Wax on Wax off

[blainenbecky]

I just got an old 1988 mobile traveler from a friend and I have been having a blast fixing up on the old girl.

we washed the RV down with bleach as it was really dark with mildew and then I saw the paint was flat and dull of shine

so I waxed the cab with nu-finish car wax, the wipe on wipe off type

the cab came out pretty good and seems to be repelling water pretty well as seen it this pic.

but the rest of the RV is fiberglass and I will start on it tomorrow if the rain allows

but there is some really nasty pinstripes on the RV that I would like to remove someday seen here in this pic

over the cab is more like a boat hull then most RV's seen here in this pic

and I did a test spot on the fiberglass but it dose not look as good as the truck cab ,

what do some of you guys use on old fiberglass RV's that work the best ?

thanks for any tips or hints you may share to help me with my first RV

[dickandlois]

Blaine,

From the pictures you posted, it looks like the clear coat has deteriorated.

It is a little hard to tell for sure, but the best way to get the glossy look back might be to clean and prep the surface for a new gel coat.

Then replacing the pin striping would bring her back to a good as new state.

Rich.

[wolfe10]

As Rich said, it is difficult to tell from the picture, but to me the fiberglass looks pretty good except for the stripe area. Not sure I would do anything with it.

If you do decide to address it, and the underlying fiberglass is in good shape, no problem painting it.

[five]

_{If you want to bring the fiberglass back, check with a marine store, they have many good products to restore the finish.}

[wolfe10]

IF (big if) there is still gel coat left, indeed it can generally be rubbed/polished out. Gel coat is many times thicker than paint. Have worked on many fiberglass boats (with quality gel coat) that had completely dulled. Started with 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, then 2000 then rubbing compound, then polishing compound. Came out great.

Suggest you try a small area to see what you can do with it. Again, if you can see the fibers, this will NOT work-- it only works on gel coat which is smooth with no fibers showing.

Brett

[hermanmullins]

One thing you might consider is to take you unit to a boat dealer that has a good make ready shop. They will have a tech that came bring out a good finish to your unit. They have the experience to bring out the shine on dull boats and your coaches front cap is made the same way as a fiberglass boat.

Herman

[J79Engine]

I just used a product that supposed to take away the Oxidation but it did not work completely. I think maybe I need to do it twice since I can look down the sides and see some dull oxidised spots and shiny spots. However I noticed green in the crevices where the roof meets the sides tried brushing with cleaner but think I will take it to a truck wash and allow them to use a high pressure washer to remove the green faster then work on getting the Oxidation completely gone. The front end came out great and looks almost new. Work in progress I think for now!

2005 SunVoyager 8.1 Gas, 38 foot workhorse.

[hermanmullins]

J, just be careful with the pressure washer on any Decals. They will come off faster then the green mold.

Herman

[five]

J, just be careful with the pressure washer on any Decals. They will come off faster then the green mold.

Herman

Very true, I'd never use a power washer on anything with decals.

[JRaymond]

Has anyone ever tried ZEP Wet Look Professional Floor Finish from Home Depot? I have read that it brings a finish to high gloss, have not tried it but curious if anyone has?

Ray

[Redtp]

I've used the ZEP wax from Home Depot. I cleaned the surface real good and put it on in several coats. After the first few coats it didn't look very

good but after a few coats it looked better than it did before I started the project. I only the front top and side tops above the seam where the side and top meet. lasted almost a year. As soon as the weather breaks in Ohio I'll try it again.