Why the milky-colored water from washing the roof of my motorhome?

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I would be very surprised if the white portion of the roof is painted at all - the pigment should be right in the fiberglass (or Britek, if that is the material used).  Neither one is supposed to chalk.

My guess is that something is "falling from the sky" and collecting on the surface and then washes down when you add water. Lots of areas have probelms with dirt, fertilizer, ash, various industrial waste products, etc. in the air.  Acid rain can cause discolorations or rapid oxidation of fiberglass finishes, but even that rarely causes chalking.
 
There's no industry around here and the only stuff that falls from the sky is peat dirt from the fields (it's black). If white stuff were falling from the sky it would also have to be following us around the country because we've seen it elsewhere - highly unlikely.

Our boat (all white fiberglass/gel coat) has been moored for the last 5+ years within a mile of where the coach is stored and I've never seen any white stuff wash off the roof or the decks.

We had our first rain (showers) last night and another shower his evening. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get to the coach to check it out (playing nurse at home). But the boat and our dock are covered in the black stuff I mentioned, no white stuff to be seen. I'll try to check the coach tomorrow.
 
Where did my reply go?  I'll wait and see if if shows up before replying again.
 
No? I replied right after you and before my statement of where did it go.
 
I answered the question to me about the black streaks and  got the message While you were typing another message was posted    I clidked Post again and it disppeared.  Happens ever so often to me.  I'll just type it over.
 
Last  Summer 05 after I coated the MH roof the 3rd time, I waxed the MH 3 times antisipating a desert winter or 05 and wanted to be prepared for anything.  Since that time the MH has been scubbed once after Jan stay in Quartsite to get the crud off and washed twice with Protect All and rinsed lightly with the pressure hose (clear water) and wiped down.  I have had  no (NONE, ZERO, NADA) black streaks.  However, with that being said, it's here in the desert west of Phoenix since, with the exception of a month during April back in ILLINOIS (St Louis , Mo Area), so little rain has fallen upon it.  Yet in ILL a bunch of rain while we were there. Also coming and going.  I hope this helps.  I know for sure that I am pleased with the results.  This is basicly the message I tried to post earlier. 
 
Tom

The other day I replied to your 'Milky roof' post here instead of to this thread.? I was asking in that reply how one can tell one type of roof from another.? Maybe you and I think we have fiberglass roofs but what we really have is soft EDPM roofs, since that seems to be the one that is so chalky.? ????
 
Rolf, my roof is definitely not EPDM or any other kind of rubber. It's fiberglass, which was borne out when Terry Brewer drilled numerous holes in it to mount my satellite dish and wire clamps. I'm going to push back on Monaco to try to get a satisfactory answer.
 
Yeah, mine is supposed to be fiberglass with a gel coat too, but from what I am hearing, fiberglass doesn't chalk like what we are seeing.? It's getting cold here in MN so I probably won't see any more light rains or heavy dew so I can see if it still turns milky after I washed and polished it.? Maybe I should just spray some water up there and see what happens.? It'll probably just turn to ice!? ????
 
Yes  Tom  Without a doubt you do have an all Fiberglass Roof (One Piece no less)Those rich guys with all the money get them  US poor folks and soaks get the rubber ones,  LOL
 
LOL Shayne. That roof on our coach is not very thick - maybe 3/16" - somethinng I first confirmed from the inside by removing an a/c vent and looking at the cross section of the structure, Contrasting this, a friend toured the Country Coach factory and reported that they install a very thick/heavy fiberglass roof.

Yes, the main section of roof on our coach is one piece. It's spec'd as "Seamless One-Piece Molded Crowned Fiberglass Roof", but the front and rear caps are separate pieces of course and they're glassed to the main section in a separate step at the factory.

FWIW I've never seen this white stuff on the top of the cars or, for that matter, on the end caps of the coach which are brown in color.

I just re-checked the specs on the coach and confirmed the roof is billed as fiberglass whereas the body is billed as 'fiberglass with gel coat'. Might be time to reconsider some protection for the roof, but how to do that without creating a slippery surface  ???
 
Probably cuause it's not something anyone is looking for, cause it's there on the cars.  Once you notice it you see it constantly.    But  Tom if you really look at the top of your cozch it certainly looks like one piece.  Well actually it is once it's put together.  When it looks like one piece it must be one piece.  You should know by now that the factory is always right.  HEHE.  And would a dealer lie to you. Naw.  We are know better than that.  Your roof is probably 3/8" think according to them cause the seams might overlap.  Technically they might not be lieing, just not telling the truth.  At least that's the way these old eyes view it.
 
LOL John, I'm sure glad we don't get of that kind of white stuff.
 
Shayne,

When I visited the factory in Indiana I specifically looked at how the roof was attached to the caps. There's actually a 1-2" gap between each cap and the roof before they glass them together into "one piece". However, it's not necessarily a permanent single piece - while at the factory service center in Oregon I talked with several folks who's coaches had developed cracks/leaks at one or both of those joints. Knowing what to look for, I then found a small crack in one of our joints. We didn't have an extra week to spend at the paint shop, so I had they make a temporary repair and make a note in my file so I can get it fixed next time we're up there. I keep an eye on it, but it doesn't appear to have got any worse.
 
BTW here are the photos of Terry drilling into the roof. Once I said "go", there was no stopping him with that drill.
 
Tom said:
LOL John, I'm sure glad we don't get of that kind of white stuff.
Click to expand...

Well, thankfully it did not stick around long, Just long enough for one unskilled driver to slam into a truck and off himself.

I tell folks that this winter I plan to go where the snow don't blow.  Since I've met you there, I suspect you understand :)
 
Shayne said:
Last? Summer 05 after I coated the MH roof the 3rd time, I waxed the MH 3 times antisipating a desert winter or 05 and wanted to be prepared for anything.? Since that time the MH has been scubbed once after Jan stay in Quartsite to get the crud off and washed twice with Protect All and rinsed lightly with the pressure hose (clear water) and wiped down.? I have had? no (NONE, ZERO, NADA) black streaks.? ?However, with that being said, it's here in the desert west of Phoenix since, with the exception of a month during April back in ILLINOIS (St Louis , Mo Area), so little rain has fallen upon it.? Yet in ILL a bunch of rain while we were there. Also coming and going.? I hope this helps.? I know for sure that I am pleased with the results.? This is basicly the message I tried to post earlier.?
Click to expand...

Well It looks like I'll give it a go...  Certainly worth a try.
Thanks for the input
 
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