Oh the rust dose it ever end

Thin bits of metal and bright blue light. Including glass & trim.

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sarahandthebear
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Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by sarahandthebear »

After owning our piglet for 5 months we are slowly beginning to see what all the fus about rust is. We bought the van with of course rust as I'm sure there is problay no such thing as a t25 without any rust :rofl. I painfully and slowly took the paint and rust off using rust treatment and then a primer thinking surly that will keep the rust at bay and yes you guessed it geuss what is rearing its little head once again. From under the grey patches of rust treatment is rust obviously as we know these vans rust from the inside out and the only real way of ever getting rid of it is to get the panel replaced with a new one. Has anybody got any tips or maybe something we are doing wrong or is it a battle to which will go on for a very long time. You do have to look at the funny side of it though I don't think you can own an old classic and not find it enjoyable and funny with all the hard work you put in just another part of the van life and we live it well not the rust :ok
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AngeloEvs
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Re: Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by AngeloEvs »

It depends on where the rust is appearing and wether the source is from the rear of the panel affected. If it is from the rear then it is the rear that needs to be treated. Just attending to what appears on the surface will not work as a prevention.

Where are the affected areas on your van?
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sarahandthebear
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Re: Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by sarahandthebear »

most of it is on the seems by the looks of things none really on any other parts of the panels
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AngeloEvs
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Re: Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by AngeloEvs »

The seams are flanges and the corrosion starts behind the visible area and eventually works its way to the exterior. There is a lot of information about treating seams but essentially it is a case of getting back to bare metal as far into the seam as possible.

Where possible, treating the rear of the seam is also essential. Rust inhibitors, paint and rust prevention coatings such as dynatrol need to be applied to the rear. Some people use seam sealant afterwards, but that is more cosmetic than preventative in my opinion. I have some seams with just paint but a good few top coats have been applied.
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itchyfeet
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Re: Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by itchyfeet »

I go around the rusty bits on the van every year.

I find the more work I do the longer it lasts before it needs some more work.

I now use a small cutting disc in a dremel to remove rust, it gets it down to bare metal and is precise unlike wire brushes and sandpaper, you can even do tiny spots without creating a large area that needs repainting, then I use vactan rust treatment and then I hand pint zinc rich primer and top coat.
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Re: Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by Plasticman »

Well i often split the seam and replace the lips , if lesser than that i open the seam, blast it and treat then nip it back up , as your finding the seams are the hardest to sort, other areas easier, no hard and fast rules but as others ^^^^^ have shown ,thee are ways :lol:
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jimrat
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Re: Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by jimrat »

I second what itchyfeet said.

I've tried sand blasting, 'mule skinner' wire brush, rust treatments - all the usual stuff. Unless you cut out the rust, it'll be back in 12-18 months.

Get yourself a dremmel for xmas and a bundle of mini cut-off discs (from China), and gently ease out the rust. Keeps the rust in check, but eventually you'll need to do it properly as mm describes

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CovKid
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Re: Oh the rust dose it ever end

Post by CovKid »

I find it pays to leave a rust treatment like vactan on rusty areas (front and back) and see if its actually stabilised before even going near paint. Vactan is an acrylic-based tannin solution so seals the area after it converts the rust. If, six months later, theres no sign of rust coming back, THEN i paint it. Granted not everyone can live with a scabby camper that long but it does show up areas that actually need more work rather than guesswork.
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