Your Airstream Trailer is both a sturdily built and a beautiful looking vehicle.\u00a0 They hold their value and your purchase investment extremely well if they are maintained externally and internally.<\/p>\n
Cleaning your Airstream doesn\u2019t have to be a long and grueling task; actually, it can be done quickly if you use the right products and technique.<\/p>\n
EXTERIOR:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n The skin of an Airstream is made of aluminum covered with a protective layer of clearcoat<\/strong> \u2014 or more precisely a product called Plasticoat developed for Airstream. This is not the same as the clearcoat used on cars, boats and other RV brands.<\/p>\n The Plasticoat finish applied to the outer skin of every Airstream trailer has been specifically formulated by Airstream to provide maximum protection for the shiny aluminum surface while enhancing its rich luster. Why Plasticoat and not automotive clearcoat. The reason is the high coefficient of expansion for aluminum.<\/p>\n Any metal will expand or stretch when heated and contract or shrink when cooled. The scientific measure of this stretching and shrinking is the metal’s coefficient of expansion. Aluminum has a high coefficient of expansion which means that there is a lot of surface movement as the trailer heats up in the summer sun and then cools in the evening.\u00a0 (Source: Airstream)<\/p>\n This is why the Plasticoat ( it is a clearcoat, just a different version and formula so I will call it clear coat in this article) is what you need to take care of.<\/p>\n How long the Plasticoat on a vehicle lasts depends on the owner’s ability to take care of it. A clear coat that’s well taken care of and waxed every three months can last up to ten years<\/strong>. On average, however, any clear coat lasts up to two to three years before needing re-application if not cared for.<\/p>\n The clear coat<\/a> does provide some level of protection against the environment, specifically when it comes to the sun and its UV rays. Coming in at only 2 \u2013 4 millimeters thick (about as thin as a Post-It Note), clear coats are not very durable and it\u2019s even possible to scratch it with your fingernail. Clear coats can offer protection when it is clean and waxed.<\/p>\n In addition, surface contaminants such as acid rain, bird droppings, bug splatter, smoke from cooking fires, and vehicle exhaust on the road are all acids that can cause clear coat finishes to look damaged and allow corrosion to form under the clear coat.\u00a0 Everything you see that is on the windshield of your towing vehicle is on both the paint of that vehicle and your Airstream.<\/p>\n Source:\u00a0 detailmatterllc.com<\/p>\n As in all things in life an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and keeping your tow vehicle and Airstream clean with proper washing habits, and protected with a high-quality wax, sealant or both will go a long, long way to protecting your vehicle’s clear coat.<\/p>\n How often should I wash my Airstream?<\/strong><\/p>\n We recommend washing based on operating conditions. If you travel full-time or take your trailer out every week, you probably want to wash your trailer more often than someone who only goes out a couple times every season. If you store your trailer uncovered, you also may want to wash and wax more often than someone who stores their trailer in a covered or climate-controlled storage unit.<\/p>\n At minimum, we recommend a good scrub a couple times across the course of your camping season \u2013 after every trip if you can manage it. And we recommend waxing a minimum of twice a year to keep the aluminum protected for years to come.<\/p>\n And importantly, it’s always a good idea to try and time your exterior wash for a gray, cloudy day, as heat can affect the way the polish and \/or reacts.<\/p>\n What kind of soap should I use to clean my Airstream travel trailer?<\/strong><\/p>\n Airstream recommends washing your late-model travel trailer using a mild auto detergent safe for clear coated surfaces.<\/p>\n Do not use dish soap when washing either your tow vehicle or Airstream.\u00a0 Dish soap contains a degreaser, that is why it cleans dishes so well.\u00a0 However, that degreaser will remove your wax and start to eat into your clear coat.\u00a0 Bugs Off Pads, using a mild soap, biodegradable if possible, will clean off all the contaminants from your vehicles surface and give you the same results as polishing your vehicle without needing to do the extra step of polishing and without harming your wax or clear coat.\u00a0\u00a0 That is why they were developed.<\/p>\n Airstreams\u2019 favorite cleaner is Glare Ultra Wash<\/a>. A few capfuls in a bucket of water and you have a rich soapy mixture that’s perfect for scrubbing the aluminum exterior of your Airstream travel trailer and it cleans extremely well with Bugs Off Pads.<\/p>\n As stated, wash and polish or wax your Airstream on a cloudy, gray day. Work in sections, washing top to bottom in one six-foot section at a time, all the way around. Start with a rinse or two, scrub with soapy water and preferably a Bugs Off Pad, as, after using them, there is usually no need to polish. Use caution if using ladders to reach the higher parts of the exterior and take care to not let the ladder scratch the aluminum or just attach a Bugs Off Pad to its holder and clean the Airstream safely from the ground.<\/p>\n Should I dry off my Airstream before I polish or wax it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Yes<\/strong>. Use soft, drying pads or microfiber towels to dry off the exterior before you apply polish or wax. This will prevent water spots. Many automotive stores sell multi-packs of these towels, and it’s a good idea to have 5-10 towels that you can cycle through while you dry the exterior.<\/p>\n After you have washed and dried the entire exterior, it’s time to polish and\/or apply wax.\u00a0 Contrary to what many drivers believe, polishing a vehicle and waxing a vehicle are not the same thing. Looking to minimize scratches to your vehicle’s paint or clear coat? What about oxidation, swirl marks, water spots and other minor blemishes that could be impacting its appearance and damaging its clear coat?