First Trip to Beach. Wax? Treat? Stay away? 2024T3

[bass-o-matic]

Hello!

My hand made trailer is done and it's ready for the beach in a few weeks! I keep reading about corrosion. I want to park it right on the beach in Port Aransas. About 50 feet from the water. What should I do?

It's already been all over West Texas. Pulls great albeit not very aerodynamic.

I made it with 2024T3 .040

Thanks for any advice!

[Dingo Girl]

Sweet!

[moosetags]

That a cool little trailer. Very good job! We live about 100' off the Gulf in the Florida Panhandle. Our Airstream sits in the alley behind the house. We have had three Airstreams there over the past twelve years. For a visit to the ocean, I don't think that you need to do anything.

Brian

[bass-o-matic]

Thanks everyone!

[B00merang]

Very nice camper. Re concerns parking it on the beach...make sure to park it well above the high tide line (including any potential storm surges), and wash off the under carriage to get the salt off the bare metal. it won't hurt the aluminum above. Also, back some boards to put under the wheels to minimize stabilizer sinking into the sand and..personal experience here..to help the TV pull the camper out of the loose sand. Have fun. jon

[TxDave]

That's one very cool camper. I've built a few teardrops, but nothing as ambitious as your rig. Have fun at the beach.

[gecko]

Very cool!

We take a few trips to the beach each year, and the salt water in the Corpus Christie area, including Port Aransas, is some of the most concentrated in North America—nasty stuff for metal!

Definitely make sure you’re above the storm surge high tide mark, and rinse your undercarriage thoroughly. My son’s E-250 went to the beaches there when brand new and he drove through shallow water at the South Padee flats to get out of a rising tide and did not know to rinse. There’s been serious rust underneath ever since from that one exposure!

The Gulf breezes can carry light spray great distances which can then deposit salt topside.

Your vulnerability topside is at aluminum panel edges and piercings of any fasteners through the aluminum. We always do a thorough wash and dry and wax both before and after any trip to the beach, with particulat focus on those two areas.

For a quick solution when exiting, there are abundant boat washes throughout the area. Wash and rinse thoroughly, then pull out and find a discreet place to towel off. If you do this as you’re leaving, you can wait until your next destination or home to wash and reseal with wax.

We’ve done at least 5 weeks on or very near the beach each season since we bought our International new in 2009, and she still looks great.

Have fun, and enjoy the beach!

[urnmor]

You seemed to have put a lot of time and effort into it so you could use it and enjoy it. So take it to the beach and enjoy it. I live just outside of OC Md. and can tell you could sustain more damage from driving down the road or from hail before salt water will damage it. However when you get home just wash it down with fresh water.

[GM Airstream]

As to corrosion happening to your trailer .... yep salt water is a killer.. but... like aircraft which are made from the same metal... you can do like airstream did.. and clear coat it... or you can get clear alodine... which is used on aircraft...
It provides a conversion coating that then the salt water won't hurt...
Use alu prep and then apply the alodine... leave to 10 min and wash off with water... and your good for about 5-10 years... on your alu...

Where as if you clear coat it... you can get about 15 years out of protection...

Where if you wash it right after coming back home... it will help.. but you need to do it again for a second time... to insure you get all the salt out of the cracks and lap joints...
The 2024-t4 etc... has alu coating on the skin.. that helps to keep the rest of the sheet material from going away... mainly it has mag in it for strength.. and that metal doesn't like itself.. let alone any chemicals to destroy itself...

Keep it washed.. and no you don't wax 2024 alu... you use met-all for alu protection

[PatLee]

Will using Met All remove the clear coat on Airstreams?

[Tsunami-v2]

When I camped on the beach in Florida, I would occasionally give the trailer a fresh water wash down, just a quick rinse to get the salt spray off of it. Prior to camping on the beach, I gave the entire trailer a good waxing, followed by a coat detailers spray. The campground had facilities to wash your trailer, after leaving the beach, to ensure that you remove the salt and sand. Never had any problems corrosion problems from camping on the beach.

[GM Airstream]

Originally Posted by PatLee

Will using Met All remove the clear coat on Airstreams?

Yes it has a little abrasive to it... would not polish the airstream if its already clear coated... like paint.. you don't want to scratch it.. so in that case a good grade of wax is your best bet...

[Hittenstiehl]

Very nice looking! Good job.