how to clean black streaks off rv

Topic: Removing black streaks & stains that soap won't get off?

Posted By: mynetdude on 02/19/10 01:42pm I washed part of the 5ver today, got pretty clean but there are some streaks that just won't come off on the fiberglass how do I get it off? I don't care if some of it stays but I don't want it very noticable.

I also have pulled out my awning several times since I got the 5ver, and I know the awning is quite old but how do I get the stains cleaned up? I know I won't get it all off but I want it to look decent.

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Posted By: radardog on 02/19/10 01:53pm For the black streaks go to any dollar store and get some awesome spray cleaner. For the awning mix awesome and bleach 50/50 then ADD 25% hot water and spray on the awning one side at a time underneath first. Wait 10 minutes and rinse off. Redo and little spots that you missed and then do the other side. I had a dirty awning and couldn't get it clean so one day I started using different concoctions till I found on that is right.

The fan always wins

Posted By: TheCanuckian on 02/19/10 02:23pm Go to Sprawlmart and get liquid Spic and Span. It got the Moho roof whiter than white and does a great job on the awning stains.

And it is CHEAP !!!

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Posted By: mikestock on 02/19/10 02:59pm Be careful with harsh chemical cleaners on the decals when cleaning. Some chemical cleaners can shorten their life. I would stick with cleaners designed for black streaks to be on the safe side. They do sometimes require a little more elbow grease. An automotive cleaner wax will usually do the trick, but you have to work with small areas of fiberglass and get it off quickly.

Posted By: chalet05 on 02/19/10 03:03pm Thetford Black Streak and Bug remover gets my vote. Camco black streak remover doesn't. Used liquid Spic and Span on the roof with a brush - worked great.

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Posted By: mynetdude on 02/19/10 03:10pm

mikestock wrote:

Be careful with harsh chemical cleaners on the decals when cleaning. Some chemical cleaners can shorten their life. I would stick with cleaners designed for black streaks to be on the safe side. They do sometimes require a little more elbow grease. An automotive cleaner wax will usually do the trick, but you have to work with small areas of fiberglass and get it off quickly.

well ONCE I get it off, I don't intend to let it come back so deep like it has for the previous owner who never washed the 5ver.

I plan to wash the whole 5ver twice a year, but I will wash the front nose cap as needed as that has the most exposure to bugs splattering all over. Then during the rainy months I will wash the carefree of Colorado awning covers as needed like the now caps. All that, I should not have a problem with permenant black streak issues (yes I'll see black streaks, but if I regularly wash they will not stay).

I need to get one of those gutter spout things, but I don't see any gutters???

How can I determine what products contain non abrasive vs abrasive? Not too long ago I posted a thread about using cleaning chemicals inside and I wanted to stick to non abrasive if i can.

TBH no offense, elbow grease isn't my thing as long as its reasonable effort.

Posted By: h2guy on 02/19/10 03:12pm Get a gym sock, put a bar of Lava soap in it, wet it, and just rub them off!!!

Rinse afterwards of course.

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Posted By: gbopp on 02/19/10 03:40pm I like the liquid Spic & Span idea for the roof.
I'm going to try it when I take the cover off the MH.
I use Thetford Black Streak Remover.
But I will try the Lava and sock. It sounds cheaper.
Thanks for the tips.

Posted By: mynetdude on 02/19/10 03:41pm

h2guy wrote:

Get a gym sock, put a bar of Lava soap in it, wet it, and just rub them off!!!

Rinse afterwards of course.

lava soap? where can I get it? is it abrasive? Now if I could get this in liquid I might be tempted to use it for general cleaning diluted of course.

On Edit:

I looked it up, I know where to go hopefully to get it.

2nd time:

Yeah and after you say to use socks, I got rid of socks I didn't like [emoticon] oh well I need to buy more socks anyway!

* This post was edited 02/19/10 03:52pm by mynetdude *

Posted By: Homer on 02/19/10 04:07pm The easiest and most thorough cleaner for awnings or black streaks that I have ever came across is Mr Clean magic eraser. You will not believe what it will do to awnings and with out messy water and in half the time.

Posted By: LarryJM on 02/19/10 04:35pm

h2guy wrote:

Get a gym sock, put a bar of Lava soap in it, wet it, and just rub them off!!!

