Hi, we have a 1985 19'
bigfoot dual
axle. The trailer overall has been kept extremely well but the exterior has seen many years of the elements. It is extremely dull and almost sort of chalky. The decals are all dull and cracked in many places. The back of the trailer seems the worst as the back of the trailer was south facing for most of it's life. The back also has a few very fine cracks. I have a few questions and would appreciate any advice from those far more experienced than I. I will post some pictures in the hopes that it will help.
I plan to remove the decals in time and replace with some new ones. If the crack repair is difficult to hide I will look at getting the decals made so that they cover the cracked area as this is a possibility.
Here are my questions:
1. Any idea what kind of fiberglass cracking I am dealing with here? It is extremely fine and I need to use my fingernail to detect it. Overall it seems strong in the crack areas and my limited guess would be that it does not go right through the fiberglass. Possibly the darker decal in this area attracted more heat causing the cracking?
2. What would be a recommended process to fix this cracking and touch up these areas?
3. There are a few areas that were touched up in the past. A spray can
paint was used and is not the greatest match. What advice for removing the old touch up
paint and what advice to find a good match?
4. Is it likely that I have no gel coat left on the trailer (I suspect this is the case) and if so what is the best bet to bring back a shine? I assume getting some sort of shine coating on it will help protect the exterior from further damage?
5. The pained brown window trim and brown rubber around the
windows is also quite dull so any advice on bringing those back to life would be appreciated.
6. I would like to remove the old caulk from the
windows and roof protrusions but am not sure what kind of caulk sealant is best to use with fiberglass.
I really appreciate any help on this,
thanks
Daren