Zep Wax (It's Great)

[RoscoeAndTam]

Thanks Honey Badger

That's what I'm planing to do. Thanks for the advice.
Roscoe

[Parkers]

I looked for Zep today at Walmart. Couldn't find it in the section of floor waxes. Were do you get it? I can't wait to try it if I can find it. Thanks.

[Patrol 65]

You can buy Zep floor wax at Lowes or Home Depot

[Parkers]

Originally Posted by Patrol 65

You can buy Zep floor wax at Lowes or Home Depot

Thanks.

[HoneyBadger]

You want to buy the High Traffic Zep or the Wet Look Zep, if the HT is unavailable. About $16 a gallon.

Read this thread first for your greatest success.

[flbicyclist]

Earlier today, I purchased a 5 Gallon container of ZEP HIGH TRAFFIC at a local LOWE,S. After being sent to different departments by three separate employees I was finally directed to a clearance area where much to my surprise & shock, I found the 5 gallon container on clearance sale for- $12.06!!!!!!!!!!!!.

This is at the . 4020 Central Sarasota Parkway store in Sarasota County , Florida. they had 2 more of the HT as well as 3 of the WET LOOK at the same clearance price.

I went to the customer service counter to inquire whether this clearance is chainwide & whether this meant that they will no longer be stocking this product. Finally after I insisted that someone call a main or a buyers office rather than the, "I don't know ", from CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. , a manager came over & called in my presence. Apparently, this location will in the future only Special Order this product & any location has the discretion to put slow selling items on clearance.

[flbicyclist]

I am new to this & again I've run out of room.

As mentioned in many posts & threads on this site, this is apparently a great product and although I've got several other projects to complete on my new to me 96 Firan Raven XL before I get to the cosmetic outside refinish, I COULD NOT RESIST THE BARGAIN.

If anyone in the Sarasota , Fl area is interested, I'd be willing to buy for them & they can send me a private message so that we can arrange a meeting. I pass the store almost daily .

[EDALLSAILS]

Several yrs ago many people were using this product on boats. They turned YELLOW! When questioning the MFG they said the product was specifically for Interior FLoors! In direct sunlight it could become yellow because the product does not contain UV Inhibitors. Has anyone had this yellowing of the finish after using the product for several months? Yes, its easy to apply, but on a boat it was really tough to remove. when prepping any finish for a new wax treatment, simply wash with JOY and add some ammonia and old waxs lift right off. Also commercial floor wax strippers work well.

[offshore]

I'll have my DW start on our MH this weekend.

[bruceisla]

Originally Posted by EDALLSAILS

Several yrs ago many people were using this product on boats. They turned YELLOW! When questioning the MFG they said the product was specifically for Interior FLoors! In direct sunlight it could become yellow because the product does not contain UV Inhibitors. Has anyone had this yellowing of the finish after using the product for several months? Yes, its easy to apply, but on a boat it was really tough to remove. when prepping any finish for a new wax treatment, simply wash with JOY and add some ammonia and old waxs lift right off. Also commercial floor wax strippers work well.

Well ... here's a question for those that have done ZEP ... has anyone tried Mequiars UV Sealant #21 OVER the ZEP Floor Wax ???

[Warden]

Originally Posted by rsw1943

I have a 1997 Bounder that had been neglected for years, it was very dull. This past week I removed all the old finish whith Bar Keepers Friend, Dawn Dish Soap and Mr. Clean & Cleaned with TSP . Today I put 5 coats of Zep High Traffic Floor Wax on it. It is just beautiful. Can see myself in the finish. This is the only way to go. Should get better fuel milage now.

Forced me into it............ started the project yesterday, so far it is doing just great

[bailiff]

Originally Posted by Sagamore

Have you done this before? How long does it last? It looks great!

I used Red Max Pro, manufactured by Zep, Atlanta, and sold at Lowes on my 2004 FR Sandpiper 5th wheel back in 2010. The result was outstanding and lasted about 9 months in the Florida sun before needing a re-coating. If you allow it to break down which it will, the same brand floor striper can be used to remove it.


I had attempted to use rubbing compound without much success. This is a last resort for bringing back somewhat of a real shine or at the least, a luster to sun damaged fiberglass, filon, or even painted aluminum.

[rivercabin]

There are several articles on using Red Max Pro 3 floor sealant from Lowes on dull RV paintwork, and we had the honor of watching Pancake Bill working hard on his coach in Yellowstone last fall (we did shout occasional encouragement though as we popped another beer...).

We finally got round to getting the ingredients last week to do the job on our 2000 Adventurer which is badly oxydized. The decals also need replacement which we're considering doing early next year.

Red Max Pro 3 is not available any more from Lowes (certainly not anywhere in AZ) so we found that Home Depot have it listed as Zep Wet Look Floor Finish. This is exactly the same product, simply re-badged. See http://tinyurl.com/7ktf964

I came across an article which I'm reproducing here with thanks to the author. I have however replaced his references to Red Max Pro 3 with Zep Wet Look Floor Finish (ZWLFF). The process is working just great for us - we've done a trial one-third of the right side between the rear corner and the awning support leg, and it's already looking great. We'll finish the rest of the coach this week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This process is for older RVs that have lost their shine and no longer respond to conventional wax.

