Best wax (or whatever) to have an egg shine?

[BillE]

Donna,

The original poster has a newer trailer w/o oxidation. My assumption is that it is in excellent condition. A lot of people are telling him to "bar keeper" friend scrub it with abrasive ....or use floor wax (it yellows or peels).

Would you do either of those to a car? I know I would not. Zanio is a polymer sealant better than wax. Here is my Car with Zanio

I can take 1 weekend and have my Scamp SHINY for the whole summer.

[Glenn Baglo]

How does Zanio hold up on kitchen floors?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by BillE

Donna,

The original poster has a newer trailer w/o oxidation. My assumption is that it is in excellent condition. A lot of people are telling him to "bar keeper" friend scrub it with abrasive ....or use floor wax (it yellows or peels).

Would you do either of those to a car? I know I would not. Zanio is a polymer sealant better than wax. Here is my Car with Zanio

I can take 1 weekend and have my Scamp SHINY for the whole summer.

The OP wasn't asking about what to put on a car. No where in my post did I suggest an abrasive. You are using a clay bar on paint, which is what it's designed for. Remember too, there's a reason clay bar comes in different ranges, different levels of abrasion. Unless you buy Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay, which is probably the least abrasive. I maintain, the OP will get exactly what he wants and that's to protect the gelcoat, by using a wax designed for gelcoat such as:

Meguiars Flagship Premium Marine Wax

[Carol H]

I am with Donna, stick to products designed for use on fiberglass. Have used 3M Marine products on boats and my trailer for years with great results. Both new and old.

And nope it doesn't work well on kitchen floors either but it will make the trailer shine! ;-)

Marine Product Selector, 3M

[steve dunham]

I have used 3M , Nu Finish and Meguiars on both my trailers . They all seem to work well and the biggest difference I see is cost and ease of application > I think it is more important to keep a layer of protection on the fiberglass then which product provides that protection . I gave my Casita 2 coats of Nu Finish last fall and it appears to be holding up well sitting outside ,uncovered in the Harsh Wisconsin Winter. I can not wait for July to come so I can wash and wax the trailer in preparation for the upcoming Summer camping season

[cramar]

I find it interesting that people are suggesting boat products to use on a travel trailer, just because they are both made of fibreglass. To me there is much more in common with a FG car than a FG boat, i.e. a Corvette! Therefore checking the detailing threads on the [ Car Care Discussion - Corvette Forum ] makes more sense than researching boating information. There are a lot of detailing fanatics in the car world! But in reality there is no difference between a good FG paint job and one on metal—the care is the same!

My Corvette is 13 years old and I would put the shine up against any new showroom Corvette or RV. The first thing I did when I got 'er last summer is clay bar. The difference in feel between a typical car's paint and post clay bar is night and day. Running your fingers over the paint, you feel the friction, the drag. After clay bar, the paint is dead smooth and has a frictionless oily feel. This is before any waxing, and is how the paint should feel. Then I applied a two-part acrylic German product called Klasse. Everyone has their favourite, some like Zaino, some like Meguiar's, some like Adam's, etc. I think the key is in the application and buffing the polish, regardless of the make.

When I get a FG trailer, if I can get the FG to shine like the 'vette, I'll be happy.

[David Tilston]

Craig, I have no position on either approach, I plan to use floor wax, but the difference I see is the Corvette is painted, where the trailer is gel coat. I am not sure if this makes any difference.

[Donna D.]

Yep, clay bar paint... then wax. Just clean and wax new(er) unpainted gelcoat.

[Carol H]

[QUOTE=David Tilston;441232 but the difference I see is the Corvette is painted, where the trailer is gel coat. .[/QUOTE]

Yup thats the BIG difference! Boats are also gel coat thus the reason the same products are used on fiberglass trailers.

Using a light cleaning compound for gelcoat boats & trailers if done correctly will give you that same smooth feel you are obtaining using the clay bar on a painted car.

The problems come with our trailers as has been said is when they are left for long periods of time with little or no protection and the gelcoat will oxidize. Once you deal with that issue it pretty simple to keep them shiny with a good waxing a couple of times a year.