Rinse afterwards of course.

Sorry, but Lava soap has abrasives in it and sure wouldn't be using that on my RV. If you have to use abrasives use polishing compound and rub lightly.

Secret is to get a coat or two of wax on it and wipe any black streaks off before the sun bakes them on.

Larry

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Posted By: HobbyTalk on 02/19/10 04:37pm I had tough black streaks that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser wouldn't remove. Someone suggested Scrubbing Bubbles and that didn't work. What worked was Scrubbing Bubbles wiped off with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

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Posted By: new2traveling on 02/24/10 07:30pm Here is complete solution for black streaks. Paint vehicle either Flat black or gloss black. [emoticon]

With flat black you don't have to wax vehicle. With gloss black you will have to wax once in awhile. Either way black streaks not noticeable. [emoticon]

Posted By: jetboat on 02/24/10 08:00pm Used spray and wash on them,or use tough stuff.Works.

Posted By: svedspx on 02/24/10 08:09pm For the fiberglass I just use RV wax. Also the wax will keep the black stripes from staining so bad in the future.

2009 Jayco 28.5 RLS Super Light
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Posted By: mynetdude on 02/24/10 08:41pm

new2traveling wrote:

Here is complete solution for black streaks. Paint vehicle either Flat black or gloss black. [emoticon] With flat black you don't have to wax vehicle. With gloss black you will have to wax once in awhile. Either way black streaks not noticeable.

ingenious creativity, but NO thanks! haha, black rigs = cauldron!

Posted By: fpresto on 02/19/10 04:39pm Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner works great, is cheap, and available everywhere. Is is designed for use on fiberglass of course but also works well on metal. Spray on let it sit for a few seconds and then wipe off.

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2016 Tiffin Allegro 32 SA

Posted By: coolbreeze01 on 02/19/10 05:39pm Elbow grease and Simple Green or elbow grease and whatever, but the main thing is elbow grease [emoticon]

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Posted By: LarryJM on 02/19/10 05:59pm

coolbreeze01 wrote:

Elbow grease and Simple Green or elbow grease and whatever, but the main thing is elbow grease [emoticon]

Your comment made me thing a dry towel worked better than anything else since it was a soft abrasive until I just prevent black streaks to begin with and protect the sides and end of my trailer from developing leaks for the most part after installing my RainKap.

Larry

Posted By: soren on 02/19/10 06:16pm

coolbreeze01 wrote:

Elbow grease and Simple Green or elbow grease and whatever, but the main thing is elbow grease [emoticon]

Awesome works so much better than simple green. On our old aluminum sided Fleetwood, Simple Green was 90% effective on the black streaks, IF you used it repeatedly, and scrubbed till you were worn out. Awesome is literally a spray and wipe product on the same streaks. I have tried at least a dozen suggestions from members here, most are difficult to useless compared to Awesome. BTW, it's the lemon yellow liquid, not AWesome citrus, or anything else.

Posted By: coolbreeze01 on 02/19/10 06:24pm OK, we'll get some Awesome, but its cleaned up and waxed now [emoticon]

Posted By: gmachine on 02/19/10 09:02pm I promoted Awesome years ago for black streaks but I see that some are using it full strength. 1 to 10 Awesome/water works fine for black streaks. I've even used 1 to 20 and gotten good results. Scrubbing Bubbles is nothing but diluted bleach @ a high price, read the label. Don't EVER mix bleach with any other cleaning product unless the usage directions on the bleach container OK it, chemical reactions!
Jim

Bering MD23(Cummins ISB)w/60" flattop Kenworth sleeper & 2005 Excel 35MKO Limited, 2006 Scion XA.

Posted By: Pogoil on 02/19/10 09:09pm Awsome cleaner made streaks I could not remove from my 5th wheel. Be carefull. It seemed to strip off the shine where it ran even on the decals.

Posted By: Bigdog on 02/19/10 09:10pm

LarryJM wrote:

h2guy wrote:

Get a gym sock, put a bar of Lava soap in it, wet it, and just rub them off!!!

Rinse afterwards of course.

Sorry, but Lava soap has abrasives in it and sure wouldn't be using that on my RV. If you have to use abrasives use polishing compound and rub lightly.

