Yes, the Playa Dust gets EVERYWHERE!!! It is so fine that it covers every surface in the area.

I have a SUV that is my Playa Mobile. I have been going since 1999 and have resigned myself to the fact that it will NEVER be clean inside of out. I jut had it serviced today fro the trip. My mechanic laughed at ALL the dust EVERYWHERE. I would bet some of it dates back to my first year.

I have heard of people that try to "seal" the car in plastic when they arrive. Never heard how successful this was. Hmmm,

One more word to the wise. I have heard that a number of rental car places DO NOT like to rent to burners. Some have even "fee'd" the customer for "damage". How did they know where it went??? GPS baby. They own it, they can track it. Even without you knowing it was being tracked. Urban Myth??? Do not know.

Hope this helps. Enjoy the Playa and Burningman.

Don't worry about it too much... sure the dust can be damaging but in past years I've been careful and never had a problem.. just turn off the vents (put to recirculate) when you arrive, only open the doors briefly when necessary and clean it up really well when you return.

Playa dust is basically gypsum, the stuff the plaster board in your home is made of. In fact, you pass the U.S. Gypsum plant in Empire on your way to Black Rock. The dust is fine and gets into everything. It's also slightly water-resistant and slightly sticky, making it hard to clean up. It's not an abrasive like volcanic ash, so it's not going to remove the paint from your car, but it can clog things like air filters, radiators, air conditioning ducts, etc.

Last year I came in with a rental car...turned the vents to recirc, kept the doors and windows shut, and it was only moderately dusty on the inside. I took it through a carwash on the way back to the airport, mopped up the inside with baby wipes (this year I'm also bringing vinegar water for a nice shiny finish) and it was fine. I don't know about the filters or anything. The rental people knew I was going to Burning Man and she just told me to bring it back CLEAN. Since I had not a single problem when I returned it, I guess they must usually have people trying to return cars that are absolutely coated with dust inside and out...like, people who haven't made an effort to clean the car.

Make an effort. You don't have to get every molecule. But remember that you are going "off-roading" and your lease people might be pissy about that. It could negate accident insurance, etc.

Yes.
It will mess it up.


wishing it won't isn't going to help you.

There was a recent thread on the topic that contains good advice.

bm.tribe.net/thread/cfee...10f5983eedaf

bottom line is that it will not destroy your car, relax. Just clean it well.

It's not really bad at all, and there are easy precautions to take. As others have mentioned, set the vents to recirculate and stay out of the car as much as possible -- don't try to use it as a regularly accessed storage area, or you're hosed.

A few other tips:

- Park with the front grille pointing away from the prevailing winds. Can't say for sure how much it helps (and maybe I'm just lucky), but I've never had to replace an air filter after the playa.

- Don't cover the car with a tarp. The tarp will move back and forth in the wind, and can abrade any paint it is touching.

- Pick up some sheets at the thrift store and drape them over the car seats (twins work great for front seats, doubles work well for rear/bench seats). Helps keep stray dust from getting in to the upholstery, including the stuff you bring in when you get in at the end of the event to drive away.

- Keep a bottle of water in the car to rinse the accumulated dust off the windshield before you get in to leave the playa. Though I've never had it happen, I'm told some people have had trouble with the windshield etching if they run the wipers without rinsing it down first.

No matter what you do, you'll still wind up with playa in unexpected places. I had a taillight burn out 6 months after my first burn. Unscrewed the plastic cover to replace it, and a tablespoon or so of playa dust fell out. It's unlikely the dust had anything to do with the bulb going, but it just goes to show that the stuff gets *everywhere*.

dust good
mud fun
car temporary
road trip!