Using Zep to restore oxidized fiberglass

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Roamer

So, some of these post are old. How has the Zep held up over time and are there drawbacks?
How hard is it to remove the wax?

Well, I may live in the harshest area for outside uncovered egg storage, desert with winds/dust and 125* summer heat. The Zep wax, for me, lasts about 1 1/2 years before I notice it starting to flake on the sunny side. Others have posted many good years before needing to rewax...location. I've posted before of stripping/rewax, short answer, stripper full strength, 5/6 wax coats and I'm done in 4 hours. After standard waxing of past RVs with buffers and such, there are zero drawbacks to using Zep on gelcoat that's starting to loose it's gloss. Biggest issue I've seen here is some folks just can't get their minds around the fact it's a floor wax even when they see the results .

[Joe Romas]

It's not wax!!!

I live in the mid-west and my trailer sits out all year uncovered and I get 3 years before I strip and reapply. Never used the sealer but may next time.

[Dudley]

Just redid my 98 Casita yesterday, including full stripping and cleaning with Bar keepers Friend and 5 coats. It had 3 years on it and had flaked off the top. The trailer was "rode hard and put away wet" last year and we had a hard winter up here with ice build up on the roof section. I think the ice acts as a small glacier grinding away the coating. After reapplying it came out looking great! As with anything, preparation is key, Anything you miss will be entombed under the stuff until you strip it again. The old coating had yellowed a bit as well as the flaking but in the summer months we have about 15 hrs of daylight pounding on it. The hardest part is looking at all that white to see if you have missed anything before applying, kind of go snow blind after a while and miss things.

[thrifty bill]

There's a 65 page thread on this topic. If that doesn't convince you, then its up to you.

Well, I see the OP is on page 65 extolling a buffer.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ell-43004.html

[ZachO]

I'd really like to do this...but man. Especially since I have a Bigfoot, it just seems like a really big job. I may get motivated enough at some point. Will need to commit a few days, and do it in stages. It would be nice to see my camper nice and glossy. I think the fact that once I do it, that means I'll now have to do it every couple years is another thing holding me back.

It's easy to just put up with a dull looking trailer and wash it every now and then.

[thrifty bill]

I spent one day doing the scrub and wash then about three hours putting on four coats the next day.

[Lisa M.]

Originally Posted by ZachO

I'd really like to do this...but man. Especially since I have a Bigfoot, it just seems like a really big job. I may get motivated enough at some point. Will need to commit a few days, and do it in stages. It would be nice to see my camper nice and glossy. I think the fact that once I do it, that means I'll now have to do it every couple years is another thing holding me back.

It's easy to just put up with a dull looking trailer and wash it every now and then.

We didn’t use Zep, but used Poliglow a few weeks ago and the application seems similar. We washed it of winter dirt first, using Barkeepers Friend on some stains, then washed it with the Poliglow solution, then put about six coats of Poliglow on (possibly overkill), it took the two of us maybe five hours, including a lunch break, but we don’t work very fast. Do you have a friend who would help? By the way, my 21 year old trailer looks brand new! Good luck! You won’t be sorry!

[ZachO]

I would love to see my trailer shine. But...no, I don't think I'd even ask anyone to help. It's the kind of job you're willing to do if it's your trailer, but I don't see anyone being interested in helping. I'd rather save my favors for more important things.

The "problem" really is that it sounds like once you do this, you need to keep doing it. It's not like I can do it once, then a couple years later think "ah, it would be nice to get my trailer shiny again but maybe I'll get around to it, maybe I won't". It's more like "it's going to look worse than before if I don't do it again, so I have to do it". Wax flaking off, etc.

We'll see!

[Indiana Lynn]

I don't care how shiny my Casita is. I mainly want it to clean up good when I do wash it. I would like dirt to run off easily when washed or wiped.
It is now very chalky from sitting out all summer. Last polished by an old man that did some mods for me. He had a stroke and just kept working on it. He slathered something on top of dirt. Couldn't remember what he used. It was shiny over the dirt for a couple of months.
I have shoulder trouble. Would like the easiest way possible to remedy this mess and make it easier to keep clean in the future. It will now be parked inside all the time except when camping.
Advise?

[ShelbyM]

Look for a mobile auto detailer, they might be willing to polish it out. Unless you have a heated space for them to work you may need to wait until Spring.

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by Indiana Lynn

I don't care how shiny my Casita is. I mainly want it to clean up good when I do wash it. I would like dirt to run off easily when washed or wiped.
It is now very chalky from sitting out all summer. Last polished by an old man that did some mods for me. He had a stroke and just kept working on it. He slathered something on top of dirt. Couldn't remember what he used. It was shiny over the dirt for a couple of months.
I have shoulder trouble. Would like the easiest way possible to remedy this mess and make it easier to keep clean in the future. It will now be parked inside all the time except when camping.
Advise?

If he used Zep Floor Wax, you'll need to remove it with Zep Stripper. Lowes and other places carry Zep products.

[Roamer]

Money no object - paint job.
Money an issue, paint it yourself, at least white will not show a bad paint job as much as a color.
Zep will work, but will be a mess to re-do it in a few years is what owners say.

Sounds like he waxed in the dirt, that is in the dirt, but sounds like the wax wore off and the dirty with it.

I have painted campers with $5/can spray paint and then a clear coat and it looks decent. Professional auto paint out of a gun will be a two-part so will have a hardner in it and will be more durable though.

[Perryb67]

Originally Posted by Indiana Lynn

I don't care how shiny my Casita is. I mainly want it to clean up good when I do wash it. I would like dirt to run off easily when washed or wiped.
It is now very chalky from sitting out all summer. Last polished by an old man that did some mods for me. He had a stroke and just kept working on it. He slathered something on top of dirt. Couldn't remember what he used. It was shiny over the dirt for a couple of months.
I have shoulder trouble. Would like the easiest way possible to remedy this mess and make it easier to keep clean in the future. It will now be parked inside all the time except when camping.
Advise?

The nice thing about Zep there is no hard rubbing involved. Our2003 Bigfoot was extremely chalky with lots of inbedded dirt when purchased. I used diluted Zep Stripper in a spray bottle, sprayed a microfiber cloth and was amazed how easy it was to remove the imbedded dirt and the chalky gelcoat. I then immediately rinsed the camper.

I then applied three coats of Zep floor wax and the Bigfoot's fiberglass looked like new. We sold the camper, but two years later the new owner died and his wife asked me to sell the Bigfoot for her. She was 150 miles away, but when a potential buyer from Tennessee showed up the shine looked like it was just applied. He bought the Bigfoot.

We're on year 2 with Zep Wet Look wax and it still shines great. IT's easy to clean too.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Jon in AZ]

I think the “mess to re-do” is a matter of inexperience. I recall Borrego Dave saying it took him about half a day to strip and reapply Zep on his 17’ Casita. I was skeptical, but he convinced me it is a legitimate option, especially for heavily weathered gelcoat. He stored his outside, uncovered, in a desert climate, so he did it once a year, as I recall, and he had been doing it for a number of years.

EDIT- see Dave’s reply in post #41, and you can click his user name to find old posts with the more detailed description he alludes to.

It takes me most of a day to do my 13’ Scamp with Meguiar’s marine wax, which only lasts about 6 months in outside storage, and my arms ache for a week! Now that my Scamp has indoor storage, I’m thinking of switching to Zep. Figure I should get a couple of years or more between applications. And no more buffing.

I miss Borrego Dave.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I miss Borrego Dave.

I don't mean to be dense, but why did he stop posting?