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Old 04-15-2013, 10:32 AM   #1
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what is this???

This is on my trailer!! Is this oxidization or?? And how the heck does it come off?? I want to make my girl shine before we hit the road

Thanks for the help!!!
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Old 04-15-2013, 10:33 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grapes View Post
This is on my trailer!! Is this oxidization or?? And how the heck does it come off?? I want to make my girl shine before we hit the road

Thanks for the help!!!
What is what? If you tried to attach pictures, it didn't work.
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Old 04-15-2013, 10:37 AM   #3
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In my profile pic!
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Old 04-15-2013, 10:46 AM   #4
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Odd place for it, since most people asking questions put the pic in the post, but whatever works…

To me, it looks like damage to the clearcoat, not corrosion per se. But if the clearcoat is damaged, corrosion won't be far behind.
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Old 04-15-2013, 10:56 AM   #5
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It looks like tarnish/oxidation but it does not look like corrosion. Aluminum will protect itself from the elements by oxidizing or self anodizing to a certain extent. This is usually a gray color oxidation. There are plenty of "how to" posts on polishing here.

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Old 04-15-2013, 11:21 AM   #6
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Looks like clear coat wearing off or it has just reached the end of life-cycle. Please learn how to post pictures, I am way to lazy to add an extra mouse click to any task.
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Old 04-15-2013, 12:32 PM   #7
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Your clearcoat (plasticoat) had given up the ghost and has started to peel off in chunks. The underlying Aluminum will then start to oxidize to form a patina. There is little you can do about it, other than stripping the whole thing and polishing it. For Arizona, I would recommend you respray it with new clearcoat, or you will be polishing it every 6 months.

The other option is to paint the lower portion of the trailer (the part that is not already painted white) with an automotive aluminum colored enamel. I have seen several trailers, from your part of the country that had this done. They really look nice from across the street. The aluminum paint retains its appearance for much longer than the clear coat in your part of the country.
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Old 04-16-2013, 09:01 AM   #8
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Sorry about the picture placing.... I am on my phone, as I do not have a computer yet.

So if it is the clear coat, then I just remove it to get to the aluminum right? Its been sitting for at least a year in the hot Arizona sun, so I wasn't very shocked when I saw this when i came to get it.

Thanks guys.
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Old 04-16-2013, 09:09 AM   #9
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Removing the old, peeling, shaggy-looking clearcoat is a job you can do yourself. Citristrip seems to be a popular chemical to use, but be sure to do a search (or many searches) on stripping to become comfortable with doing it.

Then you can come and do mine after you are an expert.

Oh, and buy a camera. They don't cost much for a decent one, and even a cheap one will beat out the "French Impressionist pointillism" look your phone's camera gives.
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