Rusty LP gas pipe

[DaveAlb]

Pipe pretty rusted under camper. Very little other rust down there. Should I restore and repaint it, or do people just let those pipes rust? Thanks. 😀

[HouseMouse]

My Opinion is... I have seen severely rusted from Road Salt and have seen topical rust. It all depends. Topical rust I can live with and most probably is normal. Leave it alone. Road Salt Rust... Run, Don't walk.

[DaveAlb]

Makes a lot of sense HouseMouse.✌️

[flybouy]

The gas line should be black iron pipe, the same thing typically used in gas service in a house. It's think walled and surface rust is not a concern. You can paint it if you wish.

[dutchmensport]

Surface or salt rust, it does not hurt to paint the pipe. Use a paint that will bond with the rusted metal and penetrate it, sealing it and keeping rust from reforming. In other words, use original Rust-o-lium spray or brush on. This is an oil based paint and will not clean up with water. So, you may want to just use the spray can. I sprayed mine earlier this year. That and some other metal items under the trailer. Rust-o-lium (original) absolutely cannot be beat. All other brands are just copy cats of this original.

[DaveAlb]

I appreciate your input! Thanks!🖖

[wiredgeorge]

Dave, Wipe the pipe down with a solution of phosphoric acid. This won't remove the rust but will make it inert and paintable. Been using it for years on the inside of motorcycle gas tanks. When they paint those big steel span bridges, they use the stuff because it is impossible to otherwise remove rust.

[DaveAlb]

I’ll check it out…thanks! 😊

[retiredusps69]

If it makes you feel better replace it. should have could have, black pipe is cheap just a pain to reroute and make splices where needed. most have 1/2 inch you could always up to 3/4inch more volume.

[DaveAlb]

I don’t think that will be needed. It’s not rusty enough to consider that.👍

[rhagfo]

I would simply remove the loose scale with wire brush, then us a “rust reformer” to kill the rust, then use a good rust preventing paint.

[DaveAlb]

That sounds like a good way to go. 🖖

[rlh1957]

Underneath the LP pipe is black iron pipe. They are coated new but that quickly wears off and has rust scale. No harm.
If it bothers you take a wire brush to it then spray paint black.

It’s not a problem like it is.

[larryflew]

Black pipe gas piping has been around MANY years. Even in salt air climates black pipe on roofs look like they might fall apart but 30 years later they still look that way. The treated wood holding the pipes off the roof will fall apart before the pipes do.

[Dave C]

Gas pipe on my 2019 Passport was all rusty on the outside. I put some rust dissolver on it, then painted it with black Rust-o-lium. Looks nice now. We spend a few months a year at the ocean and have to sand and paint the bumper and other metal parts each year because of the salt in the air. Part of our annual maintenance.

[wegone]

Black pipe is the CHEAPEST material made that you can legally use as natural gas, or LPG vessel.

It will RUST....period.

The ONLY time I have seen it rust through completely is when it's exposed to water without wrapping or other methods to protect it, a example would be when someone runs a line to a fire pit, and they don't wrap the pipe in approved material, it will rot out at ground level or under grade.

Above grade, the only times I have seen it in 50, plus years of plumbing is when it penetrates a wall, fireplace, etc, and the weatherproofing acts like a sponge, holding water against the pipe accelerates decay.

I don't like black iron pipe on trailers because you needs to many fittings, and it needs to be strapped so well it won't wiggle loose and pop off clamps over times because of rough roads, it weighs more and a 6 foot piece of half inch can really become a cause of destruction under the trailer, and not enough structure to deploy clamps like under a house, etc.
I have seen where they just force the pipe to bend some, instead of using nipples and fittings. Now its preloaded and ready to SPRING loose at the most inconvenient moment.

Here is what my new trailer has.

And in case you think the aluminum block fitting that is also a supporting member is not as stout as black pipe, let me remind you that every commercial airline you fly uses LOTS of aluminum in its build.

I made jets for a spell.

[DaveAlb]

Thanks for the insight everybody😀

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Island Eddie

Black pipe is the CHEAPEST material made that you can legally use as natural gas, or LPG vessel.

It will RUST....period.

The ONLY time I have seen it rust through completely is when it's exposed to water without wrapping or other methods to protect it, a example would be when someone runs a line to a fire pit, and they don't wrap the pipe in approved material, it will rot out at ground level or under grade.

Eddie isn't there a gas pipe that IS rust resistant? I'm remembering when I first started doing some upgrades on our mountain home that I had the LP company come out and they suggested I replace the LP line from the house to the tank with a "specialized"? gas pipe. I had one made here in TX to take up there but it was green in color. IIRC the inside looked like regular black pipe but the outside had some kind of coating??? Seems like there was a name for it but it might be an alternative under a trailer....wasn't cheap as I recall plus it had to be cut to length and threaded.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Eddie isn't there a gas pipe that IS rust resistant? I'm remembering when I first started doing some upgrades on our mountain home that I had the LP company come out and they suggested I replace the LP line from the house to the tank with a "specialized"? gas pipe. I had one made here in TX to take up there but it was green in color. IIRC the inside looked like regular black pipe but the outside had some kind of coating??? Seems like there was a name for it but it might be an alternative under a trailer....wasn't cheap as I recall plus it had to be cut to length and threaded.

This is likely what your got installed.
https://valenciapipe.com/steel-fbe/

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by rhagfo

This is likely what your got installed.
https://valenciapipe.com/steel-fbe/

That looks like it. The owner of the plumbing shop and I stood outside while they cut it to length and threaded it. Never thought of putting it on an RV in my part of the country but it might be an option for those suffering a lot of salt.