Rust

Rust is common of Motorhome and trailer chassis's. It is surface rust and it has been there for the 35 years I have been a RV tech. Occasionally we get a customer that goes crazy over this surface rust. If it bothers you, just spray paint with Rustoleum. In 35 years, I have never see a chassis break or fall apart from any "rust". When the Motorhomes chassis are sent to the manufacturer, they are NOT covered in shipment and they are stored in a field/parking lot before they are staged inside the OEM assbly plant. There is also the issue of the NEW motorhome transported to dealers in the rust belt of the USA during winter conditions. Most OEM's send out bulletins in the fall to remind those dealers to wash out the undercarriages after taking delivery from the OEM during the winter months. MOST do not. Doug

It bothers me too that a 1yr old MH shows signs of rust.. My under carriage shows signs of rust. That said I have an entry level Thor. Not that it makes it more acceptable, but I am a little surprised to see the same sort of thing on a 2013 FW DP. So basically no matter what you buy, since the chassis’ are all made the same, you end up with rust despite what you spend. The naive me always wanted to believe you get rust proofing and those sorts of things if you spend more money. Guess not.

Note that POR 15 is not UV resistant and must be top coated if exposed.

I second the POR-15, does a good job.

Bugs me too...but I'm not convinced its a real problem.

For 10 years or so, I've sworn by Rustoleum Top Side coat. This is very good paint for painted metal that isn't submerged. I've used it on 4 or 5 trailer frames/axles/bumpers, a few SUV frames, and many trailer hitches. Even painting over light rust, no problem. This is tough stuff and it lasts! You can find it at local hardware stores for only $10-15 per quart.

If you are talking about rust on the frame members, that is usually an issue for the chassis manufacturer to deal with. It usually is not a big issue but in some areas that use a lot of salt during the Winter it can be an ongoing matter of concern. Here is a link to a place that sells various items to deal with frame rust encapsulation, prevention, and coatings. Eastwood

I don't know if Fleetwood will stand behind the rust issue.

If you're going to work on it yourself, consider POR 15