Rust proofing a motorhome will protect the investment for years to come

Any mobile home owner will confirm that having good motorhome insurance is vital. Whether they spend time searching online or employ an insurance broker to find a highly competitive deal on their behalf, motorhome owners will not take to the roads without being sure they are covered should the worse happen.

However, there are some things that insurance cannot offer protection from and that is where the owner must step forward and carry out checks. One of the jobs the owner must keep on top of is rust, which if left untreated will cause major headaches in the future. Most motorhomes will come with a basic level of rust-proofing from the factory but if you want the maximum life out of your motorhome you need to get it rust-proofed. If the motorhome hasn’t been rust-proofed, it will probably already be starting to rust, even if it’s only 12 months old.

In the past, few buyers of second hand motorhomes would get on their hands and knees and peer underneath the vehicle because more glamorous items would attract attention (like flat screen TVs or a fancy trim). However, the financial downturn has made vehicle owners more money conscious and recent research showed that 8 out of 10 motorhome owners will apply rust-proofing treatment themselves rather than getting a professional to do it for them. Obviously budget comes into it and there are many different brands of DIY kits available The 3 most common causes of motorhome rust are: weather conditions (48%), regions (30%) and neglect (22%).

We all know that rain will make metal go rusty eventually, and an additional problem for the United Kingdom is the use of road salt during winter. This causes additional reactions to take place and makes the oxidation more rapid. Left outside, a motorhome soon becomes exposed to the elements and chips or scratches in the paint work soon fall victim to ferrous oxide. Coastal regions can play a huge part in the oxidizing destruction of a mobile home as salty sea water is a serious enemy and will attack without remorse if it is left untreated or exposed.

Even though the two previous points play huge roles in causing rust on your vehicle, neglect is the third reason for rust attacking the expensive purchase. Sensible owners should either keep the motorhome in a garage or pay a firm to store the motorhome when not in use during the winter months. Serious bodywork rust is without question one of the most expensive items to fix on any vehicle, so if you plan to keep it any length of time, then investing in rust-proofing is a wise move.