[BillE]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

I used Meguires Marine wax. Since our trailer is 30 years old I cleaned it first with Bar Keepers Friend. I've seen a fiberglass camper done with the floor wax, and it had a unique shine, but I prefer to use a product made for a specific application, thus the fiberglass marine wax. Just my personal preference.

Donna,

This was what I was telling the OP NOT to do as his trailer is pretty new. Bar Keepers Friend is abrasive.

And I would NOT recommend floor wax as was posted at the start of this thread.

Ultimately, it will be up to the OP to figure out and research what he wants to do on his trailer.

It's all good....stay warm and 40 days til spring..

[cramar]

Most interesting! I didn't realize that FG trailers come gelcoated (like boats) from the manufacturer. Heck, I've never heard of gelcoat so did some research. The products are different for cleaning & polishing, but the process is similar for cars, boats, and travel trailers. You need products that are designed for each target. First step is cleaning, next step is applying a preserving sealer. Some yacht sites recommend carnuba wax. I have carnuba, but rarely use it because it is my experience that it lasts far shorter than car synthetic polishes, so on a boat exposed to constant water and humidity, I find it hard to believe it would last at all.

The one thing I will never do is put floor wax on a trailer or anything else outside. Floor wax is designed for sheltered indoor use, and not for an environment of weather—acid rain, UV exposure, and extreme temperatures. My experience in life is that UV degradation is the worst thing that happens over time to any synthetic product out in the elements. Gelcoat will be no different.

There are quite a few trailers out there that have been custom painted. With paint, then car products will be ideal. With gelcoat, boat products specifically for gelcoat will be best.

[David Tilston]

I understand your reluctance to use floor wax. The points you raise are valid, but.... Take a look at this thread of testimonials, all 47 pages:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ell-43004.html

While the floor wax will not last forever, it is easy to strip off and do again.

[David and Nancy]

As one of the posters in the "NOT Poliglow" thread, I would like to reiterate some of the wisdom on this current thread. The Red Max and Zep floor products are not wax, but rather a much harder, more durable, synthetic product. I had spectacular results when using Red Max on a ten-year old trailer that had probably never been waxed and was stored outside in intense UV conditions. I tried to restore it using conventional wax, but the gelcoat was so chalky, the results were mediocre. Maybe I could have done better with many more hours of re-waxing and buffing. That being said, my current trailer was stored indoors prior to my purchasing it and the gelcoat is still in good shape. So I am maintaining that condition with Meguires wax. But my trailer is stored outdoors at my current residence and I may eventually lose the battle. If that happens I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the Red Max (now Zep) product. The OP on this thread has a new enough trailer that conventional wax products should still be the way to go.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by David and Nancy

I tried to restore it using conventional wax, but the gelcoat was so chalky, the results were mediocre. Maybe I could have done better with many more hours of re-waxing and buffing. .

You can put all the wax in the world on a fiberglass trailer with a chalky finish and it will never shine. You need to buff off the chalky stuff off the gelcoat first using a compound specifically designed for that. Once the chalky finish is off then wax away - it will glow for years to come assuming you take steps to protect it yearly by re waxing.

[Lfoxmont]

What preparations do I need to do to my egg before I wax? Will pressure washing it with soap/water work?

[GROVER 1.0]

Zep all the way! It took my 1992

scamp to looking new right away!

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Lfoxmont

What preparations do I need to do to my egg before I wax? Will pressure washing it with soap/water work?

No, no, no! No pressure washing. THAT will blast perfectly good sealant away from areas that you want to keep sealed up.

Did you read the referanced thread?

[Glenn Baglo]

If you're not careful, you can blow off the gelcoat with a pressure washer.

[Pam Garlow]

Originally Posted by Lfoxmont

What preparations do I need to do to my egg before I wax? Will pressure washing it with soap/water work?

What Donna said. Use old fashioned elbow grease. Hand scrub, rinse, check for areas that need re-cleaning, and then clean and rinse again.

Then seal and shine it.

[Sterose]

From Home depot in montreal
the zep trio do wonders!