Cooking the clear-coat off in short order

[brobox]

I live in FL and waxed my coach as soon as I saw the quality of paint compared to my previous coach and I store inside. I'll let it go at that.

[Jactravlusa]

Originally Posted by brobox

I live in FL and waxed my coach as soon as I saw the quality of paint compared to my previous coach and I store inside. I'll let it go at that.

yes, they do stay looking much better
when stored.....[emoji106]

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Jactravlusa

yes, they do stay looking much better
when stored.....[emoji106]

It's bring it out I worried about. Mine is definitely not a show quality paint job. I would be worried about mine without a sealant/wax protection.

I like what Mark has said about #21 and I am going to give it a try.

[buddy110]

Wax begins to evaporate before you finish applying it. A good quality carnauba will last less than a month in the southern sun. Like others have said, use a synthetic paint sealer. They last 6months - a full year depending on the elements. I use Zaino, but as others have mentioned Rejax and a few others are also very good.

[Cruzer]

Originally Posted by brobox

It's bring it out I worried about. Mine is definitely not a show quality paint job. I would be worried about mine without a sealant/wax protection.

I like what Mark has said about #21 and I am going to give it a try.

#21 is a purple glop that is applied. Unlike most waxes or sealants this stuff stays wet for while so you can do larger areas. The excess wipes off easily and doesn't leave all that white hard stuff that you typically see later on where you didn't get it all off earlier. I like it because it typically holds up for a whole year compare to thee months max for the carnuba wax and it is a whole lot less work, which is important when you have 45' of sidewall to put it on.

[Jactravlusa]

Thanks for some great product info !! Info like this is priceless.

[brobox]

Mark, if goes on and comes off with an orbital buffer....I'm in.

[kustom]

good tips thanks

[Cruzer]

Originally Posted by brobox

Mark, if goes on and comes off with an orbital buffer....I'm in.

I used to use one but no longer need to. Let me explain:

There are two steps to maintaining your finish - polishing and sealing.

Polishing is actually a form of extremely fine sanding that uses abrasives in the polish to sand your finish down - in a very minute way. It removes the rough surface and gives you a smooth as glass finish, if it's done right. I use my Porter Cable random orbit polisher for that task. When you are done polishing you have smooth finish that looks great but it will soon start to erode and oxidize as the sun's UV rays and the atmosphere begin to work on it. So you need to protect it somehow because polishing gives it its shine but does nothing to protect it.

Sealing is just laying a layer of "stuff" over the top of the finish to protect it from the bad things that can happen to it. The original sealant was wax because it won't harm to paint. But wax is not a good UV inhibitor and even the best carnuba wax is only good for three months tops. Enter polymer sealants. Polymers are great UV inhibitors and they last longer. Sealants do nothing to improve the finish. Whatever is beneath the sealant is no better or worse than before you applied the sealant. However, it can give the false impression of improving the finish because it adds a bit of depth to the finish, sort of like an extra coat of clear. The sealant can be buffed to be smooth and that does give you a more "under glass" or wet look. Once the sealant is gone, so is the shine though.

I used to use my polisher for finishing off sealants but with the Meguiars 21 I no longer need to do that. I just slop the purple stuff on, wipe it around, let it sit a while, then wipe it off with a clan towel. After a few minutes I'll take an even cleaner towel and wipe it again to remove anything that wasn't 100% dry the first time. There really is no white flaky stuff left with this stuff and it's super easy to work with. I save time and effort over all of the other waxes and sealants I've used in past years and with a 45' coach I need that.

As an aside, and this pertains to flaking clearcoats, I feel one big reason for this is that that the finish isn't maintained. Assuming that the clearcoat was done right in the first place, was a quality product and didn't suffer any adverse conditions (ever park you car while working at a foundry every day of the week? ) such as acid rain or whatever it should hold up if maintained. The problem is that most owners don't maintain their finish. Polish it out so it looks good then add a coat of wax and leave it be for a year. By then it's looking dull so it's time to polish and reseal. Every time you polish you make the clearcoat thinner and weaken it. Plus lack of a protective layer lets the sun's UV rays make it brittle. Once it gets thin and brittle you can guess what will happen.

Really, if you do an excellent job of polishing once and then seal it up and keep it sealed, you won't ever have to polish again. Just use towels and apply the polymer sealant. Up her in Wisconsin where we see more snow than sun I find that the Meguiars 21 holds up for a year. If the coach spent winters in Texas (some day it will), Florida or some other hot sunny state I would probably up my sealant application to a 6 month schedule just to be safe.

[Mr_D]

I've used Dry Wash N Guard since 2004. Works great even in full sun in Yuma, yes, I did it too. It's one of the first if not the first of the nano finishes out there and still a great product. Easy on and easy off and lasts at least a year.

[Jactravlusa]

Originally Posted by Cruzer

I used to use one but no longer need to. Let me explain:

There are two steps to maintaining your finish - polishing and sealing.

Polishing is actually a form of extremely fine sanding that uses abrasives in the polish to sand your finish down - in a very minute way. It removes the rough surface and gives you a smooth as glass finish, if it's done right. I use my Porter Cable random orbit polisher for that task. When you are done polishing you have smooth finish that looks great but it will soon start to erode and oxidize as the sun's UV rays and the atmosphere begin to work on it. So you need to protect it somehow because polishing gives it its shine but does nothing to protect it.

