Removing bugs while traveling - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-02-2014, 07:43 AM   #1
Sid
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Removing bugs while traveling

When I travel at every fill-up use the stations windshield wash and squeegee to remove the bugs off the front of my trailer. After reading about the recommended wash soaps for these rigs I need to ask am I running the possibility of damaging my clear coat? If so how do you handle the little critters?
I did a search but found nothing on the topic so thoughts please......
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Old 08-02-2014, 08:03 AM   #2
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Unless Parkliner did something special, there is no "clear coat" on your trailer... at least not like paint clear coat. It's gelcoat. Best suggestion, from me anyway, is to keep it well waxed using a quality product.
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Old 08-02-2014, 08:05 AM   #3
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Sid, I'd be worried about all the crud in those windshield washer stations from all the cars that used it ahead of you. It has to be abrasive. Maybe take a squirt bottle of clean water with you along with your own squeegee. Remember that any window cleaner that has ammonia in it will remove wax. It will also remove the oils found in plastic windows. Any windows made with petroleum, like plexiglass will dry out from the ammonia and develop crazing (minute cracks) before their time.

Back in the day, we'd pick up a lot of bugs flying helicopters at night. Rather than trying to clean it when we returned, we'd wipe the windshield and chin bubbles down in the morning when the dew worked to soften everything up. Soft rags and all the dew were usually enough. Bird strikes took a little extra soap and water.

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Old 08-02-2014, 08:28 AM   #4
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Thanks Donna for the correction, I meant gel coat.
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Old 08-02-2014, 09:24 AM   #5
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I do the front windshield of the trailer with the gas station squeegie but wait til I get to our nightly site before removing the rest of the bugs.

Just get a bucket of water, wet the bugs/front of the trailer with a car brush and they usually brush off then rinse.
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Old 08-02-2014, 10:29 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MC1 View Post
I do the front windshield of the trailer with the gas station squeegie but wait til I get to our nightly site before removing the rest of the bugs.

Just get a bucket of water, wet the bugs/front of the trailer with a car brush and they usually brush of then rinse.
One must understand that all trailers are NOT created equal.
First the OP was talking about cleaning the fiberglass, (last time I check Airstream didn't have any fiberglass).
Second.. Many of the molded fiberglass trailers have Plexaglass front windows. I would never use windshield cleaner on Plexaglass or service station windshield cleaning stations to attempt to clean Plexaglass. A lot of that stuff will eat the plastic.

As Donna D. said a good coat of wax is the best protection. I don't worry too much about bugs on the trailer. If it's too bad and trailer is really yucky I'll go to high pressure car wash to wash most of the stuff off.

Just for a week end or even a week I'd just wait until I got home then give the trailer a good washing and wax.
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Old 08-02-2014, 10:37 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post

Just for a week end or even a week I'd just wait until I got home then give the trailer a good washing and wax.
Waiting that long to clean up would really bug me!
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