Secret is to get a coat or two of wax on it and wipe any black streaks off before the sun bakes them on.

Larry

Aww,but that's why you put it in a sock..But I'll tell you what,it's great for washing your hands when they're really dirty.That's all we used when I wuz a kid..

On another thread,I asked what the blue or purple wax they use where you just spray it on and wipe it off and it leaves a great shine.Anyone out there know.???

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Posted By: mynetdude on 02/19/10 09:45pm drops head slams it into hard surface and rebounds to repat it again.

Can I just say... its not confusing, its just I dunno... what the word is... no no don't get me wrong everybody has their own opinions of what works and doesn't and there is not a thing wrong with that.

I may take it to a dealer and get them to give me a quote to reshine the 5ver, the 5ver has lost its shine in several places yet there are large sections that still have their shines and so I think they might be able to get my streaks off.

Like I said, once the streaks are gone, preventive maintenance is the key to keeping them off.

Posted By: fpresto on 02/20/10 05:24am

gmachine wrote:

Scrubbing Bubbles is nothing but diluted bleach @ a high price read the label.

Take your own advice.
Ingredents = Disodium Ethanoldiglycinate - A chelator that removes soap scum and soils.
Butoxydiglycol-cleaning agent
Ethoxylated Alcohol-cleaning agent
Quaterinary Ammonium Chloride - cleaning agent
citric acid - PH adjuster
Water
No bleach anywhere.

The real advantage to Scrubbing Bubbles is that the foam sticks to the black streak longer and has time to work without running off. Almost any of the cleaners mentioned in this thread will work if given enough time and elbow grease. In my case Scrubbing Bubbles takes less work and I have tried almost everything over the years.

Posted By: HobbyTalk on 02/20/10 11:20am When I used Scrubbing Bubbles with the Mr. Clean Eraser there was absolutely no extra elbow grease needed. I sprayed it on, let it set a minute and wiped off the streaks with the Mr. Clean. Didn't take any more work then if I was just wiping off water.

Posted By: mynetdude on 02/20/10 11:31am Thanks, will pick those up when I get a chance.

Posted By: Homer on 02/20/10 01:16pm There is another method that works very well. Spray Tile and Grout cleaner all over the awning. Roll it up, let it sent for 30 minutes, roll down and spray off. I prefer the magic eraser.

Posted By: gmachine on 02/20/10 09:43pm fpresto:
Sorry about that, it was Tilex I was thinking about. Recommended by many on this site and nothing but 2.4% Sodium Hypochlorite(approx. 1/2 strength bleach). Have evidently never used or needed Scrubbing Bubbles since a 10 or 20 to 1 mix of Awesome sprayed on whole trailer from a small garden type hand sprayer and a light pole brushing will remove all "black streaks" and any other normal soil(except tar,grease,tree sap,etc). Finish off with a full rinse of Zip Wash & Wax using a siphon sprayer w/o any scrubbing to deposit a light wax coat and a final rinse with plain water and you're set for at least 2 mos. The windows will have to be squeegeed to remove the wax film.

Pogoil:
Using Awesome undiluted is way against the directions on the container and may be what caused your streaks.
Jim

Posted By: Jerry9n on 02/21/10 12:02am Another vote for Awesome. After trying some different ways, I use a hose end sprayer that came with Windex window cleaner in it. The dilution rate seems right. I do small patches-spray it on, brush, and rinse so it doesn't stay on a long time.

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Posted By: h2guy on 02/21/10 01:53pm

LarryJM wrote:

h2guy wrote:

Get a gym sock, put a bar of Lava soap in it, wet it, and just rub them off!!!

Rinse afterwards of course.

Sorry, but Lava soap has abrasives in it and sure wouldn't be using that on my RV. If you have to use abrasives use polishing compound and rub lightly.

Secret is to get a coat or two of wax on it and wipe any black streaks off before the sun bakes them on.

Larry

Jezz Sparky, I did'nt say put the soap ON the finish. Sock contains the "abrasives" don'cha know?

Don't knock something till you try it. Been using this for 9 yrs on my 5ver and theres NO abrasions on the finish.

By the way, the "new formula" lava is no where near abrasive, by itself, as the orig

Posted By: Bucky Badger on 02/21/10 03:53pm

mynetdude wrote:

Like I said, once the streaks are gone, preventive maintenance is the key to keeping them off.

