Rusted Minnie Winnie Storage Bins - Repair or Replace?

[PadFamily]

The storage bins underneath the bed in our 2018 Minnie Winnie 22R are rusting. The front edges are the worst, where the sheet metal seams are, but there is also widespread rust peaking through the coating on the bottom panels. I've started my 2nd attempt to arrest the problem, but I fear I'm only delaying the need to replace. Attempt #1: removed peeling paint and rust with wire brush on drill, sprayed Rust-Oleum paint, then sprayed 3M Rubberized Undercoating #3584. Attempt #2 (only two years after #1): have begun removing rust with wire brush on drill (3M undercoating is HARD to get off, good stuff!), plan to use the three POR-15 products (2 prep and final paint), reinforce the corners and patch the holes with some type of metal sheet, then spray with the 3M undercoating. That said, I would appreciate comments on two questions:

Question #1 - If you have replaced your bins, did you build new ones, have someone fabricate them and you installed, or just pay a shop to do the whole job? Please kindly provide some explanation, links to materials, costs, tips, etc.

Question #2 - If you repaired them with metal patches on the corners and where holes had developed, did you use untreated metal, galvanized or aluminum sheeting? Why did you choose one and how did you protect it once installed?

I have to believe there are many Minnie Winnie owners with the same problem. We bought ours at two years old from a rental company. To my knowledge it has had little to no exposure to winter road chemicals. It is disturbing that the original Winnebago build did NOT have a mud behind the right side duals. Why would you do that? ARG - never mind, I'm venting.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Morich]

Thinking way back to when my brother and I had old rusty cars and no money, we did a lot of useless work on trying to clear rust. Cars are now built much better than in the 50-60's group!
One thing we learned was we could never scrape and clear rust but it had to be cut way back to get into the really good metal or it just covered the rust and it came back too quick to be worth the time.

I have not replaced metal on bins, but only done work to slow the progress. But your problem is coming from outside which is harder to deal with. When you say it is not from road chemicals, you may be missing part of the problem if dealing with rental RV. They may be locally rented but taken to the mountains, etc where they are driven in all kinds of muck that you are not aware of happening!

Part of the reason rental Rv are changed out every few years?

From what I know and see on your pictures, I would not be equipted with the right tools and skills to cut out the metal to get far enough back to add new metal. Part of the question will be what plans you have for the rV. Long term or short term repairs?
Is it worth going high level or just put off the real question for as long as needed before swapping it out?

[PadFamily]

Richard,

My dilemma is I've never done sheet metal, I plan keep the RV more than two years, and I'm afraid that without a replacement that the bottom may actually fall out! Right now I'm doing a repair of the rusted edges. I'm using the POR-15 products and following their process. Then I plan to cover the holes and corners with new metal, using pop rivets. I'm thinking 1/16th inch aluminum would be pretty easy to work with. I plan to use RV caulking between the existing metal and new aluminum, seal the exposed seam with butyl tape, then spray 3M Undercoating over it.

I've spent a lot of time looking at the bins over the past 36 hours, and it seems and it seems feasible to but the bottom 4" of the bins off and rivet on a new sheet metal replacement bottom if I can find a fabricator who would give me a product dimensioned to about 1/16th inch +/- so it would fit OK. Aside from wanting to use it for another 5 or so years, it seems like it would be hard to sell it without a solid fix, or at least I would have to take a penalty of steeply reducing the price. That's for another day - right now I'm heading out to apply the POR-15 metal prep. Cheers!

[BobC]

Originally Posted by PadFamily

right now I'm heading out to apply the POR-15 metal prep. Cheers!

I had good luck repairing the rusted out floor pan in the cab of my Ford E350 van with POR 15 products and their fiberglass product. I had large areas where the pan was missing and, in those areas I pop-riveted in new steel sheet metal. The smaller areas I repaired with the POR 15 fiberglass that cured harder than a rock.

Richard is correct in his comment about the need to cut out all the rust.

I don't know what's happened with Winnebago's construction. My 2002 Suncruiser shows no sign of rusting and it started out it's life in Florida.

Here's a link to my van repair:

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...diy-27589.html

The fiberglassed area is the long, rectangular area visible in the third photo. POR 15 recommended their silver paint for fiberglassing due to it's high solid content. It won't look like it's working very well with the first coat (lots of loose fibers), but keep going, it gets better with subsequent posts. I don't know if there's anything special about the POR 15 fiberglass, so generic fiberglass mat should work.

Good luck.

[Morich]

What works best for each is often a point that has almost unlimited variables. I'm new in Texas and have developed very few contacts compared to where I'm used to being among lots of friends with lots of varied talents. Things like auto repair, welding, metal work are always handy to have around when we know the right folks with the right tools.
My last RV with bins rusting would have been done totally different if I were in "home territory" as I had so many friends with the right talents!
But at this point and this place, I did the quick and easy to make it last and hide the problem as long as I owned the RV and the dealer from Florida flew in and never looked. We both seemed to be happy!
When dealing/ selling with car and RV dealers, I have little concerns about telling them of any defects because I have NEVER found one who told me when I was the buyer!

[PadFamily]

Richard & Bob, thanks for your thoughts. I'm going with what I hope is a 5+ year fix: 2 coats of POR-15 (heavy wire brushing but did not cut out rusted sections); reinforcing corners with aluminum 1.5" angle iron; patch holes with 1/16" aluminum sheeting; and lots of pop rivets! And I'm adding a mud flap behind duals on right side (where Winnebago declined to build one) to reduce road junk coming up onto the bottom of the bins.

[mduff]

We have the same issue with our 2016. I cut out the rusted sections and replaced with 18 gauge metal. I used J-B Kwik 2 part epoxy adhesive (for steel) to attach the pieces. To protect I use POR, then seam sealed the edges, and final coat of Tremclad. I have one compartment where I continue to have condensation which I’m trying to address.