Corrosion problems with new Airstreams

[Ron A]

Looks good. Thanks for sharing.


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[TheCabin]

Those are good pictures. Thank you for posting them.

It looks like the filiform was on the underside panel (edge covered by outer riveted panels). Did you notice if there was a crack on the organic coating or did the filiform appear to originate from the edge covered by the upper riveted panel?

[eheffa]

Originally Posted by Howard L.

I removed a couple of dime size filiform spots yesterday and then covered the area with silver paint followed by a reseal with Nyalic. This time I took some photos for anyone interested in a work guide to use for the removal of corrosion spots and then painting the area to bring the Alcoa baked-on look back. Once again the paint used is: Spray can, Rust-Oleum METALLIC, Brilliant Metal Finish, (7271 Silver Metallic bar code) available at Home Depot. A top coat of Nyalic spray finishes the job.

I remove the Corrosion with a small buffing wheel for a Dremel tool. Then lightly sand with 600 black paper a area away from the spots. Sand the Alcoa clear coat just ever so lightly so as to give the paint a grit to attach to. Using poster board or a like stiff paper, cut areas out that are slightly lager than the area to be covered. Shim behind the poster board to cause the paper to stand off the surface 1/8 to 1/4 inch. This will allow your paint spray to feather out under the openings for a soft edge. Spray with the Silver Metallic. Once dry remove the poster board and once again very lightly sand the overspray to gain a smooth surface. Clean the surface and spray the Nyalic or Clear coat of your choice.

This process works quite good on an edge where taping off adjacent areas is easy. This is where most filiform outbreaks form--on a top or underneath panel edge. To use this process in the middle of a panel is a bit more work but turns out OK also.

The result will look much better than the filiform if it is of any size (I would not mess with small stuff). In certain light, the repair will completely disappear. In other reflective lighting, it shows. I see where my repairs are, but I have yet to have anyone else see or comment on the areas. So to me it is worth the work. If you have not shot spray cans before, practice first. In general, shoot a light pepper coat and let it get tacky. Then spray a little more--let it get tacky again. Finally you will be able to spray a light final coat that will look wet and shine--thats where you stop while you are ahead. The Nyalic is very thin and will run easily if you don't use the "tack coat" method.

Good Luck
Howard

This is excellent!

Thank you for the images and explanation.

-evan

[mikesSE]

My original replies to this thread was not to seek repair of Filiform damage,but to get to the source - manufacturing failure of process.Jackson Center people deny that the problem is with the aluminum coating.They state that they have advance-tested the coatings to a twenty year simulated wear.My '07 showed Filiform within the first three years,and I was told it was caused by my environment.Corporate BS.I've seen older '80's units on beachside use and the old clear coat had turned foggy,but not corroded.Airsteam needed to step-up on this problem.Evidently newer ones are still susceptible to this as well as our models.This problem was a cost-cutter boondoggle,that is not going to go away.My A/S is going to look like it has measles,by the time it turns 10 yrs.Not much glory for such an 'Icon' of trailers.I'm not hating,I just expect my investment to remain pleasant to look at,as you would expect a 8yr old equivalent ( think Mercedes) to look.

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by TheCabin

Those are good pictures. Thank you for posting them.

It looks like the filiform was on the underside panel (edge covered by outer riveted panels). Did you notice if there was a crack on the organic coating or did the filiform appear to originate from the edge covered by the upper riveted panel?

This is the 2nd area on the trailer that had filiform coming from a underside panel. Not sure if it started at the rivet and worked out from under, or what. I do know my several problem areas started from a windy beach camping trip when the 30 FC was brand new. After a week, the trailer was covered with the slime of salt moistened air. Washed the trailer once home, but spots started on some edges and rivets anyway. This was before I knew about Corrosion X and also before I re-clear coated (sealed ) the raw aluminum sheet edges.
The only filiform that has popped up since using C X and sealing edges are the couple of areas like this that have come from underneath. Reason? My guess, a little salt residue that did not wash away. No noticeable clear coat adage so, I just can't tell for sure.

[Wingeezer]

Howard,

Nice job, I may try your approach!

I have tried something similar, but my results didn't blend in as well as yours did. Partly , I found that the silver paint I used was not the best match, I should try others.