Try a detail shop..

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Posted By: Cruzette on 02/21/10 03:54pm The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser really works well at cleaning an awning. However, I would not use it to clean black streaks. I am sure it would take them off, but it could also take the finish off your RV too.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser tends to take the "gloss" off of some glossy surfaces. Try it on a small out of the way spot first and READ the directions on what NOT to use it on.

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Posted By: camperforlife on 02/21/10 05:44pm mynetdude,
I have found that after using the black streak remover, use 3M fiberglass boat wax which will remove the remainder of the streak. It has UV inhibitor and as not too bad to use. It will also make the streaks easy to just wipe off the rest of the season. Wal-mart use to sell it, I have not bought any recently.

Posted By: mynetdude on 02/21/10 06:17pm started washing my awning, dish soap helps, its not going to get rid of it all but it will look considerably cleaner though and that is all I am looking for. At some point I will have to replace the awning fabric as it is getting old and showing signs of tear even though it is probably useful for the next 2-5 years depending on how often I use it and how well I maintain it from this point on.

I will o look for some "Awesome" spray tomorrow as hopefully I can use it to get rid of the harder black streaks on the fiberglass and see what it does to the awning as well as remove gasoline drip on the fiberglass too.

Posted By: august41 on 03/25/10 12:34pm AWESOME Brand Cleaner available at all dollar type stores is the absolute best for black streaks. Simple to use and $1 per bottle. I usually cut it 50% with water because it's very strong straight. Read the directions before using.

Posted By: zipcode933 on 03/25/10 12:47pm I tried the Awesome cleaner the other day. I used it straight out of the bottle. I don't think that was smart. It actually made other parts of the trailer look "dark" streaked. I will dilute it from now on. How do you "wax" your 5er? I can't do the elbow grease paste wax thing!

Posted By: pyro383 on 03/25/10 12:51pm For Black Streaks;
Wet the area, use a dryer sheet like bounce ect and rub off the streak. This works great on bug and tar removal and just about anything that marks/mars your unit. Rinse when done.

I usually wash the entire camper with a sheet per side.

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Posted By: searfoss on 03/25/10 02:56pm what is athe actual name of this Awesome Cleaner?

I went on Amazon and found La's Totally Awesome All Purpose Concentrated Cleaner and Degreaser- 20 Fl Oz

Is that what everyone is talking about?

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Posted By: GrandFunkRR on 03/25/10 03:51pm I have tried all the brand name products with no luck. They are expensive, takes more time to work and some don't work AT ALL. I had recently purchased a TT that had not had any cleaning done on it for at least 5 years. The trailer looked gray rather than white. Blacks streaks were terrible. I read on this site about people trying (and liking) LA's Awesome Orange. I went to the local dollar store. I bought one 16 oz bottle for $1.00. I paid $6 for other brand names at Wal-Mart. The Awesome Orange works fantastic. I sprayed it on in small 2' x 2' sections, let it soak, scrub with a medium firm scrub brush. Then make sure you rinse well.

What would have taken me over 20 bottles, twice the time and $120 with other brand names only took me $10 and less work. I did my to complete trailer and canopy. Try it! For only a buck, what do you have to lose.

Posted By: bsmi021b on 03/25/10 04:26pm Folks to always play it safe on the siding or the decals stick with the products listed or i also use for most cleaning (RV, AWNINGS,) SIMPLE GREEN! It works on everything is safer than most to use for you and the environment. So give it a try, you can get it in most Lowe's, home depot,auto centers and yes walmart.

Posted By: K'sKamper on 03/25/10 04:55pm Our Favorite: Extreme Simple Green Motorsports degreaser sold at Home Depot. It is in the Simple Green bottle but the color is blue. Tried Awsome, magic eraser and every other suggestion but this product works the best.

http://www.simplegreen.com/products_extreme_motor.php

Posted By: coolbreeze01 on 03/25/10 05:06pm

Yes [emoticon]

Posted By: WTTCS on 03/25/10 05:53pm I have not read the ansswers, but

Take one gallon of amonia, one qt of bleach and put them in 4 gallons of water. If that dont clean it, you got a heck of a problem. This mixture will outclean , outshine any other you can buy or make. Try it, you make like it.

