How Often Must One Wax/Buff?

[Cathy P.]

I did do a search and found the procedures and products that were being used but I didn't read in the threads I went through how often one has to do this. So, how often does one wash, wax and buff their fiberglass molded? Also wondering what kind of ladder one needs to get to the top? Thank you.

[Bob Miller]

Hi Cathy,
If you are talking about your Coachman trailer, what works well for FGRV's may not be appropriate for the kind of surface/finish you have on your trailer. The pressed sheet fiberglass used on many trailers may require somewhat different care. .
If you look at the bottom of this window there is a listing of sister groups. Re-click on the "RV & trailer" tab and a group for Dutchman and one for Thor trailers will be displayed. They may have more accurate information for you.

[Cathy P.]

No, the Coachmen is a breeze to care for, no ladders necessary and no fiberglass, aluminum bonded. I am evaluating how much work has to be done to keep the fiberglass molded trailers looking really good. I have seen a couple that did not look good having a lot of the white film on them. I wonder is this a job I would be able to do 10 or 15 years from now. I am guessing that having someone else do it would cost quite a bite as does everything else these days.

[Jon in AZ]

Twice a year for me with an automotive paste wax. Our Scamp has to live outdoors and uncovered in high altitude sun, definitely less than ideal. It's about 6 hours of tiring labor to wash thoroughly, apply wax, and buff out. A 4' stepladder is enough for the low Scamp.

[Carol H]

If there is no oxidization to deal with and there should not be if trailer is kept waxed it should only need it done twice a year. Early spring and then again at the end of year when its put away for the winter. Previous years I used a Carnauba paste wax but last year I decided to giving the Mothers FX Synwax a try. Easier to put on and happy with the shine and it seems to stand up just as well.

[Cathy P.]

Thank you Jon. We live in KS in blowing dirt so I would expect twice a year also. That's a smaller ladder than I expected would have to be used so that is good since I am not the most graceful person.

Thanks Carol. That is about the same schedule to keep the other vehicles looking like new.

[padlin00]

I'm figuring twice a year, at least that's what I did last year. Having one of the bigger units, it took 2 days to do the whole thing. The fiberglass roof adds a lot of hard to reach surface to wax. I did hit the front with a couple extra coats before our trip cross country, this trailer is a bug magnet.

[Franswa]

why would you wax it in the first place??? The reason you bought an overpriced, second hand, FG trailer is because you wouldn't have to fuss over the exterior of the thing

I went though this with boats...first you buy the thing for (to you) big bucks and you want to keep it real shiny all the time...then you realize that shiny or not it still floats just fine (FG is a wonderful thing).....apart from keeping it clean (white) the shine is really to impress your neighbours or to make you feel better about how much you had to shell out for this thing.....

after a while I got to like the dull FG look....I kept it real white and clean though (alcohol works great on any and all stains... methyl hydrate)....my trailer is going to get the same treatment....I might wax it one day...if I get bored

I left it uncovered outside last winter (another reason I bought a FG trailer) and a neighbour tree close by turned it awfully dirty...took about an hour an a half to clean the whole thing back to pristine white....thought about waxing....but didn't get around to it...


just a different perspective....happy motoring

[Borrego Dave]

Interesting post Francois. Does seem a bit sideways to what most folks on this sites thoughts are but I can see your point. Funny, as I think back, I've had two FG sailboats and other than washing the salt off them can't remember ever waxing them. If I had raced them I would have, they go a bit faster.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Franswa

why would you wax it in the first place??? The reason you bought an overpriced, second hand, FG trailer is because you wouldn't have to fuss over the exterior of the thing...

Funny you say that. My first instinct when I read the OP's question, "How often must one wax/buff?" was to answer "never!" Nothing says you have to, and the number of 40 year-old fiberglass eggs out there that have survived most of their existence without regular waxing demonstrates that the sky won't fall if you don't.

