The floor support beams are square tubular steel, as shown in the diagram below...
The tubular steel is unprotected in most areas, however at the seams where the floor meets the wall, they had sprayed foam insulation to protect against water. However the foam has not stuck very well over the years and so moisture has gotten under the foam and caused the steel in those areas to become quite rusty. Also, water has gotten between the seam where the wall meets the floor, and when driving in the rain there are areas where it gets wet and then takes forever to dry.
Most of the steel is still structurally strong, with just a bit of surface rust. However two areas are weak, although not in an area where it's going to cause a problem. So the key is to make sure it doesn't deteriorate further.
During some of my working life, I used to be a licenced auto body technician and painter. So thankfully, I kinda know what I'm doing. Sure is messy, dirty work though so lying under the motorhome with rust flakes dropping in my face reminded me why I won't ever do that line of work ever again!
Removing the foam to access the rusty tubular floor frame.
So the procedure is to coat the visible steel with "Must for Rust" (for some stupid reason, not available in Canada...I bought mine when I dropped our son off at school in New York a couple of weeks ago) and then paint with black Tremclad rust paint. Then, reseal those areas with more spray foam insulation.
Overall, Sherman is in pretty good shape for a 14 year old motorhome. We think that with proper regular maintenance, Sherman will be around for quite a few more years. Only 50,000 miles (80,000 kms) on the odometer, so the engine is only just broken in.
Regular maintenance is well worth it! And from the looks of it has paid off well for Sherman! =) Many more miles and memories to go....
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Good post! I love maintenance issues, I can learn about things to look for when buying my motorhome. (or fix if I don't get this checked).
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
We definitely have to keep ahead of the rust and corrosion because of spending time near the ocean (ocean spray is bad for vehicles). With the maintenance Kevin is doing we are hoping to keep Sherman on the road for many years to come.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, and yes he sure does look good! Sherman that is, well I guess Kevin does too, lol.
Great that Sherman is getting a good dose of attention... so many folks just trade a rig off and buy a newer one. Those of us with those Oldies But Goodies have to keep up the routines!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading Tioga George using Must for Rust, and had to buy it in the states and ship it down to Mexico when he was home for a visit.
Whee hee congrats on the good sale! You musta had "good stuff" LOL
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Karen and Steve
(Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/
Karen and Steve....Kevin and were talking about that ourselves. We know what we have with Sherman, if we were to trade him in on something newer we could end up with a whole new set of problems. Rather deal with the rust and corrosion and know that he is mechanically sound. He has been serving us well and we return the favour to him.
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