1997 chev crew cab 454, 5 sp. 4.10

Posted By: ofcamper on 03/25/10 06:46pm My husband and I have found the most effective product is Spray Nine. It's primarily a marine product but it takes those nasty black streaks away with little of no effort. Another effective product is Simple Green, it's takes a little more elbow grease than Spray Nine, but work well.

I've sprayed the Spray Nine on a streak and just watched it disolve the streak and then just simply sprayed the yuck away. It's gentle on the decals and finish of the siding.

Posted By: tunamonaco on 03/25/10 07:07pm So far the best I have used is Protect All Black Streak Cleaner and Degreaser available from camping world. It is great for bug removal on the front cap too! But I will certainly try "Awesome" just to see how it works.

Posted By: PGator on 03/25/10 07:15pm I hope the person who suggested the bleach and amonia combo, said it tongue in cheek. Everyone knows not too:

2(parts)NaOCl + 2NH3 --> 2NaONH3 + Cl2.

Do you see that Cl2 on the right hand side there? This means one part chlorine gas, made up of diatomic (two atom) molecules. It also means that the chlorine gas has been liberated from the bleach, and is quite capable of causing you harm when inhaled!

Posted By: MsSharonK on 03/25/10 07:41pm I too prefer the Mr. Clean erasers. My husband uses one everytime he cleans our motorhome. It does take a little elbow power, but well worth it!

Posted By: midgarvservice on 03/25/10 09:06pm Thetford Black Streak Remover works great. For everyone that will stop and read the directions on how to use it. If you will spray the chemical on a DRY Coach (not even wet from dew), the chemical will work great. I spray it on the wall and then spray it on my SOFT Bristle brush NO WATER. Wipe the brush up and down the side of the coach and rinse that area. They also make a wipe that is soaked with black streak remover, however I only use these for small stuff.

An abrasive is not recommended for any type of siding. I had a customer call me and ask if I painted the metal siding on his coach. I had told him about the Thetford Black Streak Remover, he had bought it and then while washing his coach, tried to use it. He could not get to work like I had described it would, so he used a Scotch Brite pad and had taken the color off down to the bare metal before he realized. I asked him if he had followed my directions about using it on a dry coach. "No I did Not do it that way", he said. I explained to him again to let the coach dry completely and he said it worked great when he followed directions.

Posted By: midgarvservice on 03/25/10 09:21pm The following is copied directly from Dometic USA's User Manual for cleaning their most popular awnings. Anyone who chooses not to clean their awnings the way the Mfg. suggests should not complain when the life of their awning is cut short.....

A&E 8500 and SUNCHASER:
• Abrasion, weather and long hours in the sun are vinyl's worst enemies. To avoid these problems, you will need to keep your awning clean. Use a mixture of 1/4 cup dish soap, 1/4 cup bleach and five gallons of fresh water. Soap the open awning with this mixture, then roll it up and let stand for five minutes. Rolling up of the awning will apply the mixture to the underside of the fabric. Unroll the
awning and hose off the top and bottom with clean water. Repeat if necessary and allow to completely dry.

A&E 9000 :
• In addition to its beauty and soft translucence, woven acrylic fabric offers the
advantages of strength and breathable. It is water repellent; but because it is a woven cloth, it is not water proof. To keep your acrylic awning clean, simply hose it off occasionally and let it dry. Do Not Scrub.
• Avoid touching the underside of the 9000 canopy when it is wet. To do so will break the surface tension of the water and encourage seepage through the fabric.
• Because woven acrylic is of a much lighter weight than vinyl, shifting may occur if the awning and pull strap are not centrally aligned with the fabric roller tube while the awning is being rolled up. If necessary, roll the awning out and adjust the alignment.

Posted By: azloafer on 03/26/10 03:02am I keep my coach roof waxed and it has eliminated oxidizing resulting in no streaks...black or white.

'08 Itasca Latitude.

2008 Itasca Latitude 39W Diesel Pusher

Posted By: Latner on 03/26/10 05:36am

azloafer wrote:

I keep my coach roof waxed and it has eliminated oxidizing resulting in no streaks...black or white.

'08 Itasca Latitude.

which brand/kind of wax are you using?

