Skin & Corrosion Updates

[ROBERT CROSS]

Very interesting how different folks have differing ways of rationalizing this
concern.

Bottom line....it shouldn't be happening on new trailers, period.

Brian,

In my experience, it will spread if not covered with clear,(post 9)

Bob

[dkottum]

Bob maintains his Classic beautifully and has good advice.

When I was younger and worked on airplanes in the Navy, we would get similar corrosion where the rivets and fasteners held the aluminum. We ground it off and treated the area with zinc chromate, then painted the airplane. I wonder if the additional step of zinc chromate would be helpful on these trailers, as a corrosion inhibitor? Of course it has an opaque color to it, and the touchup would have to be silver paint.

We rationalize this problem because we don't grumble when the car rusts, we fix it or trade it off for another. If we continue to enjoy our airstream as much as we have the last one, and if the corrosion gets out of control some day, I would consider a complete silver paint job as a solution.

It would be nice if these things didn't show corrosion after only a year or two. Part of the deal with the newer aluminum coating process. For now I'll take this maintenance over polishing to keep it shiny.

doug k

[ROBERT CROSS]

Same background Doug....VMGR-152 USMC
And yes the CG had a polished C-130

Bob

[mrchinup1]

[QUOTE
''We rationalize this problem because we don't grumble when the car rusts, we fix it or trade it off for another.''

'' It would be nice if these things didn't show corrosion after only a year or two. Part of the deal with the newer aluminum coating process. For now I'll take this maintenance over polishing to keep it shiny.''

doug k[/QUOTE]

Ha, i surely will grumble when the price tag is 50 to 100k. I'll never buy another new AS or GM truck, it's hard to make fun of China crap after owning both of these babies.

I'm not sure they told everyone that corrosion would start in about a year after owning it? I'd be willing to bet they use inferior AL and most of us know now they don't know the meaning of QC.

[Matt Kline]

Well, I got satisfaction to a point. AS has scheduled me to bring my 2010 23 FB back to the factory and they will treat the corrosion and reseal.
A polite reply to the fella who said we should expect rust if we live on the coast or where they treat roads with salt. BS. Yes, we do live on the Gulf, but my wife drove her BMW for over ten years here and there was no corrosion when we sold it. I think I waxed it once. I drive the hell out of my PU's and haven't had one rust since my 85 Chevy stepside.
If the auto industry can fix the problem, years ago now, AS can fix it. I'm pleased they are willing to help me, but unhappy that they've let this go on for years now.
I'll let y'all know how my factory experience goes. I'm scheduled up there on Nov. 14th.
M

[Matt Kline]

BTW: AS is still hands down the best RV on the road. If you don't believe me, go talk to a service center that works on all brands. As a shop owner in AZ told me last week, "I've worked on hundreds of RV's and there are a few good ones, BigFoot being one, but none compare to AS, especially in "behind the walls areas" you owners rarely see."
I love my AS. My only complaint is this damned corrosion.

[Colonial Airstream]

[QUOTE=Matt Kline;1054286]Why do we accept this obvious flaw on an expensive product?QUOTE]

Not to make an excuse for Airstream but in what month was your trailer built?

If the answer is December, January February or March it may have been towed through winter weather conditions on its way to the selling dealer. If the road salt was not washed off before it was placed on the lot and left to bake in the sun for several months, it may have something to do with the rapid rate of corrosion.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Some War & Peace reading Airstream style...ck post 685 2 yrs old at the time and "normal" according to AS..http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142...s-31743-7.html

Bob

[SilverGate]

Earlier in this thread, I wrote that I thought that the clear coat on newer Airstream trailers should not be disturbed, as in sanding (post #8).

But I have now encountered certain places, such as my taillight bezel housings, that seem to be especially susceptible to prolific filiform growth.

Thanks Bob for posting your procedure (post #9) for cleaning certain areas of filiform, which I adapted for removing several large filiform lesions on my 2007 Safari taillight bezel housings.

I found that gently using a small flat screwdriver worked better for me than a Dremel. I did use incrementally finer grits of wet sandpaper, cleaned with mineral spirits, and applied clear nail polish.

More details are in my just posted article, "2011 Wash, wax, and treat time", Airstream Life Online Community.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Matt Kline

Well, I got satisfaction to a point. AS has scheduled me to bring my 2010 23 FB back to the factory and they will treat the corrosion and reseal.
A polite reply to the fella who said we should expect rust if we live on the coast or where they treat roads with salt. BS. Yes, we do live on the Gulf, but my wife drove her BMW for over ten years here and there was no corrosion when we sold it. I think I waxed it once. I drive the hell out of my PU's and haven't had one rust since my 85 Chevy stepside.
If the auto industry can fix the problem, years ago now, AS can fix it. I'm pleased they are willing to help me, but unhappy that they've let this go on for years now.
I'll let y'all know how my factory experience goes. I'm scheduled up there on Nov. 14th.
M

The skies are clear today. I can see the chemical plants with no problem across the Bay from the head of our street. Wave to us!! I also think that the petrochemical industry emissions can make some days worse than others around here. I don't at all disagree with your contention -- and was a'smilin' at your rant (hail yeah [I took notes on the how to from that]) -- but it's a contributing set of factors at best (one I'd still treat for by waxing). Don't get your way too often (Rockport, usually), but had a recently-moved neighbor who's ancestors bought over your direction back in the days of Taft Farm. Hope the factory addresses your concerns to your satisfaction.

