power wash?? Help! - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-25-2013, 06:57 PM   #1
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power wash?? Help!

I have a Scamp 13' trailer that has been at my x-mother in laws for 2 summers. She has used a sprinkler on the yard, and it has been running on one side of the Scamp and left rust stains from the well water. About 4 years ago we used poly glow on it. My boyfriend wants to power wash the rust off it. Will this damage the Scamp? Or tear off the decals? I have no knowledge of a power washer as I have never used one and I dont trust that he wont blow a hole right through the side of it if I am not there to supervise! Please help! Thanks!
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Old 04-25-2013, 07:10 PM   #2
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A power washer will do nothing but blow water past every seal in the trailer. Rust must be removed chemically. Barkeeper's friend has oxalic acid in it which is commonly used to dissolve rust stains on all kinds of surfaces.

Wash the trailer as usual and apply a paste of Barkeeper's friend to the residual rust stains...let it stand for awhile, then gently polish. The rust should come off.

But be warned- the place you've "buffed" will likely be shinier than the rest of the trailer, so you might have to polish the whole thing.

Francesca

P.S.

Since you mention that you used Poliglow on it some time back, it occurs to me that the rust might be adhered only to that film and not penetrated to the gelcoat. After washing but before Barkeeper's, you might try whatever solvent is recommended for Poliglow removal and see if the rust doesn't come away with the polish.

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Old 04-25-2013, 07:20 PM   #3
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Bought a power washer several years ago to clean my badly mildewed deck. It removed, mildew, stain and about a 16th of an inch of wood. I turned around inadvertently and carved quarter inch deep grooves in the pine siding on my house. You have to be careful with these things. You never want to run one with sandals, you could take off a toe - literally!
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Old 04-25-2013, 07:28 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kara P. View Post
My boyfriend wants to power wash the rust off it. Will this damage the Scamp? Or tear off the decals? I have no knowledge of a power washer as I have never used one and I dont trust that he wont blow a hole right through the side of it if I am not there to supervise!
Does he have a beloved fishing boat, preferably fiberglass with an outboard motor and a fish-finder on the dash?
Tell him to show you how a power washer works on that FIRST.
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Old 04-25-2013, 07:36 PM   #5
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Some power washers will remove oxidation from gelcoat. Hard to tell on a light color but I used one on my boat with a red stripe and it does remove some of the oxidation. So it gets past the wax.
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Old 04-25-2013, 08:19 PM   #6
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How about CLR ?
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Old 04-25-2013, 08:25 PM   #7
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Home Depot now sells a rust remover over in the paint area with the Acetone and xylene. It was in a gallon tin and looked interesting but didnt need any so did not pursue it. Might be worth a quick gander.
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Old 04-25-2013, 08:36 PM   #8
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Francesca is right, IMO, use Barkeepers Friend after you remove the PoliGlow.
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Old 04-26-2013, 02:11 AM   #9
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There are power washers and there are power washers.

When purchasing a power washer, most folks would choose the one with the highest pressure and flow rating as the best. However many surfaces are badly damaged when washed with such high pressure.

I had at my disposal a pressure washer belonging to my son who stored it in my garage until he got his own house. It was upper quality unit with a nice 5.5 hp Honda engine that started easily and ran strong. But that thing could really cause some damage!

When he took possession of it after he moved in to his own home, I bought a small electric washer and couldn't be happier. With its accessory nozzle that puts out a pulsing fan spray it works great for washing cars, trucks, mowers, tractors, decks, siding, etc.

For concrete sidewalks, paved parking lots and similar jobs a high pressure gas powered washer is more appropriate. When I decide to do this kind of work around the house, I just rent an appropriate sized power washer.
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