I also carefully brushed the paint on which might not have given as good a result as a spray. I do have a couple of airbrushes, and maybe will try using one of them next time.

When you say that you used a buffing wheel on the dremel tool, was that a hard felt wheel?

Did you use the wet & dry paper just by holding a small piece folded in your hand, or maybe gluing a small piece of it onto a piece of wood?

Brian.

[tjdonahoe]

No problems here in Montana, very dry climate, no salty beaches , just stay off the roads in the winter because they are sprayed down with liquid salt...

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Howard,

Nice job, I may try your approach!

I have tried something similar, but my results didn't blend in as well as yours did. Partly , I found that the silver paint I used was not the best match, I should try others.

I also carefully brushed the paint on which might not have given as good a result as a spray. I do have a couple of airbrushes, and maybe will try using one of them next time.

When you say that you used a buffing wheel on the dremel tool, was that a hard felt wheel?

Did you use the wet & dry paper just by holding a small piece folded in your hand, or maybe gluing a small piece of it onto a piece of wood?

Brian.

Can't find my pix of the buffing wheels, but they are about 1 1/2 inch in dia and come in a two pack-- one black fiber and one tan. The tan is fine fiber, the black a little more course. The are small enough to do a small area and leave the skin smooth and shiny. Sand paper: 600 or 800 grit just held in hand. You are just roughing the Alcoa coat around the repair a little, then (second pass) removing the sandy feeling overspray of the silver paint before re-clear coating. Re-clear coating will hide all sand marks and bring everything back to a shine.

Here is the spray paint--if it will post from iPad (it says it's attached, but I don't see it here)

[m.hony]

The image shows when I touch the icon. It's a can of Rustoleum.


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[sb55]

I also had bad filiform around the whole belt line. Some spots it was almost an inch high.
Rather than try to touch up all of it, I painted the whole thing. I used hammer tone spray paint to hide some of the deeper corrosion. The first go looked pretty good but I then decided to get a plastic pin stripe kit to finish it off.

[sb55]

Originally Posted by sb55

I also had bad filiform around the whole belt line. Some spots it was almost an inch high.
Rather than try to touch up all of it, I painted the whole thing. I used hammer tone spray paint to hide some of the deeper corrosion. The first go looked pretty good but I then decided to get a plastic pin stripe kit to finish it off. Attachment 254516Attachment 254517Attachment 254518

Whoops. Forgot the finished shot

[jayseejay]

Sb55: that's a genius solution, and looks great! Joe

[Slympicins]

Very nice job and looks awesome.

[Paddygwalker]

In the UK we are being offered soda blasted rear light surrounds which are then sprayed with Corrosion X. Has anyone in the US tried this remedy. My local soda blaster will selectively do very small areas on the van which will surely look better. Discussion welcomed. Paddy.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by sb55

Whoops. Forgot the finished shotAttachment 254522

HEY!!!!!! Nice job!!!!

I did exactly the same think to my then 4 Y/O 2006 19 CCD. Right down to the hammer tone paint and dual pinstripes.

Only difference was the striping. I used a 1/4" with a 1/8" gap and then another 1/8" strip.

Two great minds!!


Lew Farber
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Master Tech Energy Systems, Inc.
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541-490-6357

[AtomicNo13]

Had the factory thought of this, you wouldn't have to had to do this for them!

[PharmGeek]

An update - I'm now at 2.5 years of ownership of my 2014 bunkhouse - no filliform on my skin anywhere - I think the door handle has a bit of it I think

I've done now 2 applications of the corrosion X spray to all seams and such - die for repeat this summer and I do it yearly not quarterly so far

Monthly washing - yearly application of griots paint sealant (a synthetic wax) and monthly spray on wax and dry after wash..

I go to the beach multiple times per year but live 4 hours from saltwater - always wash trailer thorough upon beach return.

