Salt and salt damage on new RV's

... telling me the salt
is washed off of all the RV's delivered in the winter
and they don't accept any responsibility for the rust caused by the caked on salt under my 110,000 Landmark,...

This is an excerpt from a thread about rusted undercarriages on RV.

Tip: For those that "ORDER" their RV's during the winter months.
Don't. :W

99% of campers are made in the Midwest. Trailers just about all in Indiana. They are delivered over the road to the dealerships pulled by trucks. In winter time, and I lived in that area, COPIOUS amounts of salt is used on the roads. The further the delivery the more salt is packed on underneath.

When that trailer arrives at the dealership it might get a hosing down on the sides to get the salt off. But I'll make bet NO employee crawls underneath and hoses upward above them to get the underbelly, axles, brakes, etc. to clean it of salt. Which BTW plain water does not remove it. Running it thru car washes with 'hot' water, soap and spray coming from below is the only thing that removes it.

In temps below 32 they can not wash them outside. And all the wash bays inside any dealership that I've seen do NOT have lifts in them. They just hose off the sides. So even the inventory on the lots that sit there before someone buys them have been sitting there salt encrusted.

Solution is to NOT order a camper during the winter months. If you have the need to order your TT order it and to be delivered during the 'summer' months. Same goes for the coach builders of MH's located in the midwest also. Especially during or when you know their winter was record breaking for snow and salt used!

And if you want to be proactive about buying one off the lot? Look for the date it was produced at the manufacturer.

Seeking Advice

myredracer
Explorer II
Nov 05, 2015
Our TT got delivered out of Indiana 2 winters ago when there was the bad extended cold & snow of 2013/2014 and picked up 2,000+ miles of salt spray. Now we have lots of rust all over underneath. I can repaint the steel frame and components and black iron propane pipe but a LOT of the plated bolts and parts are rusted and some badly. Pretty ticked off. :M

The plating (zinc?) must be very thin and with a little salt and moisture it starts rusting in no time. There are US standards (ASTM) for plating thickness (0.001" to 0.0001") but if it's Chinese plating, who knows what the thickness is?

Nuts & bolts and screws and misc. hardware can always be replaced (I have replaced some already) but things like the motors in the electric stab. jacks would be costly.

Why can't the dealers be required to rinse the undersides off and maybe use some kind of wash chemical? I wonder what I will find when I take the underbelly material down. Just wish I'd known what could happen in the beginning and would have given it a thorough wash. Delivery happens 12 months a year and only stops if there's a tornado or severe snowstorm. If you buy a small trailer, it might get shipped on a flatdeck and you'll be okay.
westend
Explorer
Nov 05, 2015
rockhillmanor wrote:
westend wrote:
So, travelling in the Winter is not to be done either?...Any "damage" done to an RV by passing on a salted highway is overstated in this post, IMO.

Not talking about taking a trip 'after' a snow fall on a salted street. And besides from a safety point a smart RV'er won't drive 'during' a snow storm with their RV's to begin with.

During the winter months I drive my MH at least once a week. AFTER the snow had passed and the roads were dry. Salt still on them, yes. But it's dried out.

I used to travel that road passed where all the RV's are made in Indiana and I've watched many of them being delivered during snowstorms where there are three plows across spreading salt, and they are right behind them all the way. Saw that a LOT of times. :R

Then the unit SITS in a dealership lot and not washed underneath. THAT's what I am talking about.
Well, I guess you have a point for the saltaphobes that own RV's but I don't know how or why someone would lose any sleep over this.

Up here, we're crying for amendments to be put on the roads when it snows. Now-a-days, they are using something besides rock salt that is less oxidizing.

I'd suggest that if someone wants a rust-free undercarriage, they have it cleaned and a protective barrier put on it. One trip through salted highways is not going to make all of the underside dissolve.
tsetsaf
Explorer III
Nov 05, 2015
Interesting tip. Never even considered it.
rav
Explorer
Nov 05, 2015
also most of the units are towed from the manufacturer to the delivery company yard where they wait to be delivered. every day on my drive to work the delivery drivers are out- rain, snow or sunshine.
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Nov 05, 2015
westend wrote:
So, travelling in the Winter is not to be done either?...Any "damage" done to an RV by passing on a salted highway is overstated in this post, IMO.

Not talking about taking a trip 'after' a snow fall on a salted street. And besides from a safety point a smart RV'er won't drive 'during' a snow storm with their RV's to begin with.

During the winter months I drive my MH at least once a week. AFTER the snow had passed and the roads were dry. Salt still on them, yes. But it's dried out.

I used to travel that road passed where all the RV's are made in Indiana and I've watched many of them being delivered during snowstorms where there are three plows across spreading salt, and they are right behind them all the way. Saw that a LOT of times. :R

Then the unit SITS in a dealership lot and not washed underneath. THAT's what I am talking about.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 05, 2015
So .... how about all the campers, MH's, 5er's located along Florida beach campgrounds? Seems the ocean and the gulf are known for their salt content too? After coming back from Florida (several trips now), it made me glad we were caught in a good rain storm or two so the road water would splash around under the trailer (and truck).

I think there would be a lot of VERY unhappy customers if RV manufactures did not deliver during the snow and ice months just to prevent road gunk from splashing under those RV's.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Nov 05, 2015
How many of the trailers sitting on a lot have been delivered during the winter months? Who can tell?
downtheroad
Explorer
Nov 05, 2015
Or...how about this for salt and salt damage:....:E
westend
Explorer
Nov 05, 2015
So, travelling in the Winter is not to be done either?

I have a feeling that there are a large percentage of RV users that never encounter true Winter conditions. Further, there are a large number that can't/won't get down on the deck and spray water underneath their rig, no matter what the season. I'd also bet that an occasional trip on a salted highway isn't going to be doom for their RV.

If a user is concerned about salt and frame rust and can't/won't wash the underside, you can get it done at a truck wash or DIY at a carwash with a wand.

Any "damage" done to an RV by passing on a salted highway is overstated in this post, IMO.
ramgunner
Explorer
Nov 05, 2015
Just plenty of gravel - er, sand.