Undercarriage rust treatment

[halla]

lol, sorry. seems a call to reality is needed sometimes

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by dannko

So my I5 came back (damaged by Synergy Transport) from Elkhart, and it was never rinsed once for the last month, and it is rusting all over on the undercarriage, driveshaft, wheel yokes, frame, and on and on. After I totally wash the undercarriage completely, what treatment do you northerners recommend?


Am I screwed, meaning is the rusting going to f.... up the whole undercarriage? I live in Texas we don't salt roads.


I am used to Ospho from old farming days with equipment, but thought there may be some magic cure you guys use.

This is still the RV from hell.

FYI if anyone needs factory service, send it or take it outside of snowy season in that area.

"what treatment do you northerners recommend?"

Nothing other than an underbody rinse once in a while.


"Am I screwed, meaning is the rusting going to f.... up the whole undercarriage? I live in Texas we don't salt roads."

At least not for a day or two. Seriously, it's going to take several years for the undercarriage to rust through. The unibody of cars and crossovers will rust out long before the frame of any truck ever has and your Isata 5 has a truck frame under it. The frame will last at least 40 years, by that time the steel body panels will have holes large enough to throw a football through.

[JohnD10]

As Walter Cronkite use to say..."And that's the way it was...(and put in whatever day you want)!".

It is what it is...

This is what my 5'ver looked like four months after it's build date...

[tom39]

I have had great results using Por-15.

[steven skare]

In Ontario Canada I use Krown undercoating . I get this done once a year. It really does a good job. My unit is a 2001 36 ft.

[dannko]

Originally Posted by halla

I would never expect my coach to be rinsed, washed or cleaned in any way. Doesnt matter what state you live in, thats just crazy. warranty work is just that, If any manufacturer begins to wash underneath, we should all expect a price hike.
I have been surprised at how far some of these rants have gone over the years on this forum. we all get upset, angry over our expensive rv’s, but isnt this going a little far?

You live in Ohio, so you are used to the garbage they put on the road, we don't have that here. I guess do I have to send a picture to satisfy you "...…" to see how bad the rusting is? Pretty pathetic this group is. Hate to meet you guys in rv parks, not the friendly folks we always encountered or it could be the ability to say things here you would never say to someone's face.

[dannko]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

"what treatment do you northerners recommend?"

Nothing other than an underbody rinse once in a while.


"Am I screwed, meaning is the rusting going to f.... up the whole undercarriage? I live in Texas we don't salt roads."

At least not for a day or two. Seriously, it's going to take several years for the undercarriage to rust through. The unibody of cars and crossovers will rust out long before the frame of any truck ever has and your Isata 5 has a truck frame under it. The frame will last at least 40 years, by that time the steel body panels will have holes large enough to throw a football through.

It's not that the frame is rusting through anytime soon, the bad part is the rotors, wheel yokes, and the steering components like drag link, pitman arm, etc...those adjusting nuts are rusted up and you need those nice and loose to do an easy alignment. I think some on here just don't quite understand, and honestly I don't owe anyone pictures to prove my point like I did with body damage that was done after a member was bashing me on overreacting to dirt, but it was a smashed in door. Thanks for a constructive reply.

[dannko]

Originally Posted by slimetime

My thoughts exactly.

thanks, then read what I said to Casey, my thoughts back to you.

[dannko]

Originally Posted by halla

I would never expect my coach to be rinsed, washed or cleaned in any way. Doesnt matter what state you live in, thats just crazy. warranty work is just that, If any manufacturer begins to wash underneath, we should all expect a price hike.
I have been surprised at how far some of these rants have gone over the years on this forum. we all get upset, angry over our expensive rv’s, but isnt this going a little far?

Yea well maybe if you could see with your own eyes and walk in someone else's shoes you may understand. Did you even read my original post, it asked for info on how to combat the rusting and try to stop it , since it wasn't there and never would be in my area. Seriously just sit back and see if you would talk to someone in person (without getting your nosed placed to the side), and then say something. Or better yet, say nothing if you don't have anything constructive to say as some have been helpful. Your tired of what you call rants, but maybe some are tired of pointless worthless comments. You could just not reply and move on.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by dannko

It's not that the frame is rusting through anytime soon, the bad part is the rotors, wheel yokes, and the steering components like drag link, pitman arm, etc...those adjusting nuts are rusted up and you need those nice and loose to do an easy alignment. I think some on here just don't quite understand, and honestly I don't owe anyone pictures to prove my point like I did with body damage that was done after a member was bashing me on overreacting to dirt, but it was a smashed in door. Thanks for a constructive reply.

