Any good ideas on how to repair the rear bumper storage compartment on our 89 Excella? It is getting rather frail/rusty...
Should I coat it with something?
Replace it?
Thanx, Bill
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Life is Good-Camping all around New England
Good people drink good beer-Hunter S Thompson
We had similar issues with thin steel sheet bottom and rust and dirt accumulated.. Fortunately, the sheet metal was able to be saved...
Our renovation process consisted of:
1. Full cleanout with soap and water and soap pads/steel wool
2. Additional rust removal efforts using emery cloth and steel wool to remove rust mechanically
3. We drilled a couple small "1/8" holes in sheet metal at low points where water collected, to enhance drainage. Our spring and bumper pads were OK and didn't need replacement.
4. We then masked everything off and sprayed a Rustoleum primer and followed with light gray Rustoleum gloss paint for entire compartment, including sides of frame rails.. Painted only steel surfaces, not the aluminum trap door. Inside of bumper did get painted. Makes it much easier to find adapters and things in the compartment, and no rust to wear at sewer hoses.
So far, it has remained relatively clean and dry, and paint has held up
If metal were worse, we might have tried POR-15, which would permanently halt further weakening. Fortunately we did not have to consider replacement.
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Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
Bill,
We have a similar situation on our "trunk". I like the recommendations that Condoluminum gave. We are going to take it one step further and make some changes. Previous owner added a hitch receiver in the middle of the compartment . This limits the amount of space and provides great places to rub hoses on. My idea is to take a large piece of PVC pipe and mount to the outside of the top lid. I will keep my sewer hose and adapters in this. Next I want to take aluminum gutter and section this up into manageable lengths (little under three feet) and slot them together to make a telescoping sewer hose support. Saw this at a camp ground this summer and loved the idea. The top is hooked with bailing wire to the outlet of the waste tanks. then the gutter is extended as much as needed to provide a level slope to drain waste away from the AS to the campgrounds sewer connection. I will post pictures when I complete, probably in February. Hope this helps, Nick
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Nick & Holly
1972 Excella 500
1999 Dodge 2500
AIR# 13829
"We've got a PBS mind in a MTV world"
Jimmy Buffett
Bill,
I want to take aluminum gutter and section this up into manageable lengths (little under three feet) and slot them together to make a telescoping sewer hose support.
I have a piece of PVC cut in half length wise for kind of the same idea.
Any good ideas on how to repair the rear bumper storage compartment on our 89 Excella? It is getting rather frail/rusty...
Should I coat it with something?
Replace it?
Thanx, Bill
I added a little to the trunk, needed to repair some rusting...
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. This limits the amount of space and provides great places to rub hoses on. My idea is to take a large piece of PVC pipe and mount to the outside of the top lid. I will keep my sewer hose and adapters in this. Next I want to take aluminum gutter and section this up into manageable lengths (little under three feet) and slot them together to make a telescoping sewer hose support. Saw this at a camp ground this summer and loved the idea. The top is hooked with bailing wire to the outlet of the waste tanks. then the gutter is extended as much as needed to provide a level slope to drain waste away from the AS to the campgrounds sewer connection. I will post pictures when I complete, probably in February. Hope this helps, Nick 
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