Mine was four years old when I bought it and I doubt it had ever seen a coat of wax. It was a bit chalky, and that probably worked in my favor price-wise; I didn't consider it overpriced. Now I choose to wax it, and doing so has brought back a bit of shine, nothing like new, but (as someone else said) bugs wash off more easily. Good enough for me, and not a bad upper body workout.

[Bob Miller]

As the OP said in post #3, she wanted to keep an FGRV "looking really good". I think that she places value on that, call it "Personal Pride".
I want mine to always reflect my personal standards, after all it is somewhat of a guy & chick magnet, which both of us can enjoy.....LOL


My repaint is only 3 years old and hasn't tasted of wax as of yet, but we Zepped the Lil Bigfoot one time after a year.

[Bob Miller]

Just to make the point, as Jon stated, a dulled surface depreciated the resale value as well.

[Franswa]

I bought that boat it was 8 years old....and I cleaned/waxed it every spring for the first 6-7 years with a wipe on / wipe off product...worked very well.....then I got lazy and just kept it clean for the last 6-7 years I owned it...

when it left behind somebody elses truck it was 23 years old and it looked just fine....go figure

when I get back from a trip, my trailer is usually filthy (logging roads) and I have to give it a good hard wash...I wonder how long a wax job would last for under those circumstances....and as I said I don't mind the "dull" look....as long as it's WHITE....I'm happy

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

As the OP said in post #3, she wanted to keep an FGRV "looking really good". I think that she places value on that, call it "Personal Pride"...

The best solution, when available, is simple: indoor storage. That's the single most effective way to preserve the appearance of any RV, not just molded fiberglass.

We own a retirement cabin that has an oversized garage with an 8' door. So eventually Scampy will get her own home. By then I probably won't be so enthusiastic about upper body workouts.

[Cathy P.]

Thanks everyone! Maybe I have just seen the "extremes" as a few blocks from here, someone has a Casita, shiny as a new penny. I don't know how old it is but we have been here 3 years and they keep it covered for about 4 months in the winter. They appear to use it quite a bite. We walk past with the dogs almost everything so I'm not stalking! I have seen older Scamps that look like they been through a war zone at a campground where they get construction workers. So, I have probably saw the worst case scenario to the best.

[Jon Vermilye]

While I like a "shiny" trailer as much as the next guy, my main reason for waxing is to make it easier to remove bug splatter. I usually do the front of the trailer at least a couple times a year; the rest of it once.

[Cathy P.]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

While I like a "shiny" trailer as much as the next guy, my main reason for waxing is to make it easier to remove bug splatter. I usually do the front of the trailer at least a couple times a year; the rest of it once.

We learned about love bugs the hard way and later watched others learn. Yuck! You would definitely want some extra protection when encountering them. There should be a section specifically on them included in every RV manual.

[Jon in AZ]

Hope they're nothing like the swarm of large beetles I drove into outside Phoenix once (without the trailer, fortunately). Sounded like eggs cracking on the windshield and left splats the size of fried eggs, too!

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Interesting post Francois. Does seem a bit sideways to what most folks on this sites thoughts are but I can see your point. .

I suspect the fiberglass trailer community is about 50/50 on the topic of keeping the shine on ... or at least that have been my observation at fiberglass trailer rallies.

Its a bit like cars - some people wash and wax and vacuum them every week others just open the doors once a year and use a leaf blower to blow all the garbage out of them

[Cathy P.]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Hope they're nothing like the swarm of large beetles I drove into outside Phoenix once (without the trailer, fortunately). Sounded like eggs cracking on the windshield and left splats the size of fried eggs, too!

They may be worse and what people don't understand is that leaving them on the finish is not the thing to do. They would come in with giant Class A's covered with them and would, despite being advised to get them cleaned off, decide to wait. One thing one learns when traveling is to listen to the locals.

Here is an article: https://insects.tamu.edu/extension/p.../eee_00025.cfm