Just an Idea,, (1 Viewer)

old-mo

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After having spent most of the weekend cleaning the 5er up after our trip,, spent nearly a day cleaning off millions of fly`s skeeters & bugs from the front,, and we did manage to clean it while away a few times..

What do you think?? for long or continental trips would it be feasable to stick cling film on the front ?

Got to be better than all that hardwork up a ladder, tried all sorts of lotions etc.:cry:

In one of the country`s we went through a swarm of locusts or some sort of bug`s and they even bent the fins on the radiator of the truck, so you can imagine what the front of the rig was like.:Angry:

Just an idea..
 

zaskar

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What do you think?? for long or continental trips would it be feasable to stick cling film on the front ?
Just an idea..

Caravanners have been doing this for years mate.........well, the picky ones:ROFLMAO:
Only thing is that they recon you shouldn't use it on acrylic windows. There was a kick off on the caravan forums a couple of years ago where they reconed that the clingfilm was reacting with the acrylic and causing "crazing". Dont know if there was ever a definative answer but it was certainly food for thought.:thumb:

ps. Where's my PM with my minute by minute acount of the trip and photo's! :) :) :)
 

Jim

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We've used cling film on a trip across Spain once, had to sellotape it in parts, it worked but was just as much hassle and never bothered again.

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old-mo

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Caravanners have been doing this for years mate.........well, the picky ones:ROFLMAO:
Only thing is that they recon you shouldn't use it on acrylic windows. There was a kick off on the caravan forums a couple of years ago where they reconed that the clingfilm was reacting with the acrylic and causing "crazing". Dont know if there was ever a definative answer but it was certainly food for thought.:thumb:

ps. Where's my PM with my minute by minute acount of the trip and photo's! :) :) :)

Afraid weem not posh,, we only got single glazed windows and thems glass.. :winky:



I will bring puter to Americana with photo`s, and you can look at your leisure,, It will take her weeks to sort them out. :winky:

We've used cling film on a trip across Spain once, had to sellotape it in parts, it worked but was just as much hassle and never bothered again.


It was just a thought "Jim",, :RollEyes:

And she did nowt but complain about being stuck up a ladder for 5 hours scrubbing,, :winky:

I did make her a cuppa tea,," women" ungrateful or what.. :ROFLMAO:
 

moandick

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You let her use the ladder - AND gave her a cup of tea - cor, some women just don't know when they are in good hands, do they? :Eeek:

Set of bed springs attached to my old Army Boots does for my missus :thumb:
 

zaskar

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I did make her a cuppa tea,," women" ungrateful or what.. :ROFLMAO:[/QUOTE]

Strewth!!!!:Eeek: Who was cooking dinner whilst she was up the ladder!:Cool::ROFLMAO:
TTFN, just gonna lock myself in my nuclear bunker!:ROFLMAO:

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vwalan

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think theres a law against wiping babies across the front of van . even if they can lick the flies off. some mamby pandy group will complain.
 

Caggsie

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They don't sell em in our sainsburys or Tesco - where you get yours from:ROFLMAO:

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daveyboy

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there is only one way to stop the mess the flies and bugs make on the front of your rig and that is to reverse all the way to where you are going:Doh:

would have thought by now that some crazy yank would have designed a few of them bug bibs to go one the front of a 5er.
 

Boo

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They don't sell em in our sainsburys or Tesco - where you get yours from:ROFLMAO:

Well, Use to be able to get them free from africa...................but Madonna's buggered that source up :Sad:

I tell you what worked for me in portugal.

Got a rag and a tub of vacoline and put it all over the paintwork on the front (like ya do with ya chrome in winter to stop the salt getting at it) and just keep wiping the bugs off with the same cloth so that your applying a new coat after wiping the bugs off.

When you get home then get plenty of hot soapy water and remove the vacaline :thumb:

Boo
 
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old-mo

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I did make her a cuppa tea,," women" ungrateful or what.. :ROFLMAO:

Strewth!!!!:Eeek: Who was cooking dinner whilst she was up the ladder!:Cool::ROFLMAO:
TTFN, just gonna lock myself in my nuclear bunker!:ROFLMAO:[/QUOTE]


That was another almighty row,,, my dinner was half an hour late.. :winky:

Excuse,,, I cannot clean your toy and get the dinner served on time.. :Doh:

As I say to anybody,, I would never ask some one to do something that I cannot do myself..:thumb:

I think she is very very lucky that I let her marry me.. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

...............................................................................................................................


