Frame paint coming off in sheets?

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by GearHd6

I emailed Forest River about it yesterday and they got back to me in about an hour saying they were sorry my frame was doing that but the frame is only warrantied for 1 year so I'm out of luck.

I am about 99% sure you have an LCI frame, I'd email them and see what they say about it. Probably no help but I do believe they also provide lip service free of charge. Only because they have not figured out a way to charge for it.

[GearHd6]

Originally Posted by wana65stang

GearHd6 any way you can get under there with a high PSI pressure washer and peel all the paint off and respray with a good anti-rust paint?

I probably could but I think I'd be afraid of damaging other fragile stuff under there like the black Tyvek type covering.

[D. J. Schuler]

If this is an example of a 3 year Rockwood, so much for their QC. You were supposed to trade in 2 years. If you bought it used, I hope you got a great deal - the dealer probably sprayed it (dirt and all) before you got it.

[GearHd6]

I bought it brand new in April of 13.

[Still Kickin]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

The list may be long but I do not see how any of it justifies a frame that rusts or has the coating peel away in sheets on a 3 or 4 yr old trailer. There is such a thing as preventative maintenance but I don't think the OP's issues fall under that category. I have seen some of these frames rusted to the point you could not tell they were ever painted and they were not much over 2 yrs old. Its nothing more than piss poor manufacturing and buying frames from the lowest irresponsible bidder. You can try but you can't sugar coat it, although sugar may make a better coating than what they are using.

Let me digress, frames in an auto plant are negatively charged and completly emerged in a rust inhibitor, then painted with the paint positively charged and the car part negatively charged. That DOESN'T happen in the RV world. Way to costly, due to the size of frame and other cost constraints. If you check your frame, you will see they chip, peel, etc. They always do, it's just the industry, no sugar added.

We, then assume that the expectation is similiar to the auto industry and the enormous strides thay have accomplished in the area of rust and corrosion. Apples and oranges. Wish it wasn't, but it is. Remedy, inspect your frame, undercarriage and prime, paint as needed. Just sayin'

[GearHd6]

It's poor prep and cheap products obviously. If you're just painting with a gun, why not clean the frame correctly, etch primer and top coat like you would with an automobile refinish? It's not rocket science and it works. Forest River is clearly being cheap and cutting corners and in the end, the consumer pays the price. No matter how you look at it, there is no excuse for paint to be peeling off in sheets.

[Myrle]

More than likely there was a film of oil and the.frame was cleaned properly prior to applying undercoat.

[PenJoe]

Someone else is noticing. Prior to purchasing our 2500TS, we looked at several used coaches. One of them was a 2 yr old low miles class C . When I crawled under, it was total rust everywhere. Where the generator was mounted, rust just flaked off. Had I not crawled under, we would probably have bought it.

Lesson learned, we brought our new 2500 TS home and one of the first things I did was undercoat every piece of exposed underneath metal, including wheel wells, cab floor pan, inside of the front bumper and bumper brackets. I was careful not coat any exhaust parts, heat shields, brakes,etc. The areas around the rear bumper, including the hitch were done with spray on bed liner. It was messy, but worth it, provided it holds up.

I used Rustoleum rubberized undercoat and Rustoleum spray-on bed liner purchased from Walmart. Both types sprayed very well and emptied to the last drop. I have used a lot of different Rustoleum products over the years and they have all held up very well. If you decide to do this, you will need eye protection, face mask, gloves, old clothes, and a tarp to lay under the RV. As others have said, you would do well to use a rust neutralizer before adding any finishes.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

Let me digress, frames in an auto plant are negatively charged and completly emerged in a rust inhibitor, then painted with the paint positively charged and the car part negatively charged. That DOESN'T happen in the RV world. Way to costly, due to the size of frame and other cost constraints. If you check your frame, you will see they chip, peel, etc. They always do, it's just the industry, no sugar added.

We, then assume that the expectation is similiar to the auto industry and the enormous strides thay have accomplished in the area of rust and corrosion. Apples and oranges. Wish it wasn't, but it is. Remedy, inspect your frame, undercarriage and prime, paint as needed. Just sayin'

Ok, Let me digest, Its still no excuse,. Yes steel rusts and steel frames rust but they shouldn't rust in 3 or 4 years. Especially if not hauled up and down the PA Turnpike or as its known affectionately here, the sodium expressway. I don't expect them to be auto industry quality. I can go to Walmart and buy a Chinese bicycle, leave it outside for years, and it won't rust as afst as these frames. Between F.R. and LCI they can't come up with a frame that doesn't rust for 5 years? Evidently not.

[GearHd6]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Between F.R. and LCI they can't come up with a frame that doesn't rust for 5 years? Evidently not.

Oh they can, they just don't want to. They're spending the money on the paint why not prep the frame correctly? They'd be better off just to put the paint in their spray gun and blow it all into the trash can. At least then when I buy the trailer I know to come home and prep it correctly then put the proper paint on it. That way I have no expectations from Forest River.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by GearHd6

They'd be better off just to put the paint in their spray gun and blow it all into the trash can. At least then when I buy the trailer I know to come home and prep it correctly then put the proper paint on it. That way I have no expectations from Forest River.

Yep if I ever do get my Roo, which seems to get further away daily, I have already planned to go coo coo for coatings. Maybe I'll get lucky like my 2013 Keystone was. It didn't rust much and was an LCI frame, but someone else with the same model but a 2012 rusted to high heaven. Who knows when they change materials or means and methods?

Maybe the prep guy is huffing the paint before they spray it?

[Ontherock]

I purchased my X-Lite used in 2014 and last summer I decided that it was time to start refinishing the frame due to the same rusting, bubbling, flaking issues that you all have noted. For test purposes, I did the A-frame from the front cross member to the hitch. I used a wire brush cup on an angle grinder and removed as much of the loose paint and rust as possible on all four sides including the battery support tray, propane tank tray and WD hitch brackets. I then primed with a rust converter (I believe it was a Rust Check product) and after washing with water and allowing to dry, brushed on two coats of semi-gloss black Tremclad allowing a day to dry between each coat. I was very pleased with the results last summer and when I checked it a few weeks ago, it still looks great. My plan is to continue with the remaining frame this summer now that I know my methodology works. And yes, I have a LCI frame FWIW.

[GearHd6]

I wish Tremclad was available in the US.