I will test how well it works on a couple spots near a tear drop light. Sure would be nice to find a clear coat that matches reasonably well.

Great, the more we all try different fixes, the more likely someone will stumble onto a skin color match.. Robert has done good work with his silver paints without clear coat. No real reason to clear coat if the paint is there protecting the AL skin. In general, clear coat is always going to darken that to which it is applied to. Since a sanded bare metal spot shows darker than the Alcoa "brushed aluminum" factory finish, clear coat of any kind is not going to aid in matching. The Rust-oleum I used on the skin in my post above is a strikingly good match to the Alcoa skin finish. I tried brushing it on, but is so thin that that approach did not work. Spraying worked great, but the "overspray ring" is a problem. Going to try another spot again to see if I can sand the overspray away without cutting down into Alcoa's clear coat thus exposing a new area of raw skin. Let us know how your product works out.

Howard

[Sky]

Ahhh, so matching the factory surface texture is the hard part. Thanks, ill keep that in mind.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Bbelk

I am about to pour a concrete slab to park my 2010 27FB on. Why is this listed like it might be a bad thing?

Thanks
Brad

I gather from reading all too many posts about tires and what they sit on, that at one time tires were negatively affected by concrete and dirt and gravel surfaces. I believe that to be no longer true or everyone with a concrete garage floor or driveway would have problems with their tires. Moisture in soil and masonry doesn't do tires a lot of good (though I don't see any evidence they hurt them either), so some people use plastic or wood to separate the tires from the surface. Can't hurt, but every winter I usually forget that and leave the trailer on a combination of dirt and gravel. After almost 4 years, no obvious problems with the tires.

Gene

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Gene

I gather from reading all too many posts about tires and what they sit on, that at one time tires were negatively affected by concrete and dirt and gravel surfaces. I believe that to be no longer true or everyone with a concrete garage floor or driveway would have problems with their tires. Moisture in soil and masonry doesn't do tires a lot of good (though I don't see any evidence they hurt them either), so some people use plastic or wood to separate the tires from the surface. Can't hurt, but every winter I usually forget that and leave the trailer on a combination of dirt and gravel. After almost 4 years, no obvious problems with the tires.

Gene

Gene what I was told in a tire safety seminar was that the lime in the concrete leaches compounds from the tires, thus shortening their life. Supposedly the black mark left on the concrete by a tire that sits for a time on concrete is the evidence of the leaching process. Mine sit on concrete so I use cardboard to maintain the separation.

Jack

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, when I worked at the Ford dealer, we had an account with the Sheriff's department. They buy new cars by the hundreds and most/some of them sit on concrete for years without ever moving. They are rotated into use as needed. Not trailer tires, but rubber tires just the same, and sit for three or more years, on concrete without moving at all. My trailer sits on my concrete driveway, but gets used occasionally. If concrete has any effect, it can't be much.

[ROBERT CROSS]

"Dear Tire Doctor,

Can storing a vehicle on concrete effect the tires? Should I put barriers like plastic or other non-porous material under the tires? How about the effects of continuous storage for several days at a time with use between storage periods?

Thanks for your help on this subject."

Best Regards, Len



"Dear Len,

Thank you for contacting Bridgestone and allowing us to assist you.

First of all, regarding the effects of storage:

A cool, dry, sealed garage is your best condition for storage, however, it is realized that this is not often an available option. Concrete is not the tire enemy some people think it is.

We would recommend the following steps in storing a vehicle:

1. Make sure the floor / ground surface is free of any petroleum product contamination (Oil, grease, fuel, etc.) since petroleum products will attack rubber and can cause significant damage to compound characteristics.

2. Thoroughly clean your tires with soap and water.

3. Place a barrier such as plastic, cardboard, or plywood between the tires and the ground surface.

4. Cover your tires to block out direct sunlight and ultra violet rays.

5. Do not store the vehicle in close proximity to steam pipes, electrical generators or animal manure since these accelerate oxidation of the rubber.

6. Make sure your tires are fully inflated with air.

7. When the vehicle is ready to go back into service, inspect the tires for excessive cracking in both the sidewall and tread area and check all tire air pressures. Tires will normally lose about 2 PSI per month so you should expect to find the pressures lower than when you put the vehicle into storage. Re-inflate the tires to the correct air pressure before operation.

Now, about the effects of time:

Yes, rubber compound does slowly change over time, becoming "harder" as it ages. But unless we are talking years, this would be virtually undetectable. However; the most likely effect of storage will be:

1. Flat spotting of the tires from taking a 'set' while sitting in one position for an extended length of time. This 'set' may work itself out of the tires after being put back into operation, but not always. This, of course, would result in a vibration.

2. Tires have waxes and oils specially formulated to protect against ozone damage built into their rubber compounds. When the tire rotates and flexes, these waxes and oils are forced to the tire's surface and are thus able to protect the tire. When a tire is stationary, these waxes and oils are not coming to the surface and thus the tire is at greater risk of ozone damage.

