Trailair Rusting

[MPI_Mallard]

I want to start out by saying I love My Trailair pinbox and our Center-point Air-ride System and have and will recommend them in the future, now that our Trailair is 10 years old now and even though we cover it it's starting to rust out on top quite badly.

I called Lippert and spoke to their head warranty guy who was anything but helpful and after telling me that I was only the second person to complain about this issue (yeah right!) of how there is a lack of drain holes so that water cannot collect in the square area on top and to the rear of the pinbox and cause all this rusting

Moderator edit to re-size picture to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width.

I was further reminded that if I was to drill drain holes myself that I would void any warranty they would cover so at that point I asked if I should then just let it continue to rust out until it failed??


I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue and what they did, I myself plan to dis-mantle it, have it media-blasted and re-paint it and drill some appropriate drain holes to remedy the situation!

BTW,, The guy who suggested sticking a beach-ball in the back of the pin-box and inflating it to keep the birds out is a bloody genius!!!!

Red Green: "Vegetarian" is an old Indian word meaning "I don't hunt so good."

[Kavoom]

" Check it periodically to keep it free from crud plugging it up"

Lost car doors once because of not doing that. It must have had clogged weep holes from the factory and I was 40 years younger and didn't know any better.

[4bearhug]

MPI_Mallard wrote:
I want to start out by saying I love My Trailair pinbox and our Center-point Air-ride System and have and will recommend them in the future, now that our Trailair is 10 years old now and even though we cover it it's starting to rust out on top quite badly.

I called Lippert and spoke to their head warranty guy who was anything but helpful and after telling me that I was only the second person to complain about this issue (yeah right!) of how there is a lack of drain holes so that water cannot collect in the square area on top and to the rear of the pinbox and cause all this rusting

Moderator edit to re-size picture to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width.

I was further reminded that if I was to drill drain holes myself that I would void any warranty they would cover so at that point I asked if I should then just let it continue to rust out until it failed??


I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue and what they did, I myself plan to dis-mantle it, have it media-blasted and re-paint it and drill some appropriate drain holes to remedy the situation!

BTW,, The guy who suggested sticking a beach-ball in the back of the pin-box and inflating it to keep the birds out is a bloody genius!!!!

Red Green: "Vegetarian" is an old Indian word meaning "I don't hunt so good."

I must have been the other guy that complained because I called several years ago with the exact same issue. I just decided to drill a weep hole and that took care of the problem for me. You just need a 1/4" hole at the low point in the front of the box to keep it dry. Check it periodically to keep it free from crud plugging it up.

[Kavoom]

Maybe not for these specific problems, but Black Rustoleum spray paint is your friend on frames. It cleaned it up and painted right over the rust and it sealed it and stayed. I said no prep needed and meant it. I have places on mine five years later that look just fine. AND the paint matched almost exactly with the original color. You have to get down and look close to see any difference.

I now have the "hammered" version for my iron cross front bumper on my Truck that after two years is starting to rust in places. I am experimenting in not too visible places and after six weeks looking good and cannot see any difference. The hammered black is also almost the same color as the "hammered" look on the original powder coat.

[Boxer_Lovers]

No water in my Tri Glide box but I've had to repaint it. Used Rustoleum spray paint after light sanding. Still looks good.

[Pipeman]

Larry I have that pin box also. It collects water like yours does. It's also rusty like yours. I shoot some paint onto it but it seems to just bubble up and peels.I haven't brought the trailer home yet from storage. Not until next month and then I just might drill a drain hole. Lippert won't be any help as I have learned from experience with them.

[rjsurfer]

Mine started to rust a week after I installed it. I would say they did a **** job prepping the box before painting.

Paint bubbles and peeling keep popping up and I'm ALWAYS hitting it with spray paint.

I do not think the structural integrity would be compromised if I didnt do anything.

They told me I was the first person that complained of bad paint!

Ron W.

[B_O__Plenty]

There have been several cases where the Tri Glide jaw broke loose and caused a problem. Lippert wasn't much if any help in those situations. Warranty??? I doubt it.

B.O.

[MPI_Mallard]

-I think lippert was eluding that if the pin-box failed I couldn`t fall back on them.
- its no-where near grass or ground, it attached to the front of my fiver.

[midnightsadie]

any metal siting on grass draws a lot of moisture get it off the grass when not in use.

[smokedummy]

Some boat owners, also reluctant to drill holes in an otherwise perfectly water-tight structure, will use a wick of some sort to draw the water out of a small space, like an anchor well for instance. I have not seen this done myself but have heard of it.

[DutchmenSport]

Your camper is 10 years old and there is still something on it that falls under "warranty"! I'm REALLY impressed!

Did you tell the guy it was 10 years old? If really "not" under warranty any longer, I wouldn't worry about drilling a hole then at all.

[B_O__Plenty]

I drilled a small hole in the side so the water that collects in it can drain.

B.O.