Wax?

[HappyTrails]

Our Casita SD is 3 years old and we apply the Collinite 925 Fiberglass Boat Wax once a year. Granted, we keep the cover on it when it is not in use, but it looks great. I can't vouch for what it will look like in years to come, but we are very happy with how it looks.

[Losthwy]

I also had a sneaking issue with ZEP. Will give the 3M Cleaner/Wax a shot.
Any recommendations on a wax remover?

[Fred G]

* On a long haul trip, I'll polish the front of our Scamp and then put on a coat of spray furniture polish such as Pledge.

* Your bugs, and what ever else collects, will wash off very easily using this method

* My choice of polish for all our vehicles is Klasse All-In-one.

* A good way to help dissolve bugs is to use hydrogen peroxide straight out of the bottle. I always add a little liquid car wash to help the peroxide cling to the surface longer.

* I have always polished our Scamp after every season. It lives a life of luxury, during our Minnesota winters, in my heated shop.

[Randy701]

Well, if you really want to remove the wax (and maybe more)...
When the fiberglass on the boat gets really grungy - like after the unplanned cigar/wine party one night - there is one thing that will take off the stains plus all the wax. You guessed it - acetone. Be careful with this stuff. It will remove part of the fiberglass if you let it remain on the surface.
Whenever I use acetone I always have the wax ready to protect the stripped surfaces.
Wear gloves when you use acetone or your skin will look like worn fiberglass after you're done.

[thiggins]

Poliglow makes a couple products specifically for removing wax, and they work well. Acetone is a last resort for me, since it can dissolve gelcoat. But, it works!

[Zorvette]

Unlike many people in this country, I believe in science. My Zep coating will wear off over time. I made my decision based on my usage and a man-hour analysis.
First, my Bigfoot is stored inside for 6 months of winter. As a retiree, we travel on two long trips per year...spring & fall. Alaska, British Columbia, Baja, and American West too many times to count......a lot of bugs to be removed and wax reapplications. As science guy, I know one step wax applications is like chasing the end of the rainbow. I would strip, compound and wax twice per year. When I am forced to deal with the Zep removal process (my floor man says there are products for fiberglass) in year 4 or 5, then I will compare the removal man-hours to all the 6 times per year waxing hours I avoided. If the Zep damages the finish, then obviously I made a mistake. I suspect Zep will when my man-hour comparison.
I realize most people probably have weekend usage with one short vacation trip per year. If so, I would agree a one wax coating per year should be fine. In conclusion, our heavy usage and my propensity for multi-step wax applications, I expect to be reapplying a Zep product.

[jeffpinebill]

Bought a well used Casita 13 with the floor wax coating. It has weathered off the top leaving the gel coat to weather, it has discolored where it sagged on application. I'm looking at work/floor stripper to get it off. Floor wax isn't my recommendation but others may have better luck with it. JPB

[Alex Segal]

So much has been written about Poliglow and the only complaints are about the price.


Poliglow, yes, believe it!

[Aldrene]

I have used Starbrite Teflon marine Polish for many years and it is very slick. It is a Polish that will last for about a year before you have to wax or Polish your fiberglass trailer again. I have used it on the bottom of my fiberglass boat and I gained 3mph at top speed. On my Casita, I gained 1 to 2 mpg more at 60mph than without the Teflon Polish. Because it is not a wax, it will not yellow. It costs about $25 to $30 per ping depending on who you buy it from. The surface must be clean and not oxidized before you use it. Use a good cleaner/wax before applying the Teflon polish.

Ron

[jim hol]

I use Collinite's No 925 Fiberglass Boat Wax. It works great!

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by thiggins

I also had an epic fail with Zep...it's floor finish for the love of Jesus! It's not made to sit outside in the sun. PolyGlow worked wonders for our chalky Casita though. You don't need these though.

Originally Posted by Garyscamper

So I bought in to the whole ZEP floor polish craze a few years back, and now what I have is a mess. The ZEP coating is like any floor polish, it wears off, but in a very ugly streaky way. In order to recover from that mess I have to strip off all the old ZEP polish. I then intend to just use a marine wax rated for fibeglass.

Originally Posted by Losthwy

I also had a sneaking issue with ZEP. Will give the 3M Cleaner/Wax a shot.
Any recommendations on a wax remover?

Ummm.... Could I please get some details on the problems? Phrases like "epic fail" and "sneaking issue" are not very informative.

Was the ugly streaky mess difficult to remove?

Floor polish is exposed to sun in the entries of buildings, and near south facing windows, admittedly with some of the UV filtered out. I think that since it is designed for lots of foot traffic, it is likely to be somewhat durable.

Stripping off all the old ZEP is not difficult. As stated previously, ZEP comes off with the engine cleaner setting at the wand wash. That, followed by soap then rinse. Wait for it to dry, and you are ready for another application that will last 3 to 4 years.

Please, if I am misinformed, or just out to lunch, let me, and others on this site know. But please be informative vs. opinionated.

[Pepp]

I recently purchased a 1999 Scamp 13' …
It was in pretty good shape to begin with but had oxidation starting to build up, so I did a
little research on FG cleaning products and came across a product called " Protect All " Fiberglass Oxidation remover & Color restorer.. After washing the camper, simply apply with a soft cloth just as you would a Car polish, let dry and rub it off with a Clean dry soft cloth.. Works good for me.. I found it on the "Campers World" web-site..