Rust spots already on rock guards - 2011 Airstream

[OB Bambi]

Wsmith: I am not rebutting what you posted, you sure sound like you know a lot more than me about metals. All I can say is what I experienced, my rock guards were covered with light rust, I polished them off and coated them with car wax. The inital time was probably four years ago. Since then, all I have done to maintain them is to wax them with Turtle soft paste wax about once a year. It seems to be working.

Randy

[Ag&Au]

Here is an interesting (at least to me) short article.

Why doesn't stainless steel rust? : Scientific American

It reminds me of what someone once told me about rust:
A light coating of rust is the best rust preventative there is.

My take on wax vs don't wax after reading this article and the above posts:
It takes oxygen to form a protective barrier on the surface of SS, however it also takes oxygen to form iron oxide (rust). So if you have an effective seal, I believe you don't have to worry about the protective barrier forming.

I don't claim that my ideas are always worth at least two cents, so this is not necessarily my 2 cents worth.

regards,

Ken

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

My wife can use her stainless steel appliances as magnet boards:-) Maytag refrigerator and Jenn Air range . . . both phony.

It's stainless clad steel. People were complaining when they switched from Steel to true stainless that refrig art would not stay up.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from Ga. . . what an interesting thread. We were just today wondering how to get the oil/roadtar stains off the guards and what to wax/seal/protect them with. I thought they were Stainless steel (in some fashion). SWMBO swears by Bar Keepers Friend in the kitchen. Keep this going and thanks, Craig

[wendywoods]

Hi all~!

The 6 hour de-rusting and waxing process went well. But then I did it all by myself without help so that's why it probably took so long. Here are some pictures. This is the stone guard before and after Barkeeper's Friend was used on it. Applied BKF twice, and most of the spots gratifyingly disappeared!! The entire coach has now been washed and waxed with these two Meguiar's products: Meguiar's Gold Class car wash and the Meguiar' Ultimate Liquid Wax. The Meguiar's ultimate wax is pure polymer. The company also told me that I should put the Ultimate Wax on the stone guards as well, as it will prevent rust.
I'm surprised that the Meguiar's Ultimate Wax ($25/bottle - ouch!) didn't produce a more dramatic result after all that work - the coach gleams, but doesn't shine. How does one get that really reflective surface on one's Airstream? Can't complain, she looks good, though, sitting in our new little driveway. Appreciate everyone's help on this! You're all my best new friends!

[wendywoods]

By the way, regarding the magnets - they have almost no stickiness on the stone guards. I guess that's a good thing. Not much low-grade crap in the stainless steel?

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by wendywoods

...........................

I'm surprised that the Meguiar's Ultimate Wax ($25/bottle - ouch!) didn't produce a more dramatic result after all that work - the coach gleams, but doesn't shine. How does one get that really reflective surface on one's Airstream? Can't complain, she looks good, though, sitting in our new little driveway. Appreciate everyone's help on this! You're all my best new friends!

There are members of the forums, that have an extensive knowledge of what exact type of aluminum sheets were used in what years. However, the short of it is: the type of panels used on modern Airstreams do not lend themselves to that mirror shine polishing.

I look on it as a blessing, because it is a lot of work.

Ken

[Wsmith]

Originally Posted by w7ts

There are members of the forums, that have an extensive knowledge of what exact type of aluminum sheets were used in what years. However, the short of it is: the type of panels used on modern Airstreams do not lend themselves to that mirror shine polishing.

I look on it as a blessing, because it is a lot of work.

Ken

Ken

I have a trailer that has one of the newer types of aluminum Airstream used but before the coating was applied by the Aluminum manufacture. In my case the clear coat was applied at the Airstream factory. You will have the same problem as everyone in the past with time. It is true that the clear coat may have improved through science but at some point in you keep your trailer you will be faced with having it striped and re-coated.
I suggest keeping it waxed and out of the UV rays as much as possible.

Wes

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Wsmith

Ken

I have a trailer that has one of the newer types of aluminum Airstream used but before the coating was applied by the Aluminum manufacture. In my case the clear coat was applied at the Airstream factory. You will have the same problem as everyone in the past with time. It is true that the clear coat may have improved through science but at some point in you keep your trailer you will be faced with having it striped and re-coated.
I suggest keeping it waxed and out of the UV rays as much as possible.

