Dried glue on interior aluminum???

[safarinuts]

Hi all -- newbie here! My partner and I are restoring my family's '68 Safari and are struggling to clean our interior aluminum after removing the wall panels and insulation/wiring.

Not sure if this was from the original build or a renovation (we don't know much of our trailer's history), but there is a thick, dried on substance all over the inner aluminum in the front and back of our trailer, along with super old stuck on electrical tape (photos attached). We are totally lost as to how to get this stuff off, we have tried simple green and steel wool but just ended up scratching the metal... we tried goo gone for the tape but really struggled to scrape it off on the curved areas...

Any ideas? Is it even worth getting the sticky stuff off? Here are some photos:

[Rich W]

Long ago I used a heat gun on some plaster or stucco stuff in an old house. I'd try a heat gun (rent/borrow) in a small area and see how that works.

[richard5933]

Why are you worried about the dried glue on the inside of the exterior panels?

You've got to replace the interior panels you removed. They add to the structural integrity of the trailer and can't be left off. Once they're back in place you won't see the dried glue your talking about. Likely that glue was there to hold the original insulation in place during construction.

[Bubba L]

I agree with Richard. In our renovations we cleaned the interior of the exterior skin with Simple Green to get rid of the rodent residue. You will likely paint on an automotive seam sealer to seal the joints on the inside. We also sealed the tails of the Brasier rivets. So, you’re going to make a mess anyway. Anything I wanted off I used Goof Off. But not necessary. Good luck

[truckasaurus]

If it doesn't come of with xylene or MEK it may as well stay, that said I like a clean slate too.

[Portage to Caravan]

Please bear in mind, (for your own health) MEK and Xylene are suspected carcinogens. Methyl Ethyl Ketone is almost impossible to purchase in Canada because of this. I believe I could find Xylene but I’m sure it would take a search. I used to work in the petro-chemical industry at a unit that was dedicated to removing B.T.X. (Benzene, Toluene & Xylene) from motor fuel. Benzene is definitely a known carcinogen and the others are sisters that come off a distillation tower at slightly different levels in the column. These can be used safely but not without proper Personal Protective Equipment, such as respirators, rubber gloves and good ventilation.
If you are covering this area, as suggested before, don’t worry about it. Just re-insulate and cover it over with the interior skins.

Jim

[Rick n Mary]

Originally Posted by Rich W

Long ago I used a heat gun on some plaster or stucco stuff in an old house. I'd try a heat gun (rent/borrow) in a small area and see how that works.

~$20-25 for a heat gun Har Freigh
It will come in handy for other uses. Rick

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Rick n Mary

~$20-25 for a heat gun Har Freigh
It will come in handy for other uses. Rick

Back when they gave out coupons I got mine for about $7. Even the cashier said I got a deal. I had to replace the cord with a heavy duty one. The original burned out after a couple uses

[Camper Crazy]

Is it even worth getting the sticky stuff off?

Nope; no advantage to removing this residue. It will be covered by insulation and an internal skin. Save your time for all of the other projects that will need done. Good luck!
CC

[PB_NB]

x3,

Just go over it with your new insulation and replace the inner skin. And you will never see it again.

Avoid working against the skin, applying heat to the aluminium in the order of 500+ degrees that those guns can easily produce is not good for the sheet aluminum. Avoid scraping the skin with a putty knife or other metal tool as this can leave marks that will show on the outside. If you are going to polish the outside, any marks will really stand out.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Take your Dremel tool and inscribe...."If you can read this, I hope you know what you're doing"
Sign it..and continue your project.

Bob
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