I've been checking on the 93 Breakaway that BB has in Crowley Lake. He has said that there is corrosion on some of the storage doors. Is this normal on a year 93 model and what is the cause and fix, how hard and expense? Also how would this coach compare to a Safari ?

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This is very common. It's called something like "bi-metal electrolysis". I am no scientist, however, it has something to do with aluminum atoms and iron ions coming in contact and creating a tiny battery.

Some of these compartment doors will allow some water to seep into the door itself.
This takes place from inside out, because the water, (all water has iron in it some more than others .. hard water) can leak into the inside of the door and stay there. So other than caulking every little joint, prevention is difficult. Some doors are water tight, this is why you probably have it on some but not others. I have seen it primarily on the bigest doors.

Repair,

The best repair I have heard of is to take a sander and sand the areas effected and then take a knife and cut out the areas effected. Then get some two part epoxy and some glass cloth, (all at home depot) and pretend you live in Malibu and you are repairing a surfboard you just ran into the rocks. I did that and when sanded down and painted it is unnoticeableble as long as you can match the paint.

By the way, I have this same problem on my aluminum screen door going out of my basement.

And by the way. The reason this happens. Is because when they made the cabinet doors they did not treat the aluminum you don't see on the inside. If who ever made the doors just painted or sprayed a commercial aluminum corrosion inhibitor, (there are many on the market)on the other side of the aluminum we would not have this problem



[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited October 26, 2003).]

It would appear that our PO (previous owner) drilled little holes in the bottom of the outside storage cabinet doors to let any water drain out and I have seen it happen a very few times, i.e. water coming out. I hope that prevents the corrosion but time will tell. Time takes its toll on damn near everything including me! Gary

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Susie and Gary (SUGAR)
'95 Barth Regency 34'
'96 Explorer

Dis-similar metals problem. I have seen it's effects on my 84 Regency, and as I fix the rusted spots I've seriously been considering adapting the zinc sacrificial anodes as found on boat motors to my chassis. Let the zinc take the current...

Duteman, where do you see the corrosion on yours?

Thanks for all the infro. Still trying to make up my mind.... When they put alum. next to steel on a truck trailer they put a peice of plastic between and it stopped this corrision Didn't get any reply on Safari comparison. Thanks, really enjoy all this site!

We had a Safari Ivory Series 91 36' diesel.We now have a Barth Regency 95 34'diesel.The Safari we had was a metal coach too,but it wasn't in the class of our Barth.I haven't look at a Breakway in person just by pictures,It look like Barth did a good job on the Breakway too.The Safari was a good coach,Our Barth is better. Jay&Shelby:

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br2409

The places where the aluminum skin contacts the 1" square steel tubing framework, the tubing itself, around the compartments, around the engine compartment, definitely galvanic corrosion. Not huge areas, in and of themselves, but in need of attention, and there are a bunch of them. I'll probably replace all of the square tube framework, eventually... once I fix them all I seriously will install some sacrificial zinc here and there...