Electrostatic Corrosion Control System on AS?

[Freeheel]

Hey Gang

I came across this device shopping online at Canadian Tire and thought it was kindof interesting:


The manufacturer claims: "The CounterAct electrostatic corrosion control system was specifically designed to address open air corrosion problems. CounterAct's technology, because it relies upon electrostatic fields rather than impressed current electricity, is currently the only proven and demonstrated electronic method that can effectively deal with the problem of open air corrosion."

Elsewhere they state:"A modified version of our proven OR-4 design modified to specifically address the corrosion problems of aluminum body steel frame vehicles. especially suited to addressing galvanic sell corrosion at frame/body junctions"

I'm wondering if anyone has installed (or thought about installing) one of these units on their trailer yet to counteract filiform corrosion? Seems like it could be a possible solution ...assuming it works in this particular application.

See www.counteractrust.com/ for more info.

PS: Apologies, in advance, if the ground has been covered before. I did do a search but came up blank. ...unless you count the 72 page "corrosion" thread which I don't have a week to read through

[Wayne&Sam]

I didn't find much on their web site. Not even an estimated price. You have to fill out a form to request a quote.

I'm thinking snake oil.

[Jammer]

...

[Wayne&Sam]

I found a price. The model used for Gummer/Land Rover is "optimized for aluminum body/steel frames. $550.



Jammer was to the point. Three times.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

Jammer was to the point. Three times.

Sorry, trouble with getting the image the way I wanted it. They don't show up in the preview.

[RBolton]

I have not used this product, but here is a story anyway.

I own a car dealership in WV and about eight years ago two brothers moved here from Ohio. They had just recently retired and were originally from here. They both traded in 5 or 6 year old trucks at my store.

One truck showed the usual amount of rust and corrosion for the region. The other truck had a corrosion control device installed. I remember the brand name was something like Rust Evader.

The truck with the Rust Evader device had almost no rust or corrosion on the body, frame or bumpers. However, anything that was isolated from the body and the frame was rusted way worse than one would expect given the age of the truck. I am talking about brake tubes and fuel lines, exhaust manifolds, spark plugs, shocks, egr plumbing, etc.

It appeared that the electronic corrosion control worked but that the parts that did not get the charge from the Rust Evader had to do all the "reacting" with the corrosive elements that normally would have been spread across the entire truck. Instead of everything being corroded a little, these parts were rusted a lot.

Observing this made me think that these systems do work. As far as combating filiform corrosion - I don't know. Just thought I would let you know what I saw first hand.

Roger

[RBolton]

On the other hand, see this.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/07/rust3.shtm

[Wayne&Sam]

I love it when I'm right. It happens so infrequently.

[Freeheel]

Interesting. It could be snakeoil, but my company is a supplier to Canadian Tire also, and I know that they are pretty rigorous with their product evaluation before they decide to list something. They have a whole department devoted to product testing, in fact.

CounterAct Electronic Rust Protection System | Canadian Tire

Interesting to read the customer reviews. Some say it works, some say not.

[Wayne&Sam]

I think it may be one of those things that works in theory, but in the practical appilacation, not so much.

[dwightdi]

I was the materials engineer for Outboard Marine Corporation (Johnson/Evinrude outboards) I was asked to evaluate cathodic corrosion protection vs active electronic protection for our aluminum/steel outboard motors and stern drives. If a unit is completely submerged in a conductive liquid (salt water) both systems will cause a field and current to be generated which protects the least active metal on the galvanic series to be protected. In our case we used a zinc anode which protected both the aluminum and the steel. It did not protect the zinc plated steel parts. The zinc plate did protect the steel that might be exposed where the zinc plate had been scratched off the steel part. As long as the battery lasted the electronic system worked just as well.

An Airstream is not the same thing. It is not submerged in a conductive liquid (unless you are continuously spraying it with salt water. For the bottom of the unit which you may frequently drive in states that use salt to coat the roads, an electronic system or cathodic protection might be of benefit. I would encourage all those people to make sure the bottom surfaces where the salt may accumulate to be careful that they do not have dissimilar metals in contact unless you want the more highly reactive metals to sacrificially corrode to protect the rest of the metals. The zinc plating (galvanized) will likely be the first to go. If you observe rust on any zinc plated steel parts replace the parts immediately as the zinc plate has exhausted itself. I do not think the type of device, that is the subject of this thread, will do you much good on an Airstream travel trailer..

[ROBERT CROSS]

Back in the day we installed a similar product on the inside fender-well of our Volvo 240 parts delivery wagon. By the third Bflo. Winter it was hanging by the wires below a very precise rust hole, I guess it worked too well!

[overlander63]

What works in theory and testing all too often does not work in the real world.
I think that gizmo is the electronic equivalent of the bumper-mounted deer warning whistles of a decade or so ago.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Freeheel

...is currently the only proven and demonstrated electronic method that can effectively deal with the problem of open air corrosion."

specifically address the corrosion problems of aluminum body steel frame vehicles. especially suited to addressing galvanic sell corrosion at frame/body junctions"

as i understand it...

1. filiform isn't 'open air corrosion',

-in fact ONE of the techniques used to deal with filiform is to scrape the clearcoat OFF and open up the worm track...

2. 'aluminum body/steel' frame contact isn't the issue on a stream, the filiform isn't galvanic/2 metal corrosion

3. YOUR 'stream has a rubber/butyl tape LAYER between the outer skin/shell and ribbing/inner skin, which is ALL aluminum.

4. the tape isn't a perfect insulator, but 'conduction' through-out the entire metal vessel isn't SIMPLE or direct...

5. the trim pieces (door handles/hinges/tail lights) almost ALL have gaskets from the shell (although the rivets/screws penetrate to metal)

6. and some of those trim pieces that will develop 'open air' corrosion aren't alum or steel alloys (they are 'bright work plastics or 'pot metal' type mixes...)

Originally Posted by Freeheel

...count the 72 page "corrosion" thread which I don't have a week to read through

no offense but...

FIND a week OR 2 and read that thread and links and ABSORB what other members have taken the TIME to post...

there IS useful stuff there related to YOUR trailer and the potential issues/solutions.

and much of the good stuff is in the first 100/200 posts which won't take a week to read.

does having another multipage page thread just to promote a USELESS item or answer basic questions AGAIN...

serve a purpose?

think of ONE LONG thread as a "proven method...specifically designed "

4 dealing with and CONNECTING all the thoughts on one specific issue...

without CORROSION of the topic by

mixing DISSIMILAR mental notions, incomplete connections or promoting useless gadgets...



cheers
2air'

[Freeheel]

no offense but...

Thanks for the useful feedback - all APPRECIATED and NOTED. In point of fact, I have read through a goodly portion of that thread and many others but found no specific mention - at least not one I would recognize as a layman on the topic of corrosion protection. Thus, my question...

does having another multipage page thread just to promote a USELESS item or answer basic questions AGAIN... serve a purpose?

Well, I wasn't aware we were trying to conserve electrons around here, and I certainly wasn't promoting ANYTHING. This is a forum after all, where topical matters can and should be proposed to a community without too much constraint. Otherwise, what use in providing a forum? It's up to members to choose whether to consume, respond or ignore as suits their particular desires.

Furthermore, I would argue that there is often merit in splitting threads versus lumping all related discussions under one "super thread". It provides a more discrete packet of information to consume, and gives much higher resolution for the limited .phpp search tools to operate on.