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In the seemingly never-ending quest to keep the front of our coaches free from nicks and scratches from the road (why don't they clean the highways?), coach owners have tried all kinds of things.

There's the body armor that is made from thick Plexiglas. Usually with a hinge for 'cleaning,' body armor often looks dirty and it discolors over time. It's expensive and requires punching some serious holes in the front of a coach for installation. Big job. It looks pretty good for awhile and certainly keeps bugs and minor chips and cracks from forming.

Another solution is 'the bra,' often seen on production plastic coaches. Not mentioned to buyers is that 'the bra' should be removed at least once a week. On a metal coach, it can lead to scratching and abrasion on paint surfaces. It also requires punching holes in the front of the coach.

One of the 'miracle' products is the 3M Protective Film. Installation is recommended by a 'professional' by 3M. As seen in the photographs, this is how it looks after a couple of years. What is difficult to see from the pictures is that mold forms under the 'film,' beginning in little dots, which spread.

Removal of the 3M "Protective Film" is a big job...and a little tricky. What is required is an industrial heat gun and non-destructive scraping tools (if that makes any sense at all), such as soft plastic or wood. Heat up each small area to be removed and very carefully remove the film. You will be left with a big sticky mess and perhaps some paint degradation and more, especially if one is too aggressive about scraping. There is also a chance that paint may be removed, especially if the film covers stainless and paint; the paint on a coach is very fragile at the edges where it meets the stainless. This is due to an ongoing disagreement about the type of primer used by Prevost on stainless. (A completely different story).

In any event, if you're still looking at the front of the coach with the sticky, gooey mess, the next step is to use a product like "Goo-Gone," and carefully remove the remaining adhesive material. Do so in little patches once again, otherwise the remaining adhesive will simply turn into a thinner, more widely dispersed mess, filling into the edges between paint and stainless and any seams on the front of the coach.