<\/p>\n If this is what you’re looking to accomplish, then polish is what you’re going to need to get it done. Car polish helps accomplish this by removing a very, very thin layer of paint, which thereby works to help hide scratches and any other minor surface damage as they blend in more to the paint job.<\/p>\n Car polish is available in varying degrees of abrasiveness, which is how it works to remove that very thin layer of paint or clear coat (and scratches along with it).<\/p>\n However, don’t let the term “abrasive” fool you in this sense, as it still applies smoothly to your vehicle’s body so that it does just enough to hide blemishes but not nearly enough to erode your car’s paint job when used correctly. Abrasives vary by types of polish, and some polishes are even considered to be non-abrasive.<\/p>\n Think of waxing as an ideal complement to polishing. It’s best performed following a thorough cleaning and polishing to further hide surface blemishes and improve your vehicle’s overall exterior aesthetics, though car wax can be applied independently of polishing as well.<\/p>\n This process involves wiping polish or wax on the aluminum until a haze forms, then using a clean cloth to buff the haze until the surface shines.\u00a0 Follow the same procedure with a protectant wax coating.\u00a0 Unlike polish, it doesn’t remove a very, very thin layer of your vehicle’s paint job. Instead, it works to minimize surface scratches by filling them with a protective layer, essentially smoothing the vehicle’s surface over the paint job itself. Just think of it like this: Polish removes, wax smooths and protects.<\/p>\n Ideally, waxing is best performed anywhere from two to four times a year.<\/p>\n Source: torquedetail.com<\/p>\n There are several options for polish. Airstream loves\u00a0Glare Professional Polish <\/a>and Walbernize Super Seal<\/a>. Many Airstreamers swear by the all-in-one cleaning-polishing power of Walbernize Super Seal.<\/p>\n Both Glare and Walbernize are applied under the same principles of most polishes and waxes: Simply apply a bit of polish to a clean microfiber cloth (or<\/p>\n directly to the exterior of your Airstream) and wipe in a horizontal motion with the grain of your Airstream’s aluminum exterior. As you work, a haze will develop. Once you’ve spread the polish or wax across one section of your Airstream, get a clean cloth and wipe in a horizontal motion. As the haze disappears, the exterior will begin to shine.<\/p>\n If your Airstream doesn’t have a clear coat, use Walbernize One-Step Cleaner Polish and Glaze.<\/a><\/p>\n By the way, there\u2019s a bit of lore about the product called Walbernize. Airstream recommended it for a long time for their earlier clearcoat formulation (pre-1999) and now it has taken on a mythological standing. In reality, the current formulation of clearcoat is so tough and resistant to UV that any good car wash and wax will do.\u00a0 {Source: airstreamlife.com)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are washing your Airstream with a Bugs Off Pad they are so effective at cleaning that you probably do not need to go through the chore of polishing.<\/p>\n We DO NOT recommend the use of a buffer except in the hands of a thoroughly experienced person (if not expertly used the buffer will leave a pattern on this aluminum surface. (Source: Airstream)<\/p>\n How to clean your Airstream’s wheels?<\/strong><\/p>\n Don’t forget about the wheels when you’re washing your Airstream. Airstream recommends Glare Turbo Action Wheel Cleaner<\/a>.\u00a0 Spray it on then rinse it off.\u00a0 Or, for chemical free wheel cleaning without BREATHING the vapors AND CHEM RUNOFF GETTING INTO the GROUNDWATER, use The Brake Dust Eraser which cleans as well using only the soap & water you are washing with.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that the outside of your Airstream is clean here are some tips for how to clean and, if needed, sanitize the inside. <\/strong><\/p>\n Since you are camping in the great outdoors you mainly need to contend with dirt and dust on countertops and other surfaces.\u00a0 Wipe your counters, refrigerator handles, bathroom surfaces, cabinets, etc. with soap and water.\u00a0 If you are leery about using a sponge to do this, since they are a breeding ground for germs, you may use a spare, clean, Bugs Off Pad or one of their interior cleaning pads.\u00a0 These do not scratch nor harm delicate surfaces but work extremely well with soap and water as germs and bacteria cannot grow on them.<\/p>\n Need to disinfect your surfaces?<\/strong><\/p>\n Airstream states you may use sanitizing wipes but Consumer Reports states: Disinfecting wipes can help eliminate some germs, but they also contain EPA-registered pesticides.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to exercise some caution when using items labeled as “disinfecting,” particularly if you have children.<\/p>\n Used properly, these products are helpful in killing germs, and are even employed for infection control in certain healthcare settings. But it’s important to handle them appropriately.<\/p>\n Quaternary ammonium compounds\u2014QACs or “quats” for short\u2014and bleach are among the active ingredients that may be found in household cleaning products such as disinfecting wipes. They appear on labels with names such as alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, and other types of “benzyl ammonium chloride.”<\/p>\n What are the potential health harms of disinfectants? Bleach is well-known as a possible cause of asthma, and quats have also been found to have the potential to set off the condition.<\/p>\n Much of the evidence about human health effects comes from studies of adults who work with disinfectants, in addition to research in labs. According to a\u00a02019 analysis\u00a0of the EPA Pesticide Product Labeling System and other studies, published in the American Journal of Infection Control\u00a0(AJIC), asthma occurs at higher rates in adults who use disinfectants and cleaners regularly for their jobs\u2014such as janitors and healthcare workers\u2014than in other workers.<\/p>\n