Posted By: azloafer on 03/26/10 08:02am I use a polish called "Liquid Glass." I have the coach washed and waxed by a mobile company because I am unable to do it myself. The only place that I could get it was on Amazon.com. It can be used in the sun unlike other polishes. The reviewers on some of the other forums and on Amazon rave about it. The mobile crew said that it was easy to use and they liked the fact that they did not have to seek shade to use it. It gave the coach a really nice shine. My coach sits in the open at an RV storage lot in Arizona so I plan on having it done every six months, roof and all. Having the roof done seems to eliminate that streaking problem on the sides. Joe

2008 Itasca Latitude DP 39W

Posted By: sirdonjuan on 03/26/10 08:15am I haven't tried it but I heard that bugs don't stick if you put Pam first..

Posted By: azloafer on 03/26/10 08:32am

sirdonjuan wrote:

I haven't tried it but I heard that bugs don't stick if you put Pam first..

The bugs seem to wash of easily. One person told me that they also use it on the windshield and it works better than RainX and lasts longer. I plan on doing the windshield to try it. The only thing that it is not made for is rubber. You can go to Amazon.com and read a lot of reviews. If you have a rubber roof, you may want to test it in a small area first. My roof is fiberglass. Joe

Posted By: steelpony5555 on 03/26/10 08:38am

Quote:

I hope the person who suggested the bleach and amonia combo, said it tongue in cheek. Everyone knows not too:

2(parts)NaOCl + 2NH3 --> 2NaONH3 + Cl2.

I agree!!!!! I think the end product is also the same stuff they used in WW1, Mustard gas. My son was gonna help me clean my garage one time and dumped a bottle of clorox and a bottle of ammonia on the floor to really really clean it good. I smelled it and got him out of the garage as the floor was smoking. Yes it will smoke. Had to hose it out from the window and doorway. It will definitly burn your lungs and eyes. I mean literally burn them. Not something you want to do. For a $1 stick to Awesome. Just be careful cause it sometimes works too good and will stread as it strips off all the wax and dirt and oxidized paint.

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Posted By: kneal44 on 03/26/10 09:24am i dont know what iam doing right but.. i have had this dp for 2.7 years now. i only hose it down never scrubbed it yet. the rubber roof i just hose off. on the wing shield i get some white choking streeks but not any more of a problem then bugs... just a little soap and water. i like to use dish detergent because its so foamy and usually does a great job.

my epdm roof is starting to detererate now and just last month used eternabond tape to seal cracks. so far so good for a 18 year roof.

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Posted By: budtropico on 03/26/10 11:55am Hi Guys, I have a fiberglass truck camper and use lacquer thinner. Streaks come right off; no elbow-grease required! It's amazing and fast. I always wipe residue with a wet towel or rinse with water for bigger streaks. I use it on my vehicles as well. Has anyone tried this or have advice why not to use the thinner? Thanks, Bud

Posted By: mynetdude on 03/26/10 12:14pm

budtropico wrote:

Hi Guys, I have a fiberglass truck camper and use lacquer thinner. Streaks come right off; no elbow-grease required! It's amazing and fast. I always wipe residue with a wet towel or rinse with water for bigger streaks. I use it on my vehicles as well. Has anyone tried this or have advice why not to use the thinner? Thanks, Bud

That's pretty abrasive, stinks and harmful if inhaled and I don't think CGs want you using that stuff soiling their ground, etc.

I'd say that just doubled your flammability too.

Posted By: phlyphyshr on 03/26/10 08:00pm I'm surprised no one's mentioned Korkay cleaner. My local RV parts center turned me on to this stuff several years ago. There's nothing else that works as good. Black streaks literally melt off! I use it on everything from my RV to lawn furniture. It does an awesome job on cleaning my boat as well.
I use it on my awning and it looks new after cleaning. I don't use it on the rubber roof, I prefer to use products specifically designed for the the roof.

Posted By: MacDR50 on 03/27/10 03:15pm With the winter almost over I have started my spring cleaning routine. I just did the truck with a Turtle-wax Clay kit. The Liquid Clay looks like it might be a good product for the 5vr which has been sitting out in the park all winter. I have used the Thetford product with success but I found it dulled the finish after repeated use.

