Frame treatment?

[jloco]

Does anyone pay special attention to their frame? IE.. rust proofing?
I have a seasonal spot just .3 miles from the ocean where my new 38FDDS will live. I'm wondering if anyone in a similar situation adds any protection to the frame? My current unit has been in this spot for almost 10 years and the frame looks great, but I'm wondering if I should take extra precautions on my incoming new unit?

[DocBrown]

What's interesting is that the Jayco manual even says to repaint the frame as needed. I do it every few years. Our X20E will be 3 years old next May and is starting to show a little surface rust. Time for a light sanding and painting. I use spray cans of Rustolium.

[SouthCo]

I spray the entire frame with WD40 every time we wash it. The trailer is only two years old but no sign of rust yet.

[mike837go]

Not sure how necessary it is to keep the frame painted.


It is not exposed to the weather. My previous trailer was 25 years old with a light patina of rust on the frame when I bought it in 2009. It still had a light patina of rust on the frame every time I set it up and took it down (separate stabilizers). It passed the new owner's inspection when I sold it this year.


So, inspect your frame 2-3 times per year. If salt spray is causing your frame to rust excessively, get under it with a wire brush and some POR. Repaint as needed.

[gypsmjim]

We upgraded to a 2015 Jayco last year. Our old trailer was a 50 year old Four Seasons, and the entire frame was fully rusted. It was only surface rust, and it never been attended to. Since it didn't fall apart the last time we moved it, I'm guessing the frame was still structurally sound. Since the current lifespan of trailers is quite short, I don't think a little rust would be a problem.

[jloco]

I was thinking of something like WD40 on the exposed rails. I guess to try and spray the whole frame would require removal of the enclosed under belly cover, which seems like a lot of work. Even then you'd never be able to get to the top and other sections of the frame with the floor and all the other components like duct, tanks, etc.. in the way.

[SouthCo]

Originally Posted by jloco

I was thinking of something like WD40 on the exposed rails. I guess to try and spray the whole frame would require removal of the enclosed under belly cover, which seems like a lot of work. Even then you'd never be able to get to the top and other sections of the frame with the floor and all the other components like duct, tanks, etc.. in the way.

I agree that would be a lot of work. When I said I spray WD40 on the entire frame, I should have been clearer and said the exposed parts. I only do it because I don't want to look at rust. It takes me less than 10 minutes on my little trailer.

[dwdlt]

Originally Posted by jloco

Does anyone pay special attention to their frame? IE.. rust proofing?
I have a seasonal spot just .3 miles from the ocean where my new 38FDDS will live. I'm wondering if anyone in a similar situation adds any protection to the frame? My current unit has been in this spot for almost 10 years and the frame looks great, but I'm wondering if I should take extra precautions on my incoming new unit?

My trailer is less than a year old, and I had the same thing. Probably overkill a bit, but I spent one day wire brushing the whole thing, and then I painted it with some brush on tractor black oil base paint. Once that dried, I sprayed on a coat of undercoating.....again, probably overkill.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by jloco

Does anyone pay special attention to their frame? IE.. rust proofing?
I have a seasonal spot just .3 miles from the ocean where my new 38FDDS will live. I'm wondering if anyone in a similar situation adds any protection to the frame? My current unit has been in this spot for almost 10 years and the frame looks great, but I'm wondering if I should take extra precautions on my incoming new unit?

As mentioned in another post:

I live about 200 yards off the Gulf of Mexico and we have a constant breeze blowing off the gulf everyday. When it rains, since the moisture is taken from the gulf, there is some salt in the rain.

The truck gets washed at the car wash every month (underside also), the rain (weekly down pours) keeps it pretty clean. The TT gets washed or just rinsed after our trips. Twice a year, I wash the roof with Spick and Span and wax the TT.

So far have not seen anything that the salt spray may have done to either the TV or the TT. The TV is a 2012 and the 2013 (purchased in August of 2012). We have been living this close to the gulf since 1998, no issues except some wind damage (hurricane) in 2004/2005.

The salt spray doesn't affect anything around the house either, the only thing that is an issue is mold. So the house stays at 81 degrees 50% humidity while we are gone for the 4 HOT summer months. I leave the roof vents open on the TT and the fan runs during the day (on SOLAR power) to keep the air circulating inside the TT.

Don

[Seann45]

Clean it good and spray it down with truck box liner.. You can get spray cans of it now...