Maintenance & Restoration

rabbit · 06-11-2012, 06:09 PM

I doubt if stuff specifically formulated "for floors" should be used over stuff specifically designed "for fiberglass gel coat." Just kidding folks, but it could be provident to do coatings of each on an item of no importance--maybe the side of your neighbor's glass runabout when he ain't looking (again I'm almost certainly kidding). I'm not even recoating mine after a year in the weather (time will tell!!)

jack

Jane SC · 06-17-2012, 06:40 PM

Tah Dah...our '85 UHaul is really looking good. Greg followed all the suggestions you all posted. Bar Keeper's Friend, TSP, Simple Green, Patience, etc etc. ...thanks to Jim who brought us Red Max Pro to the Myrtle Beach Casita and Friends Rally. Wonder if Red Max would do it's magic on my face???

cpaharley2008 · 06-17-2012, 06:45 PM

Worked great on Noelia, doesn't she look good for 76!!!

Thomas G. · 06-17-2012, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jane SC

Tah Dah...our '85 UHaul is really looking good. Greg followed all the suggestions you all posted. Bar Keeper's Friend, TSP, Simple Green, Patience, etc etc. ...thanks to Jim who brought us Red Max Pro to the Myrtle Beach Casita and Friends Rally. Wonder if Red Max would do it's magic on my face???

Wow, yours glows in the dark!

Thee Jimbo · 07-11-2012, 03:00 PM

Here is my question to anyone who has used the red maxx.

I want to make my trailer look nice and shiny for the "time being".

Eventually I want to go fix some scuffs and gouges in the fiberglass, then maybe replace my scamp stickers ac voltage stickers etc.

I am assuming I should just be pre-emptive and remove the stickers now, however can the replacement stickers be put over the red maxx? or will it need to be stripped.

Also, what about future fiberglass repairs etc.

and I know there is a remover, but has anyone actually tried to remove small poritons (3" x 2") etc. . .

Thanks. .

**RogerDat** · 07-11-2012, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thee Jimbo

Here is my question to anyone who has used the red maxx.

I want to make my trailer look nice and shiny for the "time being".

Eventually I want to go fix some scuffs and gouges in the fiberglass, then maybe replace my scamp stickers ac voltage stickers etc.

I am assuming I should just be pre-emptive and remove the stickers now, however can the replacement stickers be put over the red maxx? or will it need to be stripped.

Also, what about future fiberglass repairs etc.

and I know there is a remover, but has anyone actually tried to remove small poritons (3" x 2") etc. . .

Thanks. .

I would not want to put stickers or do FG repairs over red max. I found a post elsewhere that suggested the following products being reported as good for stripping.

The manufactures remover, ammonia and water, tire cleaner option at the spray car wash.

Spray car wash was discovered on accident by someone here, it's buried in this thread someplace. I know ammonia and water is the "standard" remover for wax from floors. And the Red Max remover should be expected to remove it.

As to how they work on FG? Have not needed to yet so can not say. You might try doing an area with the red max say behind the rear bumper and try the removers out. If you do please report back, would be welcome to have a voice of experience weigh in.

cpaharley2008 · 07-11-2012, 03:36 PM

You may want to wait until you apply the ReddMaxx, they made my decals brighter and shiny, then make your decision.

Mike Magee · 07-13-2012, 06:47 PM

I just read a comment on rv.net by a Zep user, who was cleaning his battery area and got baking soda on the trailer. He said it pitted the Zep, requiring reapplication. FYI.

BCDave · 07-13-2012, 11:23 PM

Sounds like ZEP/RedMax3 might be well be the ebst product to use if you are maybe gonna be painting later. A bit of baking soda takes it right off!!!

rabbit · 07-14-2012, 08:56 AM

I personally think the worry about what to and not to apply IF you wish or may wish to paint something at a future date is absolute bull except perhaps in the case of silicone. All sorts of contaminants are applied to and embedded in car paint and yet they are successfully repainted every day. You won't avoid work by wringing your hands over future consequences of using one surface preservative or another. The sad fact is that crap to which paint won't stick has to be removed to get to a substrate to which it will. This may mean going down to metal and priming; may mean abrasive removal of most or all gelcoat (which incidentally doesn't really matter much on a trailer that's full of plugged vent holes, patched cracks).

