How do you keep a white trailer white?

H

handfulz28

New member
I've tried that Black Streak Remover from Wal-Mart; I wasted $5. The poor thing sits in a storage lot all day and it happens to sit in the flight path of the local general aviation airport. A couple pilot friends said they have stuff they use on the airplanes. Should I fork out the money or can I find the same product without the aviation markup?

Thanks,
Michael
 
Unfortunately, the key is to wax the whole she-bang before it gets ugly. Then you can use a heavy-duty product like goo-gone or the like.

Try that stuff...then wash and wax, but be careful not to use too much elbow grease!

AB
 
Give WD-40 a try. It works great taking the rubber streaks off of my white race car. Then wash the residue off with soap and water.

Anthony R.
ITA #86 NER
 
Hmm I used to use wd 40 as well then I tried something in a spray bottle called Greased Lightning. works like magic on the race car, might work on the trailer as well.
 
Race glaze does a nice job also while giving some protection. Camping world is the fix. I keep a motorhome cover over mine to keep it clean and white. 300 bucks and you get rid of a lot of frustration. I also use the vent covers that allow them to be left open so the trailer can vent.
 
Originally posted by dickita15@Dec 3 2005, 12:45 AM
Hmm I used to use wd 40 as well then I tried something in a spray bottle called Greased Lightning. works like magic on the race car, might work on the trailer as well.
[snapback]67240[/snapback]​
Click to expand...

castrol super clean. available in 1 gal containers at major auto parts places. i have found it works a lot better than greased lighting or simple green.

if you have waited too long before trying to clean off the dirt though, the white will be permenantly gray unless you do some serious compounding or repaint..
 
50/50 mix of purple power and water. I use the Coastal power clean and do one panel at a time and rinse quickly before you let it dry. Big soft brush from Sams club and you can turn a black trailer white again. Even shines when you are done.
 
Be careful with the Castrol and Purple power. They both contain caustic soda which can etch aluminum parts and remove paint if left on too long.

Check the RV supply stores. I don't remember the name of the stuff (been awhile since I had to clean dad's trailor) but they have a product to clean stained up RVs that works very well.
 
Originally posted by JLawton@Dec 3 2005, 09:52 AM
Try Simple Green (or Simply Green??)
[snapback]67266[/snapback]​
Click to expand...
Be careful with Simple Green. It's a good cleaning product, but it's been found to cause corrosion on aluminum in airplanes. The US Military used it for a long time before recognizing this, then banned it entirely.

However, all is not lost. This year the company came out with a new product, Simple Green for Aircraft. It's a non-corrosive formula designed for use on aluminum. I picked up some samples at an airshow over the summer and it works as well as the original... - GA
 
I'm sure that this will likely be too harsh, but brake cleaner does a bang up job. I used it to wipe off sharpie pen marks from the exterior of the trailer (long story! Needless to say it DOES NOT work like dry erase pens :D )

We used brake cleaner and it removed the sharpie pen, and the layer of gray grime that was beneath it. Trouble is, we have a trailer with one bright white spot now.....

I knew someone who cleaned and clearcoated the aluminum roof of his enclosed trailer when he bought it. He had minimal black streaking problems.

Unfortunately, it's the nature of the beast when you have the aluminum roofs like that. Regular applications of the black streak remover and washing do seem to help keep it somewhat at bay.
 
Whew...thanks everyone for all the ideas. I always meant to clean and wax when I first got it, but when I saw those big sides I got a bit intimidated. I've got to set up a scaffold or something to do it right.
Since I've got a whole lot of area to cover, maybe I'll do a little product test and report back.
Wow, clearcoated the entire roof? Might not be a bad idea when all is said and done.
Thanks again,
Michael
 
I finally got off my lazy arse and called Haulmark. They recommended Streak Master. Got a gallon for $20 and I think this stuff will do the trick. So far I just dabbed a corner of a rag in the bottle, so essentially used it at full strength. I'll try to dilute it and see if it still works as good. But it will definitely be one of those "small area at a time" deals. Not sure how I'll work this out over the whole trailer. A year and a half of grime...might need to order a couple more gallons :)
Thanks again for all the ideas.
Good luck, have fun,
Michael
 
Update: I just bought a lite-grime-grey (nee white) Haulmark trailer. I tried the Simple Green for Aircraft on it this afernoon, and it works great! We sprayed it on dry, let it sit for about 2-3 minutes, then used a wash brush on a pole with car wash soap and water. Cleaned it up wonderfully.

I even used it on the white (nee lite-grime-grey) tow van and it cleaned up grease I'd never been able to get before...

Good stuff.
 
The aircraft cleaner is good but I think you'll find that truckers have stuff that is even better and perhaps cheaper.

For example, Simple Green makes "Rig Wash" which is non-corrosive etc. and comes in a 55 gal drum of powder for <$60

img_12SUN-17013.jpg
 
The detail place that works on a friends' transporter uses this Fire Glaze stuff. I got a bottle and buffed my entire trailer by hand with it.
It's amazing. It wasn't in really bad shape to begin with, but it's bright white again and smooth to the touch. All the dark water streaks came right off.

Fgbottle-1.gif


$.02
 
Are you supposed to keep white trailers white? The PO of my trailer said don't wash it, so, I've faithfully followed his advice.

R
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top