Driving visibility is always important, even moreso when we are towing our Airstream and faced with longer stopping distances. While you can stop a Porsche on a dime, an Airstream can be stopped on a football field – if you’re lucky. Thus, Rain-X is a product that enhances our safety as our big fat rig travels down the highway. It improves visibility when we are driving in the rain. The difference may not be much, but when towing, a few seconds can be the difference between a safe journey and a terrible accident.
Quite simply, we spray Rain-X on our windshields to repel rain. Rain-X claims to possess “water beading technology.” Yes, somewhere in this world is a hermetically sealed laboratory where bearded Swedish scientists in white coats are dedicating their lives to the technology of water beading. I jest, but the science of hydrophobia is legit and has many useful applications. This is one.
Rain-X “2-in-1” does two things, neither well. Stick with the original! Classic Rain-X is proven and works. (Click the pic for more info.)
With a good coating of classic Rain-X, drops of rain bead and run off the windshield. In theory you can drive in light rain without using windshield wipers at all. (I don’t recommend you do so, but it is possible.) The rain simply beads and runs off your windshield. This is not only fun to witness, it makes you feel smart – a “win win” scenario.
I know that Rain-X works. A few years ago, we experienced a complete failure of our windshield wipers (while driving a car, not our faithful truck SEEMORE) during a rainstorm. We bought some Rain-X and made it through the day just fine.
A side benefit of Rain-X is that it helps repel dead insect innards from your windshield. It may not completely prevent the carnage (sadly, there’s no “bug beading technology”) but it helps a bit.
We’ve been using traditional Rain-X for years, albeit not on a consistent basis. This is a product I typically buy when I’m browsing a store shelf and am reminded of its existence. (“Oh yeah, Rain-X! I like that stuff!”) But it’s of special interest when we RV camp because we travel such large distances. Rain and debris are a constant issue.
This brings me to Rain-X 2-in-1, which claims to deliver both a glass cleaner and Rain-X via an aerosol can. This “2-in-1” concept is a nice idea. It seems I’m always looking to clean our windshield when we tow our Airstream. Why not clean it with a Rain-X product, and receive magical water beading benefits too?
Great idea. Alas, my initial results with Rain-X 2-in-1 have been mixed. We applied our first coat of the 2-in-1 product a few moments prior to driving across Kansas into a major thunderstorm. The Rain-X may have helped a little bit, but the rain was so thick that our visibility was terrible anyway.
In fairness to the product, for best results you need to let the sealant “cure” for an hour or so. As tests go, this was kind of like telling someone to prep for a basic math quiz, then tossing them an advanced calculus exam.
As a glass cleaner, Rain-X 2-in-1 receives a gentleman’s C. It’s sufficient, but not the best glass cleaner you’ll ever buy. There are other glass cleaners that do a better job.
So where does that leave us with Rain-X 2-in-1? This is a product that’s a wonderful idea, but in attempting two things it seems to do neither well. Unless my results improve, for now I recommend you go with the classic Rain-X.
Classic Rain-X is a proven product with significant visibility benefits that enhance your safety. If you are RV camping, I suggest you get some of the original stuff.