Aluminum corrosion

[Tcleveland67]

So I have a 2014 Avalanche 360RB and when I took it out of winter storage and opened it up, I noticed that my kitchen slide out has some corrosion on it with some small holes through the panel. After some more inspection I’ve found that 3 more of my slide out side panels also have the same issue. One in my bunk house has some small holes and a spot where I could probable push my thumb through. On other two the paint has blistered up but there are no holes yet. Has anyone ever had or heard of the problem?

[flybouy]

I'm confused, you titled this aluminum corrosion but you talk about corrosion on "panels" and "paint blisters". Maybe some pictures would help.

[Tcleveland67]

I will try to get some pictures tonight when I get done work. I’m not positive but I think the panels are thin aluminum sheets painted black? I talked to a local dealer and he thought they might be aluminum. It is very brittle and it has a white chalky powder where the corrosion is

[flybouy]

Are you talking about the "J" Wrap? That's the aluminum that's mounted below the FILON on the outside?

[flybouy]

Did you tow thru heavy salted roads before you put it away for the winter? Any salt trucks drive past it close by white spreading salt? Salt and aluminum don't play well together, that's why you'll never see an airport salt the runways. If it's the J wrap that's that corrode the only option is to replace it.

[Tcleveland67]

We’ve owned it for 3 years and we’ve never towed it on salty roads and it’s not parked an near any asphalt roads. The panels I’m talking about stand vertical on the side of the slide outs. About 2 ft wide. 6 ft tall.

[CWtheMan]

IMO you should get your Keystone dealer involved. Especially if the aluminum was painted. Water intrusion - any kind - between the paint and aluminum surface will cause the aluminum to oxidize.

[Tcleveland67]

Pictures from my Avalanche

[CWtheMan]

That first picture shows there is a rivet missing. That could be the location where the water intrusion started.

[Tcleveland67]

The top two pictures are the same panel. The next two are 2 more panels on 2 different slides. In total there are 4 panels with issues.

[sourdough]

When you removed it from storage I am assuming the slides had been in all winter?

It's hard to tell but it looks like whatever it is is eating from the outside in. For it to eat through the insulation makes you wonder about the substance. With the slides in what are they exposed to? What kind of environment? Just looking for any kind of clue that might shed some light. The last time they were deployed was it for any length of time, get anything on them? When retracted for the winter was it possible for something to get on them? Did someone perhaps "clean" them with some kind of cleaning liquid?

I've never seen that on a slide. I've wondered what those slide walls were made of but didn't think it was aluminum - guess I'll have to go out and see if I can tell. In the section that looks like you could put your finger through can you tell if the exterior material is metal? Almost looks like corrosion on a battery or residue from battery acid.

[Tcleveland67]

Last fall I washed the roof with a roof cleaner I bought from the dealer. Then washed all the sides with some wash and wax car wash. I left it open for a few days to dry out then winterized it and parked it in an open area on my father in laws lawn. I don’t use an rv cover. Last fall I thought something was going on in that spot because the paint looked blistered but I didn’t think much of it at the time and what a surprise this spring.

[Tcleveland67]

I did double check and there is a screw missing from the bottom of that slide but that doesn’t explain why the other slides are starting to have the same issue.

[Customer1]

Looks to me like the roof leaking, water runs inside the wall and pools at the bottom because it can't drain.

Does the inside wall have water marks?

Is the floor soft in that area? Poke with a screwdriver.

[Tcleveland67]

The one slide that’s real bad is in the kitchen and I can see the wall but I don’t see any signs of water in any of the cabinets and from the outside the floor seems solid. As for the other 3 spots on the other slides I can’t see any signs of water inside on those walls and again the floors all seem solid inside and out.

[Frank G]

After reviewing all the above information I would not rule out defective material used in construction. Considering where the trailers are made, a load of aluminum sheet under a leaking tarp on a wintery day, then sitting for weeks, outside, before installation. Yep, they may have been installed pre salted.

Just my thoughts.

[Tcleveland67]

Thanks for all your suggestions on my issue. Maybe it is water leaking in but I have a hard time believing I have 3 slides that have water leaks. If it is a manufacturing defect how would I ever prove it and what will they actually do for me. I was hoping to find info from someone that’s had I similar issue. I think I’m going to contact the dealer and have them take a look at it to see what they say. Again that’s for all your help.

[J&JRock]

One last thing you can check. I have seen these kind of issues when wrong fasteners have been used. Steel on aluminum don’t mix unless some barrier is between them. Such as paint. Most likely this is not the issue. But a quick check with a magnet will rule it out.

[tstrickland]

Hey TCleveland, did you ever find out what the corrosion was caused from? We have a 2019 Keystone Avalanche and one of our slides is doing the EXACT same thing!

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by tstrickland

Hey TCleveland, did you ever find out what the corrosion was caused from? We have a 2019 Keystone Avalanche and one of our slides is doing the EXACT same thing!

The OP hasn't been on this site since 4/29/2020. You probably won't hear back.