Sandblasting and recoating

[Gary Winzenburger]

Late last week, I took our 1997 Marquis into a local Cat dealer to have them check the entire cooling system. After crawling under the motor/transmission and radiator, they showed me some metal tubing connectors that are rusting. Currently, there are no leaks. While the hoses look good, they will remove, sandblast and inspect the thickness of the good metal. They will then recoat these pipes and connectors if they feel they are good. At the same time, they will clean the radiator and motor, as well as check everything else underneath. My question is - Does anyone have experience with this type of renovation (sandblast/recoating). So far, I am very impressed with their knowledge and the way they keep their facility - you could eat off their garage floors, plus they like our "Magic Bus"!

[Edward Buker]

It is a standard process for stopping rust and prolonging the life of metal things that are degrading. The parts are 16 years old and if they have seen salt, look bad, then the shop is doing thier job in recommending this service. Sometimes it is less expensive to go to a fabricator with the parts and get a new one made. If your intent is to hold on to the coach for the long run then these kinds of activities become necessary with age. If you have the opportunity, ask them about the durability of the new finish. If I was having that work done I would want the parts epoxy primed and painted or a powder coat finish used, whichever was going to be more durable in the application. I would not want to go through that expense and have a shop use a couple of spray cans of paint to recoat the part. While they are doing the work you may want to ask if there are silicone rubber (blue ones) formed hose fittings that can be used for replacement along with the appropriate clamps. They will never need changing again. The rubber parts are more prone to fail than the metal ones with age in general.

Later Ed

[Gary Winzenburger]

Thanks Ed. The service tech mentioned the epoxy process and/or powder coating, but will wait to see what they find after they take everthing apart. I guess it'll depend on how much thickness the metal still has that's good. I'll ask about the silicone rubber fittings.

[Edward Buker]

I mention the silicone rubber type hose because they have exceptional life but it all depends on how long you want to keep this RV going. You got a lot of years out of your current standard hoses and it is a cost vs life tradeoff what you would do from here. If you go to replace any you could have them price either silicone or standard hose and decide what is right for you based on your future plans.

Later Ed

[Gary Winzenburger]

We hope to keep it as long as possible. Our Marquis is paid for, and has been taken care of by its previous owner. Everything works, it runs and rides out very well, so know, it's just a matter of preventive maintenance and enjoying it. A few upgrades may be in order in a year or two, but we want to travel debt free for as long as possible. Thanks for the advise. and encouragement!

[Gary Winzenburger]

We got our Marquis back from Thompson Caterpillar in Clarksville, TN, and I couldn't be happier. They checked codes, flushed the radiator, sandblasted/recoated coolant lines, replaced filters, fixed turn signal and washed the motor, steam cleaned radiator and added a coat of Caterpillar yellow where needed. They also replaced leaking rear wheel seal & hub, as well as the injection actuation pressure sensor. My wallet is a little lighter, but I think well worth it, and they gave me the most expensive Cat hat I've ever owned!

[Edward Buker]

Sounds like they did a great job and you should be a happy camper for many more miles....

Later Ed

[William Brosam]

i used to do powdercoating for a living its a good process what will stand temps to 400* unless its the high temp version then closer to 800*

very standard process, i just dropped my rear hitch had it modified blasted and powder coated and reinstalled it is the correct way to perform this needed maintence.

[Gary Winzenburger]

It's good to know what the results of these improvements/repairs can be. I know repairs and breakdowns are going to happen, just like in any home, but I must admit, reading some of these postings can be a bit scary to someone new to RV'ing. I'm glad to have the individual, network support and fine companies that can be relied on to give quality service/advise to keep these older units running!