Compounding Oxidation Questions

[leadman]

I have the original document from Filon, the manufacturer of the siding for my 1999 Winnebago Adventurer.
It states to not use abrasive cleaners, don't use rubbing compounds, don't dry wipe surface, clean only with water and liquid detergent.

Do wash your RV with liquid detergents. The sidewalls can be waxed with automotive waxes or cleaner/polishes developed for use on fiberglass boats, showers, and tubs. Follow the directions on the package.

There is more info at cranecomposites.com

I would not use a high speed buffer due to the heat they produce on an older RV like mine. The siding new is only .043" and the thermal expansion is much greater than the luan the it is, hopefully bonded to. The glue used was minimal and is not a great bond. I did build a new wall for the rear of my motorhome from scratch and put Filon back on it. Eight months and so far so good.

[lorim]

BKF & zep sounds like a lot of work, I see lots recommend this so I'm sure it does the job but not the application for me.
Mobilemike was right, I didn't have the right equipment for the job. I bought a wen variable speed buffer and a makita wool pad.. just wow, the crud came off in under a minute. See attached picture. It's a little tough for me to handle but not impossible. As long as I position myself to not be over reaching I can control the buffer. It's a little heavy too so I doubt I'll be getting it all done in 1 day.
After a bit of evaluation and many YouTube videos I've realized I'm not going to get a glass finish like I thought, my off white fiberglass is dimpley, sort of a texture like a refrigerator.
My decals do look worn and are not really shining up, they're a bit streaky after the wax, not sure what can be done with them. I assumed my bottom doors were just paint but now I'm not sure, they're streaking much like my decals.
To be totally honest the streaking could be coming from the chalky fiberglass roof, I think I should get that buffed up so I can better evaluate.

[JoeSR]

Lorim,

The condition of your motorhome siding looks similar to mine before I started on it this spring. I suspect that your roof even looks worse.

If this is the case, the black color on the siding is mold/mildew. To kill the mold/mildew and release the dirt I used a house siding cleaner called Jomax mixed with bleach and water ( 3.25 quarts of water, 2.25 cups of bleach & 0.75 cups of Jomax – directions on the Jomax). I sprayed the solution on with a garden sprayer, waited 3 to 5 minutes, rub it slightly with a sponge and then hosed it off. Do it on the shady side and keep the surface wet with the solution while you wait. The black mold/mildew turned brown and floated off the surface with water.

If you read some of the threads people on this forum have written about cleaning their roofs and the resulting black streaks, I think that you will find a solution of water and bleach used by many of them.

To work the cleaner on the roof, I used a new sponge floor mop with the squeezer removed.

[Dav L]

If the gel coat is bad, most efficient is wet sand then compound then polish then wax.
Progressively finer grit process.
Standard procedure for a body shop.
Lots of work on an RV due to the sq ft.
Do one section at a time when it's a nice day.
In the shade so the compounds don't dry out too soon.
Scaffolding helps to bring you to the level you are working at to reduce arm strain.

EDIT, just saw Lorim's pictures...that's not too bad.
I would start by power washing top to bottom (start with the roof), and then compound / polish / wax.

[DewMac]

I had heavy oxidation on my 2001 Fleetwood Storm. I tried everything( so I thought) to restore the shine to the fiberglass with little success. Then I came across a post from Boatman10 about removing oxidation. I followed his advice to the letter and I could not be happier with the results. I have a great shine and it looks great. OP do yourself a favor and search for the post by Boatman10 it is a great read.

[mobilemike]

You have to be very careful if you want to wet sand with multiple grits. The gel coat is very thin. If you start with too coarse paper you will be through the gel before you are done. Compounding IS WET SANDING but with a very fine grit and is all you need. I have pictures of the worst chalky boats you have seen and the results of compounding if you would like.

[Dav L]

Originally Posted by mobilemike

You have to be very careful if you want to wet sand with multiple grits. The gel coat is very thin. If you start with too coarse paper you will be through the gel before you are done. Compounding IS WET SANDING but with a very fine grit and is all you need. I have pictures of the worst chalky boats you have seen and the results of compounding if you would like.

Y, even if one has to wetsand, the assumption is they are starting with no more aggressive than 800 grit. Down to 1200 and switch to liquid heavy compound.

If the gelcoat is really stained deep, sometimes I will DA with 320 light and switch to wet.

But looking at the OP's recent pic, don't think it even needs that. Just a good compounding to look good again.

[arcaguy]

Originally Posted by Hooligan

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!

Just a heads up that real TSP (TriSodium Phosphate) is no longer available due to environmental concerns. There is stuff that is sold as TSP but it's really something else that is chemically similar. If you have some really old Spic and Span around it probably has real TSP.