Fixing Rust Under Your Rear Trim

Hey everybody, this is John with Owl.

I want to do a quick tutorial about the rear plate, or plastic step, on the back of your Revel.

Often, when these vans are built, you can get little plates of metal back there that can rust.

This isn't specific to the Revel; it's something you should check on all Sprinter vans. I'll show you how to remove this plate and clean it if needed.

1. Removing Plastic Covers

You’ll find small areas holding screws. Use a Flathead screwdriver or a small pick tool to pop these plastic covers off. Be careful, as they can fly off. You’ll need to remove these covers and continue along, popping them out. It’s helpful to have pliers, though I don’t have mine with me right now.

2. Removing Factory Spare

For those who don't know, there are two holes to lower the basket holding the factory spare. These are for the two 19-mm bolts.

You might find additional screws under the floor mat holding down the back of the van that need to be removed.

3. Removing Rear Screen

There are a few screws on the back screens that need to be removed as well.

Once those are out, you can remove the screen. Be careful as you might break a couple of snaps, but that's okay.

Now, look at the metal underneath. As I mentioned, little bits of metal can get deposited back here during the van's construction, creating opportunities for rust. This isn’t too bad compared to most vans I've seen, but it's still worth pulling this off and cleaning it. It takes about 5 minutes.

Take a screwdriver and run it along the rubber edge to dig out any metal. This helps to clean the area thoroughly.

4. Removing Rust

For rust removal, I recommend using Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer, one of my favorite products. Spray it on the spots where rust has started to form, especially in the corners. This product transforms and neutralizes the rust. Since this will be under the black plate, it won’t be visible.

After spraying, make sure to wipe off any excess product that got on surrounding areas.

5. Reassembly

With most of the rust taken care of, reassembly is just the reverse of the removal process. Although it was a bit tricky to reinstall the plastic piece, it required levering the backside in first, getting it under the plywood, and then snapping it into place with a flathead screwdriver.

The middle part has a long post that you need to align carefully. It was a bit fiddly, but I managed to snap it all back in place. Then, you need to drop the plastic bolts back in with the tabs facing the rear of the van. Finally, snap the other pieces back into place.

Now you have the peace of mind knowing there’s no rust under your rear trim. Hope this helps!

FULL VIDEO

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More soon,
John Willenborg