.

[ROBERT CROSS]

SG,

Looks great....you have graduated to the Grand Poo Bah level of Filiform Frustration Fixature. Congratulations

Bob

[SilverGate]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

SG,

Looks great....you have graduated to the Grand Poo Bah level of Filiform Frustration Fixature. Congratulations

Bob

Thanks Bob!

-- Bill

[CDONA]

I was drooling over a '12 EB still on the lot and suffering the corrosion around all running lights & grab handle.

Subscribed

[rodsterinfl]

This is a helpful, even if unpleasant thread. Having owned my used trailer a week. I am realizing that the original owner did no maintenance on it. It sat out somewhere in the Palm Beach FL area for the past six years. I have lots of corrosion and what I have seen here looks minor to my visual issues. So, I have lots of this stuff to tackle and I haven't even seen the roof yet!

Questions. When you clean the belt line between rivets with WD40 then ball sand, how to you apply the stainless paint? With a touch-up brush? Do you buy the bucket not the spray? The wheels have lines of white too. They are alcoa, just sand them? Topical solutions do not phase the bumpy corrosion. Same with the hinges, door handle, etc. The dealer suggested a belt line rail with chrome look insert after cleaning and sealing the belt line. Sounds great. How do they attach the belt line rail? I know the lower rail is riveted I believe. Has anyone added one?

My Airstream has cancer!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Rod,

Do you have any pic's of the beltline corrosion?
It's important that the filiform gets cleaned and sealed well before applying the molding.
If needed you can do that yourself and then have the dealer install the molding, IF...your comfortable with their competence.
The stainless paint I used was applied by brush, cosmetically it probably wouldn't be "invisible" enough for use on the beltline corrosion.

When I did my door hinges and entrance door handle no clear was used.

Battery doors using this method.

Hope this helps...good luck!!

Bob

[CDONA]

I'm going to drag this thread back for one question I flashed upon,
What is the Ph of this corrosion? Acid or alkali to chemically neutralize when cleaning off the aluminum oxide?

[rodsterinfl]

Hey Robert and others. I had filliform so bad that I had to use a 4 inch plastic sanding brush drill wheel along the beltline. I had it looked at and discussed the process with Airstream too. In my case, sanding was a necessity and part of the cleaning process before sealing. It worked very well. That has not been the case around the stove vent or the door handle - both common areas of this issue. I sanded and painted the areas and, it looks like I did too. At least it is better than the filliform "bumps" that were there but, I am still considering some sort of aesthetic solution for those areas. One dealer on the phone said that he had seen many AS campers with it around the stove vent and they put stickers, decals and other objects around it. hmm.

[rodsterinfl]

I did not test the pH level on mine but I found this for you CDONA:


Filiform corrosion (also known as wormtrack corrosion) is a cosmetic problem for painted aluminum. (Airstreams, with their coated aluminum are in a sense painted) Pinholes or defects in the paint from scratches or stone bruises can be the initiation site where corrosion begins with salt water pitting. Filiform corrosion requires chlorides for initiation and both high humidity and chlorides for the propagation of the track.

The propagation depends on where and how the alloy is used. The filament must be initiated by chlorides, and then it proceeds by a mechanism similar to crevice corrosion. The head is acidic, high in chlorides, and deaerated and is the anodic site. Oxygen and water vapor diffuse through the filiform tail, and drive the cathodic reaction. Filiform corrosion can be prevented by sealing defects with paint or wax, and keeping the relative humidity low. (from key metals.com)

The only neutralizer I can think of chemically would be ammonia - as a base.

[Matt Kline]

I read this thread again to see what's new every month or so. This is so maddening. We buy what is supposed to be the best trailer available and have corrosion in less than two years.
My only consolation is hearing from my brother, a pilot of three decades, and owner of a very nice Piper (I don't know anything about planes so doin't ask me which one. It's the same one JFKs son killed himself in)
Anyway, he says plane owners have this same problem, get just as exasperated as we do, and try the same solutions.
Me, I'm going to do what I can a few times a year, and when I'm totally fed up I'll get a body shot to paint the damned thing.
Besides that I love my AS. It's a 2010 with at least 80,000 miles from Alaska to Newfoundland and to every region in the lower 48. Except for some brake issues and corrosion, we've had no problems with our "well used" AS.
M

[CDONA]

So the application of alkali playa dust from Burning man is an active ingredient to combat filiform?




YESSS