**RogerDat** · 07-14-2012, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbit

I personally think the worry about what to and not to apply IF you wish or may wish to paint something at a future date is absolute bull except perhaps in the case of silicone. All sorts of contaminants are applied to and embedded in car paint and yet they are successfully repainted every day. You won't avoid work by wringing your hands over future consequences of using one surface preservative or another. The sad fact is that crap to which paint won't stick has to be removed to get to a substrate to which it will. This may mean going down to metal and priming; may mean abrasive removal of most or all gelcoat (which incidentally doesn't really matter much on a trailer that's full of plugged vent holes, patched cracks).

There have been reports on the forum of marine FG paint jobs failing due to poliglow/RM/Zep polish having been used prior to painting. If a boat yard professional can have problems with removal so can anyone. No way to know exactly what prep was done when the paint job had problems. Maybe the polish was old and not apparent so not dealt with.

Our old gel coat is really pitted, that is why the RM works so well but takes four + coats to get a good shine. RM fills in the pits in the first coats so the final coat is being applied to a smooth surface.

Getting every last bit of polish out of those gel coat pits is then what is required to get rid of the crap to which paint won't stick. And I have not seen auto finishes that have nearly the surface pitting that old gel coat does.

I personally would avoid putting RM on if I knew I was going to be painting or adding decals in the near future.

It's mostly a matter of avoiding extra work, I can wait for shiny rather than have the risk that if I don't remove every last bit of the polish I recently put on then the much more costly paint or decal work will not have good results.

Why would I want to make extra work for myself to have a temp solution? Remove all the gel coat sounds like extra work to me. Or even just the extra cleaning would be not worth it so I could have a month or two of shine.

Perk · 07-17-2012, 09:40 PM

Rick,

Your results are amazing! I would think you took a picture of two different trailers. I am reading up on the cleaning preparation process and will be applying the ZEP Wet Look #3 to my trailer. Your results have shown me that promising results are attainable. I just may be able to put a shine back on my 85 U-Haul VT which I do not believe has ever been attended to other than a periodic pressure wash. Thank you for posting the before and after.

Perk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick G

OK, I will add to the general chorus. Today, after almost two years of watching this thread, I finally got around to cleaning the trailer. We don’t have a cute name for it yet, but maybe some day. I used the instructions earlier in this thread, which worked very well. I cleaned it using Barkeeper’s Friend (liquid) and an auto shampooing brush, which worked very well. Then 4 coats of Zep #3, including the roof. After I was done, I did one coat on the tire cover and the visible portion of the frame, just to shine it up a bit. I still have enough in the jug to do several more trailers. I am very happy with the results. In the pictures attached, the sun had moved quite a lot during the day, but you can get the idea.

I also did the front window cover with all 4 coats. I am hoping that it will make it easier to get the bugs off after each trip.

Rick G.

imbabyh · 07-18-2012, 07:53 AM

OMGoodness, Im so excited to try both the Bar Keepers Friend and the Red MAx Pro.......as soon as I finish painting the inside...............

katmaicub · 07-18-2012, 10:22 AM

Hello - I have an easy question ... what is TSP?

I have been looking through this very long post but never saw what it refers to.

I will be picking up my 'new to me' Scamp 13ft next week.

Getting her to sparkle again is at the top of my 'to do' list!

Thanks!
Gayle

Thee Jimbo · 07-18-2012, 10:36 AM

TSP is Trisodium phosphate. A cleaning agent often used to clean walls etc prior to painting. It removes dirt and oils so the paint will adhere to the old paint better. Many places sell a TSP substitute.

However-that being said-use bar keepers friend and a 3M cleaning pad on your fiberglass trailer. It works amazing.

I used to think it was just like comet since it is in a similar can and the contents look similar; but they are not. Bar keepers friend is non abrasive and uses oxalic acid. Really works great for this application (and to clean cookware too LOL)

katmaicub · 07-18-2012, 10:47 AM

Thanks Jimbo - the reason I ask is that one of the recent posts says to do both:

Clean with BKF and then clean with TSP.

If I do a complete scrub down with BKF would that mean I do not need to use TSP?

Thanks - gayle

Roy in TO · 07-18-2012, 10:59 AM

TSP comes in powder and liquid forms. Cleaning once more with TSP and rinsing well before waxing would not do any harm. BKF and TSP work on different things.

Thee Jimbo · 07-18-2012, 11:00 AM

Personally if you're not painting I think both would be overkill. Just make sure whatever you use is thoroughly rinsed off.

Thee Jimbo · 07-18-2012, 11:02 AM

Just saw Roy's post. I haven't tried both but yes they work on different things. I used TSP on the interior of my campster prior to priming and painting and it worked great for that.