Maintaining the Exterior

[tim07]

I own a 2006 Expedition, 50,000 mi. Second owner.

I used to paste wax once or twice a year. Now that I'm older, I paste wax the top half and then spray wax the bottom half. Using graphene infused wax w/ceramic wax. Mixed together from mfg, that's on top half. For the bottom, a quality spray wax.
My mobile R.V. repair man told me last week, it's the cleanest 2006 he's seen, that isn't garaged all year. ( I used to cover, but don't want to go up that high.)
This is So. Cal., it might be easier for me out here.

Doing it this way has saved me hours of detail time.
Sharing for guys that treat their R.V.'s like a classic car.

[Dutch Star Don]

I'll be 69 tomorrow and I jsut can't wax the coach like I used to. I do something similar as you. About once a year, I wax the upper half of the coach with a liquid wax and polisher. The lower half I use a spray wax/detailer.

I detail the lower half routinely, up to about 8' high. The coach gets washed before every trip. Over the last couple of years, I have a mobile guy that does the wash every other time. I still like doing it my self some of the time so I can check for issues as I wipe down the coach.

My coach is parked between my two story house and a block wall with about 30" on both sides. It makes it much more difficult to wash with such little room. If I had another foot on both sides, I would buy a 28" wide scissor lift, mount a chair on it and just sit while I waxed the coach without leaving the chair.

[Tony Ramirez]

Funny, I just waxed my whole coach w creme wax this week, my arms just about fell off. Not as easy to do at 61 as in my 30s, 40s & 50s.

[tim07]

Originally Posted by Tony Ramirez

Funny, I just waxed my whole coach w creme wax this week, my arms just about fell off. Not as easy to do at 61 as in my 30s, 40s & 50s.

Good job boys! But I've got about six years on you both. That chair would be killer!

[Betr2Trvl]

Results from Wednesday and Thursday………

And my favorite of the Tiffin back in 2019….; at Pacific Shores in OR.

No shortcuts, lots of time and effort, and high quality products……. And it’s how you wash them that keeps ‘em this way.

I actually felt really good yesterday; even played some very competitive pickleball in the morning!

And oh, by the way, the trailer is WAY easier to do

[tim07]

Originally Posted by Betr2Trvl

Results from Wednesday and Thursday………

And my favorite of the Tiffin back in 2019….; at Pacific Shores in OR.

No shortcuts, lots of time and effort, and high quality products……. And it’s how you wash them that keeps ‘em this way.

I actually felt really good yesterday; even played some very competitive pickleball in the morning!

And oh, by the way, the trailer is WAY easier to do

I can't tell if that's full body paint, or really shiny fiberglass.
But, that's looking good. My first RV was a '72 short Winnie, but no full body paint. Same with the second. '99 Southwind. It makes all the difference, although the Expedition at 19 yrs old is starting to lose clear coat. So far I've been able to touch it up myself. Cheers.

[Betr2Trvl]

Originally Posted by tim07

I can't tell if that's full body paint, or really shiny fiberglass.
But, that's looking good. My first RV was a '72 short Winnie, but no full body paint. Same with the second. '99 Southwind. It makes all the difference, although the Expedition at 19 yrs old is starting to lose clear coat. So far I've been able to touch it up myself. Cheers.

The camper is fiberglass…….

Here is some 15 year old white paint; it’s driven regularly but not a lot of miles (a daily driver with 21k miles the first 4 years, but only 30k since), and of course always garaged. It has Adams 10h Graphene ceramic that I did myself 2 1/2 years ago, and it gets a “boost” every 6 months. I’m very deep down the paint care rabbit hole .

Note the surfboards hanging from the ceiling, reflecting on the hood of the car.

[tim07]

Originally Posted by Betr2Trvl

The camper is fiberglass…….

Here is some 15 year old white paint; it’s driven regularly but not a lot of miles (a daily driver with 21k miles the first 4 years, but only 30k since), and of course always garaged. It has Adams 10h Graphene ceramic that I did myself 2 1/2 years ago, and it gets a “boost” every 6 months. I’m very deep down the paint care rabbit hole .

Note the surfboards hanging from the ceiling, reflecting on the hood of the car.

Very clean. Yeah I've got a L.B. and a log. For when there's no break.

[Random01]

I dont care how "clean" my RV looks, its built for travel not storage, its not a yacht and I boondock in it fulltime, mostly in very dusty conditions.

I do entire exterior twice a year not for appearance but for protection. I only get to wash it 4 times a year, self service car washes tall enough are a rarity where I travel.

I do strong cleaner wax, plus compound in spots, once a year but this needs additional layer of long lasting paste wax on top. I only use waxes stating 12 months protection and assume 6 months in my sunny conditions. I tried 1-year spray-on ceramic coating stuff and it was a disaster. Now trying another 12 month spray coat, by Optimum/Opti-Coat, looking good so far, but again I assume 6 months and will redo accordingly.

[tim07]

Originally Posted by Random01

I dont care how "clean" my RV looks, its built for travel not storage, its not a yacht and I boondock in it fulltime, mostly in very dusty conditions.

I do entire exterior twice a year not for appearance but for protection. I only get to wash it 4 times a year, self service car washes tall enough are a rarity where I travel.

I do strong cleaner wax, plus compound in spots, once a year but this needs additional layer of long lasting paste wax on top. I only use waxes stating 12 months protection and assume 6 months in my sunny conditions. I tried 1-year spray-on ceramic coating stuff and it was a disaster. Now trying another 12 month spray coat, by Optimum/Opti-Coat, looking good so far, but again I assume 6 months and will redo accordingly.

I just purchased that McGuire fast finish, over wax. It seems ok so far.

[Random01]

Originally Posted by tim07

I just purchased that McGuire fast finish, over wax. It seems ok so far.

Isn't it discontinued product? Polymer?

That ceramic coat I tried Wash and wax all, was beading allright for a long time but it became a major dust magnet and caused rock solid dirty film to form somehow, took lots of effort to remove. I'm very careful about new spray coatings now.
I had much better results with inexpensive Once A Year Nu Finish, which is a basic product I can buy anywhere.
Trying Griots 3-in-1 wax now because its also a cleaner wax which lasts over a year, according to them, on one half of the RV and Optimum Ultra ceramic seal spray coat on another half.