wwood
Member
I don't really know what the liner would help with. You still have to drill holes in your body and it's not like you can easily fix them if you want to take the skins off. Seems like a gimmick and waste of money to me.
My worry is not about protecting the Jeep sheet metal from physical damage by the skins, its about rust. Water wicks and stays trapped between close together flat surfaces (picture a drop of water between 2 glass slides). Also, air will always be between the 2 metal surfaces and air always contains water vapor. Humid areas have a lot of water vapor which will condense on the inner surfaces every time the dew point is hit and that water is virtually trapped between the skins and the sheet metal. Rust is almost guaranteed given enough time, especially around the rivnuts which are regular steel, not stainless, and the edges of the drilled holes.
How much time will it take to see rust damage? Don't know. Probably depends on where you live. That's why I asked if anybody had skins on for a number of years and what happened.
Any way to minimize the problem? Seems to me that a rubber liner is a good idea because it will displace air and probably prevent more water from entering (rain, washing, wheeling,etc). I also like Jags idea of RTV around the rivnuts.
Hinrichs: I am from south Jersey, went to school in Reading, pretty humid back there. I would hesitate to RTV around the outside edges of installed skins because you would be trapping any existing water. Might be a good idea to remove the skins temporarily if practical and see what is behind them. Dry them off and then consider RTV. Personally I don't think I would use RTV in a humid climate due to the condensation risk. Rather leave the gap open so there is at least a chance that any condensed or trapped water can evaporate.
For my install here in the Phoenix area I think I am going to put a few coats of Rustoleum on/around the installed rivnuts. Might put a rubber gasket type liner under the skins if I can find something that will definitely not absorb water. Otherwise I will just screw them on and leave the gaps open. I would then be relying solely on the paint on the Jeep and the inside of the skins to prevent rust. Still makes me nervous since I want to keep my Jeep for many years.