Landracing Forum

Misc Forums => How To Section => Topic started by: robfrey on September 03, 2012, 12:08:02 PM

Title: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: robfrey on September 03, 2012, 12:08:02 PM
What a mess. This is my father-in-law's trailer that he basically bought for stirring stuff that does not fit in the garage. He bought it stained like this but it had gotten worse. It is not parked under any trees at all but might have been at some time. From what we understand the trailer came from CA.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/04/2u8ybaqy.jpg)
Any ideas on how to remove it. Buff the front but I'm actually buffing through the white before stain comes off.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Glen on September 03, 2012, 12:17:45 PM
Any RV shop should have black stain remover, just do it in small sections, Spray on and use a soft brush.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: robfrey on September 03, 2012, 12:25:20 PM
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/04/gute4u8a.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/09/04/uzubyqas.jpg)
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: robfrey on September 03, 2012, 12:48:07 PM
This stuff seems to be working best but it does seem to eating the finish. Maybe it is just because the finish is so far gone?
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Trouble on September 03, 2012, 12:51:13 PM
Mine gets diesel soot on it.  It won't come off with normal soap and water.

WD 40, house broom, then wash like car.  

If not, soapy brush at pay wash.  
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: robfrey on September 03, 2012, 12:51:37 PM
Thanks Glen! I will try an RV shop tomorrow.
This simple green stuff seems to also be important to only do a small spot at a time and not let it dry. Also seems to work best if sprayed on a dry section. This is a bit challenging as you must bounce all over to place to find dry sections with no water splash from the previous rinsing.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: robfrey on September 03, 2012, 12:54:01 PM
Wish I could get diesel soot on my trailer. That would mean we had a diesel truck, of course.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Trouble on September 03, 2012, 01:01:21 PM
I love Simple Green, however, it does have the ability to permanently discolor alum in some cases.  Not a little, a lot of ugly.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Jessechop on September 03, 2012, 01:16:38 PM
Pink Stuff or as Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply, etyc. sells it, Purple Power. Its like $6 a gallon , I use it for a ton of stuff from spraying my hands down in the garage before comming in the house and on from there
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Glen on September 03, 2012, 01:27:17 PM
SIMPLE GREEN IS ACTIVATED WITH COLD WATER. i USE A HUDSON SPRAYER WITh 50% SIMPLE GREEN AND 50% WATER.

Sorry about the caps.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Jessechop on September 03, 2012, 01:30:57 PM
B52 (I think thats what it is called) is another good one
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Trouble on September 03, 2012, 01:36:48 PM
Pink Stuff or as Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply, etyc. sells it, Purple Power. Its like $6 a gallon , I use it for a ton of stuff from spraying my hands down in the garage before comming in the house and on from there

Haven't tried it on a trailer, but Purple Power is what I use in my degreaser tank instead of solvent.  Works VERY well.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: desotoman on September 03, 2012, 02:12:04 PM
Rob,

If you have 5 minutes, you can read this thread on a RV forum. Seems like different products work for different applications.
http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=19156.0

Thundersalt on this forum could give some good advise for this question, as Brian owns a RV repair shop.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Tom G.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: robfrey on September 03, 2012, 06:57:21 PM
Tom,
Thanks. I was looking for a thread just like the one you found.
Our staining was so bad. I think it was a combination of the aluminum band and the acid rain and the neglect for many many years.
It was a probably exasperated by the finish being so oxidized that the finish absorbed the black staining substance. Simple green took off the stuff eventually but it also took off the finish in some places down to the green primer. Still, looks better than it did.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: SPARKY on September 03, 2012, 07:36:22 PM
RN solution--- Roller brushes & KILLS--- then new exterior white house paint
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: gray63 on September 04, 2012, 08:40:07 AM
Rob,
My white trailer has gray stains down the side, but not quite as bad as yours. My stains are from the acid rain in combination
with the aluminum roof. I have tried quite a few cleaners, but none work very well. I have resigned myself to try buffing the trailer or
painting it a light grey. to hide future stains.

Thanks for taking the time to show me your streamliner and GT Corvette on Saturday. Quite an impressive setup to
say the least. I will continue to follow your build diaries.

Regards,
Dave Gray
# 3611
56 corvette
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Ron Gibson on September 04, 2012, 02:40:41 PM
Did you try bleach? Looks to me to possibly be mold.

Ron
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: 4-barrel Mike on September 04, 2012, 03:20:25 PM
Around here, to have your vintage Airstream cleaned and polished is a mere $100/foot! (or so I'm told, ymmv.)

Mike
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: robfrey on September 06, 2012, 12:54:24 AM
Did you try bleach? Looks to me to possibly be mold.

Ron
Bleach did not do anything.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Vinsky on September 06, 2012, 01:19:21 AM
I've used Aluma-brite with success on large aluminum sheets. It will remove most stains. Just keep it away from paint or plastic parts. Not cheap, but works good.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: thundersalt on September 06, 2012, 10:56:35 AM
There is no magic bullet. A lot of products out there claim to remove black streaks but none really work completely (from our experience). Degreasers works the best (simple green or equivilent) but it should be diluted. Old oxidized pre finished aluminum will thin when cleaning. After degreasing, carefull hand rubbing with a mild compound will do the finish cleaning but you will rub through on old stuff. I found that Mothers cleaner wax works well and not as abrasive as compound. The most effective restore is...............Paint.
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: Dean Los Angeles on September 06, 2012, 11:03:08 AM
I think you have to realize there is no hope. The stain was probably because the paint was already oxidized.

The amount of work to make it semi-not-stained vs repainting . . .
Title: Re: Removing bad stains from a trailer?
Post by: thundersalt on September 06, 2012, 02:08:30 PM
I think you have to realize there is no hope. The stain was probably because the paint was already oxidized.

The amount of work to make it semi-not-stained vs repainting . . .
BINGO! If you follow my recommendation you can see that if you replace rubbing with sanding most of the repaint labor is already done. Of course the cost of materials goes way up.