Lubricating, Maintaining the Slide Mechanics

[Montana_421]

Having just owned and occupied our 5er for about 5 weeks, I hadn't really got around to seeing how the mechanics work. The Owner's manual has little useful detail, and though I read almost all the posts, here, and several times "lubrication" has been mentioned, I never put it all together. Now I see I should have, and could use some info and advice.

We have been parked right at the ocean's shore for 30 days. Getting ready to move, I did some inspection. I immediately noticed some rusty coloration on the long silver rod. It cleaned off of one with WD-40, but the other, under our biggest slide wasn't so slight... there is actually some corrosion and pitting. Cleaned and buffed with WD-40 and a "scrubber sponge", it still has a string of little pits of corrosion.

NOW I realize that the larger rails with the teeth on the bottom are not the power source, but that the silver rod is actually the hydraulic, right? And it is what really needs the lubrication that everyone refers to, right? And since it slides in and out of some sort of seal, which is probably succeptable to harm from such things as petroleum distillates like WD-40, that rod is what you are using a dry-lube, or ??? what? And obviously the highly polished rod needs protection from the salt air!!!

So:
1) Any good alarming, or soothing, or any other advice about smoothing/remedying the little pits of corrosion?
2) Any advice about something to both lubricate and insulate the metal from the salt mists?
3) Any advice re the fact this one rod, especially, corroded so easily, and of similar experience. My dealer (now 1000 miles away) never offered any advice about these things, and Keystone (now about 2000 miles away) certainly doesn't tell us what to use on, or do with them...

I'm assuming that the long silver rod is the piston, and that this pitting will cause wear on the seals, and leakage of fluid... right? Or not? That's why I wish we had more technical info, and maintenance instruction that goes beyond telling me to keep the reservoir filled appropriately!!

Russ n Vicki plus Michelle the pooch (uh, the "princess")

2004 Montana 3575RL
2002 Blue GMC Sierra, D/A, CC, 4X4, SB
CIPA Electric Mirrors, Prodigy Control, Reese 16K Kwik-Slide, & .. Lotsa Prayer!