Detail Approach for RV

[sillybinaries]

I am opening a new thread per Mike's sound advise.

I just purchased a new 2011 EverGreen Ever-lite 33QBK with a fiberglass cap and gel-coat exterior. It has been sitting in a field since Jan, and would like to bring it to it's peak shine. My question is I am trying to decide between a light Meguiars polish or Duragloss 501.

Currently I have been using Duragloss 901 to wash.

My main concern is I read nightmare stories around what I should do and not do from a vinyl graphic perspective. Do I really need to stay off the graphics, or is it okay to go over lightly. And is the main reason for graphic issues do to petroleum in products?

Any advise as always is much appreciated.

Currently I'm using 303 to protect and it doesn't last very long.....

 

[tuscarora dave]

I just used 501 yesterday on a 12 foot enclosed trailer I cleaned up. The little trailer has painted aluminum panels and some gelcoat parts on it and some vinyl graphics as well. I used a Flex 3401 with a foam finishing pad to work the product on all the materials. 501 seemed to clean very well and very quickly removed the light hard water spotting from all the materials including the vinyl graphics. I kept a close eye on the graphics to be sure the product/pad wasn't abrading at the vinyl at any aggressive rate. All was well. I was even surprised at how well the 501 cleaned and shined the oxidized gel coat when working it by hand in tighter areas where the pad could not get in to.

I'd recommend the 501 but will say that you may want to work a section and remove the residue from that section before moving on to the next work section. I just worked all the way around the little trailer and then went back to remove the light polish residue after all the buffer work was completed. Big mistake, it was hard as all get out to remove the residue. I had to mix up a bottle of ONR and spray it liberally then rub with a good amount of pressure to remove it.

There were some areas where I was working from a ladder and in the interest of spending less time on the ladder I wiped the polish residue off in that area before moving my ladder to work the next up high area and the residue came off very easy. So I'd say apply product to pad, work your section, wipe off residue and then move on to the next section.

"They" say that the protection of 501 lasts a long time even without the 601 bonding agent. In the case of the little enclosed trailer, I guess time will tell. Good luck with your mammoth project. :dblthumb2:

 

[master detailer]

well it looks nice now but to keep it looking good I use durgloss 952 aka aquawax. spray on wipe off . You can do your hole rv in 1/2 hr and at under 40.00 a gl how can you go wrong.

 

[sillybinaries]

Thank you guys for the feedback, by any chance do any of these products contain petroleum? OR am I just overly paranoid about the graphics for no real reason? :xyxthumbs:

 

[master detailer]

lol dude y would I tell you to use something thats no good bye it try a test spot and you make the call

 

[07gtcs]

I've got the same brand tailer, but the 29FK floorplan. I washed this spring with a good car wash soap then applied liquid glass to it with my PC on a black pad (graphics and all). Brought home this weekend and washed up to get ready to sell. Looks great and still beads like crazy.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I am opening a new thread per Mike's sound advise.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/boat-rv-detailing/53667-fiberglass-camper-detail.html

Thank you sir! I found where I recommended this above and the point is you get more and better dedicated answers by starting your own, dedicated thread.


:dblthumb2:

My main concern is I read nightmare stories around what I should do and not do from a vinyl graphic perspective.

Do I really need to stay off the graphics, or is it okay to go over lightly. And is the main reason for graphic issues do to petroleum in products?

Most of my life, if I've had to work on something with dull, faded graphics the concern is how to bring some life back to them without making them worse.

One problem that is probably common with vinyl graphics is when they are worked on by a detailer without any common sense. For example taking a wool pad on a rotary buffer to the entire exterior. While this might work to remove oxidation from gel-coat surfaces, it's going to tear up the vinyl graphics. This is where the horror stories come from.

I just used 501 yesterday on a 12 foot enclosed trailer I cleaned up. The little trailer has painted aluminum panels and some gelcoat parts on it and some vinyl graphics as well. I used a Flex 3401 with a foam finishing pad to work the product on all the materials. 5

And the above is an example of a Pro Detailer using common sense.

I kept a close eye on the graphics to be sure the product/pad wasn't abrading at the vinyl at any aggressive rate.

The above is called,

Focusing on the task at hand...

An inexperienced detailer, or a hack detailer, or a lazy detailer would just buff away without concern and without paying attention.

