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09-18-2013, 05:30 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: bel air, md
Posts: 822
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exterior sheet metal screws
just wondering if any one knows what kind of screws are used on the likes of newmar, entegra, country coach. are they steel or has some of them used stainless steel.
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09 Winnie 32 h adventurer towing '18 Malibu
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09-18-2013, 05:44 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Posts: 233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billyb
just wondering if any one knows what kind of screws are used on the likes of newmar, entegra, country coach. are they steel or has some of them used stainless steel.
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You should be able to tell by using a magnet to see if the screw is metal or stainless. Stainless can still corrode but usually not to the extreme metal will, the driver bit used to install the screws is metal and can transfer metal into the screw head. Many of the self tapping TEK screws are metal, not all but most. Using a magnet will give you an indication of the material.
Also many of the manufacturers powder coat or anodize some of the fasteners, but unfortunately when the metal driver bit is used to install them you will find they rust in the head of the fastener anyway.
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Phillip, AZ, 2013 Fleetwood Storm, Roadmaster Front Stabilizer, Koni FSD Front Shocks, DIY Rear Track Bar, CHF, 5 Star Tune, 2010 Kia Soul Toad
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09-18-2013, 05:46 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billyb
just wondering if any one knows what kind of screws are used on the likes of newmar, entegra, country coach. are they steel or has some of them used stainless steel.
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I don't know what coach manufactures use but if I remove any screw, nut, bolt or washer from anywhere on the exterior of my coach I always replace it with it's stainless steel equivalent.
Mel
'96 Safari
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09-18-2013, 06:06 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usinvestment
You should be able to tell by using a magnet to see if the screw is metal or stainless. Stainless can still corrode but usually not to the extreme metal will, the driver bit used to install the screws is metal and can transfer metal into the screw head. Many of the self tapping TEK screws are metal, not all but most. Using a magnet will give you an indication of the material.
Also many of the manufacturers powder coat or anodize some of the fasteners, but unfortunately when the metal driver bit is used to install them you will find they rust in the head of the fastener anyway.
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usinvestment
Stainless Steel screws are metal.... (as are aluminum, which will not be attracted to a magnet but WILL NOT RUST... and steel, a ferrous metal which will be attracted to a magnet and WILL)!
Mel
'96 Safari
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09-18-2013, 06:21 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Posts: 233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mel stuplich
usinvestment
Stainless Steel screws are metal.... (as are aluminum, which will not be attracted to a magnet but WILL NOT RUST... and steel, a ferrous metal which will be attracted to a magnet and WILL)!
Mel
'96 Safari
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Most stainless used in the RV industry is 18-8 and depending on the quality of the fastener and batch that came from "China" even low quality 18-8 can corrode. Good quality 18-8 stainless is not attracted to a magnet, and is a good tool to use for testing the quality of stainless used. A steel fastener will be very attracted to a magnet even anodized and powder coated.
Please understand you're fighting a losing battle here. I spent over a decade purchasing millions of dollars in stainless, metal, powder coated fasteners and traveled the world inspecting fasteners for the largest RV builder in the U.S.
I find it funny how some bloggers like to take on a battle they know nothing about. No one is using "Aluminum" fasteners for exterior applications in the RV industry!!!
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Phillip, AZ, 2013 Fleetwood Storm, Roadmaster Front Stabilizer, Koni FSD Front Shocks, DIY Rear Track Bar, CHF, 5 Star Tune, 2010 Kia Soul Toad
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09-18-2013, 06:40 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: bel air, md
Posts: 822
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I'm on my third m.h. After two trailers, and I have replaced all the junk screws that were used on the outside with stainless. I know they were all lower end, but
just wondering if there any
built with stainless screws.
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09 Winnie 32 h adventurer towing '18 Malibu
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09-18-2013, 06:44 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Official iRV2 Sponsor
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,305
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usinvestment
Most stainless used in the RV industry is 18-8 and depending on the quality of the fastener and batch that came from "China" even low quality 18-8 can corrode. Good quality 18-8 stainless is not attracted to a magnet, and is a good tool to use for testing the quality of stainless used. A steel fastener will be very attracted to a magnet even anodized and powder coated.
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The question of whether or not stainless steel is attracted to a magnet has nothing to do with how "good" it is, but rather whether it is Austenitic, Ferritic or Martensitic. Since we're not going to turn this into a metallurgy thread, suffice it to say that "300 Series" stainless is non-magnetic and 400 Series is.
What is commonly called 18/8 stainless is "officially" known as type 304 and it is not magnetic. Magnetic stainless has a lower corrosion resistance because it has lower percentages of chromium and nickel, but it can have other desired properties such as strength or toughness.
