White spots

[Mubashir Hayat]

My husband and I have a XLII Prevost and after taking a trip to the southeast this winter then returning to Colorado we have noticed several white spots with a rusty ring around each on our stainless. We do not know if this was cause by various types of road “salts” including mag chloride which is what Colorado uses. Is there a way to neutralize the chemical and halt the reaction? We are using vinegar and it seems to help some but has not completely removed the white spot. Hopefully you have a suggestion.   Kirk and Cindy 02 Marathon XLV 2 Dodge pickups 93 Gold Wing and Mattie the Great Pyrenese

[Mubashir Hayat]

Keeping up with damage to the finish is a never ending saga, and it doesn’t matter if it is the stainless or the painted finish. As you experience road salt you can see stains that look like rust, you can see water spots, you will get occasional grease from the road, especially on the rear doors, sap from trees, etc. I have found for stainless that my best course of action is to clean it immediately or at least as soon as possible, and I dry it before the water drops evaporate. I think the rubbing with a towel while drying it is the best solution to prevent spotting for me. If the sun is out I wash the coach and dry it in sections. I do not use de-ionized or softened water although some advocate its use. I recently had my coach washed with de-ionized water at a rally and the guy who did it without my knowledge insisted the water spots I saw afterwards was from the prior washing. I believe he was wrong because he was the first person ever to wash my coach because I have always washed my coaches myself and I know the coach left my garage without spots.

I do not wax my stainless or use any special cleaners on it. I have found that after my coach has been dried if I see marks on the stainless such as the occasional streak from morning dew running down the sides that a polishing rag that has been heavily used to polish metals (we Liberty owners have a lot of copper to polish) works very well to remove those streaks. It might be such that you could try some metal polish to remove spots or streaks. I have been reluctant to start doing that because once you get started you realize just how much stainless there is on an XLII and how difficult it is to apply and remove metal polish. If you do want to try that, use the back doors for a test because they are a relatively small area.

Jon and Di 2006 Liberty Elegant Lady, 2021
Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1950 Ford
Knoxville, TN

Owner of three Liberty Coaches since 1990

[Mubashir Hayat]

Vinegar and water is your best friend with stainless.

Tom & Nancy
7 Prevosts Owned

[Mubashir Hayat]

I recently polished all the stainless on our XLII.  I used Adams Metal Polish.  It is a 2 step process and was reccommended by another person on this site.  Using a dual orbital buffer, if you use enough pressure while being careful about heat, you can remove most spots and even most light scratches.  It’s a big job if you do the whole thing but it will absolutely shine when done.  I add a sealer coat when done.  As for keeping off the water spots, I agree with others that drying quickly is the best.  I do also use Adams detail spray and/or Adams waterless car wash also.  It makes for very easy clean up and leaves NO streaks.

Good luck.

Paul & Lisa
2002 Prevost XLII
3 Teenagers, 1 Yellow Lab, & lots of great family time

[Mubashir Hayat]

I have used Busch Polishes for several years and they work very well on stainless and chrome they also have airways to go on buffers as well as the the compounds.In the winter when I am not using my coach I use several different airways on a stationary buffer to polish the stainless on the mud flaps.A friend of mine had spots on his rivet coach and he used Sparkle from CR Laurence and he said it was the best product he has ever used to remove the spots and his coach did look great.

 

Jack Finch 2012 Liberty H3-45

[Mubashir Hayat]

Tom, is that the “acid wash” the detailers speak of?

Karl and Natalie

 

[Mubashir Hayat]

Not to be understated.  These are not traditional water spots.  They are more similar to a etched center pit with a rusty colored oxidation circle around that center.  We had a painter look at it and he hadn’t seen anything like it and suggested some one on this forum may have had a similar condition.

Kirk and Cindy
02 Marathon XLV
2 Dodge pickups
93 Gold Wing
and Mattie the Great Pyrenese

[Mubashir Hayat]

If the “spots” are in fact actually etched into the surface of the skin no amount of rubbing or use of polish is going to eliminate them.

You might be able to erase the color with polishes, but if the problem is more than superficial you are left with only two choices, the first being to accept the results of cleaning with a polish. The second is if you want a total elimination of the damage which goes beyond surface cleaning then a re-polishing of the skin is required and that involves a sanding with a fine grit, and then a buffing. That process, depending on the amount of etching, is very time consuming and expensive and best left to professionals.

 

Jon and Di 2006 Liberty Elegant Lady, 2021
Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1950 Ford
Knoxville, TN

Owner of three Liberty Coaches since 1990

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