Maintenance; Exterior; Stains - Fleetwood 2011 American Eagle Owner's Manual

Your motor home has been designed to provide
you with many years of use with a minimum
amount of maintenance. This section will famil-
iarize you with the areas of your motor home
that require scheduled care. Time spent taking
care of your motor home on a regular basis will
pay for itself in extended service and will help
protect your investment.
If you are mechanically inclined and regularly
perform routine maintenance and repairs on your
car or truck, you may want to do the mechanical
work on your motor home yourself. If you pre-
fer, your dealer can perform these services for
you. Dealer trained personnel will assure that
your motor home is maintained and repaired in
keeping with original performance expectations.
This section is intended to provide the owner and
operator with a general overview of service and
maintenance information for the motor home.
Detailed service and maintenance information
may be found in the owner's/operator's manuals
contained in the Owner's Information Package.
While the information in this section is intended
to establish proper maintenance and inspection
procedures, there may be times when detailed
diagnostic and repair procedures may be
required. Consult your dealer or an authorized
Fleetwood RV Service Center in these situations.

EXTERIOR

Some exterior parts of your motor home are
made of fiberglass. The finish on these parts is
durable, but not indestructible. Any material and
finish will deteriorate in time. Exposure to sun-
light, moisture and airborne pollutants can cause
dulling and fading of the finish. Generally,
changes in the finish due to weathering are cos-
metic - they are on the surface of the part and do
not affect its strength. Weathering can take the
form of chalking, fading and yellowing.
The best insurance against these effects is routine
maintenance. If the finish is not washed and

MAINTENANCE

waxed thoroughly, the surface can deteriorate rap-
idly. The following maintenance guidelines
can help you reduce these weathering effects:
1. When the motor home is not in use, keep
the fiberglass surfaces out of the sun or
covered with a canvas tarpaulin. Avoid
using plastic or other nonporous materials
which can trap moisture between the cover
and the fiberglass surface.
CAUTION
A tarp or any cover must be properly secured (tied
down) to prevent damage to the exterior paint.
A "flapping" tarp or cover has the potential to "abrade"
the surface resulting is damage to the motor home.
2. Wash the exterior with a mild soap. Avoid
strong alkaline cleaners and abrasives. For
the best results, use a cleaner formulated for
fiberglass, and follow the directions for using
the cleaner. DO NOT use automatic dish-
washer detergent, abrasives, bleaches,
strong chemicals with acids/bases, or
ammonia.
3. Wax the exterior at least once a year – twice,
if possible – with a wax formulated for fiber-
glass. When waxing, always read and follow
the instructions and precautions on the con-
tainer. Some cleaners and waxes are recom-
mended for use on only certain types of sur-
faces. As with automobiles, covered storage
yields best results for longevity of exterior
appearance and ease of maintenance.
4. In some cases, a light rubbing compound,
finishing material, or other product adver-
tised to restore fiberglass, may be required.
Always follow the manufacturer's instruc-
tion. Always use a high quality wax after
treatment.

Stains

Stains are generally caused by two types of sub-
stances - water soluble and non-water soluble.
Water soluble stains can usually be washed
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