I can tell you that the components you listed don't need adjusted as often as you think. With over 25 years in the scrap recycling business those parts don't seize up so hard that they can't be adjusted with the right tools and patience. The little bit of rust from salt on the roads doesn't mount to much and if you do an underbody flush once a month your I5 will last longer than you would expect.

If you want to see what will eat steel up check out the fertilizer business. After 12 months those parts will look like they are 100 years old. Paint doesn't stick and undercoating will peel off in chunks. 1/2" steel beams will have layers drop off. Steel frames with lots of repair and replaced parts have a life of 5 to 10 years depending on the quality of steel. Fertilizer damage will start showing on aluminum in 10 to 15 years and high quality stainless steel in 15 to 20 years.

[RV Randy]

Dannko, I'm one of the folks that responded to your original post which was primarily concerned about taking delivery of your rig at night. The advice everyone gave was "don't accept it at night". Then you shared your concern about damage to the rig, which initially was only explained as rust to the underside because the factory didn't wash it off.

Several posts later you provided more detail that included a damaged compartment door and some other stuff. Every person on this forum will support your position that that type of damage is absolutely the fault of the transport company if it occurred during transport and they are obliged to fix it for you, no question.

As far as underside rust, I think folks (including myself) are trying to say you really don't need to worry about it. They don't use salt in Colorado where I live and the underside of my rig looks just like yours does. And, after you wash it or drive through the first good rain storm any residual salt will be long gone. I do some restoration work on old muscle cars and I understand the desire of some folks for the underside of their cars too look pristine. So apply the POR-15 and other stuff recommended and the problem will be solved. I can tell you from experience I have seen cars from the Midwest where the sheet metal body components are absolutely eaten up by rust. But, the structural components like the frame, axles, suspension, etc, even after 40-50 years, are just fine other than a little surface rust that comes off with a wire wheel. Your rig has a full frame and a little surface rust on the underside is not going to harm the longevity or reliability of your rig. Keep in mind too that the steel manufacturers have improved the metallurgy of today's products and everything they make now is orders of magnitude better for resisting rust than even 20 years ago.

No one is being unfriendly and certainly doesn't warrant making implied threats. I would have no issue chatting with you face to face and share my same opinions with you, because they are just that, opinions and advice. Take them or leave them but don't get PO'd if you don't get the response you were hoping to hear.

Also, IMHO, there is no love-fest going on here with Dynamax or Brian Clemens to just take whatever he says on blind faith. The reason everyone appreciates Brian the way they do is because he makes a sincere attempt to address every concern raised on this forum about his products. Brian has always worked to address every legitimate issue brought up and just like the current thread regarding screws protruding into a battery compartment, he has issued a recall and is changing the assembly line process to correct it. He has implemented numerous changes in design and corrected quality issues based solely on the feedback he gets on this forum. Folks simply appreciate having someone in a position of authority that really listens, sincerely cares and then takes action to constantly improve the product and their customer service.

If I offended you in any way, I apologize. I hope you get your current issues resolved satisfactorily and that you will continue to participate and contribute to the forum.

[bclemens]

I will just say this. There is "what we do" and what people "expect us to do". That does not make either one right.

I don't price things based on covering even the most unrealistic expectations. I price things based on what we do. That's not to say that I shouldn't raise my pricing and provide those things in the future...but then you risk pricing yourself out of the market.

I know that these are a lot of money. I often hear, "well my Lexus/Mercedes/Porsche provides this level of service and it was only $$$$" But, you want to take a guess what an RV would cost if they built them? The better way to look at it is to gauge things off of what it is comparable to other things. Prevost is the closest example we can get. They provide a pretty good warranty service from that I hear. What's the price tag of a 40' coach?

[Scrapper]

A thin layer of oxidation actually slows down any further damage to the frame. It's when you have separation of metal in layers that can be measured is when you have a problem. The flaking and peeling of paint or undercoating is a failure of the coating to adhere and seal the surface allowing moisture underneath. The coating is already damaged and it is not a sign of salt damage in itself. Salt under the coatings will speed up any further damage. That's the main reason underbody wash installed in automatic car/truck wash in the first place.

Just pointing out a misconception of rust on frames and other parts you're concerned about.

