Okay Steve,

Here ya go! (Note: The ONLY "Dumb" question - is the one that is NOT asked!!)

To see if your trailer has a, "Clear Coat" on it. - Do the following:

1) Toothpaste on "soft" cotton rag. - Lower panel - towards hitch. Wrap cloth around 2 fingers - tight. Dampen rag. Put 2 SMALL drops of toothpaste on it (Note: Tooth "PASTE" - NOT Gel) rub approx. 10-15 times in about 4" x 4" area applying good pressure (Direction - not important for this little test!) - okay. After this, if the rag is NOT black & there is NO shine - YOU HAVE CLEAR COAT!!

2) Go to lumber yard - get a can of: "Strip-It" stripper and a 1" Natural Bristle brush - cheap-o. Mask off 4" square - lower panel front. Apply to surface with brush, wait 10 minutes. If stripper starts to bubble or a white film that looks wrinkled - THAT IS Clear Coat - coming off! Spray bottle with water - rinse thoroughly - CAUTION: If you have painted surface below this area - lay tin foil OVER painted area to protect them from the stripper - (will remove paint!!) Tin Foil works good - to protect ALL types of Plastic & painted surfaces!)

3) How does Jim Weston check for Clear Coat? SuperShine polish, Rymple (Boeing Cert'd Scratchless) cloth. Apply polish to dampened cloth, rub about 10 times - good pressure. If I can't see my eyeball in it OR Black residue fails to appear - You have Clear Coat. Another way I check is, use AC-12 Aviation Etching Wash. VERY DANGEROUS - MUST BE DONE PROFESSIONALLY.

If you DO have a Clear Coat - you MUST determine WHICH type it is. i.e., Lacquer, (Lacquer thinner WILL remove) if Lacquer - a Lacquer stripper MUST be used to remove., Plastic Coat or Poly. Once you have determined WHICH one you have, contact me and I can get you the stripper via UPS ground - to you - with instructions and precautions on HOW to use. We use, WATER DEACTIVATED STRIPPERS! Once water contacts them - it IMMEDIATELY STOPS the, "eating" factor & deactivates it and stops, "sandwich" corrosion.

Once you have done all this work - I do not, will not - promote or encourage the use or re-application of ANY TYPE of COATINGS OVER ALUMINUM. Old lesson learned MANY years ago in Aviation - via - ALCOA (Aluminum Company of American), American Airlines & Boeing, etc.

FACT: COATINGS PROMOTE - FILIFORM CORROSION (Cancer growth on Metals from UNDER the Coatings!!)

Any questions - PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me!!

Jim Weston