Bad rust on an 08 Journey 39z ? help!

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John
You are probably right on about the side panels not being dipped. My corrosion is so bad on the side panels that at the bottom where the rubber lip meets, that the rust is pushing out the rubber. Again my point is if we keep this problem to our selves it will not get fixed. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease.  If we all let Winnebago know about this and if they fix the problem, We would have helped Winnebago make a good product even better.
 
One tip when replacing fasteners in the newly painted metal.  Use a product such as Tef-Gel on the screw.  It will keep the raw metal that gets exposed from the threads from starting to corrode.  It also makes them easier to remove in the future.  Works great on SS fasteners into aluminum.
 
Noticed same issue on basement compartments on an '08 Sightseer 35j I'm considering....  badly rusted.... made me think the worst for the unit which was otherwise very clean.  Although I'm not happy to hear that it's a somewhat common problem, it does make me see the used unit I'm looking at in a different light.  All the solutions that have been posted sound reasonable and accurate.  Thanks!
 
Same problems here but additionally we have paint bubbling on the drivers door that has spread since last fall. It is going into the body shop in two weeks to have this addressed along with some touch ups/buffing of some scratches and dings (I don't do the painted areas). I addressed some of the access panels and basement compartments last year, have more to address this year. I was going to notify Winnebago just to make them aware but really thought that ours was just a fluke, now I see they do need to be notified. I think my largest disappointment is the door.
 
only the cab area steel frame is dipped in the giant vats
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I really thought from what I heard and saw on the GNR tour that they did the corrosion control dip treatment to pretty much all the metal pieces.

The only other place (other than the entry door kick panel) we have had a rust problem with was a small area on the top of the windshield frame where water apparently trickled down the inside of the front cap from a leaking clearance lamp and ended up on the top of the frame. It resulted in a water leak inside, and a disastrous dealer experience in which they said they could remove the glass, fix the frame, and then replace the glass.  They destroyed both windshields getting them out ...nearly a month later (one windshield arrived broken and the dealership did not check the shipment until they went to install it, so had to wait for another shipment from the factory), we were back on the road with new glass, damaged wipers that I eventually had to fix on my own, and a few other minor dealer damaged items I dealt with. The worst part of our RV experience is trying to find and avoid the too many downright incompetent dealer service departments. It seems that most do as much damage or more damage as they repair...
 
afchap said:
The worst part of our RV experience is trying to find and avoid the too many downright incompetent dealer service departments
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Yet another good reason to make the trip to Forest City.  There has to be excellent servicing dealers out there, however we prefer factory service for the house stuff.
 
we prefer factory service for the house stuff
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We have found a few really good dealers around the country, but that is one reason we like to make it to GNR about every 2-3 years ...let the factory deal with the things dealers have failed to fix and I have not been able to figure out on my own.  Northern Iowa just isn't on our normal travel routes visiting friend, family, etc.
 
Mine is starting on seam edges. That tells me that if it wasn't painted in place where the butted panels join, they sure weren't dipped, and only flat sprayed. Once I clean the problem area up I might look into somehow running some sort of tape down the front and up the back because I don't think it's possible to paint those edges. The questions is: what kind of tape?
 
I used some seam tape on my roof called "Press and Seal".  It is most likely comparable to Eternabond.  Super sticky, and most likely non-removable.  It came in about a 25' roll.  I still have most of it left.  If you really want to seal up a seam, that would be the stuff. 
 
The Big 3 U.S. auto makers got into trouble with rust issues years ago, remember? Mainly because of poor quality steel that was used back than. Let's hope Winnebago isn't going down this road to save $$$.

Scott 0168
 
Winnebago doesn't use any steel in the RVs that they build. They use plastic and aluminum. The chassis manufacturers use steel.
 
My '09 has the same rust as pictured in the OP. If I had spotted it a few months earlier, I would have still been under warranty and would have had it addressed by my dealer. I was really, really disappointed to find so much rust just 14 months after buying it new off the lot. :eek:

seilerbird said:
Winnebago doesn't use any steel in the RVs that they build. They use plastic and aluminum. The chassis manufacturers use steel.
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It seems pretty obvious that Winnebago is using steel in the basement compartments since they are rusting. ???
 
Winnebago doesn't use any steel in the RVs that they build. They use plastic and aluminum.
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Not the case ...Winnebago does use aluminum framing inside the fiberglass walls, and in some other places.  But they do use steel in the basement storage boxes, both in tubular frames and panels. And there is a steel roll cage completely around the driver compartment including steel frame that the windshield glues into. Winnebago still uses a fair amount of steel, and it normally is dipped in a special mix in the corrosion control area at the factory ...I am surprised at some of the rust I see on panels that should have been/supposed were treated for corrosion control before assembly.
 
I have a 08 Cambria with lots of surface rust on the  underside of the chassis and compartments. I use a product called RustCheck which comes in aerosol spray tins with a WD40 like applicator. It is a pink gel-like (when applied) oily sort of product. It is about $10/tin and three tins should cover the underside of most RVs. It can be applied right over rust, it does not dry and dust adheres to it so  you won't  touch a coated suface without getting black grease like grime on your hands. I also touch it up every couple of years covering wear spots or spots I had missed. It is widely avalable here in Canada (Canadian Tire, Auto stores, etc) and has been rated as highly effective. According to their website, it is sold in US K-Marts. Like any sort of product that we use, it has its fans as well as dissenters but I have used it for over 10 years with great success. No - I don't own or work for them!!

Bob
08 Cambria 29H
Southern Ontario
 
Well, my MH is in the shop and I'm getting an estimate on dealing with this rust.  I'll let you know what it is.

I wish I had the mechanical skills and time many here seem to have, but I have neither, so I must pay to get things done.  Maybe after I retire I will have the time to learn to deal with such things - most don't seem like rocket science.  For now, every hour I work buys much more than an hour of skilled RV technician time along with all of the tools and supplies to do the job properly, so I guess that's the route I must go.

It is very disappointing to have to do this on what amounts to a brand new coach never driven in salt!!  This would never be tolerated on a car or pickup that costs a fraction of what the MH cost.  :mad:
 
Birddogman said:
Thye want $2,500 to do the work.  What think?
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We received an estimate for just the basement area portion of $1000. The total estimate for everything was $2000 so we had them do the work that requires a professional (at least beyond me) which were the painted/exposed areas of the body in addition to the stairs. I opted to continue to handle the basement area myself since it is more for protection than appearance. So basically $1000 out of pocket here. Was 2500 including undercoating as well?
 
Fellas...looks like my 2004 Jouney in several places.  What a disappointment!  I had our Journey custom designed when we ordered it; I know I included (and paid for) undercoating (what ever that is).  I guess some places were missed; I know the cost was not excluded.

Wendell
 
Final post on the subject:

The rust repair work is all done ? my dealer did a great job to my untrained eyes ? dismantled the whole lower part of the MH, found rust in places I never saw any, ground all the rust off to bare metal, coated everything with a rustproofing compound and then painted everything black.  Hopefully, this problem will now not re-occur.  All of this extensive work cost me about $2,700. 

Worth it, I suppose, to protect what I hope is my last Class A ? something that I want to last another 15 or 20 years, which is all the longer I?ll last anyway.  Still a LOT of money to fix something that should not have happened in the first instance.

I wrote Winnebago a respectful letter acknowledging that the one-year warranty was expired, but suggesting that they should accept at least some responsibility for this sort of a problem (very clearly improper metal prep at the factory) in a new DP coach.  I got back an equally respectful letter telling me that rust and corrosion would not have been covered even if the warranty was still in effect.  Very disappointing.  Sigh.
 
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