Stair repair
While power-washing the outside of the Incorrigible prior to removing the much-reviled dolphin decals and applying a fiberglass restorative to restore the rig’s shine, I turned my attention to the retractable stairs. After fifteen years exposed to the elements, the metal steps were looking somewhat worse for wear, and I figured a coat of paint couldn’t hurt.
As I peeled up the worn-away tread pads, however, a generous amount of paint came with them, revealing some pretty advanced rust underneath. The top stair was bubbly, cancerous and pinholed, though still structurally sound. No, a simple paint job wasn’t going to cut it. The stairs got a thorough wire-brush cleaning (okay, maybe it wasn’t completely thorough, but good enough for government work) and I applied a quick coat of POR-15. As many mechanically-minded folks may know, this rust protectant looks like paint, but is something else entirely (and those who don’t know will learn this as soon as they get some on their hands or clothes–POR-15 won’t wash off with water, turpentine or any cleaner safe enough to use in your home). The stuff seals rust in, and forms a hard coating to help strengthen the damaged metal while preventing new rust from forming. I’ve used it on a number of cars, and it works. POR-15 can be painted over, but we chose to install some inexpensive Astroturf treads from the dollar store instead. Yes, it’s low-rent, but the stuff is mucho handy when it comes to reducing the amount of sand, dust and pine needles that get tracked into the Incorrigible. Our carpet looks tired enough as it is.
Speaking of the carpet, Lexie steam-cleaned it, sucking even more of the nasty cigarette-based grime left by the previous owners out. The water in the steam-cleaner was black by the time she finished,and the floors look somewhat better. Considering the amount of dust and mud that still gets tracked in, it’s no surprise many RV owners choose to install Pergo or tile floors though.