3. Several days of non-use at a time is not nearly as detrimental to tires as long storage periods. The tires would still be operated often enough to avoid excessive 'set' and the waxes and oils are being forced to the tire's surface often enough to provide adequate protection against ozone."

Best regards,
The Tire Doctor


Bob

[Bbelk]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

3. Place a barrier such as plastic, cardboard, or plywood between the tires and the ground surface.

Ok - concrete is not bad, so assuming no oil or horse ****, why step three?

[Gene]

Our SUV's over the past 13 years have been garaged on a concrete, untreated floor. Our trucks stay outside on gravel since we use the other bay for stuff like a riding mower and RV supplies.

All Michelin tires on concrete have lasted well over 60,000 miles and the only reason they were replaced was they were worn down to minimum tread. They have lasted beyond the miles Michelin claims for them.

I can't say much about OEM tires because they generally wear fast inside or out as they are low quality.

Bbelk, seems like Bridgestone is covering their bets. This is language dictated by insecure lawyers.

Gene

[idroba]

Originally Posted by Bbelk

Ok - concrete is not bad, so assuming no oil or horse ****, why step three?

I think, when I read it, they meant that if you are not storing on concrete, that some layer between the tire and the "ground" is recommended.

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by Bbelk

Ok - concrete is not bad, so assuming no oil or horse ****, why step three?

Since April 2007 this thread is the most massive set of posts about corrosion on our trailers. Included is a wealth of information on how to repair, how to deal with JC about the problem, products to use, how to avoid, etc. To learn here takes a ton of time and 100s of pages of review. I hate to see it hijacked with non related information about trailer tires. Yes, I know there are comments about concrete and corrosion, but we've now moved to tires. Make any body mad with these comments, sorry, start a tire care thread.

Howard

[Bbelk]

Day one, second post by originator talking about corrosion.

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

The Safari does not sit on bare concrete

That is what led to the apparent hijacking. I am better now. No more tire questions.

Brad

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi,

Airstream tire corrosion.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by idroba

I think, when I read it, they meant that if you are not storing on concrete, that some layer between the tire and the "ground" is recommended.

Yep..

Ground....as in dirt.

Concrete on a wet mat during the Season.


In the basement for Winter storage.

Bob

[m.hony]

Is this the corrosion everyone is talking about?

It is around the storage compartment frame.
What can I do about it?

[dkottum]

No, that's not the filiform that is found on panel suffices. Not sure if corrosion of any kind, but not clear enough for me to see.

doug

[Silver Goose]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Is this the corrosion everyone is talking about?

It is around the storage compartment frame.
What can I do about it?

What I'm seeing in your photos appears to be something from the adhesive used on the rubber gasket. The brown rusty appearance on the inner surface of the frame, is that it? Any other opinions on this?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Is this the corrosion everyone is talking about?

It is around the storage compartment frame.
What can I do about it?

It's not filiform...try some metal polish, if the rag turns black right away you should be able to get most of it out.

As Doug said, kind of hard to see clearly.

POI...some self stick insulation foam wrapped around the door cable will help keep the gasket in one piece.

Non-slip tread, keeps stuff from rolling off.

Bob

[JoStrickland]

I'm new to the forum...looking for information on corrosion when I stumbled into this site. I thought the trailer was developing corrosion because we live so close to the ocean but it seems to be a much deeper problem. It has spread all over our rig and at this point I don't see any help for it.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Jo,

Your not alone....

This is the primary thread on the subject.

Post some photo's, it will help determine your best options.

The salt air will definitely add to the problem, but a lot of folks miles away from the Ocean are also effected.

Continue reading here to learn more about it.

Bob

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by JoStrickland

I'm new to the forum...looking for information on corrosion when I stumbled into this site. I thought the trailer was developing corrosion because we live so close to the ocean but it seems to be a much deeper problem. It has spread all over our rig and at this point I don't see any help for it.

If it looks like this, it's filiform corrosion. This is a one year old flying cloud that camped near the beach for three weeks. The corrosion showed up one month after that even after washing when home. Yes, give us some pictures of how bad it is. There is a URL address somewhere on back pages that I think Bob posted a while ago (Bob would you maybe post again if you still have that web address). It explains the filiform and how it works--even has a moving video showing it's progress. The Corrosion X stops its spread if you rub the area slightly with, say, an edge of plexiglass to open the vein a little so the C X can penetrate the area. Don't know how much the, spread-all-over, you have, but you can at least stop it's progress and with regular inspections, catch any new areas that show up. There are also corrosion problems with the cast aluminum parts, door hinges, tail lights, battery door frames, that several members have fixed and posted results here also. You are now a part of the most lengthy Forum posts in Airstream history. I guess that is something none of us are happy about, but at least you have company and lots of help.