Chinook RV

Just need advise on what to use and NOT to use to clean bugs off our fiberglass bodys. What works best WITHOUT scratching or damaging the fiberglass? I know a wet clothes dryer fabric softener sheet works well on metal and glass surfaces. Anything you recommend to put on the front fiberglass to at least make the bugs not stick or come off easier when washed? If you have never been to east Texas and experienced the black"love bug" phenomenon that happens twice a year...you have not seen a true bug problem. These bugs if left to dry on your vehicle will eat the paint off the vehicle. Birds wont even eat them. And they stink!! Want to protect my "land shark" best I can.

In the good ole' days...we had really strong solvents like TurtleWax Bug and Tar Remover. While still available, they are but a shadow of their former glory... watered down by EPA regs.

So now...basically, for both the exterior metal "cab" and the fiberglass coach part of the vehicle, to remove bug guts, "Goo Gone" is just as effective as the new higher-priced "auto cleaner stuff" and still safer than using Kerosene or Brake Fluid (the good ole'days). Once you have removed the gunk, a simple polish/wax will make things right... assuming you have a good base finish to work with.

One tip I found works, apply it on a hot surface (setting in the sun). It brakes down of gunk faster.
FYI: My fiberglass experience based on several years of owning Corvettes.

I use "Tarminator" to remove tar. But, only when washing the rig, so that I can flood the area afterward and get it all off. Then I follow with wash and wax. Bugs I do with warm/soapy water.

To keep them from sticking in the first place, it helps to have a shiny gelcoat, then a good beading coat of wax. And that's also how I protect the fiberglass: Get it shiny if it isn't already, then wash and a good wax (I like Collinite 885 Fleetwax). Keeping it out of the sun will keep the UV from oxidizing the fiberglass better than anything else, but of course that makes it hard to actually use it (but in storage).

I have built a few guitars and also repair them I have used naphtha (basically lighter fluid) on finishes as a cleaner/degreaser for many years. I have never damaged a guitars finish with it. I have also used it on the Chinook with good results.

Good tips from all. After a 560 mile drive from Salt Lake City to Carson City, Nevada the top front of the rig is bug city. After I get all the stuff off its time for a good waxing.