Marker lights and filiform corrosion

[silverbacksurfer]

Wanted to start this post to show the potential damage lurking underneath these cheap ass factory Marker lights. If you have any FILIFORM CORROSION around the lights, close to the fixture , I recomend remove and inspect . With the neutral wire attached to the skin you have electrolysis going on making the corrosion way worse . One of my new LED replacement bulbs (6 to 8 years old} was out I thought , I removed the lens to find the light socket rusted away . As my A.F. name is Silverbacksurfer , I spend quit a bit of time camping on the beach in Ca. With all that salt water exposure exaggerated the corrosion issue. I purchased my trailer used in 08 , it is an 05, it had quit a bit of filiform corrosion on it already .I did not know anything about filiform when i bought it, oh well It has totally enriched my life. Anyway bought new LED lights removed old, stripped clear coat, sanded and painted . I know it looks like **** . What are you going to do, could not leave it like it was . Here is a simple mans thought on that . We are all just caretakers of these metal friends they bring us good times and here is the bad. Use them while were here and alive, take care of them best we can so in there next life with there new owner they can do the same and on and on. One of my best A.S buddies has a 1964 20' A.S I wonder about that trailers life story, how many previous owners that are Camping in A.S. heaven. we cannot take anything with us. I remember posting on the FILIFORM CORROSION thread over 5 years ago that i care more about my cholesterol corrosion in my body than about this filiform. Here is some photos. and once again I know it looks like ****. Cant see it from my surfboard on a wave. its way better than it was, stopped the corrosion around lights . The new LEDS have two wire no tapping to skin. Hope this helps prevent damage to other trailers.

[Cable]

I can't the the photos for some reason.

[Bluto]

It is a shame that this stuff happens. It appears to me, by looking at your photo, that the lights were installed by someone using steel rivets. Could that be?

[silverbacksurfer]

Originally Posted by Bluto

It is a shame that this stuff happens. It appears to me, by looking at your photo, that the lights were installed by someone using steel rivets. Could that be?

Those lights were originally installed from the factory with number 8 Steel sheet metal screws .They used those same number 8 screws throughout the trailer on the windows the window frames everywhere anytime that I've worked on it I've replaced him with the stainless steel screws. Two of those screws were so corroded there was nothing left, the corrosion was worst where the neutral wire was install through a ring terminal screwed into the skin. Once I sanded it and repainted it sealing it up with the new paint I'm just glad I stopped the corrosion. Installed all the new lights with stainless steel screws

[Bluto]

Thanks for the additional information about the regular steel screws.That is something I was not aware of. Although I have a different model of lights on the trailer than yours I've also had some moisture inside some of the marker lights . When I first noticed it happening I waited till the lens cleared of the moisture then sealed each one with clear sealant between the the lens and the metal colored plastic ring. It seems to have worked although I have not taken any of the lights off yet. I may take one of them off just to take a looksee to see if they still used regular steel screws on my model year and if I have any corrosion started underneath the light fixture.
You may have saved my bacon with your post. Thank You!
Do you plan to check and replace all of your light fixtures in the future?

[silverbacksurfer]

Once I saw how bad the socket was rusted on 1 light I removed all and replaced with new LED . The new LED lights are way brighter than the old style with a converted led bulb. the main clue to look for is around the light if you have filiform in the vicinity I would say you have a very good chance there is some major corrosion going on.

[Bluto]

Silverbacksufer,
No corrosion visible outside the fixtures so maybe when I sealed them it worked! Mine are are originally the LEDs. I still may make sure about the screws by removing one to check it out and to do a corrosion check behind the fixture.

[USAtraveler]

That moist salty air anywhere along the Pacific coast is the real culprit. It quickly sets up a corrosive reaction on the surface of carbon steel components, even if painted or nickel plated. Salt air is also hell on aluminum, even annodized al. The corrosion process is exacerbated multiple times over by galvanic/electrolytic reaction. I've spent a fair amount of time at coastal and SF Bay marinas to know that the only lasting solution as you've found is to use stainless steel. Washing aluminum surfaces regularly...like often...with Dawn detergent to remove salt is the only long-term practical way to slow corrosion. Any aluminum surface where moisture can collect, like where two pieces overlap, is a particular problem area to clean out.

