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05-02-2019, 02:06 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,937
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getting algae spots off the roof?
so my escape spent the winter kinda too close to a bunch of tall oaks, and they naturally covered the roof in pollen, which proceeded to turn into a sort of black mud.
I've washed off the bulk of it, but its left behind an even spatter of black dots of something thats not easily washing off. in fact they don't even easily scrape off with a fingernail and running water. I've used car wash in a bucket of warm water, and a stiff bristle brush, and a car wash sponge which has a plastic mesh on one side and terrycloth on the other, nada. scrub and scrub and scrub over a few inches and barely reduce the dots
thats an area that got extra attention...
so... what should I use? rubbing compound? cleaner-wax?
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05-02-2019, 02:21 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,937
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and.... meguiars marine/rv cleaner wax did nothing but make it shinier.
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05-02-2019, 03:27 PM
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#3
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Member
Name: will
Trailer: 16' Scamp
Wyoming
Posts: 70
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Top of our Scamp looked like that. Washed it with undiluted bleach. Came clean!
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05-02-2019, 03:35 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,136
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Bar keepers friend plus a green scrub pad. Cleaned a lot of old crud off my 42 year old Trillium that way.
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05-02-2019, 03:55 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,519
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Carwash soap in a strong solution with water.
Then use purple Scotchbrite as a sponge.
Keep it wet and scrub with medium pressure. The soap will prevent damage to the fiberglass while the Scotchbrite will clean the surface.
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05-02-2019, 04:03 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: Daniel A.
Trailer: Bigfoot 17.0 1991 dlx
British Columbia
Posts: 741
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I also use Barkeepers friend just wiping with shop towel dose a really good job. Try it first rather than anything harsher spray on wipe off.
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05-02-2019, 07:13 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
Posts: 2,316
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Turtle Wax “Bug & Tar Remover”
Mr Clean “Magic Eraser”
even WD 40 will work
Dave & Paula
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05-02-2019, 08:17 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,937
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WD40, which I've used to remove some nasty tar spots from the fender wells of my Casita, as well as cleaning the alloy wheels on my former BMW motorcycle, doesn't even touch these hard crusty black spots on the roof.
sigh, its looking like I -am- going to need to use something abrasive
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05-03-2019, 12:45 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: Dave
Trailer: Casita SD17 2006 "Missing Link"
California
Posts: 3,738
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[QUOTE= sigh, its looking like I -am- going to need to use something abrasive [/QUOTE]
John, would that include a chain saw for pollen elimination also .
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05-03-2019, 03:37 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Trailer: Trillium 2010
Posts: 5,185
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Road tar, tree sap, bug guts, adhesive, bubble gum, and bird poop are all tough to remove. Especially if they have been there a while. Sometimes heat from a hair dryer works along with a plastic scraper. Goo gone works well for adhesives. I've used the Turtle wax bug and tar remover with some success. Acetone seems to work the best. Good luck.
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05-03-2019, 03:44 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Trailer: U-Haul VT16
Posts: 982
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05-03-2019, 11:07 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: Ed
Trailer: Casita 17 ft SD
Colorado
Posts: 206
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Removing spots from roof
ZEP floor wax remover works really good.
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05-03-2019, 11:33 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Randy
Trailer: Casita 17 FD
Florida
Posts: 119
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Beware of using any sort of abrasive, including scotchbrite pads, or Barkeepers, etc. Doing so will damange the smooth gelcoat. So don't do it unless you have tried other means.
Also, chlorine bleach can make some plastics turn yellowish.
If your spots are really algae, or other organic material like mold and fungus (and that is what I have had on my Casita), I have a good solution for you.
After cleaning the area as well as possible with detergent and rubbing with a cloth, apply a saturated solution of oxygen bleach (i.e. Oxyclean or generic substitute). Allow that to dry in strong sunlight (sun catylizes the reaction). For stubborn spots, make a past of oxygen bleach, apply to the spot in strong sunlight, and keep from totally drying out by occasionally misting over the area with a hose nozzle that is adjusted to a fine mist.
Oxygen bleach will whiten other plastic parts as well. If you propane tank cover gets gray or spotted, oxygen bleach and sunlight can make it look like new again.
Oh, if your spots on your roof are sap or pine tar, you probably will need to use a solvant, but don't use anything too strong that will dissolve fiberglass. Alchohol is a good thing to try first or any of the commercial products.
Hope this helps
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05-03-2019, 02:11 PM
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#14
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Junior Member
Name: Robin
Trailer: in the market for a Trillium 13'
Saskatchewan
Posts: 6
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Cleaner for fiberglass
We have always used "Totally Awesome" cleaner from Dollarama store. It takes the black off with a wipe. Then rinse.
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05-03-2019, 02:20 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: 1979 Boler1700
Maple Ridge, B.C.
Posts: 383
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mszabo
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I agree with the 30 second cleaner.
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05-03-2019, 03:06 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,937
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well, light rubbing with carwash and a scotchbrite pad takes them off pretty easily. gonna take awhile to do the whole roof of this E21, tho, eeek...
my first test patch, I did about 1 sq ft, hosed down, dried with synth chamois, let air/sun dry, and it just looks like lightly oxidized gelcoat, same as before but without the freckles... no sign of hairline scratches in the direction I used. I've since done about 8' of the curb side of the roof, a few feet at a time.
when I'm done, I'll go over it all with marine cleaner/wax... I suppose I could break out the orbital and hit with with some polishing compound first, but the cleaner/wax probably will do just fine.
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05-03-2019, 03:12 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,937
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mszabo
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MSDS says thats dilute chlorine bleach (Sodium Hydrochlorite) and TSP.
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05-03-2019, 03:29 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
MSDS says thats dilute chlorine bleach (Sodium Hydrochlorite) and TSP.
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With a tremendous profit margin.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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05-03-2019, 05:48 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,519
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GatorCasita
Beware of using any sort of abrasive, including scotchbrite pads, or Barkeepers, etc. Doing so will damange the smooth gelcoat. So don't do it unless you have tried other means.
Hope this helps
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That's what the carwash soap is for, when used with the Scotchbrite.... Try it!
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05-04-2019, 01:30 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Name: Lee
Trailer: Casita
Texas
Posts: 493
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Scotchbrite pads are basically plastic sandpaper with the green color being a heavy grit so bear that in mind when using it. I have used the L A Awsome cleaner that is available at any dollar type store in combination with a magic eraser with excellent results on black streaks. Not sure about those black spots but a spray bottle of awesome is only 1 dollar so it is worth a try. I just recommended some of that 30 second cleaner to some friends that were getting algae on their house siding and they couldn't believe how well it works. It is also available at Home Depot and Lowe's. Again not sure how it would work on those spots. I'm sure everybody has noticed the black spots that get on some of the silicone sealant on our RV's. Even bleach doesn't seem to touch that 100 %.
__________________
Lee
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