Lastly, bugs really bug me

I

imported_Tom

New member
Is there a really fast way to clean bugs off of the cab over section of the rv?

Even a short trip in the summer results in massive numbers of lower life forms being dispatched. The brush doesn't do all that good of a job and I am looking for suggestions.

I learned alot from watching the detailers of corporate jets when I worked for a fixed base operator-imagine getting about six large for doing a smaller jet and upwards of 10g's for a G5! (the liability insurance is the killer though), anyway they claimed that meat tenderizer was the bomb for removing bugs, any other suggestions??
 
Tom said:
Is there a really fast way to clean bugs off of the cab over section of the rv?

Even a short trip in the summer results in massive numbers of lower life forms being dispatched. The brush doesn't do all that good of a job and I am looking for suggestions.

I learned alot from watching the detailers of corporate jets when I worked for a fixed base operator-imagine getting about six large for doing a smaller jet and upwards of 10g's for a G5! (the liability insurance is the killer though), anyway they claimed that meat tenderizer was the bomb for removing bugs, any other suggestions??
Click to expand...

The first suggestion I can give you (and I'm sure you are well aware of, although it bares repeating) is to clean off the bug remains as quick as possible. The longer the bugs sit, the harder then become to remove. More importantly, the exoskeleton's can act like frag grenades, and provide a pathway for the acidic guts to penetrate the paint (or gel-coat).

The second suggestion is to make sure that a good coat of wax or sealant is on the face of the RV to help make removal easier and prevent etching damage.

This 'Bug and Tar Combat Kit' is a great idea to combat the lower life forms.

The soft scrub sponge would be my first choice in combat. Use it as a wash media with your regular car soap. This way you don't strip the previous layers of wax and sealant. After scrubbing, mist and wipe the surface with supplied Blackfire Carnauba spray to add a little extra protection against flying critters.

If some bug guts still remain use the supplied Stoner's Tarminator in conjunction with the soft scrub sponge to remove the carcasses. The protect with the Blackfire Carnauba spray.

Hope this helps!!!
 
No "really fast" way to do the job unless you cover the RV with saran wrap and just peel off the stuff when you get home.

Short of that, there are several bug juice removers on the market that work well. Do a normal wash first, spray on remover, let it set for a minute or so, use a bug sponge or similar to wash off then rinse. Bugs are gone.

http://www.properautocare.com/tar---bug.html

I have both the 1Z and the Porsche products and they are excellent.

As Todd suggested, keep the area protected with a wax coating. It will prevent some of the bug residue from sticking to the paint.
 
Bugs

I have been driving a semi-tractor as long as some of you younger guys have been living (1973) LOL and to keep bugs off of the front,a lot of drivers use PAM or a silicone type spray.Makes bug removal a lot easier.Dosen't harm the paint. :cool:

Paul
 
With the semi annual "love bug" seasons we get in FL I top my sealant with a good couple of layers of a carnauba wax on the high impact areas - nose, side view mirrors etc. The key as others have mentioned is to remove them asap. With the carnauba top they wipe off fairly easy when addressed quickly. I haven't heard of the Pam trick but sounds logical as long as it doesn't have any detrimental affects to my LSP.

I know exactly what Todd mentioned. If they remain and get baked on for a while they are wicked to remove and do much more paint damage.
 
safe scrub sponge works great for me. I will wet the surface first, then go about washing the rest of the vehicle, coming back to that area last. This allows the bugs to soak and soften a bit. Then the safe-scrub sponge with LOTS of soap suds on it takes them right off.
 
Bug Residue and Carcass

Gypsy moth, June bug, Honeybees, etc Dried bug remains are both abrasive and acidic (pH 3.0-4.0) and can scratch paint or glass surfaces, many times the acids will "cloud" or "etch" surfaces as they contain highly acidic concentrates, and should be carefully removed as soon as possible They produce what acts like a super-adhesive on impact (especially when heated or when they have remained on the vehicle surface for any amount of time) you almost need a crowbar to separate these substances from the paint, windshield, headlights or front end of your car. If left for any length of time they cause the porous clear coat to occlude (a non-transparent ?clouded? area) or may cause etching (a depression in the paint or glass surfaces)

Heat (vehicle paint temperature of 90oF+) creates a very aggressive reactivity of the acids that are present, which causes surface etching, so they should be removed without delay, at lower temperatures (40oF or less) there? s no reactivity and therefore little or no etching.

Protection- a polymer sealant bonds with a paint surface it?s applied too, so when it?s attacked by environmental elements (acid rain, bird excrement, etc) it provides a direct conduit to the clear coat paint surface, causing surface etching.

Carnauba wax molecules are closed linked, which means that they only butt up together to protect the surface and the wax adheres to the paint surface. When attacked by environmental elements they have to compromise the wax surface before they can reach the clear coat paint surface and cause surface etching.

Some natural waxes (Carnauba) are more resistant to environmental hazards then synthetics, but the best way to avoid clear coat etching is too remove the environmental acid as soon as it?s noticed; but given enough time acid will compromise the clear coat whatever its protection.

Two flights of love bugs [:Plecia nearctica Hardy] occur each year; spring flight occurs during late April and May, a second flight occurs during late August and September; flights extend over periods of 4 to 5 weeks.

To remove - use a Safe Scrub Bug & Tar Pad and some warm, soapy water. It?s completely harmless to the paint or glass surfaces, a very efficient and safe way of removing harmful baked on bug debris due to its non-abrasive nature. The open-cell construction 'grabs' foreign matter on your cars paint surface and safely removes it.



An extract from one of a series of in-depth detailing articles ? TOGWT ? Ltd Copyright 2002-2008, all rights reserved​
 
This is what I do

Tom

I live down here in Naples Fl., and bugs are a fact of life down here.
I cannot tell you how many vehicles I have seen where bugs guts have
etched the clearcoat, and the longer you leave them on the finish the
the harder they are to remove.Well, I am sure this not news to you, so I will offer my advice to you.

Removing them is fairly simple, but protection is the key. I use a degreaser
(Greased Lighting) and a soft brush to take them off, and then claybar the area to totally clean the surface.

This is just my opinion, but wax does not protect the clear from the acid
and will make the bugs harder to remove. Puckman says he puts several coats of wax over his sealant for extra protection.Alhough,that seems like one extra layer to remove, and that normally leads to compound and a wheel. I I have been using sealants since the early 90's, and the one I use now since 93. Bugs wash right off with very little effort and prevent damage to the clear
coat. They seal the clear and can take extreme temps from the sun, and
do not allow bug guts to stick or damage the clear. Plus, they leave a shine
that you could shave with, and they last a year min down here.I am not
familiar with the sealants mentioned on this site,but bugs and treesap will
not go through the one I use. I hope this is helpful.
 
Billd55 -

Thanks for your input - sounds like you have alot of time in evaluating Sealants, thanks for sharing your experieces with them.

What is the name of the product you have been using that you find works best witht the bug issue ?

Thanks

Dan F
 
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