Motorhome has got measles!

[john-A]

When I was up on the Van's roof the other day I noticed a lot of little black spots.
They don't come off when I scratch them with my nail.
I have also noticed them on the GDR or plastic wind deflector, not sure what its made from on but its above the cab roof.
I have a polishing machine but before I try that I hope you may have some good advice, its 20 years old but apart from these little spots it's in really good condition.
Thanks John

 

[john-A]

Wow. Some interesting reading here. I care for my motorhome so there is no way anybody, including myself is going anywhere near it with TRF, or a scotchbrite pad. Both are far too aggressive in my opinion. But each to their own.

I hear what your saying but they do different grades and they need to be used very carefully on top of and after using Vistal and that's a very thick soap.
All I can say is I was desperate to remove the tree sap off my roof and managed to do it without any damage to the paint after I washed it and I will be waxing it today.

 

[Parsloe]

Completely agree with any abrasive and TRF neat but diluted and well rinsed, TRF works well so long as you wax afterwards.

 

[Northernraider]

Small sponge like the one for your dishes ...and a can of wd40 ....wipe the roof with it to remove spots then wash and wax

 

[john-A]

Small sponge like the one for your dishes ...and a can of wd40 ....wipe the roof with it to remove spots then wash and wax

Hi Tam tried wd40 but didn't work for me think the sap had been on too long.
Great thread of yours by the way.
Hope you get back home with no hassle.

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[Northernraider]

Hi Tam tried wd40 but didn't work for me think the sap had been on too long.
Great thread of yours by the way.
Hope you get back home with no hassle.

Ah thats a shame its usually quite good at removing anything sticky.

 

[john-A]

Ah thats a shame its usually quite good at removing anything sticky.

I think it had been there for too long but on the upside my faded grey mirrors now look stunning black because when it failed on the spots I tried it on them.

 

[Ian Bosman]

When I was up on the Van's roof the other day I noticed a lot of little black spots.
They don't come off when I scratch them with my nail.
I have also noticed them on the GDR or plastic wind deflector, not sure what its made from on but its above the cab roof.
I have a polishing machine but before I try that I hope you may have some good advice, its 20 years old but apart from these little spots it's in really good condition.
Thanks John

It is often industrial stuff in the atmosphere, try using ordinary detergent with a cloth. I found that it works wonders with these black spots on mine. Rub it in as you go and they soon disappear

 

[Wabs]

Wow. Some interesting reading here. I care for my motorhome so there is no way anybody, including myself is going anywhere near it with TRF, or a scotchbrite pad. Both are far too aggressive in my opinion. But each to their own.

Totally agree,,there is something out there for everything,,finding is the problem,,hence the funsters,,TFT is so strong I wouldn’t put it anywhere need paint let alone a gel coat,,,,just my opinion of course,,

 

[rosalan]

Congratulations on your efforts to remove the marks. Although industrial deposits are a possible cause, my hardest to remove sap marks were most likely acquired when touring Europe. Parking often in the shade of trees, out of burning sun then, under the same sun, hardening them onto the van.

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[Richard J]

Tree sap can be pretty hard in cold weather, perhaps a little gentle warming with a hair dryer might soften it up before you attack it?

 

[TDub49]

TFR = Traffic Film Remover. For which there are many different brands. Is it all the same stuff or are some brands better than others???

 

[Emmit]

I understood the little black dots was fly poo. Stubborn stuff but a continuous wetting with detergent should work over time.

 

[bellabee]

Our van was similarly suffering - could be insects, tree sap or the effects of wood burners in the vicinity, who knows? I had stubborn black dots all over the roof.

Graham spent the whole afternoon up there, trying to remove them with caravan cleaner, and they just wouldn't budge.

Somebody, in another thread, mentioned a product called 'Dry Clean', by Paintseal Direct https://paintsealdirect.com/
so we decided to give it a try. It's not cheap, and I think we may have been reticent to use a product like this on the walls of the van, but as it was the roof, we threw caution to the wind.

The result is a very clean roof, without black spots . It has now been Colonited to try to keep it clean, and a vow has been made to never let the roof get into that condition again.