Community Forums

RandyandLynn · 10-15-2020, 02:42 PM

I picked up my brand new 25RDS from Broadmoor RV this week in Pasco WA. While my wife and I were on our walk-thru I noticed some peeling paint where the tech was installing my Equalizer hitch. He said he would touch it up. Well...I should have looked closer. Yesterday I was removing the hitch for possible repositioning to get ready for my battery installation. I noticed the paint repair was still sticky and the sticky paint as well as factory paint in the same area started peeling. I took a putty knife to clean off the repair area and noticed that paint was peeling and there wasn't any primer underneath. I can peel paint with my fingers and paint comes off leaving bare steel
I called the dealer, hooked up the trailer and made the 180mi round trip to get the issue looked at and hopefully resolved. My dealer said he would strip the paint from the A-frame, prime and paint it. While on my way home I called the dealer to request the entire chassis be inspected for missing primer. He said he planned on doing just that. I sent photos and this whole issue to ORV this morning and haven't heard back some 6 hours later. How does anybody miss putting primer on a paint job?? If paint is applied and primer is forgotten the chassis or any unprimed areas should be stripped and done over. Does Northwood build and paint chassis' for ORV? Maybe ORV got the painted chassis and didn't realize it hadn't been primed. I am worried now that the box of the trailer will need to be removed and the chassis blasted , primed and painted. I really don't know who to talk to at ORV. I sent my letter to Shannon but she was the only contact I had.

RandyandLynn · 10-15-2020, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyandLynn

I picked up my brand new 25RDS from Broadmoor RV this week in Pasco WA. While my wife and I were on our walk-thru I noticed some peeling paint where the tech was installing my Equalizer hitch. He said he would touch it up. Well...I should have looked closer. Yesterday I was removing the hitch for possible repositioning to get ready for my battery installation. I noticed the paint repair was still sticky and the sticky paint as well as factory paint in the same area started peeling. I took a putty knife to clean off the repair area and noticed that paint was peeling and there wasn't any primer underneath. I can peel paint with my fingers and paint comes off leaving bare steel
I called the dealer, hooked up the trailer and made the 180mi round trip to get the issue looked at and hopefully resolved. My dealer said he would strip the paint from the A-frame, prime and paint it. While on my way home I called the dealer to request the entire chassis be inspected for missing primer. He said he planned on doing just that. I sent photos and this whole issue to ORV this morning and haven't heard back some 6 hours later. How does anybody miss putting primer on a paint job?? If paint is applied and primer is forgotten the chassis or any unprimed areas should be stripped and done over. Does Northwood build and paint chassis' for ORV? Maybe ORV got the painted chassis and didn't realize it hadn't been primed. I am worried now that the box of the trailer will need to be removed and the chassis blasted , primed and painted. I really don't know who to talk to at ORV. I sent my letter to Shannon but she was the only contact I had.

My dealer called back to say that they will proceed with painting the A-frame. ORV called my dealer and said that they don't prime the chassis on any of their trailers. Maybe they use an epoxy paint and had a bad mix when they did the A-frame. They are paying my dealer "one time" to strip and paint the A-frame and the dealer is using epoxy paint. I will just have to keep a close eye on the chassis in the future to make sure paint isn't peeling off anywhere.

WNDOPDLR · 10-15-2020, 06:02 PM

I love my ORV and am happy with it, but I am not a fan of their chassis paint. We were caught in a snowstorm in OK in Feb and the salt brine they used on the roads really messed with the paint job on the frame.

Covid 19 provided the opportunity (and boredom) to spend two days on a creeper underneath my RV and completely repaint the frame, including the A frame, with something that should hold up a lot better. So far it is working well.

Your peeling paint sounds like the metal may not have been cleaned satisfactorily prior to painting..

Sorry for your misfortune, but it sounds like the dealer and Northwood stepped up.

Randy the sly old fox · 10-16-2020, 12:07 AM

ORV and Arctic Fox/Nash frames are made in the same shop.

brulaz · 10-16-2020, 07:28 AM

I'm just letting my frame rust, except for the occasional cosmetic spray here and there.
Hopefully won't break anytime soon

Cumminsfan · 10-16-2020, 09:48 AM

I guess I got lucky with the paint on my ORV frame. It has thick paint runs on the tongue

and the frame paint is staying on.

Brad Wilf · 10-16-2020, 11:40 AM

Ditto on the excessive paint on mine, I guess that was there flow gauge.

Highway 4x4 · 10-16-2020, 04:54 PM

Someday I'll do a "frame off" restoration and have it powder coated.

Brad Wilf · 10-16-2020, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highway 4x4

Someday I'll do a "frame off" restoration and have it powder coated.

Wow... that’s ambitious.

egwilly · 10-17-2020, 04:50 PM

Sucessful paint jobs start with prep work. Always. Doesn't matter if its frames, house wall, kitchen cabinets. All the same prep work for a good job.

BTW, a good contact at ORV is Todd Morton.

Leaf-Peeper · 10-18-2020, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyandLynn

... While my wife and I were on our walk-thru I noticed some peeling paint where the tech was installing my Equalizer hitch. He said he would touch it up. Well...I should have looked closer. Yesterday I was removing the hitch for possible repositioning to get ready for my battery installation. I noticed the paint repair was still sticky and the sticky paint as well as factory paint in the same area started peeling. ...

The underlined text above makes me wonder if the touch-up paint used by the dealer was not compatible and reacted with the original ORV paint? We touch-up our frame with Rust-Oleum Satin Black and have had no problems. Touching up the paint on the frame... something you should get used to doing, it's a maintenance thing.

BPTS · 10-18-2020, 06:53 PM

With all the time, expense and hassle of hooking it back up for a 180 mile haul and putting up with with dealer BS you could have hit the exposed A frame with a Scotchbrite wheel on an angle grinder, degreased it, bought 6 cans of Rustoleum primer, 6 cans of Rustoleum semi gloss black and had a better finished product.
You would have been way ahead on time and had enough cash leftover for pizza and beer to boot.

I understand you shouldn’t have to on a brand new unit but it is what it is.
Pick your battles.

Mordecai · 10-18-2020, 08:56 PM

I went over all the frame I had access to with POR (Paint Over Rust) brand paint at the end of our first season due to surface rust. Our old 2011 Rockwood trailer our neighbor bought from us has some oxidized paint but no rust at all. Frame paint/finish is not a thing ORV puts an emphasis on. It is what it is, I'm afraid, but I hope your issue is taken care of to your satisfaction.

RandyandLynn · 10-19-2020, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BPTS

With all the time, expense and hassle of hooking it back up for a 180 mile haul and putting up with with dealer BS you could have hit the exposed A frame with a Scotchbrite wheel on an angle grinder, degreased it, bought 6 cans of Rustoleum primer, 6 cans of Rustoleum semi gloss black and had a better finished product.
You would have been way ahead on time and had enough cash leftover for pizza and beer to boot.

I understand you shouldn’t have to on a brand new unit but it is what it is.
Pick your battles.

I've had several RV's and have always done all of my own maintenance. I normally wouldn't make the trip to the dealer to "touch up" paint. I had barely got this RV home when this issue was noticed so I wanted to make sure there wasn't a problem with the entire paint job. The paint was peeling off and if there was a problem with the entire chassis I wanted to make sure the warranty coverage would take care of it. I don't normally ignore issues that could potentially turn into bigger issues.