I don't think the OP's question is a poor one; even on my relatively "high end" MH I've found common steel screws that are exposed to the elements which have simply rusted through. I'd rather pay 20-30 cents each to replace them with stainless even if I don't have first-hand knowledge of whether they are Chinese or not. At least they are less likely to rust out than were the original ones.
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Joel (AKA docj)--
RV Technology Specialist
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09-18-2013, 06:47 PM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usinvestment
Most stainless used in the RV industry is 18-8 and depending on the quality of the fastener and batch that came from "China" even low quality 18-8 can corrode. Good quality 18-8 stainless is not attracted to a magnet, and is a good tool to use for testing the quality of stainless used. A steel fastener will be very attracted to a magnet even anodized and powder coated.
Please understand you're fighting a losing battle here. I spent over a decade purchasing millions of dollars in stainless, metal, powder coated fasteners and traveled the world inspecting fasteners for the largest RV builder in the U.S.
I find it funny how some bloggers like to take on a battle they know nothing about. No one is using "Aluminum" fasteners for exterior applications in the RV industry!!!
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usinvestment
I said nothing about using aluminum screws.
In post #2 of this thread, you said, " You should be able to tell by using a magnet to see if the screw is metal or stainless".
Here is the point I was trying to make in my earlier post:
steel, aluminum,and stainless steel are all metals.
I am only a RV owner, (not a "world traveling RV fastener inspector"), but I know that much about screws/metals.
Mel
'96 Safari
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09-18-2013, 06:56 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Posts: 233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mel stuplich
usinvestment
I said nothing about using aluminum screws.
In post #2 of this thread, you said, "You should be able to tell by using a magnet to see if the screw is metal or stainless".
Here is the point I was trying to make in my earlier post:
steel, aluminum,and stainless steel are all metals.
I am only a RV owner, (not a "world traveling RV fastener inspector"), but I know that much about screws/metals.
Mel
'96 Safari
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Correct, and I stick to my point made about using the magnet, and no one is using series 400 to make fasteners to sell to the RV industry.
You still started a silly disagreement that didn't help the questionnaire about fasteners. You just wanted to disagree with my points, which (my points) were very helpful and factual!!!
An additional tip: Because of the many dissimilar metals used when fastening to an RV, which will cause corrosion you may want to use Anti-Seize (which is a copper compound) on some of the fasteners that you can't get in stainless because they are a special order like stainless TEK screws, which will help eliminate oxidization.
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Phillip, AZ, 2013 Fleetwood Storm, Roadmaster Front Stabilizer, Koni FSD Front Shocks, DIY Rear Track Bar, CHF, 5 Star Tune, 2010 Kia Soul Toad
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09-18-2013, 07:18 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 685
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I replaced all the external fasteners on my MH using an inexpensive kit of stainless steel screws from Harbor Freight.This was better than arguing with someone.
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04 Southwind 37C W22
DIY Rear Panhard Rod
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09-18-2013, 07:25 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: May 2010
Location: East Coast Fl
Posts: 1,229
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usinvestment
Correct, and I stick to my point made about using the magnet, and no one is using series 400 to make fasteners to sell to the RV industry.
You still started a silly disagreement that didn't help the questionnaire about fasteners. You just wanted to disagree with my points, which (my points) were very helpful and factual!!!
An additional tip: Because of the many dissimilar metals used when fastening to an RV, which will cause corrosion you may want to use Anti-Seize (which is a copper compound) on some of the fasteners that you can't get in stainless because they are a special order like stainless TEK screws, which will help eliminate oxidization.
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How do you avoid galvanic corrosion when using stainless in aluminum? Does it depend on the quality of the stainless?
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2016 Arctic Fox 25Y (For Sale), 2016 F350 4x4 DRW, 6.7
2008 Mobile Suites RE3: Sold
2005 Monaco Dynasty Diamond IV: Sold
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09-18-2013, 07:36 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: bel air, md
Posts: 822
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Really -----------I only was trying to find out if the high dollar units used a better grade of fasteners.
__________________
09 Winnie 32 h adventurer towing '18 Malibu
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09-18-2013, 08:14 PM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by usinvestment
You just wanted to disagree with my points, which (my points) were very helpful and factual!!!
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usinvestment
I simply wanted to point out the fact that NOT all METAL is attracted to magnets, (as your post suggested/inferred).
IMO, an incorrect statement is less helpful than no statement at all.
On offense was intended.
Mel
'96 Safari
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09-18-2013, 08:34 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Posts: 233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Barlow46
How do you avoid galvanic corrosion when using stainless in aluminum? Does it depend on the quality of the stainless?
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Anti-Seize is designed for that. It's a copper based paste that can help eliminate the corrosion between dissimilar metals.
__________________
Phillip, AZ, 2013 Fleetwood Storm, Roadmaster Front Stabilizer, Koni FSD Front Shocks, DIY Rear Track Bar, CHF, 5 Star Tune, 2010 Kia Soul Toad
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