Restoring the finish of an older RV using ZWLFF:

Materials:
-Zep Wet Look Floor finish (Step 3) (available at Home Depot)
-Bar Keeper’s Friend (powdered)
-TSP (Trisodium Phosphate, powdered)
-3M scrubbies (white, fine)
-Microfiber rags (white or laundered)
-Latex gloves

Preparing the surface is the most important part, since anything left on the surface will be sealed under the ZWLFF acrylic coating, and improper prep can also result in peeling/flaking later. I repeat: The prep-work is the most important part! Do not try to cut corners here. The cleaner your RV is, the better your final results will be.

Step 1: Start by washing your RV well as you normally would, making sure to include the roof, and rinsing well from the top down.

Step 2: You now want to remove any and all stains, soiling, oxidation, and chalkiness from the surface. Dip a white 3M scrubbie into water and then liberally sprinkle Bar Keeper’s Friend (BKF) on it. Scrub the surface of the motorhome, rinsing the scrubbie and re-applying the BKF often. Do small areas at a time, rinsing well with water and a sponge as you go (Rinsing well is important to remove all BKF residue. I used a "flow-thru" brush attached to a hose to rinse the BKF residue thoroughly).

Step 3: Next you want to make sure that there is absolutely no remaining wax on the RV, since any residual wax can cause the ZWLFF to peel and flake. Mix up a bucket of TSP (1/2 cup) in water (2 gal), and use it to wash the entire RV again. You can use it with a carwash brush, a sponge, a pressure washer…anything you would normally use to wash your RV. Rinse well as you go, then rinse again and let it dry completely (again, rinsing well is important to remove all TSP residue). You should now be left with a clean and smooth (although dull) wax-free surface. Congrats, the hard part is done!

Step 4: Now comes the easy part. Shake the ZWLFF well, and pour some into a shallow container (a pie pan works well). Fold a microfiber rag to about hand-sized, dip it into the ZWLFF (trust me, use gloves!), and squeeze out the excess. How much/how wet? You want it more than damp, but less than dripping. Now simply wipe down the surface of the RV with the wet microfiber rag. Don’t try to apply a heavy coat or try to “rub it in”; just wet the surface (imagine wiping off a layer of dust with a damp rag). It really doesn’t matter whether you wipe horizontally, vertically, or in circles, and don’t worry about overlaps; ZWLFF is very thin/watery and you are just trying to “moisten” the surface. Work your way all the way around the RV. The thin coat of ZWLFF will dry very quickly; long before you’ve gone all the way around it will be dry and you can immediately start on the next coat.

That first coat will likely look really bad; streaky, blotchy, shiny in some places, dull in others…don’t panic. Each additional coat will start to even it out and build up a deep layer of shine. By coat 3, you will be grinning ear to ear. And coat 4 (or 5?) will be the icing on the cake. Not only will your RV shine like it hasn’t shined in years, it will be a deeper color as well*. Even old, faded graphics will have a new lease on life! All for less than $30 total!

*Note: This procedure will slightly change/darken the color/shade of your RV.

Things (I learned) to keep in mind:

-Don’t use new colored microfiber rags until they have been laundered, as the color may bleed.

-Don’t try to “over-apply”, or try for a heavy coat, or you will get runs. The thinner, the better. Remember, you’re just trying to “moisten” the surface with each thin coat, nothing more. If you are getting a lot of runs, you’re applying it too heavily.

-Be careful around window frames, locks, latches, etc., as the ZWLFF is very watery and will have a tendency to gather and cause runs. ZWLFF dries fast, so keep an eye out for any runs and give them a quick wipe before they start to “set up”.

-Some older, deteriorated graphics may “bleed” color onto the rag and surrounding areas. If you notice any bleeding during the BKF or TSP stage (steps 2 and 3), then give a quick wipe of ZWLFF across the graphics prior to step 4, which will seal them up. Then go ahead and apply the ZWLFF to the entire RV (including the now sealed graphics) as per step 4 of the tutorial.

-After each coat, go around and open/operate all hatches, locks, catches, etc. The ZWLFF acrylic coating can sort of “glue” them closed.

[Parkers]

thanks Rivercabin for a great article. I have printed it for future use. In my situation, I went ahead and buffed and buffed and buffed my way to a decent shine and wax job. It's not 100% like new, but it will do. I used a cutting compound, then a polish and then wax. It took quite a bit of time and effort but I wanted to invest elbow grease first before I resorted to the Zep treatment. Next time It needs that much work, I will refer to your post to get the job done with Zep. Meanwhile, I will try to keep a coat of wax on it. Thanks again for the information. I am sure there are a lot of owners of older coaches out there benefiting from this information.