So far so good thankfully

[Kingsmen 33]

I have had 4 Airstreams. Bought new 2015 28' FC last September. The past three units had bad corrosion on the tail light castings and rear bumper. One unit had the seem filiform.
I have kept new unit washed and have polished it. Used Corrosion X on rear bumper and cast tail lights. Good news is the bumper and cast taillights have no corrosion. Several seems have filiform. Interesting that adjacent seems have no filiform. This indicates the filiform is most likely caused by a factory cutting or jigging process that only some seems are exposed to. The process must scrape off the anodize or the clearcoat at the cut.
My wheel rims are 9 months old and are full or pitting corrosion. I will take it to the dealer in two weeks and expect them to replace them. I also bought a new GMC Sierra HD a few eeks after I bought the 28' FC, The aluminum rims on the Sierra shine like the day I bought the truck.
The issue here is AS is using cheap rims. I am going to ask for a cash warranty for the rims and buy after market rims.
I have done the sanding and clear coating of corrosion on the tail light castins and have also removed filifrom. It is a slow process but once you get the hang of it it works. I sprayed the sanded areas with clear coat and the corrosion did not come back.

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Who out there has a newer Airstream (say from 2001 through the current model year) that has the dreaded white spider veins AKA: form fill corrosion?

I know that Dmac had this and I do recall others saying they their shells had issues. I'm wondering now how widespread this issue may be. IMHO, this issue started on my trailer back in spring of 2005. The factory replaced all 4 of my rims and both cast alum tail lights. Not only has the corrosion come back on all 4 rims and both cast alum tail lights, but it now appears to be all over the body on both the exterior alum skins and the outside door trims.

A conversation with support in Jackson Center suggested that I lightly sand down the spots and apply clear fingernail polish to it. Do you know how bad my Safari would look after that given all the locations where this is??!!?? Asked what they felt was causing this because others also have seen this and I got no response.

You can view pictures here:

Airstream Issue

If there are a number of us out there, perhaps it's time we grouped together. I can't believe a $50k RV (and in some cases, a heck of a lot more) is doing this at only 1.5 years old and is 10x worse now a 3.5 years old. Anyone know how to start a class action if there are enough of us??

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Kingsmen 33

I have had 4 Airstreams. Bought new 2015 28' FC last September. The past three units had bad corrosion on the tail light castings and rear bumper. One unit had the seem filiform.
I have kept new unit washed and have polished it. Used Corrosion X on rear bumper and cast tail lights. Good news is the bumper and cast taillights have no corrosion. Several seems have filiform. Interesting that adjacent seems have no filiform. This indicates the filiform is most likely caused by a factory cutting or jigging process that only some seems are exposed to. The process must scrape off the anodize or the clearcoat at the cut.
My wheel rims are 9 months old and are full or pitting corrosion. I will take it to the dealer in two weeks and expect them to replace them. I also bought a new GMC Sierra HD a few eeks after I bought the 28' FC, The aluminum rims on the Sierra shine like the day I bought the truck.
The issue here is AS is using cheap rims. I am going to ask for a cash warranty for the rims and buy after market rims.
I have done the sanding and clear coating of corrosion on the tail light castins and have also removed filifrom. It is a slow process but once you get the hang of it it works. I sprayed the sanded areas with clear coat and the corrosion did not come back.

The nice thing about the Alcoa rims on our 2003 Classic.....no clear-coat.
Cheep?....not so much.

A quick polish every Spring is all thats necessary.

Bob

[dkottum]

Kingsman33 you live near the coast and that is a challenge to protect from corrosion. The reason the shell seams corrode so readily is the Alcoa provided clear coat panels are cut to size at the Airstream factory and left exposed to the salt and water. I believe the reason your trailer wheels corrode is because they are not clear coated (or it's very thin) and your truck's rims are.

Bob's rims are probably not corroded for the same reason my cheap rims are not corroded, we don't live in Melbourne Beach, FL. We did have a previous new Airstream with filiform corrosion that it acquired sitting on the dealer's lot for two years next to a winter-salted roadway. That went no further after using CorrosionX.

I have taken an an acrylic clear touch-up felt pen and carefully run it along those shell edges several times to coat them. I use CorrosionX on the seams, exterior fittings, and wheels a few times a year and spray Boeshield T9 (leaves a paraffin wax residue) on the underbody steel parts. So far no corrosion anywhere.

Coastal and northern road salt is a challenge. We plan a month camped next to the beach in Calif next fall, we'll need to get some corrosion repair products I expect. Try to mitigate it with plenty of CorrosionX.