Corrosion of Alde Convectors

@ScottG, I don't remember if I actually saw an Alde instruction that the sealant should be used at the hose/ convector connections, or if I'm simply assuming so from their catalog description.

The sealant is also sticky, I believe, which suggests to me that your 'easily-removed hoses' didn't have it applied.

Thanks @ChanW and @tybladesmith!  My T@b will be sporting one of those as fast as I can get my hands on one!

FYI,  I did not find Loctite 5923 used on my 2018 320S. Only connection taken apart was at the down stream side of the auto bleed valve after the outlet of the Alde, and no bulging of hose connections found.

Scott, so far we,only have four examples, two,without changing the glycol and two thst did. We do not have enough data to to draw any definite conclusions, one way or the other.  But keeping the glycol changed at regular intervals is the recommended practice, and many  older RVs with the Alde are not reporting any issues.  

The Nest line of trailers has the Alde, along with Roadtrek Vans, and some other highness Class A coaches use the Alde system.  It is more popular in the UK and European markets, as it has been distributed there longer.  

Interesting info Scott.  Airstream did introduce the Alde in its UK Airstream units in 2013-2014, so it seems the UK Airstreams had the Alde befor thenUS market trailer’s did, and then it is only in the higher end models here (International model), where all UK Airstreams have the Alde, according to Andrew Ditton, an Airstream UK Ambassador.
cheers

This forum must be running an "algorithm for idiots"    I speak of myself, thanks to the masked post corrector!

@fstop32, the only question I have regarding moving the one convector forward is whether there will still be a horizontal vent along the back headboard area so that the heat can rise from both convectors and into the cabin?  Your description may answer my question, but you indicate that the outside crossmember will extend past the headboard.  I'm not sure if that is behind, or in front of, the headboard.  It could be that I just don't fully understand exactly how it will be configured once completed.

P.S.  I went back and re-read your April 4th description of what you are doing.  It sounds like there will be an airflow opening to allow for the change in convector location, but I'm still not fully picturing how it will all look when done, so just curious.

@Bayliss, essentially I'm rolling the 2 rear convectors which were on top of each other to a side by side position.  It seemed to me some of the air rising behind the headboard had space to come up behind the convectors instead of through them.  Mounted side by side I think more of the air will actually pass through the convectors.  If you look in the first pic above you'll see a notch cut into the driver side bench support.  That notch is where the headboard will sit with the reservoir partially attached to the back side of the headboard like normal.  The 1x4 now between the two convectors is the new crossmember and the convectors will attach to it instead of the headboard.  There is enough space in that area for the air flow to rise like it normally would.
1st pic below is the new passenger side bench support (the pointy end will get some work once I get my hands on new convectors and hose).
When I rebuilt the middle bench support (pics 2 & 3) I turned it into a boxed beam.  I'll cut a port in the bench face panel where cabin air can enter the "duct" and there will be a small switchable fan amidships inside that beam pointing down at 45 deg to push air toward the rear and down.  To @ScottG observation, on that beam I've raised the sides of the rear portion so some air in the beam will be spread out side to side.  Also, the stubby rear most end has a sloped baffle inside so the air has to go down and under the headboard, not straight into the convector.  I've left all the T@b designed air flow as is so air can get to the convectors as it normally does.  I mounted conduit through the beam to allow the propane supply hose and wiring to be passed through.  There will also be a port door on the side of the beam for access to the fan and its position and angle.  Pic 4 shows the mid beam and a mock up headboard piece.

   
   


The driver side bench support beam will have an inside ported panel like the passenger side but that will be put in after running new hoses and cleaning up all the wiring.  @Bayliss, I climbed in there yesterday to cleanup that mess of wiring you saw and decided to wait until I had the hoses run and secured before routing the wiring.  In the last pic the area directly behind the convectors will get some insulation and the reflective foam panel original to that location which will help funnel the air through the convectors as it rises.
Of course all my "thinking" what the air flow will do and the reality of what it "will do" is open to conjecture 8^D   I've always wanted a smoke machine so I could create a slo-mo wind tunnel to confirm/deny my theoretical ideas 

   

@ScottG ...this might be the progression of the story that might not have all that much to do with "corrosion"...

It all started with just a little bulge   I do enjoy the reno projects though I don't think I would have been this deep into "The Escape Pod" had I not been pushed there...ok, I probably would but not this soon 

@ScottG Three of the six convectors had holes eaten through one end.  It was sort of weird that one end of a convector was toast but the other end was in good enough shape that I would/could reuse it, and don't you know it is one of the 8" ones!
I send an email to Chantal @ trumacorp yesterday so I'm waiting to hear back on what they can do and how much it will cost me.  I also sent her a host of pics.  If they can help I guess I'll be making a run to Elkhart IN in the near future.

I have (had) two more under the driver bench, each only 8" long.  The two under my passenger bench are each about 14" long. I had picked up in other posts that some T@b's did not have convectors on both sides.
I do wonder why the short ones under the driver bench were pulled...too much compartment heat for the electrical system?

@ScottG, I meant to mention I'm going to replace the driver side convectors with an "in built" version that is recessed into the cabin panel which picks up cool air directly off the floor and lets it rise through the convector and then passes it out back into the cabin.  I thought that would help keep that compartment from being as warm.

@db_cooper, I hope Mark didn't patent that idea because that's the way I'm going too once I put mine back together.  I haven't fully decided to poke another hole in the floor or just plumb in a low-point ball valve in the passenger bench compartment to which I can hook a drain line and let it snake out the cab door in the front and out the camper door to a bucket.
Like @ScottG, if you can catch it early it's much easier and cheaper than the route I've had to take.  I'll be looking for how that goes!