Holy cow RUST!

[diskman]

Been working on the 'ol 75 270 this past weekend. Decided to wire-wheel some rust on the rear frame that was exposed and looking ugly. Was going fine until I layed down..\n\nWOW. Everything is covered in thick nasty scaly rust. Bottom of gas-tank is ugly but not leaking, the Onan frame is failing and the genset rocks back and forth now. This was a Texas RV too.\n\nEven the storage compartments are seperating at the seams now. \n\nThinking of filling a garden sprayer with phosphoric acid and spraying everything to save it until I can start repairs. \n\nDang... Guess I will start with the genset frame and see what I can re-weld from there.

[badbillybiker]

That much rust on a Texas RV?...\nMight have been operated near a river or ocean a lot?

[diskman]

That much rust on a Texas RV?...\nMight have been operated near a river or ocean a lot?

\n\n\nIt was fine last summer. Then, like an idiot, I stored it next to my garage on the lawn. I think the moisture from the grass REALLY messed it up.\n\nDepressing. I'm heading to Home Depot after work and picking up a few gallons of phosphoric acid and a sprayer.

[Acesneights]

The storage compts and genset compt are common to rot out. The battery acid from the genset also expedited the deterioration of the gen box. The compts were not really painted so nothing to really protect them. The frames however usually only get a very mild surface rust so yours might have seen some sort of corrosive agent. I have had to rebuild the storage compts and gen boxs in every Travco I have owned. Only had one with a rotted frame and it sat by the ocean.\nPost some pics.\nDon;t waste your money on Por15. garbage. Rustoleum makes a much better product called the V7400 series. We use the stuff on the Fire Hydrants at work because of the insane amounts of road salt they use around here. Won;t find it at a Paint store or Home Depot. We get it from Grainger although I have found it online as well at other sources.

[diskman]

Picked up a gallon of Klean-Strip phosphoric on the way home from work. Hit the rust with a wire brush to knock it down a bit. Then donned my full-face shield, gloves, old jacket and armed with an old 409 spray bottle I went nutz.\n\nI bought this..\n\n\nThe gas tank WAS fairly white and rust-free last summer and after parking on grass for 6 months and it turns into this.\n\n\nRight rear frame just behind wheels. Surface rust like mad. Still very solid. \n\n\nI will keep hosing on the phosphoric this evening and tomorrow. So far what I have treated is turning black so the rust is changing at least.\n\nWill top coat with something.. Probably good old Rustoleum oil based quart thru my sprayer. Gotta find my larger orifice now..

[Acesneights]

That isn't that bad. Looks like typical Travco Rust. Most of it will probably come off with a wire brush. Needle scaler works on the tough stuff.

[Acesneights]

I have had good luck with this stuff. If you cut it 25% with acetone it will go right though a cheap harbor freight top loader however I like brushing it on. Less waste.\n\nhttp://www.rustoleum.com/en/product-catalog/in ... kyd-enamel

[diskman]

How bad is it to rebuild the generator floor? Other than hoisting the genset out.. At least we have an AWESOME metal materials place in town. Will crawl under there when my acid dries and see where and how the generator floor is attached to the frame and what I will need to cut/replace.\n\nAny tricks on removing the Onan other than finding a forklift? Can it be humanly done? I have access to about 6 mid 20 somethings who are still stupid..

[Acesneights]

I did it by myself and I'm in my 40's. Stack some pallets next to the comp, eat your wheaties and work that old boy out slowly. it is very heavy. I bought home a 6k Onan in the back of my VW Golf...lol\nTook 4 of us to get it in. The box is nothing more than sheet metal and two L brackets. Usually the brackets are not too bad.\nIf the rubber isolators are wasted you can use Hockey pucks.

[diskman]

I did it by myself and I'm in my 40's. Stack some pallets next to the comp, eat your wheaties and work that old boy out slowly. it is very heavy. I bought home a 6k Onan in the back of my VW Golf...lol\nTook 4 of us to get it in. The box is nothing more than sheet metal and two L brackets. Usually the brackets are not too bad.\nIf the rubber isolators are wasted you can use Hockey pucks.

\n\nI took a hard look at whats holding the genset up. Yep. Mine looks like 4ish brackets somehow attached to the frame rails out the the outer doorway.\n\nLooks like the rearmost bracket is sagging a bit. But, if all I need is some fresh sheetmetal.. It's gonna be a snap. \n\nGuess the first step is removing the Onan. Maybe this weekend if I can get enough bodies.\n\nWhat are the chances I can get a new exhaust for the Onan? Mines starting to leak... Or should I start a new Onan thread?