Removing Oxidation From Fibreglass Skin

[moodierr@netscape.com]

HI,

I have a 87 Georgie Boy MH. I it has the corrugated fiberglass skin. It is seriously oxidized but there are several spots that someone has tried and it came out real nice! My problem is haven't found anything to duplicate what they did! Ordinary cleaner has no effect. Tried rubbing compound but didn't work well either. I wonder what others have done it this situation?

Also it has 3" wide stripes of tape that has deteriorated badly. Wonder if there is any way to remove this without destroying the skin?

[elkhartjim]

HI,

I have a 87 Georgie Boy MH. I it has the corrugated fiberglass skin. It is seriously oxidized but there are several spots that someone has tried and it came out real nice! My problem is haven't found anything to duplicate what they did! Ordinary cleaner has no effect. Tried rubbing compound but didn't work well either. I wonder what others have done it this situation?

Also it has 3" wide stripes of tape that has deteriorated badly. Wonder if there is any way to remove this without destroying the skin?

I haven't a clue what corrugated fiberglass is other than what you buy a the big box stores for roofing, etc. Are you saying your walls looks like corrugated metal except its fiberglass?

Honestly, I have some ideas but I've spent way too much time and effort responding on this board and never had a response.

[Guest Wayne77590]

A quote from: RV Buyer Guide

"Fiberglass is available in several styles, including corrugated and smooth. The corrugated type is most often used on affordably priced RVs, while smooth fiberglass is found on all kinds of rigs in all price ranges. Manufacturers have improved fiberglass durability and resistance to ultraviolet light damage and fading such that today’s fiberglass-skinned RVs look good a lot longer than they did in years past. Filon is a brand name of one such durable fiberglass material."

Although I have seen corrugated fiberglass on an RV Trailer, I cannot ever remembering seeing it on a motorhome. If you have a picture, I'd like to see what it looks like.

I think Jim has an answer for you, but more information is needed.

Good luck.

[elkhartjim]

Oh well.

Thanks Wayne for the corrugated education. I've never seen that type construction on a rv . So they made rv's with corrugated fiberglass panels; I had a trailer house (modular home) at the country place once that had corrugated metal siding and some of that blew off as they were delivering it. Same stuff?

[Guest Wayne77590]

Jim,

Any ideas on cleaning.

I guess I'll reply since the original poster doesn't want to ask.

I have painted outside, and today I used some stuff that I used to use on my MC when I was riding. It's called "Capt. Richards Best." What a great product, but so darn expensive.

Believe it or not, I once had a 55 ford that I used Brasso on to get the oxidation off. It's all I could afford at the time. It worked.

I'm not sure about "same stuff," but the principles are about the same. up to a 1/2 inch of dip and rolls on the corrugated.

I have not seen it on a motorhome and would like to see a picture if anyone has one of corrugated fiberglass.

The corrugated on the travel trailers was sort of a reinforcement to give the side wall some strength, I think, and to reduce weight.

[hermanmullins]

I looked up some 1987 GB MHs and found that corrugated is not a good discription for the panels. Ribbed would be a better word. The bottom portion of the MH has vertical ribs in the FG.

That being said go to your local Boat dealer. Check with their parts and or detail person. When they prepare a FG boat for resale they can really bring out the sparkle. I know there are FG cleaners and restorers on the market. But once cleaned it must be kept cleaned and waxed or the oxidation will return (rather quickly).

Hope this is some help.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

[wolfe10]

Herman,

If this is non-gelcoated FG/FG with very little hard surface over the random fibers/if you can see fibers which give the side "texture", do NOT treat is as one would gel coated quality boat FG.

Sanding, compounding or even buffing can make it worse by exposing more of the fibers. Removing some of the gel coat (which is many times as thick as paint) is the prescribed method on quality gel coated FG, but will not work here.

The only solution (not a great one) is to clean the surface, removing as much of the dirt as you can.

There may be some products what can coat/seal what you have-- I have no first hand knowledge of any of them.

Brett

[dschmees@coxinet.net]

I have a unit that was always parked outside until I bought it. I suspect that it had not been polished or waxed in a long time. It had a lot of oxidation. I tried waxes with cleaners, rubbing compound, etc. but it never really shined.

Then I saw an ad for PolyGlow. http://www.poliglow.net

It comes with a cleaner and a coating liquid. The cleaner is liquid, diluted and used in a spray bottle. Wet the area with water, spray on the cleaner and rub, gently with a provided cleaning pad (Scotchbrite I think) and rinse with water. All of the old wax, oxidation and dirt will come off very easily.

I was pleased with how easy it was to clean. If you want to make it shine, use the PolyGlow as directed. I was quite happy with the results and how much my MH shines now. And with the coating, dirt and bugs wash off easily. It is supposed to last a year and then you can touch it up with more coating.

I have no connection with PolyGlow, just a happy customer. There is also another similar product called newglass2 http://www.newglass2.com. After reading reviews, I decided to go with the PolyGlow. Even if you do not want to use the coating, as this product is only for gel-coat, the cleaner alone will remove all the oxidation and leave you with a very clean surface to work with.

Hope this helps.

[hermanmullins]

Herman,

If this is non-gelcoated FG/FG with very little hard surface over the random fibers/if you can see fibers which give the side "texture", do NOT treat is as one would gel coated quality boat FG.

Sanding, compounding or even buffing can make it worse by exposing more of the fibers. Removing some of the gel coat (which is many times as thick as paint) is the prescribed method on quality gel coated FG, but will not work here.

The only solution (not a great one) is to clean the surface, removing as much of the dirt as you can.

There may be some products what can coat/seal what you have-- I have no first hand knowledge of any of them.

Brett

Right again. How about Turtle Wax? I have used it on old cars and it does a nice job at removing the oxcidation and I don't think it is too abrasive. Maybe there is someone out there that has had this material painted. I have heard different stories about how much it cost to paint an RV. It doesn't sound cheap. How about one of those places that makes graphics. They could cover it with what ever you want.

[elkhartjim]

Its unfortunate the OP never acknowledged the responses. There is some good information given but not knowing the exact surface the OP has can cause the problem to be much worse.

[fredkeen@ymail.com]

Poliglow has worked well for me on several boats, but it only lasts for a couple of years in my experience, that said, it may be a great option.

And Herman, your close enough to me that you can wash/wax my coach anytime,,,

Fred

[LivingLikeEachDayIsMyLast]

I have waxed my motorhome several times over the years with great results. The problem with waxing is it only last six months or less. A couple of years ago, I asked a local auto painter about spraying a clear coat paint over the gelcoat. The price was $1700.00. I haven't had it done and probably won't as my health is deteriorating fast. I have no idea how much longer I will be able to travel & camp. Medical expenses are, at this time, a higher priority than the exterior looks of my coach.

[hermanmullins]

I have waxed my motorhome several times over the years with great results. The problem with waxing is it only last six months or less. A couple of years ago, I asked a local auto painter about spraying a clear coat paint over the gelcoat. The price was $1700.00. I haven't had it done and probably won't as my health is deteriorating fast. I have no idea how much longer I will be able to travel & camp. Medical expenses are, at this time, a higher priority than the exterior looks of my coach.

Sorry to hear of your health problems. I think the first part of your Forum handle is correct "Living". Keep on with your medical and your coach will wait for you. Good Luck and get back on the road soon.