Wes

Thanks for the advice Wes.

Our trailer is kept clean and waxed, and is in covered storage when not in use, so hopefully it won't need any major refinish work for quite some time.

Regards,

Ken

[Ag'71]

Will the Meguiars aluminum polish work on my 1971? I don't want a mirror finish but I would like a somewhat shiny finish. I'll need to remove the clearcoat first, but what then?

[wendywoods]

Originally Posted by Ag'71

Will the Meguiars aluminum polish work on my 1971? I don't want a mirror finish but I would like a somewhat shiny finish. I'll need to remove the clearcoat first, but what then?

Customer service at Meguiars is great. If you get their customer service number call it and talk to Nick. You'll get answers quickly!

[mtntime]

How do I get the buffer marks off that the dealer put in my brand new 2012? We took it on our first trip left with it snowing and got back to tons more of snow. Between the continued snow and delays at the AS dealership by the time I got it into the shop for wash and wax the service rep glanced at the stone guards and said that won’t come off. I said what the dirt? He said no the rust! What rust they are stainless and brand new …. He said they recommend putting a clear bra material on for $600. I cannot believe that I can't take one trip, the first, without the stone guards rusting. Why are they not protected from the factory?? Only one of several disappointments with the brand new AS!

Suggestions on how to get the buffer marks off? Do I drag steel wool (other material) with the grain? And yes that is still rust showing through after the dealer buffed the crap out of them. Thanks for the help.

[Luckyducks]

If you still have some rust, use the Barkeepers Friend I mentioned earlier in this thread. Before you use any steel wool (or brass as Canoestream mentioned), try some stainless steel cleaner (either appliance or BBQ grill) available almost anywhere. The marks in your picture may just be wax marks. I don't wax my segment protectors, I just periodically use some stainless steel cleaner. If the marks don't come out, your dealer screwed up. I would think you could get new ones through the warranty. But, like I said, try some stainless steel cleaner first. Russ

[dznf0g]

Stainless steel cleaner works for me. I forget the brand, but it's the stuff found everywhere for appliances.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

This is what I was thinking. In the auto industry, it's call rail dust. It can show up car's paint, especially those which are transported by rail. Steel wheels on steel rails create steel dust. It gets on the car's surface and bleeds rust.

It can also happen on the road occasionally. Your TV brake pads may be semi-metallic with some iron in them...could be other iron or steel dust on the road close to iron mines or steel mills, etc.

Wendy,

I think dz nailed it. We had to deal with the problem constantly at the Chevy Store I retired from.

Your pic's looked very familiar.

I have used WD-40 regularly on them to keep the bugs, tar and rail dust from sticking, shines 'em up nice also!!

Bob

[wendywoods]

I can't see from your picture what the streaking actually looks like so I will just assume its rust. We used Barkeepers Friend, which you can get in the grocery store. Put it in with one of those plastic dish scrubber nonabbrasive pads and use lots of elbow grease. The Rock guards can be scratched and destroyed with the Brillo pads so don't use them. That got the rust out.

We have had our Airstream for nearly a year now and the rust never returned. (We polish it with meguir's or Turtle Wax twice a year.) I think it was the stuff they used on the roads in Oregon in snow that caused it.

Wendy

[perryg114]

Stainless steel does not like salt. If you are a yankee and there is road salt everywhere get it off the stainless as soon as possible. It is not going to help the aluminum either.

Perry

[CanoeStream]

Here's another discussion on the topic. This post by dwightdi does the best job I've seen to explain this cosmetic problem on the segment protector stainless steel.

[on edit: Dang! I already posted that in post 11 above. Will leave this here for those reading the tail of this thread. Like me... ]

[starcraft]

works on acrylic,stainless very mild product. Really perfect for everything on trailer hit those lexan protectors make getting bugs off much easier. $25b:wally bucks it better work. Just be sure to use microfiber towel that is real clean. I even did inside metal work, dishwasher any plastic, makes it look new