Posted By: 99Prowler on 03/27/10 07:43pm So I read a lot of stuff about cleaning the black streaks, but what about the molding around the windows and the frame? We have a fiberglass fifth wheel with a rubber roof and the body, while it needs to be washed, doesn't really have black streaks, but all the molding looks gray/blackish. It's a 10 yr old camper, but we have had it for two years. Had it washed once, but since we store it, we have no place to wash it ourselves. What can we use at a campground to clean the molding?

Posted By: WTTCS on 03/27/10 08:38pm Amonia..bleach.. water will do the trick .

So after using it for 30 years, NOW I know what is wrong with me .

Posted By: Doug & Sunny on 07/19/10 03:26pm

PGator wrote:

I hope the person who suggested the bleach and amonia combo, said it tongue in cheek. Everyone knows not too:

2(parts)NaOCl + 2NH3 --> 2NaONH3 + Cl2.

Amen to this information...very dangerous! I hope no one took his advise.

Posted By: camperpaul on 07/19/10 06:21pm I use "Simple Green®" and a red plastic onion bag and a little elbow grease...

It works for cleaning you awning too.

The streaks come right off.

Paul
Extra Class Ham Radio operator - K9ERG (since 1956)
Retired Electronics Engineer and Antenna Designer
Was a campground host at IBSP (2006-2010) - now retired.
Single - Full-timer
2005 Four Winds 29Q
2011 2500HD 6.0L GMC Denali (Gasser)

Posted By: coolbreeze01 on 02/25/10 08:42am

The problem with black vehicles is they get.......white streaks [emoticon]

Posted By: mynetdude on 02/25/10 11:24am

coolbreeze01 wrote:

The problem with black vehicles is they get.......white streaks [emoticon]

well I noticed that after washing one side of my 5ver last week when I would squeegee the fiberglass I would see milky white coming off. there area areas of my 5ver that is losing its shine which is where the white milky stuff is coming from.

Posted By: mosseater on 02/25/10 05:23pm Reliable spray cleaner for black streaks on RVs works like a charm. Spray on, wipe off. You can add it to your wash water too. It's made for the job and it works.

"It`s not important that you know all the answers, it`s only important to know where to get all the answers" Arone Kleamyck
"...An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Col. Jeff Cooper
Sunset Creek 298 BH

Posted By: LarryJM on 02/25/10 05:33pm

mynetdude wrote:

coolbreeze01 wrote:

The problem with black vehicles is they get.......white streaks [emoticon]

That's just your rubber roof oxidizing and is normal from what I have read.

Larry

Posted By: canyonken on 02/26/10 05:46am Take your old toothbrush or your buddy's new toothbrush and some Simple Green and clean out the rain gutters on the RV. I found a build up of black sticky crud in the gutters. Toothbrush is perfect size to fit inside rain gutters. Clean gutters might go a long way at cutting down on black streaks.

2008 Jayco 26 BH
99 Dakota
07 Ram 1500 Quad cab TRX4

Posted By: kennybob on 02/26/10 06:19am I agree with Homer, Mr Clean Magic eraser does an incredible job with very little effort!!!

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Posted By: mynetdude on 02/26/10 01:01pm

canyonken wrote:

Take your old toothbrush or your buddy's new toothbrush and some Simple Green and clean out the rain gutters on the RV. I found a build up of black sticky crud in the gutters. Toothbrush is perfect size to fit inside rain gutters. Clean gutters might go a long way at cutting down on black streaks.

All RVs have gutters?

Posted By: R1Kirby on 02/28/10 03:08pm Get yourself over to Dollar General and get a bottle of Mean Green. The stuff is great! It removes black streaks without all that hard work. A fellow camper put me onto it, and it works. Thought I'd share the information.

can't wait to be on the road again.

Posted By: fosheek on 02/28/10 03:25pm

kennybob wrote:

I agree with Homer, Mr Clean Magic eraser does an incredible job with very little effort!!!

I read this thread last night..This afternoon I took off to Dollar General and got some Mr Clean Magic Erasers and a bottle of Spic and Span. The combination was very effective for cleaning a very stained awning. Dipped the "eraser" in a diluted mixture of Spic and Span- combined a little elbow grease and the awning looks like brand new. Much better results than any thing else I have tried.