removing silicone from Fiberglass

Whoa, I almost volunteered to check this one out if it's 18 to 32.:W

Ok, never mind. Not my skills set in this particular silicone.

Carefully get as much off with a razor blade, then 3M adhesive remover and a roll of paper towels. Made for auto body work.

There is a product called DSR-5 that is used to remove cured silicone on vehicles. Not sure about it's availability where you are. It penetrates the cured silicone and acts to break apart the adhesive molecules but won't harm anything else. Note, although people say ti can work on other adhesives, it was designed specifically for silicone.

Available on Amazon... but it ain't cheap:

Link

Rob

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
Whoa, I almost volunteered to check this one out if it's 18 to 32.:W

Ok, never mind. Not my skills set in this particular silicone.

:B :B :B

I don't think 3M adhesive remover will touch silicone. Nor does acetone, MEK, toluene, or lacquer thinner. You can scrape most of it off with a razor blade or other scraper. There are a few commercial products that claim to remove silicone, I've not found one that works well or quickly (including DSR-5). Permatex now has one out that I haven't tried. All of them work best if most of the silicone is scraped off first, and what is left is lightly abraided with a (soft) wire brush. This provides plenty of edges for the remover to work on and under.

If you can arrange to soak it in gasoline, it causes the silicone to swell and eventually come loose. I've not tried coleman fuel but maybe that would be quicker.

The gel coat used on a Bigfoot is similar to that used on boats. It is very solvent resistant and none of the above mentioned chemicals will cause it any harm. Some of them will cause harm to the decals and any plastic trim that they touch, so you want to be careful there.

There are very few uses for silicone on an RV. Many other sealants perform better and cause fewer problems.

If you try the Permatex and it works, please report back.

Depends the amount of surface area.
But as said, remove as much as possible with a single edge razor blade first.
One method to get the rest off is an eraser wheel. Could be tedious if there’s large surface areas. But I’ve only removed decals and other adhesives. Maybe silicone comes off easily.
Be aware to not burn the gel coat though if using a eraser wheel. Keep it moving at all times.

Hers one of the silicone caulk releasers. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Motsenbockers-16-oz-Spray-Foam-and-Silicone-Caulk-Remover-411-16/202103458 I've used it, works well, the longer you leave it one, the better it works.
3M also makes a similar product.