Sealing is just laying a layer of "stuff" over the top of the finish to protect it from the bad things that can happen to it. The original sealant was wax because it won't harm to paint. But wax is not a good UV inhibitor and even the best carnuba wax is only good for three months tops. Enter polymer sealants. Polymers are great UV inhibitors and they last longer. Sealants do nothing to improve the finish. Whatever is beneath the sealant is no better or worse than before you applied the sealant. However, it can give the false impression of improving the finish because it adds a bit of depth to the finish, sort of like an extra coat of clear. The sealant can be buffed to be smooth and that does give you a more "under glass" or wet look. Once the sealant is gone, so is the shine though.

I used to use my polisher for finishing off sealants but with the Meguiars 21 I no longer need to do that. I just slop the purple stuff on, wipe it around, let it sit a while, then wipe it off with a clan towel. After a few minutes I'll take an even cleaner towel and wipe it again to remove anything that wasn't 100% dry the first time. There really is no white flaky stuff left with this stuff and it's super easy to work with. I save time and effort over all of the other waxes and sealants I've used in past years and with a 45' coach I need that.

As an aside, and this pertains to flaking clearcoats, I feel one big reason for this is that that the finish isn't maintained. Assuming that the clearcoat was done right in the first place, was a quality product and didn't suffer any adverse conditions (ever park you car while working at a foundry every day of the week? ) such as acid rain or whatever it should hold up if maintained. The problem is that most owners don't maintain their finish. Polish it out so it looks good then add a coat of wax and leave it be for a year. By then it's looking dull so it's time to polish and reseal. Every time you polish you make the clearcoat thinner and weaken it. Plus lack of a protective layer lets the sun's UV rays make it brittle. Once it gets thin and brittle you can guess what will happen.

Really, if you do an excellent job of polishing once and then seal it up and keep it sealed, you won't ever have to polish again. Just use towels and apply the polymer sealant. Up her in Wisconsin where we see more snow than sun I find that the Meguiars 21 holds up for a year. If the coach spent winters in Texas (some day it will), Florida or some other hot sunny state I would probably up my sealant application to a 6 month schedule just to be safe.

Thanks for a great explanation.

[buddy110]

Originally Posted by Cruzer

I used to use one but no longer need to. Let me explain:

There are two steps to maintaining your finish - polishing and sealing.

Polishing is actually a form of extremely fine sanding that uses abrasives in the polish to sand your finish down - in a very minute way. It removes the rough surface and gives you a smooth as glass finish, if it's done right. I use my Porter Cable random orbit polisher for that task. When you are done polishing you have smooth finish that looks great but it will soon start to erode and oxidize as the sun's UV rays and the atmosphere begin to work on it. So you need to protect it somehow because polishing gives it its shine but does nothing to protect it.

Sealing is just laying a layer of "stuff" over the top of the finish to protect it from the bad things that can happen to it. The original sealant was wax because it won't harm to paint. But wax is not a good UV inhibitor and even the best carnuba wax is only good for three months tops. Enter polymer sealants. Polymers are great UV inhibitors and they last longer. Sealants do nothing to improve the finish. Whatever is beneath the sealant is no better or worse than before you applied the sealant. However, it can give the false impression of improving the finish because it adds a bit of depth to the finish, sort of like an extra coat of clear. The sealant can be buffed to be smooth and that does give you a more "under glass" or wet look. Once the sealant is gone, so is the shine though.

I used to use my polisher for finishing off sealants but with the Meguiars 21 I no longer need to do that. I just slop the purple stuff on, wipe it around, let it sit a while, then wipe it off with a clan towel. After a few minutes I'll take an even cleaner towel and wipe it again to remove anything that wasn't 100% dry the first time. There really is no white flaky stuff left with this stuff and it's super easy to work with. I save time and effort over all of the other waxes and sealants I've used in past years and with a 45' coach I need that.

As an aside, and this pertains to flaking clearcoats, I feel one big reason for this is that that the finish isn't maintained. Assuming that the clearcoat was done right in the first place, was a quality product and didn't suffer any adverse conditions (ever park you car while working at a foundry every day of the week? ) such as acid rain or whatever it should hold up if maintained. The problem is that most owners don't maintain their finish. Polish it out so it looks good then add a coat of wax and leave it be for a year. By then it's looking dull so it's time to polish and reseal. Every time you polish you make the clearcoat thinner and weaken it. Plus lack of a protective layer lets the sun's UV rays make it brittle. Once it gets thin and brittle you can guess what will happen.

Really, if you do an excellent job of polishing once and then seal it up and keep it sealed, you won't ever have to polish again. Just use towels and apply the polymer sealant. Up her in Wisconsin where we see more snow than sun I find that the Meguiars 21 holds up for a year. If the coach spent winters in Texas (some day it will), Florida or some other hot sunny state I would probably up my sealant application to a 6 month schedule just to be safe.

That is one of the great things about sealants. They wipe off easy with no residue left behind.

[brobox]

Thanks for the excellent explanation Mark. I am anxious to try it. I checked the web sites of the auto parts and Walmart and they were showing online order only

[Cruzer]

I've seen it in some auto parts stores. The problem with auto parts stores is that there are too many of them in one area and they only stock simple items for consumers rather than the hard core stuff that garages use. If you can find one that handles automotive paints and services body shops they will most likely have it.

Lately I either get mine from Amazon or direct from Meguiars online. Saves me making a trip to my local automotive paint supply place only to find they are out of stock.