Rusty Propane tank

[Gravytrain]

I recently crawled under our 2020 Entegra Qwest Class C motorhome to install LED light strips. I discovered that the bottom of the mounted Manchester propane tank had a large area where the paint was gone and it was rusting. I am wondering if this is due to sand / gravel kicked up by the front tires or if this is just a manufacturing defect (poor paint prep / application). The coach only has 8500 miles. Has anyone else seen this?

[OnTheGo]

... haven't seen it, but that's a good post. I'll be checking mine.

Anthing I would say about how it happened would be a guess. I think that tank would have been painted by Manchester, and Jayco just applies it to the RV. If it were mine I'd wire brush it and spray with Rustoleum.

[Grumpy]

Typical on a MH tank. Had the same on our 01 and 08. I would clean it up give it a couple good coats of primer and a high quality rust proofing paint (Rustoleum or equal)

[dxrobertson]

Havent seen it on my 2021 Entegra.

Follow advise of what others posted. A product I found that works very well on surface rust is rustoleum rust reformer, use it instead of primer, then paint over. Dont prep the area, the reformer needs to bond with the rust.

[Bugzilla46310]

If you add mudflaps, might help reduce it from reoccurring if it is from the tires throwing up debris.

[SloPoke]

That is the worst case of tank corrosion I have ever seen. I would fix that before that becomes a bigger issue.

[OnTheGo]

Originally Posted by dxrobertson

Havent seen it on my 2021 Entegra.

Follow advise of what others posted. A product I found that works very well on surface rust is rustoleum rust reformer, use it instead of primer, then paint over. Dont prep the area, the reformer needs to bond with the rust.

... didn't know there was a product like that. Thank you for sharing.

From Rustoleum's site: https://www.rustoleum.com/product-ca...rust-reformer/

For sale: Worn wire brush, well worn wire wheels, and pitted safety glasses.

[DazednConfuzed]

It almost looks like the original paint job wasn't prepped properly. As suggested by others, I'd wire brush all the rusted areas and prime and paint. Check with the manufacturer on what the tanks are made of and prime with the appropriate primer for that material.

[bluztoo]

Fairly specific to that spot. Definitely check the protections around it. I had the bracket holding the flap, between my tank and tire, come off. I'll be fixing that this week and will be looking at the bottom of my tank too.

[muckinfuss]

about a year from now after you find out that the Rustoelum product was a waste of time and money move on to one of these three ways of actually doing something about rust: I have quite a few years of refinishing behind me and there are only three ways to get rust under control ....
1. mechanical...sandblast or use a surface conditioning tool and rust drum.
2. etching....an acid based product such as Jasco prep and primer.
3. encapsulating....(most that profess to do this don't work for more than a couple of months and then the rust keeps on coming!)...one that does in my experience using it....Eastwood Rust Encapsulator Platinum

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-ru...-platinum.html

If it was my tank, I'd use the surface conditioning tool followed up with a quick coat of the Jasco product, then epoxy primer and then a catalyzed automotive finish or I know I'll be back under there starting all over again. At least the Eastwood product will give you three or four years and doesn't need a topcoat. Best of luck.

[Gravytrain]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I suspect poor preparation at Manchester is the cause. I have sanded away all loose paint and rust and will put a second coat of paint on today. I will look at mud flaps for the front tires also.

[dxrobertson]

Originally Posted by muckinfuss

about a year from now after you find out that the Rustoelum product was a waste of time and money...

Restored a 1982 Scotty Highlander camper about 6 years ago. Frame was rusted of course. Wire wheeled the rust flakes off, leaving the surface rust. Cleaned the frame. Applied "the Rustoelum product", 5 years later when I sold the camper the rust had not returned.

[Retired mountain folk]

If that’s a 2020 I hate to think what our 2012 greyhawk tanks look like, guess I’m crawling under it this week..

[craigav]

Originally Posted by Retired mountain folk

If that’s a 2020 I hate to think what our 2012 greyhawk tanks look like, guess I’m crawling under it this week..

My 2010 propane tank still looks like new (could use a quick wash perhaps). I suspect the OP's tank wasn't painted properly. ~CA

[Capt. Bill]

That is fairly typical of RV propane tanks- I've had to refinish 2. So wire cup brush or sand down to remove any loose paint & prime with Zinc Brite or Zincalate-comes in aerosol cans from Amazon or Zoro- these are zinc rich paints which will be sacrificial & will stop the steel from rusting. I top coated mine with brush on X-Liner P/U truck bed liner material- they make it in White or Black.

Happy Trails

[garywilson]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Typical on a MH tank. Had the same on our 01 and 08. I would clean it up give it a couple good coats of primer and a high quality rust proofing paint (Rustoleum or equal)

Local propane company uses house paint and a roller on the one out back of the house. It has lasted a little over 50 years so far.

The one I bought I just use Rustoleum primer and then paint every few years.

[ARoamer]

If it's not noticeable and you cannot see it unless you crawl underneath, probably easiest to spray it with FluidFilm. Sure beats wire brushing and repainting. Last I knew Lowes carries it. It will stop corosion, but dust and dirt like to stick to it.
"FLUID FILM is not formulated to remove rust. However, if applied over existing rust, it will stop it immediately from spreading further."

[jaycojon]

I have had great success using a product called Ospho. Just wire brush and paint this stuff on.. Can be sloppy about it. This chemically reacts with the rust to make it ferris oxide as I remember. Light wire brush after it dries and then paint with whatever you want. The shrimpers in Florida use it extensively on their engines.

[saarf]

Same problem on Jayco Precept.
I used a similar product first - Extend

[Lake Huron]

You guys need to think outside the box here. I would imagine the tank is being removed to be refinished, why paint it?? Take it to your favorite spray on bedliner installer, Rhino Liner, LineX, etc... I took my 15 Silversdo dually to LineX to have the bed sprayed. GM didnt offer the option at that time. Since it's a dually they also dont come with fender liners in the back. So I had LineX also spray the rear dually wells. They did a great job and its holding up extremely well. It cleans very easily too.