RV Anti-Freeze as Windshield Washer Fluid?
- Thread starter NorthwoodsLife
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85Hokie
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I think you will find it will smear and not evaporate fast like the WWF.
It could hurt your paint and or rubber parts too.
I think you will find it will smear and not evaporate fast like the WWF.
It could hurt your paint and or rubber parts too.
I've used RV Antifreeze for RV Antifreeze. It feels like to me like it wouldn't clean glass very well. I find it kind of sticky. I don't think I'd put it on my windshield. You could just pour a little on your windshield and see how it does.
I don't think it will hurt paint or rubber considering RV Antifreeze is made to go into pumps etc that have rubber. Likewise, I don't think it hurts paint, but I haven't tried it.
However, I remember growing up that my father said you could use Coca-cola on a windshield if you were out of fluid and that is sticky.
I don't think it will hurt paint or rubber considering RV Antifreeze is made to go into pumps etc that have rubber. Likewise, I don't think it hurts paint, but I haven't tried it.
However, I remember growing up that my father said you could use Coca-cola on a windshield if you were out of fluid and that is sticky.
NCL4701
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Could be RV antifreeze is made of different stuff in different parts of the country/world? I know here it’s sugar water with some pink food grade dye in it.
It has to be something that can be harmlessly consumed by humans so if you don’t copiously flush the water system you don’t go blind or die or etc. If the RV antifreeze in your part of the world is sugar water like ours, no I wouldn’t spray it on my vehicle’s windshield but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you tried it. Might be the end of that particular journey until you get it cleaned off, though.
Edit: And glad to see your break was relatively short.
It has to be something that can be harmlessly consumed by humans so if you don’t copiously flush the water system you don’t go blind or die or etc. If the RV antifreeze in your part of the world is sugar water like ours, no I wouldn’t spray it on my vehicle’s windshield but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you tried it. Might be the end of that particular journey until you get it cleaned off, though.
Edit: And glad to see your break was relatively short.
Some cheaper RV antifreeze has ethanol and the higher priced has none. There are other ingredients as well. The ethanol product might damage plumbing parts over the long term so I avoid it.
Hummm...I never thougt about it, but now I'm wondering if I ever needed a supository if a banana would work? LOL
North Idaho Wolfman
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Just use salt water, it won't freeze and it will melt the ice off the windshield! 
If your pets ride with you, use pet friendly ice melt!
If your pets ride with you, use pet friendly ice melt!
Bonus is you can cause increase rust.Just use salt water, it won't freeze and it will melt the ice off the windshield!
Wait! You mean some tractors have windshields!?!?
Guess I better get a life...
Guess I better get a life...
I have seen idiots use salt water instead of windshield washer fluid. It RUSTED the pump out, as in the pump was blotted and had rust streaks down the pump and tank. Also seen DEF put into the washer system, at least that made cool looking spider webs on the hood, roof, windshield, and fenders.
GreensvilleJay
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I use winter WWF year round after I got caught with a quick deep freeze.
Just before spring, I can buy cases of it just before Spring when stores need room for 'Summer ' stuff.... Usually have 2-3 cases of it somewhere....still have 4 cases(x24) of 10W40 from 1980.
Just before spring, I can buy cases of it just before Spring when stores need room for 'Summer ' stuff.... Usually have 2-3 cases of it somewhere....still have 4 cases(x24) of 10W40 from 1980.
Back story.. Last winter I got too close to the edge of the road avoiding a snow laden tree overhanging the road. I ended up in a frozen swamp next to the road.
The way the county snowplows work in NW Wisconsin you can't see where the pavement stops, and the side of the road starts. It looks like a perfectly crowned sheet of road. The snowplows blade extends 4 feet or more over the road's edge. Anyway, once my right tires "fell off" the pavement edge, which was about a 10" drop, the deeper snow sucked me off the road. I was going about 35 MPH.
I was stuck. Really stuck. I locked the rear axle, and in 4Hi or 4Low and my 35" aggressive tires, it did nothing. Tires were on ice, truck frame on snow. I was about 3/4 of a mile from home and it was at night, so I left my truck there overnight, I didn't feel much like winching in the dark at about zero degrees F.
Winched my truck out the next day. My wheels were filled with packed-in snow. Ever drive a car or truck with snow packed into the wheels? If so, you know it's like driving on unbalanced tires. So, I sprayed the wheels with RV antifreeze the next afternoon, and it worked. Most of the snow came out of the wheels.
Fast forward to this past summer. My wheels and tires look amazingly clean. The tires almost look like I sprayed that tire-black stuff on them. So, I was thinking about the cheap price of RV antifreeze, and maybe it has other uses. Such as a cheap window washing fluid for a sub-zero lifestyle.
Thank you for your replies.
The way the county snowplows work in NW Wisconsin you can't see where the pavement stops, and the side of the road starts. It looks like a perfectly crowned sheet of road. The snowplows blade extends 4 feet or more over the road's edge. Anyway, once my right tires "fell off" the pavement edge, which was about a 10" drop, the deeper snow sucked me off the road. I was going about 35 MPH.
I was stuck. Really stuck. I locked the rear axle, and in 4Hi or 4Low and my 35" aggressive tires, it did nothing. Tires were on ice, truck frame on snow. I was about 3/4 of a mile from home and it was at night, so I left my truck there overnight, I didn't feel much like winching in the dark at about zero degrees F.
Winched my truck out the next day. My wheels were filled with packed-in snow. Ever drive a car or truck with snow packed into the wheels? If so, you know it's like driving on unbalanced tires. So, I sprayed the wheels with RV antifreeze the next afternoon, and it worked. Most of the snow came out of the wheels.
Fast forward to this past summer. My wheels and tires look amazingly clean. The tires almost look like I sprayed that tire-black stuff on them. So, I was thinking about the cheap price of RV antifreeze, and maybe it has other uses. Such as a cheap window washing fluid for a sub-zero lifestyle.
Thank you for your replies.
You surely know of a spring that flows year round. Obviously that water can't freeze. Just use that
It would certainly perform as well as this:
Summer Blend Windshield Washer Fluid
It would certainly perform as well as this:
Summer Blend Windshield Washer Fluid
From what I've seen around my area is RV antifreeze is sold for 2x to 5x the price of winter windshield washer fluid. I've never had the urge to buy some, but if they renamed it to magic purple windshield washer fluid it would definitely be worth it.
That might be ok if it isn't very cold. I've had Rain-X washer fluid freeze. So, take a look at the temperature rating if you decide to use it.
The purple version has a lower freezing point than the orange and is marketed as a de-icer. My vehicles washer tank holds a little more than a gallon so I use one jug of purple all year.
edit: I looked it up... purple is effective to -30°F. Orange is effective to 0°F.
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