Polishing Rock Guard?

[Roadrunner]

We have started polishing our "78" Ambassador and are thinking about installing rock guard/segment protectors. I don't think they are available polished. Has anyone installed rock guards and polished them? Are they made out of aluminum? If so, I assume they could be polished. Anyone with experience what have you done? Thanks!

Bob
TAC PA-5

[dwightdi]

To be more resistant to rocks the guards are made from stainless steel. No polishing necessary and polishing them would cause any defects that were caused by the stones to be more visually evident and unappealing. Make them from brushed stainless on low sheen material.

[DEITZ645]

Bob,
The rock guards on our '06 are definitely brushed stainless. All I do is wash them and then wipe them down with a rag that has been sprayed very lightly with WD-40. If you want your trailer polished to a mirror sheen and do not want to break up the look with stainless rock guards, might I suggest hitch mounted mud flaps. I have Roadmaster Roadwings on my truck and since I have them I have not gotten any new "dimples" on the '06 rock guards or the front panels of the '87 (which does not have rock guards). The Enkay Rock Tamers are very popular too.

[Roadrunner]

Dwight and Carl...thanks for the quick response. Didn't know they were made out of stainless but I guess that makes sense...and I didn't even think about the mud flaps. Great idea! And much less expensive!

Bob
TAC PA-5

[Distantdrummer]

As is so often the case yall are using the wrong Airstream terminology in calling those things "rock guards". The name for the lower things is "segment protectors".
"Rock guards" in Airstream jargon are the things that cover the front (and occasionally rear) windows.
Maybe we should call the seg-tectors "metal chaps". and the rockguards as just window covers, but we don't.

[Gene]

WD40 is the only thing that works on the lower "rock guards". I know because I tried various metal polishes on them until I saw this suggestion on the Forum. The upper rock guards are plastic and need a plastic polish and microfiber cloth.

Gene

[TBRich]

The the segment protectors are stainless steel, we use the same stainless steel wipe cloths on those as we use on the stainless steel appliances inside...the work pretty well...

[2airishuman]

yeah, i'm NOT a fan of wd' for this purpose.

even though it sorta works, it stinks and water spots following rain.

1. plain isopropyl alcohol (91%) does a fantastic job of CLEANING...

2. so does ANY auto specific wax/paint remover (like 3m or the stuff a/s uses)

3. so does SOAP and water, except for tar deposits.
________

4. the product i use MOSTLY is made by zep...



its basically mineral oil and lemon in a can, with a tad bit of surfactants...

SMELLS good, can be used on the range top, furnace/water heater covers, and a lot of the bare metal bits...

5. for that matter FOOD GRADE MINERAL OIL will do the trick nicely too (add 1 DROP of dish soap))

the important this is to NOT use anything that HAZES then needs to be buffed (or typical metal polishes) ...

those products on the BRUSHED steel surface are a PIA to get off and look horrible.

a few threads that COVER this issue many wayz including FAMOUS stuff NOT 2 USE ...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441...eam-32221.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f469...ion-26764.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441...ize-31480.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441...lds-44988.html

cheers
2air'