I recently bought a pair of headlamp rims from a well known supplier ( not JK ) and within two weeks they started to show signs of rust and now after 10 weeks they look 20 years old , so during the conversation with the supplier i was asked where i kept them to which i replied ...erm on the front of the van to which the reply was " that could be the problem ,due to us having rain and they are only for sunny climates which we do state on the web site " needless to say i have crossed them of my xmas card list :rant:
Ive managed to get hold of some old looking ones ,i dont mind the abuse they have had ,, but there is no a bit of rust ;D
Dont know what the problem is with some chrome ,I got 4 original hub caps 4 years ago and theve been on the van all the time through rain and snow and stuck behind a road gritter and there still absolutely fine :
on a not dis similar topic , me, purchased a pair of shoes a while back , 3/4 weeks later soles split 100% across , took em back , told they would have to "be sent away" got letter pointing out they were for "occassional " use only!??? eh ? eventually , got a refund . previous owner of my bus gave me a pile of spares inc . 4 headlamp rims? unfortunately doubt would help your sit. due to diff. campers. expect owner expected a run on them?i mean , four? and the fitted ones are just fine
It's a mistake to think that chrome plating is chrome plating. What process they've used will affect both their costs and the quality of the product. By quality I don't just mean shininess. How long it looks good is more important. Some old OEM chromed parts are still good 10+ years after manufacture. Some of the cheap parts that arrive from India or China have a quick degrease and flash chrome plating. Looks good and lasts five minutes. Proper automotive plating involves degreasing, a decent copper plate, followed by a thin plate of nickel onto which a really good thickness of chrome is applied. You get what you pay for, but you can't always get it!
If you want something chromed try these http://www.londonchroming.co.uk/ it aint cheap but it will be top top quality.