Re: [A/S] Clearcoat

Thank you, Kevin. I have a vision of Airstreams being indestructible however I've seen a couple lately that show a lot of neglect, and yet the asking prices are way over the top. I often hear or read of "some clearcoat fading" or "peeling" and really didn't have a handle on whether I should ignore the listing or negotiate the fix in the price. I may not have a place to mess with this myself, so I guess I should look for one that has already been polished or coated, or both.

Anne in VA

On Jul 22, 2011, at 12:44 PM, KevinA wrote:

> Greetings Anne!
>
> --- In AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com, Anne Pearse Hocker <aph948@...> wrote:
> > > From: AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com]
> > > On Behalf Of Anne Pearse Hocker
> > > Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 4:12 AM
> > > To: Airstream List Yahoo Group
> > > Subject: [A/S] Clearcoat
> > >
> > > What is the average lifespan of clearcoat? What happens if it is peeling off
> > > and you do nothing?
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > >
> > > Anne in VA
> > >
> The lifespan of Plasti-Coat is often quoted as having a maximum effective life of 10 years. Much of the durability of the coating is controlled by maintenance as well as where and how the coach is used. The maintenance recommendation is to Walbernize twice annually and to keep surfaces clean -- with this process, my 2003 re-coating of my '64 Overlander continues to perform well -- the only issue is some degredation of the coating on the curved panels where the walls meet the roof. The shop that re-coated my coach offers partial re-coats for this type of wear at a very reasonable cost so it is something that I will likely be pursuing in the not too distant future.
>
> Plasticoat when it is allowed to fail in its entirety, allows corrosion or "tarnish" to form much as tarnish forms on silver-plated flatware. Other than the appearance of the "tarnished" panels, significant permanent damage isn't done to the metal -- at least metal of the quality utilized in Vintage (pre-1990 coaches). Some filliform corrosion will appear, and it may induce pitting which often isn't removed in the polishing, but such pitting is usually only evident when one is very close to the surface of the coach. Tolerance for the appearance of a "tarnished" coach is a very personal variable.
>
> Good luck with your investigation!
>
> Kevin
>
>

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