Water in the chassis
Discussion
I had the help of some muscle power this afternoon to flip my chassis over so that I can drill the rivet hole for the panels underneath.
BIG SURPRISE.... a stream of water came out from the rivet holes of the rear upper bulkhead cross tube
I don't think this is normal
Has anybody seen this before as I can't imagine the equivalent of a small glass of condensation building up inside the tubes. I am now seriously concerned for the inner integrity of the tubing and later consequences.
Your remarks will be appreciated. For those who may suggest contacting Ted and Richard, yes I have sent a mail to the Factory.
BIG SURPRISE.... a stream of water came out from the rivet holes of the rear upper bulkhead cross tube
I don't think this is normal
Has anybody seen this before as I can't imagine the equivalent of a small glass of condensation building up inside the tubes. I am now seriously concerned for the inner integrity of the tubing and later consequences.Your remarks will be appreciated. For those who may suggest contacting Ted and Richard, yes I have sent a mail to the Factory.
Thanks for all the comments.
I was aware of the recent thread talking about the corrosion on the rear tubes under the gearbox area of Mr. Snood's chassis as I also posted some comments and his chassis has 3 years of usage.
My chassis however is brand new, has never been (to my knowledge) out in the rain and I cannot understand how around 1-2dl of water poured out of the holes. All of the chassis tubes were airtight until I drilled the first rivet hole and that was one week ago.
My workshop is perfectly dry and shows a constant humidity level of 60-65% controlled by a hygrometer, so at that level no need for a dryer. The comfort humidity level recommended in living areas is between 55-65%. What is measured in the workshop can be considered normal. Nothing else rusts in the place (tools, screws, nails, parts), so the measured humidity level can be, in my opinion, ruled out. The water which drained out of the tube was perfectly clear with a very slight metallic taste (yes I sampled some...). I may ask the metallurgical laboratory of the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (EPFL) in Lausanne for comments and recommendations.
I sprayed Waxoyl in each and every rivet hole. I can understand and adhere to the recommendation of using enclosed blind rivets for all panels which are exposed to water and possible ingress.
The Factory has been informed and I expect a reply tomorrow and will keep you informed of any other news.
A worried and frustrated new owner signing out for the moment
I was aware of the recent thread talking about the corrosion on the rear tubes under the gearbox area of Mr. Snood's chassis as I also posted some comments and his chassis has 3 years of usage.
My chassis however is brand new, has never been (to my knowledge) out in the rain and I cannot understand how around 1-2dl of water poured out of the holes. All of the chassis tubes were airtight until I drilled the first rivet hole and that was one week ago.
My workshop is perfectly dry and shows a constant humidity level of 60-65% controlled by a hygrometer, so at that level no need for a dryer. The comfort humidity level recommended in living areas is between 55-65%. What is measured in the workshop can be considered normal. Nothing else rusts in the place (tools, screws, nails, parts), so the measured humidity level can be, in my opinion, ruled out. The water which drained out of the tube was perfectly clear with a very slight metallic taste (yes I sampled some...). I may ask the metallurgical laboratory of the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (EPFL) in Lausanne for comments and recommendations.
I sprayed Waxoyl in each and every rivet hole. I can understand and adhere to the recommendation of using enclosed blind rivets for all panels which are exposed to water and possible ingress.
The Factory has been informed and I expect a reply tomorrow and will keep you informed of any other news.
A worried and frustrated new owner signing out for the moment
I did a bit of trawling on the net to find out more about condensation and dew point. I would like to show you this interesting chart which shows that if you are in a relative high humidity context and lowish temperatures you are going to be close or even above the corresponding dew point. So builders in non heated garages BEWARE...!
Edited by UltimaCH on Tuesday 29th January 12:17
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