[silverbacksurfer]

Originally Posted by USAtraveler

That moist salty air anywhere along the Pacific coast is the real culprit. It quickly sets up a corrosive reaction on the surface of carbon steel components, even if painted or nickel plated. Salt air is also hell on aluminum, even annodized al. The corrosion process is exacerbated multiple times over by galvanic/electrolytic reaction. I've spent a fair amount of time at coastal and SF Bay marinas to know that the only lasting solution as you've found is to use stainless steel. Washing aluminum surfaces regularly...like often...with Dawn detergent to remove salt is the only long-term practical way to slow corrosion. Any aluminum surface where moisture can collect, like where two pieces overlap, is a particular problem area to clean out.

You are spot-on sir. I am realistically about five years late on doing this service ,light change out, preventive maintenance. The corrosion damage probably wouldn't have been as bad if I would have attacked it years ago. What I was doing instead of working on my trailer was having a great time camping in it. Also the people that I purchased it used from lived in San Francisco Bay area and they had their trailer at a Vineyard in Sonoma. So when I bought it used it had filiform on it, but like I said before I didn't even know what it was. Anyway I'm going to start trying to work on a little more and like you said keep it clean and washed which I do. I used to keep track of the days I spend on the beach each year and I usually averaged at least 60 days or more.

Talk about Salt Air this photo is of my trailer at Emma Wood State Beach in California the back of the trailer is about 15 feet from the water maybe a little more

[Alan 117]

Nice repair, I have the same jazz growing on my 2012. I too live in So Cal and surf, guess I better get on the repairs.

[USAtraveler]

Originally Posted by silverbacksurfer

Talk about Salt Air this photo is of my trailer at Emma Wood State Beach in California the back of the trailer is about 15 feet from the water maybe a little more

Nice photo and great location just feet from the ocean surf, but what a quandary...go to the beach and fight salt air corrosion or always stay inland? I know my choice and I think yours too. There are just so many fantastic state parks along the California and Oregon coasts it would be a cruel irony to be handicapped in visiting them over worry about corrosion.

There are a variety of aluminum alloys; 5083 is the one that best resists salt water corrosion. I don't know which Al alloy is used by AS, but it does not appear to be 5083.

[Ruscal]

I read somewhere that the skin is 2024. Needs verification. 2024 is very strong, and would be harder to dent than the 5000 alloys, but it does corrode easily. If left raw it would need constant maintenance and polishing. Clear coat would lessen the work required, but the edges are still raw. Treating the sheet edges with a clear coating could buy some time, but most clearcoat that we can easily get are short lived in the UV light. What to do?
Russ

[Silverpig]

Hello fellow a/s owners,
We just bought our 2012 22’ sport on Valentine’s Day. We love it. We towed it back from Tennessee to Washington state. We also have the filiform at the ends of most of our marker lights. Thinking that in addition to the salty air that was written in an earlier thread being the cause, that humidity might also contribute to the corrosion. The filiform/corrosion problem is the main thing I want to fix. Also, while we were out in the trailer cleaning it and (me) retightening the kitchen sink faucet we noticed a minor drip at one corner of the exhaust fan. The a/s service mgr said it could just be from condensation from the heat effects to the cold aluminum. Any thoughts about this would be appreciated. I’m contemplating getting a maxx air cover to fit over the exhaust fan assembly. Does anyone know if the corrosive markings left by the filiform reaction can be polished out? I asked the a/s service department why a/s doesn’t use stainless steel bolts in the market lighting and he said he’d never asked headquarters that question. I’m also considering the rock guards. Would love feedback from anyone’s experience with these. At $1,400 installed I would like to know if it would be money well spent? Thanks and happy camping to all! SP

[Silverpig]

Oh I almost forgot. Was just told that the aluminum a/s uses is a pretty soft alloy. Something in the 600 series. This just came from an airplane vendor of aluminum. A/p’s use a lot of 700 alloy. For an answer to the message prior.

[Silverpig]

Meant 6000 and 7000 series.