Oxidation/Wax Question

[RobbyC]

We just purchased a used 2001 Jayco Designer 5th Wheel.. The elderly couple that sold it cannot go camping anymore due to health problems. The inside is in very good shape. However, the outside has alot of oxidation. What products do you recommend using for the oxidation removal? And what wax due to recommend once I get the oxidation removed?

[Skip426]

Welcome to iRV2.

If your 5er has flat fiberglass sides , with some vinyl decals ; like mine ; I followed this post and used , Liquid Bar Keepers Friend and Zep Floor polish.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f59/zepd-...er-204728.html

[RobbyC]

Thanks Skip426. I have never heard of Liquid Bar Keepers Friend or Zep Floor Polish.
I might have missed it, but I didn't see in the post how it was put on and the wax applied, etc.

[Skip426]

Sorry correct name is BKF Soft Cleanser 16 oz . bottle . Walmart , dollar stores , I've seen it everywhere.
I used a power buffer with a terry towel pad on the straight fiberglass areas, on the decals , by hand and back/forth direction only, to prevent swirl marks on the decals. Wash , wash and re-wash , before starting the Zep application, with a micro fiber cloth . More info in this post .

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/zep-...rv-335866.html

[nitecreate]

I have a 1998 Hitchhiker II and have been fighting the oxidation on my front cap. We'll I ordered through Amazon a product that I thought "oh well let's give it a try, nothing else worked..."Anyway WOW did it work.. The product is called (Wipe New Recolor), put out by Rust-Oleum. After washing the cap good, I wiped on this solution and quite frankly it looks like new. Unbeliveable, it also states that it will last for a long time?? Well see, but right now it hasn't looked this good since it was new. I ordered a rather small bottle just to see if it works. I'll be ordering more...Oh yea, I spent probably less than an hour on doing the job.

[jelag]

I've used the zep polish as well... if you need a list of HOW TO... lets us know...

[Triangle Drifter]

Coming from the marine world my hands have been over a few acres of fiberglass. Never heard of anyone putting floor coating on their boat. Quick & easy seldom ends well. Sure, some of these products give an impressive shine short term however over time they can get real ugly & are an awful lot of work to remove.

I maintain that there is no easy long lasting quick fix. The chalking needs to be removed, not coated.

For severe chalking restoration is a multi step process.

Step 1: Clean surface with a product like Soft Scrub & a fine scrubbing pad to remove loose surface chalking & stains.
Step2: Compound, available in coarse & fine. Might need both. Might get away with just the fine.
Step 3:Cleaner wax. 3M seems to work very well.
Step 4: High quality marine wax or sealant. Mequires Flagship or similar.
Step 5: Maintain it. Once restored only step 3, maybe just step 4 need to be repeated.

Acidic bugs hitting a front cap at 65mph are tough on any wax. Wash with a non wax stripping soap as frequently as possible. The sun is another enemy.

Doing it right is alot of hard work but with each step the gelcoat looks a little better. I have always applied the material by hand however having a good polisher for removal makes life much easier.

[Winemaker2]

Originally Posted by Triangle Drifter

Coming from the marine world my hands have been over a few acres of fiberglass. Never heard of anyone putting floor coating on their boat. Quick & easy seldom ends well. Sure, some of these products give an impressive shine short term however over time they can get real ugly & are an awful lot of work to remove.

I maintain that there is no easy long lasting quick fix. The chalking needs to be removed, not coated.

For severe chalking restoration is a multi step process.

Step 1: Clean surface with a product like Soft Scrub & a fine scrubbing pad to remove loose surface chalking & stains.
Step2: Compound, available in coarse & fine. Might need both. Might get away with just the fine.
Step 3:Cleaner wax. 3M seems to work very well.
Step 4: High quality marine wax or sealant. Mequires Flagship or similar.
Step 5: Maintain it. Once restored only step 3, maybe just step 4 need to be repeated.

Acidic bugs hitting a front cap at 65mph are tough on any wax. Wash with a non wax stripping soap as frequently as possible. The sun is another enemy.

Doing it right is alot of hard work but with each step the gelcoat looks a little better. I have always applied the material by hand however having a good polisher for removal makes life much easier.

AGREE
Think getting shine separate from how to protect it.
Only you (or a good body man) can judge how bad the surface is - needs visual inspection and maybe trials w/ different compounds.
Use the LEAST aggressive compound that will remove the oxidized layer and give you the shine - may take 2 steps if bad - [possibly 3 w start being ultra fine wet sanding (1000-1500 grit wet) followed by rubbing compound then swirl remover.
Use a dual action polisher to avoid problems - rotary can be faster but can do damage if not experienced user.

Protection - use your favorite wax (I like Colinite products but everybody has THEIR favorite) - I've also been moving away from wax to Polymer sealers and like the ease of use and longevity - I ran a head to head comparison (half vehicle each) of NuFinsh vs Wolfgang polymer sealant and couldn't tell a difference other than the WG was slightly easier to apply / remove.

[Joe11]

I was lead to a product called Buff Magic by a guy that raced fiberglass flat bottom boats. It comes in a 22oz can. The side of the can says;

Shurhold's Yacht Brite
Buff Magic
Fiberglass Reconditioner & Metal Polish

This stuff works great. When you use it, the particles get finer and finer to polish your boat, car, RV, or whatever.

I've used all kinds of different waxes but on my fifth wheel, I used Rejex. It is a sealer that you apply like wax but you do it every six months instead of every month or two like a wax. I have only used it once so far but it looks nice.

[jfran304]

We use Rejex on our coach and it lives up to it's motto. If you apply it by their directions and using their products to clean the old wax and grit off it will last 6 months. We apply it in the spring and fall.

RejeX: Nothing Sticks but the Shine!

Jon