2008 roadtrek chevy 190 rusted frame

[clap]

looking at a 2008 roadtrek chevy 190 which has a rust hole in the frame. its gonna be sold to a salvage yard but i was thinking of seeing if its possible to have a friend with an autobody shop weld up some plate. i went along the frame on both sides using a screw driver and a hammer to see if i could find other areas but it seems ok.

i would imagine its not easy to replace the whole frame like a toyota truck in that everything is built on top of the frame ?

is this a common issue with roadtrek or with chevy roadtrek's ?

the rv is mint inside and out and worth $35k and the salvage yard is offering $7k

am i nuts even to consider it ?

 

[jwd673]

This could be fixed be a good fabricator / welder.

 

[mkguitar]

the panic is over and that RV in great shape is not worth $35k with a perfect frame.



do your calculations and if it seems to makes sense then take it on- place a value on your time too.

 

[GroupB]

If it can be had for close to the 7K, I'd go for it. If the repair doesn't go well or other things crop up, the 7K salvage could be a fall back.

 

[booster]

Rusted frames are usually not only in one place unless you can find why it rusted there. That one has a mighty big hole all the way up the side so it is highly likely there are other spots that are also compromised.


It is odd in a way because I think this if the first current generation Chevy we have heard of so there has to be some reason for that.


How many miles and where is it from?


I have seen Chevies with 300K miles, in Minnesota, on them on Craigslist and they had rust along the bottom of the body, but none ever mentioned bad frames which is pretty common on some vehicles and often listed in the Craigslist ads. Does this one have body rust on it?



If you have the tools/place/skills to do it a used frame would probably be best, and safest way to go, but it is a lot of work as almost all the RV stuff underneath would need to come out as well as the entire drivetrain, suspension, and body removed.


Personally, I would pass as living in the rust belt all these years has shown me that rust is a killer in general for vehicles and if the heavy frames are rusted through there are going to problems. Pretty much every fastener underneath is probably rusted solid so will be very hard, impossible to get out, for instance. Same will be true for all the RV parts.


The vans weigh nearly 10,000 pounds and are at/near maximum weight so structural integrity is very important.

 

[booster]

Wait a minute.....


I just looked at the picture again and it looks like that is the add on piece of frame the Roadtrek added to protect the lowered gas tank. Our 190 looks just like that.


If that is the case, perhaps they left one end open or such so it filled with salty water.


Again if that is the piece it is, it is not structural and could easily be cutoff and replaced, just by removing the gas tank, I think.


If there is no major body rot (be sure to check for repairs of it) it is quite possible that Roadtrek messed up somehow.

 

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Yes, do you see how fast I answered your question?

You can fix a lot of things, but, once your chassis has become compromised, it's too late. Reminds me of cars I've seen destroyed in Michigan.

This is why cars from Southern California are so valuable. The rust belt kills vehicles unless precautions are taken.

What you're looking at is the tip of the iceberg....DO NOT purchase this vehicle.... besides, I would never purchase a vehicle that's been labeled as salvage..... that's seriously bad. The next stop for this vehicle is the junk yard.

 

[ks@yvr]

Agreed, just looks like rusted out tubular metal stock that may not have been properly treated with a rust inhibitor. Should be relatively easy for a good welder to replace. I’d have someone else have a good detailed look over your frame to check for rust and if it is just localized to this area then a good metal shop or body shop should be able to address the rust damage. Make sure that they treat the replacement metal with a good rust inhibitor inside and out plus the adjoining vehicle frame after the welding.

I misread your earlier post and thought you already owned the vehicle and were looking for possible repair advice. If you are buying the vehicle I would be more cautious but the ultimate decision and your risk factor is up to you. If you get a second opinion that the damage is just localized and can be safely repaired then use your best judgement. You want a vehicle that is safe on the road for you, your family and the other road users. That would be the driving factor in any decision. I would probably look for something else if there more frame damage elsewhere than this. Good luck.

 

[mkguitar]

once your chassis has become compromised, it's too late. Reminds me of cars I've seen destroyed in Michigan..

Yes when I lived in Ontario my 77 El Camino went to scrap in 1984.


link to pic of the under side of my AZ class B ( you don;t even need penetrating oil to loosen these fasteners)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/T6Pzo853BrHhYzb47

 

[Luv2Go-ClassB]

I wish my 2006 only had that rust instead of what it has. I have a lot more, the PO used it in winter to ferry the kids to hockey games. We are about to replace it, partly due to the rust, even though it has not gotten significantly worse since we bought it in NH in 2016 due to liberal use of Fluid Film.

I agree with booster, that is the extra piece RT welds on to protect the gas tank.