Restoring The Shine To Our Gelcoat Finishes

[ChiefJohn]

We've discussed the yellowing effect on our coach finishes after several years of being exposed to the elements. Always alert for "new methods" of doing things, the following sounded too good to be true.

I found the following information on another RV site (have not included the author). Since I know absolutely nothing about the product and/or possible problems from using it, I would appreciate input from our Excel Forum experts. I can see the DW's face when I tell her all the decals fell off the coach and it turned yellow from my cleaning experiment! I'll be sleeping in "Semi-Suite" by myself for the next year!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I picked up this tip on one of the many RV groups that I belong to.

It was suggested that you use a product called Penetrol to renew the finish on fiberglass RV exteriors. I purchased a quart and tested it on an almost 20 year old motor home that we are selling. It works! The fiberglass looks like it has had a clear coat put on it. It really shines!

Product information is at the following website:
PenetrolWebsite

There is no mention of fiberglass refinish on the website, but on the back of the can it says the following:
Penetrol restores faded fiberglass on RV's, truck cabs and motor homes.
1. Wash with DEKSWOOD(a cleaner manufactured by the Flood Company) according to label directions.
2. Saturate a rag with PENETROL. Then wipe it on, wait 5 minutes, and carefully wipe off PENETROL with a clean, soft cloth to revive color.

This product is available at Home Depot (and other places I am sure) for about $7.00 per quart or $25.00 per gallon. Located in the paint department. This product is intended to be used as a paint additive to make oil paint flow and/or spray better.

I got great results by washing the exterior very well. I put the product on with a 1-inch x 4-inch paint roller and a 2-inch x 3-inch painting pad. I put the product on MUCH heavier than directed. I did not wipe it off. It took several days to 'set up'. The finish was slightly tacky for about 48 hours in 80-degree weather. It has been about 4 days now and it is set up fine. It does not take much product. We have a 40-foot motor home and I used about 3 quarts. When I rolled the product on, there were small air bubbles in the finish and texture from the roller. After setting for about 10-20 minutes, the finish leveled out and looks great. I went right over the decals and stripes with no apparent problem.

DISCLAIMER.... I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT THE LONG TERM DURABILITY OF THIS PRODUCT. USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. I have several concerns as to what may happen to the finish in the long term. The finish may yellow, crack, craze, peel, or just fall off in a big chunk. After testing on a small spot, I decided to do the entire motor home because we were selling it. The finish looks (almost) as good as the day it left the factory. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[ChiefJohn]

We've discussed the yellowing effect on our coach finishes after several years of being exposed to the elements. Always alert for "new methods" of doing things, the following sounded too good to be true.

I found the following information on another RV site (have not included the author). Since I know absolutely nothing about the product and/or possible problems from using it, I would appreciate input from our Excel Forum experts. I can see the DW's face when I tell her all the decals fell off the coach and it turned yellow from my cleaning experiment! I'll be sleeping in "Semi-Suite" by myself for the next year!

Quote:

I picked up this tip on one of the many RV groups that I belong to. It was suggested that you use a product called Penetrol to renew the finish on fiberglass RV exteriors. I purchased a quart and tested it on an almost 20 year old motor home that we are selling. It works! The fiberglass looks like it has had a clear coat put on it. It really shines! Product information is at the following website: PenetrolWebsite There is no mention of fiberglass refinish on the website, but on the back of the can it says the following: Penetrol restores faded fiberglass on RV's, truck cabs and motor homes. 1. Wash with DEKSWOOD(a cleaner manufactured by the Flood Company) according to label directions. 2. Saturate a rag with PENETROL. Then wipe it on, wait 5 minutes, and carefully wipe off PENETROL with a clean, soft cloth to revive color. This product is available at Home Depot (and other places I am sure) for about $7.00 per quart or $25.00 per gallon. Located in the paint department. This product is intended to be used as a paint additive to make oil paint flow and/or spray better. I got great results by washing the exterior very well. I put the product on with a 1-inch x 4-inch paint roller and a 2-inch x 3-inch painting pad. I put the product on MUCH heavier than directed. I did not wipe it off. It took several days to 'set up'. The finish was slightly tacky for about 48 hours in 80-degree weather. It has been about 4 days now and it is set up fine. It does not take much product. We have a 40-foot motor home and I used about 3 quarts. When I rolled the product on, there were small air bubbles in the finish and texture from the roller. After setting for about 10-20 minutes, the finish leveled out and looks great. I went right over the decals and stripes with no apparent problem. DISCLAIMER.... I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT THE LONG TERM DURABILITY OF THIS PRODUCT. USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. I have several concerns as to what may happen to the finish in the long term. The finish may yellow, crack, craze, peel, or just fall off in a big chunk. After testing on a small spot, I decided to do the entire motor home because we were selling it. The finish looks (almost) as good as the day it left the factory.

[RustyJC]

I have no firsthand knowledge of this product, but it sounds like it may be petroleum-based. If so, I share the following only as a caveat:

A friend of ours had a 5th wheel with weathered gelcoat and happened to get some WD-40 overspray on the finish while doing some maintenance. When he tried to wipe it off, he noticed that the WD-40 had apparently penetrated the gelcoat and put a nice shine on it. He grabbed several cans of WD-40 and sprayed the whole rig down, rubbing it in as he went. When he finished, the rig looked really nice.

Now, the downside. Within a few months, the WD-40 treated finish turned cloudy and looked worse than before. IIRC, he never did manage to get the finish restored.

Notwithstanding the above, Penetrol might be the greatest stuff since sliced bread, but I'd personally want to see how it holds up over time....

Rusty

[D and J]

Maybe I need to re-read your post John, but I don't see where it says anything about renewing a yellow finish to a white finish :dunno:

I mean, fibreglass and clearcoat finishes(Gelcoat) are two different issues, aren't they?

[ChiefJohn]

Doug,
You're correct on both points -- maybe it was my wishful thinking on the yellowing removal. I'm taking a "wait and see" until I hear positive results from those that have tried his method.

[MakinSmoke]

OK, who's desparate enough to try it and report the results