[caseymyers]

Originally Posted by bclemens

I will just say this. There is "what we do" and what people "expect us to do". That does not make either one right.

I don't price things based on covering even the most unrealistic expectations. I price things based on what we do. That's not to say that I shouldn't raise my pricing and provide those things in the future...but then you risk pricing yourself out of the market.

I know that these are a lot of money. I often hear, "well my Lexus/Mercedes/Porsche provides this level of service and it was only $$$$" But, you want to take a guess what an RV would cost if they built them? The better way to look at it is to gauge things off of what it is comparable to other things. Prevost is the closest example we can get. They provide a pretty good warranty service from that I hear. What's the price tag of a 40' coach?

I've been pricing the Prevost chassis coaches, they are all north of $1,000,000, I think a bare chassis is in the $500,000 range. Marathon will sell you a nice one for about $2.2 million. Frankly for the money you build one of the best coaches out there and I have one of your less expensive coaches at that. Nice rig it is.

[halla]

Originally Posted by dannko

You live in Ohio, so you are used to the garbage they put on the road, we don't have that here. I guess do I have to send a picture to satisfy you "...…" to see how bad the rusting is? Pretty pathetic this group is. Hate to meet you guys in rv parks, not the friendly folks we always encountered or it could be the ability to say things here you would never say to someone's face.

I am not sure how these were taken personally, or why the comments were turned back into personal attacks. I was merely stating a personal opinion. I actually realize that I do live in Ohio, I expect a slight amount of rust on the undercarriage. I did read your full post on the first page and offered a suggestion, Por 15.

I would be more than willing to talk to you face to face and I have met a lot of people at RV parks and feel I am pretty friendly.

Was just trying to give a suggestion, opinion that was obviously was not welcome. Sorry if you feel you were attacked, I will stray away from posting comments on your questions.

[steven skare]

Originally Posted by dannko

It's not that the frame is rusting through anytime soon, the bad part is the rotors, wheel yokes, and the steering components like drag link, pitman arm, etc...those adjusting nuts are rusted up and you need those nice and loose to do an easy alignment. I think some on here just don't quite understand, and honestly I don't owe anyone pictures to prove my point like I did with body damage that was done after a member was bashing me on overreacting to dirt, but it was a smashed in door. Thanks for a constructive reply.

I see your point. What about something like WD 40 or something similar on the parts. Just a thought.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by dannko

It's not that the frame is rusting through anytime soon, the bad part is the rotors, wheel yokes, and the steering components like drag link, pitman arm, etc...those adjusting nuts are rusted up and you need those nice and loose to do an easy alignment. I think some on here just don't quite understand, and honestly I don't owe anyone pictures to prove my point like I did with body damage that was done after a member was bashing me on overreacting to dirt, but it was a smashed in door. Thanks for a constructive reply.

I think your expectations are unrealistic if you believe the undercarriage of ANY vehicle isn't going to have some rusting. Even a LOT of rusting.

Those of us that live in the snow belts where road treatment is the norm for 6 months out of the year have vehicles that EVERY component on the frame and undercarriage has rust on it and it doesn't hurt it one iota.

Wheel yolks, pitman arms and drag links all get rusty here. As does everything else.

If you want YOUR unit to be pristine, do not expect that condition to happen by anyone other than yourself.

I have to wonder... if you were so concerned about what the vehicle may have been driven through to get to Texas, why didn't you rinse it off yourself?

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by steven skare

I see your point. What about something like WD 40 or something similar on the parts. Just a thought.

OP was also talking about the brake rotors rusting. Do not spray WD 40 or any type of rust prevention on your rotors. The contamination will be just as dangerous as the brake pads or shoes as grease on them.

[caseymyers]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

OP was also talking about the brake rotors rusting. Do not spray WD 40 or any type of rust prevention on your rotors. The contamination will be just as dangerous as the brake pads or shoes as grease on them.

I use grease, it's heavier and lasts longer. ; > Not!

[hook47]

In my 63 years of driving and working on my vehicles I've never seen any rust on the undercarriage.



Oops! On edit it should have been "all I've ever seen is rust". Every single vehicle has had rust somewhere. Look at any vehicle at a repair shop, they all have rust somewhere. The brake rotors won't have any rust the first time you apply the brakes.



As the song says, "don't worry, be happy". When it comes time to work on stuff, the nuts and bolts will come free. I agree, t'aint purty, but that's life. Sounds like another song..