so how were the crowds in door county? looks like the weather was good? if not warm?
as for touch up on the factory alcoa clearcoat, in a really small area (1-2mm) it may not matter what is used to cover and if getting it to adhere is anything like car paint, the defect would need to be enlarged, abraded, solvent cleaned and layered with paint over several days...i think clear fingernail polish may actually work better and can can be thinned easier for better fill and is more elastic when dry.
the factory does sell the clearcoat in a 12oz can, so one could mask around the defect, clean it with a solvent, pick away any loose edges and spray lightly with clearcoat and respray the next day. then remove the masking tape and when completely dry (one week) use a mild polish over the area to bring down the masked edges and follow this with wax or walbernize.
so for one defect this is 3 days of effort over a week total time one hour....but is less aggressive than a new panel and would use the makers clearcoat. i am going to try this approach on my 2-3 scratches.....
i purchased 2 cans last week.......turns out this spray clear coat is also what the factory uses as touch up finish on the oak or hickory woodwork! that's right they use the exterior clearcoat and not a wood specific product.....the clearcoat is a polyurethane that is much like wood varnish anyway....
so how were the crowds in door county? looks like the weather was good? if not warm?
as for touch up on the factory alcoa clearcoat, in a really small area (1-2mm) it may not matter what is used to cover and if getting it to adhere is anything like car paint, the defect would need to be enlarged, abraded, solvent cleaned and layered with paint over several days...i think clear fingernail polish may actually work better and can can be thinned easier for better fill and is more elastic when dry.
2air'
Well Door County was cool and I mean temperature wise....just what we were looking for after a blistering summer in STL. Interesting to note that the campground was only 25% occupied. Fuel at $2.79-$2.84 a gallon probably kept some folks away.
My spot is extremely small and up high on the streetside. Can't really be seen if you don't know its there. I went to WalMart and bought some spray clear coat. No brush on was in stock. I bought a little foam brush and sprayed a small amount in the cap of the can. Brushed it on overlapping the edges. I probably brush some more on after we visit the dealer's.
Jack
__________________
Jack Canavera
STL Mo. AIR #56
'04 Classic 30' S.O.,'03 GMC Savana 2500,'08 Vespa GTS 250
I'm interested in buying one spray can (full or partial) of ACF-50 to coat some minor pitting on the door of my CCD. Anyone know of a source for just one can? Thanks for the help!
The original theme of this thread was clearcoat failure on the newer units (the Alcoa finish...'99 and newer). The clearcoat failure on the 90's units is well covered in other threads.
I am sorry to be just tuning in to this problem again. Our 02 classic has a very serious problem of this filiform corrosion. Airstream gave me that term. When our unit was still under warranty, Airstream said it was a maintenance problem. Now they tell me to SAND THE AREA AND EITHER CLEAR COAT IT OR POLISH WITH CLEAR NAIL POLISH. Well, we tried sanding with the finest grit paper we could find, now we have a scratch in this area. I did cover it with nail polish. It doesn't look like the unit we bought, though. This is our second Airstream, and we have been Airstream fans for many, many years. We are considering other brands because we feel totally let down by Airstream. Airstream/Thor is not standing behind their product.
Jenturnr, It seems the slightest break in the clearcoat (ie: from a tiny rock chip) allows water and air to get underneath. Corrosion starts and makes "worm tracks" or filiform corrosion. It works its way across the aluminum. Since the corrosion is occuring underneath the clear it is difficult to fix. I think the best that you can do is to remove the overlying clear with sandpaper (or perhaps a q-tip of stripper?), clean off the corrosion with a little aluminum wool, and apply some clear on top. It will not look new, but you should be able to stop the progression. I hope someone else has a better answer!
rfield54 - Consider giving Dick McIntyre a call (888 912-9572). He repaired our 2002 Classic with similar problem (in 2003). He instructed me on the best repair technique and provided some material to use the next time (and there was a next time). He goes way back with the Airstream company and knows them inside and out.Good luck.
Brian
Hi everyone: OK, so here is what happened. Gardner used weed eater and thru a rock on the back panel. Clearcoat came off in small circle, about the size of a fingernail. Bad choices to repair so far. Tried a bit of fingernail clear polish, but the distinction between the damaged section and rest of finish is too obvious. So, A/S dealer gave me a bottle of recreational vehicle acrylic clearcoat spray, saying just stand about a foot and half away from trailer, and spray awide area including the area damaged. Place blue painter tape in a large square outside the spray area. Done, and what happened is the finish is a matt dull clear coat, not glossy, and further, the damage area is still quick to be seen, especially with the dull matt finish now contrasting with the rest of the panel and trailer.
What would be wrong with getting some silver rustoleum that matches the color of the Airstream and mixing a bit in a cap on placing with a fingernail brush on damaged area, and then glossy clearcoating the whole panel with the 12 oz. bottle from Airstream, obviously not using the dull clear coat sold by the dealer.
Hi everyone:What would be wrong with getting some silver rustoleum that matches the color of the Airstream and mixing a bit in a cap on placing with a fingernail brush on damaged area, and then glossy clearcoating the whole panel with the 12 oz. bottle from Airstream, obviously not using the dull clear coat sold by the dealer.
Any ideas or help appreciated.
Robert
Robert, the paint might help but I personally would be hesitant about clear coating an entire panel. My concern is that that clear coat may make an appreciable difference in the appearance of that panel and now you've really got a problem on your hands. I brushed on a little auto clear coat on my small spot up high on my Classic. Most folks wouldn't even see it due to its height, but obviously its not the quality of the original finish. On the good side we made it through the winter with no further deterioration, and the clear coat patch is still holding.
Jack
__________________
Jack Canavera
STL Mo. AIR #56
'04 Classic 30' S.O.,'03 GMC Savana 2500,'08 Vespa GTS 250
Just curious - is it possible that Alcoa has made some changes in the latest coatings scenario - without saying anything? It seems like the initial coated panels - from about late 1999 to 2002, or thereabouts - didn't seem to have many problems. Maybe it's just a fluke! My 2000 Excella has its' share of minor nicks and dings - but they seem to be just that. No obvious indication of any coating failure. On the other hand, I'm not real finicky about the finish as long as the overall rig looks good!
These fixes are progressively making the problem larger. I think that silver paint will make it even worse. If the area you already sprayed is a bit dull compared to the rest of the trailer, just try some polishing compound or a very mild rubbing compund to shine it up. I would give up on getting a perfect match... that quest will make it worse.
Thanks all for your input. I must say, if I had done nothing I would have been better off. The worst choice was to take the advice of the dealer and use the acrylic clear coal (not gloss or even low gloss) which they gave me free as it shows a dull finish not able to be polished with Walbernizing. So..
Hello all: OK, so I called A/S and they advised a rubbing compound to take off the RV clearcoat acrylic which should not have been placed on the panel in the first place. Didn't work. Got ahold of Dick McIntyre (phone number in 6 or 7 posts back same thread),and he was absolutely great. No go on acetone, but gave explicit advice where to go in So. Cal. and what to buy. Turns out what he advised had a bit of oil base in the clearner, and Sherwin Williams had a better product. Bought a galleon, rubbed like the dickens, and took off all the old acrylic with no consequence to the coating. It shines just like new (except for the small circle and rock ding where the original damage occured. Now, back to Jackson Center. They said nothing can be done, except replacing the panel if you want it to be uniform. Said use the clear fingernail polish, go slow, stay within the damage area, and live with it.
So that is where I am at. May post a photo tomorrow, if any of you have any further suggestions.
I am just really glad she shines all over that panel now, with one small circle, dead center of course.
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