Dick,, I bet mo was`nt looking over your shoulder when you wrote that :RollEyes:
If she was,, your a braver man than me, :thumb:

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andycotterell

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Bugs off

Common practice amongst we motorcyclists for removing flies etc.(from fairing, helmet and teeth) is to use a cloth soaked in warm soapy water. You need to leave it draped over the affected area for half an hour then they generally come off quite easily.
 

duetto owner

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keep below 50mph that seems to be the point where they bounce off or splatter.

years ago had a black gte nova drove down to cornwall rather fast [no cameras in those days] hit several black swarms which the windscreen had trouble cleaning but worse of all it being a heatwave the insect guts were hard baked onto the paintwork never did get any where removing them.

later when trading the car in had to keep it unwashed to cover the matt remains.

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Sundowners

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Hi xgx
that is FAR too clever this early on on a Sun. morning:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
( For those that did not get it----------------VACA is cow or beef or something like it in Portugese)
Nigel
 

Boo

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like the idea about vasaline but will the petrolium jelly in it damage the paitwork?

Didn't damage mine in 2yrs of use mate..............was a breeze to clean off with hot soapy water at the end of the season. :winky:

Yes it was too early for the VACA joke.........pastel de natta si?

Boo

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45eEver

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Old Mo,

have you tried getting your missus to paper the screen with wet newspaper for a few hours before she cleans the bugs off?
A wet blanket is even better.

She will need to keep it wet during those several hours of course.

If you are feeling kind, you could let her tap some plastic over the damp newspaper so she has time to drink that cuppa you brought her.

Drizzle is great for softening bugsl.
 

IanH

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Old Mo

I take it that its the front of the 5er thats splattered,

I have never seen it done but how about making a bra just like the A class RVers use,
I saw material in Trago off the roll big enough to do the job ,then off to a marine shop for some stainless fittings ,job done
 

Boo

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Old Mo

I take it that its the front of the 5er thats splattered,

I have never seen it done but how about making a bra just like the A class RVers use,
I saw material in Trago off the roll big enough to do the job ,then off to a marine shop for some stainless fittings ,job done

I saw a tugger on friday with leather bra's on both front and rear of his van.....................looked abit wierd but does the job I expect :thumb:

Boo

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N Luyetund

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errr, would that be wired or 'wonder' Sir?

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: Wink::

Leather.... wish you wouldn't, I now have this recurring image of a 'Biggles' m/h

(mind you, it does explain what happens to the other half of the bustierre::bigsmile:)
 
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old-mo

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It took her many hours of trying various things to clear,, Hot soapy water, various sprays, preasure washer, etc. eventually it was cleared.

I think it was one of those freaks of nature,, cos even the cooling fins on the radiator on the truck were bent,, :cry:
















Going to try a home made skirt/cover/bib,,

going to cut out the gusset on a pair of her draws and cellotape that on the front,, :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

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45eEver

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Presumably you've cleaned the dead bodies out from between the gills on your rad Mo?
 
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old-mo

old-mo

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Presumably you've cleaned the dead bodies out from between the gills on your rad Mo?

"Yes",, they had put a fair few dents in the honeycomb,, :Angry:

Might not ever come across that situation again,, but was thinking of getting some sticky sided Velcro and some old net curtaining and fixing it behind the grill on the bonnet,,

What do you think? :thumb:

Should not restrict the air flow through to the rad,, should it?
 

45eEver

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I suggest you put it outside the grill when you need it Mo.
You'll be able to clean the dead bodies out quicker that way.

I think I'd carry a sheet of ply for such occasions actually.

Mount it a few inches ahead of the rad so that the dense (heavy) bugs splatter on the ply while the less dense air, deflects before getting sucked in to the rad.

Military vehicles during WW2 had similar things to prevent bullets destroying the rad.
Take a look at this Yank armoured half track.

A single sloping sheet should do the business.
Sloped backwards at the lover end to divert flow under you rig.
Compression will force it up again with most of the bugs.

May be better to slow down though, or even wait until the swarm has moved on.
I believe that's normal practice for locust swarms, which may have caused your problems.

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old-mo

old-mo

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I suggest you put it outside the grill when you need it Mo.
You'll be able to clean the dead bodies out quicker that way.

I think I'd carry a sheet of ply for such occasions actually.


Dont know you are going to hit them till it is to late..

So will go with the netting I think,, :thumb:

Thanks.
Maurice.
 

dazzer

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Just do what i did with an old banger car i had a few years ago..........

leave to accumulate over a few years then pull the lot off in 1 go :thumb: , a bit like pulling off wall paper!! :Eeek: (NOT woodchip :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:)
 

45eEver

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Keep half an eye on the motors coming your way Mo.

Good luck with the netting.

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