Rusty Brake Rotors on 2003 Itasca Sunflyer

[iezzif]

My 2003 Itasca has been parked at a campground for 3 years. Going to be moving it out this fall. Noticed that the brake rotors are rusty. Do I have to do anything to them before moving it?

[Eagle5]

Hi iezzif,
If it is just rusty rotors, then no problem. If the caliper slides have frozen-up, then your brakes will be sticking. Let us hope that is not the case.
Eagle5
P.S. We have fourteen members wherein "Rusty" is part of their user name, but we have no "RustyRotors." That would be a great moniker name, wouldn't it?

[creativepart]

Brake rotors on vehicles rust all the time. Generally, the rust is just surface rust that’s eliminated when you drive and apply the brakes.

If the RV has been sitting for 3-yrs I’d be concerned about the tires, engine oils, brake fluid and gas quality. Batteries are another concern. Take it slow and plan on having a few issues. 3-years of sitting is harder on a vehicle than 3-years of use.

[Morich]

Rust comes in different degrees so some judgement may help?
The rust on rotors will be running across the brake pads as you brake. How much and how heavy the rust will change how much that rust cuts into and wears the pads!
So is it heavy enough to make sense to use fine sandpaper or emery to rub the rust off to avoid extra wear on pads and needing to change them somewhat sooner or is it okay to just let the pads rubbing on the rotors remove the rust while you are losing a slight amount of brake power as it gradually wears away?

If really heavy, it may be worthwhile to let a shop do the cleanup as it is a job at times. The trouble with taking it to a shop is that lots of the rust will have done it's thing in the first ten miles of driving and braking!

If planning to start using the Rv, a bigger worry might be what the brake fluid has drawn in for moisture. That water can be setting in the wheels cylinders and rusting them! That rust is out of sight and can start scoring the wheel brake cylinders and after 50-100 miles all four of them may need replaced. That is a big deal to avoid even if it means having the brake fluid replaced!

Devil if you do, devil if you don't, so it's a judgement call!

[Bobn1957]

I would recommend replacing the front wheel bearings because three years in one spot will leave flat spots on the bearing surfaces that will eventually fail, while you have them apart you can get the rotors re-surfaced!