Most Pros I know care about what they do because they care about their reputation and they do honest work. Honest work means doing the right thing for the project and the customer. If you haven't read my article here, take a moment to read it. It's just as accurate today as the day I wrote it.

The Mindset of a Professional Detailer

I'd recommend the 501 but will say that you may want to work a section and remove the residue from that section before moving on to the next work section.

More good advice. You normally don't want to allow any type of polish or cleaner/wax to dwell on vinyl graphics after the work is done, polish and then remove the residue immediately. There's no actual specific product made for "buffing vinyl graphics", as a detailer you need to clean and polish the "entire" project so it has a uniform restored appearance and that means when working on anything with vinyl graphics that you have to be creative and light cleaner/waxes, applied by machine although not any company's recommend product and procedure, what else is there you can use?


Here's a related thread on working on vinyl graphics...


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...-vinyl-racing-stripes-some-swirls-smears.html



:xyxthumbs:

 

[BillE]

SOME graphics do NOT like anything.

I just finished an 8 year old 5th wheel, some of the graphics were toast. All curled edges and flaking off. BUT, other graphics on the same unit, right next to the failed ones were as good as new.

I don't think there is any cut and dried answer. Just more questions, like who made them, were they applied properly, etc.

Just my observations...

Bill

 

[scrubs147]

On the graphics... any machining over the graphics can lift the edges from a spinning wheel. It may take longer, but waxing/polishing around the graphics by hand leaving an inch or more spacing is always a play-it-safe good idea. Going over the graphics (by hand) with 303 is the best. A cheaper product is "Dicor Roof Gard" which is the same ingredients as 303. The RV I see in the pictures is in great shape. Many people where I live (I live in an RV community) use 303 to keep their RVs looking like new. The trick is to keep it out of the sun if at all possible when it is parked.

 

[sillybinaries]

Everyone, thank you very much for the most valuable feedback.

I belive this will be my approach, and will get an order out this weekend.

Wash with 901

Clay with mothers

Use the 501 AIO on the fiberglass and gelcoat staying away from the graphics

Follow with aqua wax staying away from the graphics

And finish with 303 on the graphics

Gonna give the old GG6 a good workout, and me too.

I will send pics in a few weeks when complete, with feedback as well.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

SOME graphics do NOT like anything.

I just finished an 8 year old 5th wheel, some of the graphics were toast. All curled edges and flaking off. BUT, other graphics on the same unit, right next to the failed ones were as good as new.

I don't think there is any cut and dried answer. Just more questions, like who made them, were they applied properly, etc.

Just my observations...

Bill

For projects like you describe, believe it or not I've buffed right over old dried up graphics and some portions have peeled and broken off.

What remained was still in good shape and adhering to the panel.

So it was like a culling process and only the strong survived. BIG PICTURE was something that was neglected and ugly was restored and while some portions of the graphics were sacrificed, what remained will endure longer.

Many people where I live (I live in an RV community) use 303 to keep their RVs looking like new. The trick is to keep it out of the sun if at all possible when it is parked.

The sun is the enemy, I can't count how many times in my life someone with an RV in Arizona has found my number, called me and told me about how the side of their RV that faces the sun is severely oxidized and faded and then asked for recommendations on how to undo the damage.

For some, there is nothing they can do about the sun outside of building a storage shelter that covers the RV. Then next best thing a person can do is find something they like and use it often.

 

[dsigmon]

The graphics on your RV are Vinyl. How do you treat vinyl or plastic trim on your auto? Do you run your machine across it?

Most cleaner waxes have PD's & waxes. Both dry out the vinyl & cause cracking & lifting. Use an APC on the graphics or your regular RV wash to clean them. A good protectant like 303 or others here on AG will only last weeks or a few months at best if kept in the shade. Keep re-applying them.

Also use 303 or equiv. on the tires. 90% of the time RV's are sitting rather than moving. This is not good for tires. Tires get dry rot within a couple of years without proper protection. Use covers when they are parked. RV tires are extremely expensive.

A clean roof goes a long way in keeping your whole RV clean. Most newer RV's (10 years or less) have rubber roofs. Rubber roofs naturally oxidize in the sun just like your paint. As rain water drains off the roof it carries airborne contaminates & oxidation from the roof down the sides of your RV. Keeping the roof clean & using gutter spouts can help your paint tremendously.

And of course keep it out of the sun as much as possible. I'm not a big fan of RV covers. High winds can cause them to scratch your paint big time. I know from experience. I threw away a $300.00 cover.