Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.


We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Maintenance and Technical Tips -> Help with outside maintenance
Post Info TOPIC: Help with outside maintenance
mjlitz


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 73
Date:
Help with outside maintenance
Permalink  

Ok, so you know from my previous posts we are in countdown stage to fulltiming - Sept 17 to be exact. 

The house is pretty much packed up and working on the dreaded basement (crawlspace).  I now know why they have crawlspaces - a great place to hide all the junk you can't bare to get rid of at the time and then when you need to get rid of it you wonder why the heck you ever kept it!!!.  Next sticknbrick - no basement or crawlspace!!

Anyways, back to my question.  We have had our rig for a little over 2 years and were always busy doing something on the inside, the outside has become neglected, so we decided to take two days and really give it a good cleaning and polishing.  It is a 1999 30' Class C, fibreglass, white with decals.  The shine is gone!  So the question is how to give it a good cleaning and what to use to give it a really nice shine.  Have been told not to use car polish but fibreglass polish, however, my son (a mechanic) has said it is a nightmare to work with the fibreglass paste.

Also read that 409 Spray Marine Cleaner is awesome to use on the awning and also Tilex.  Thoughts on that?

As it is an older unit, the slide as a rubber seal all around it and it has become covered in black marks (almost like mildew) - how to get that out without damaging the rubber.

As usual you all are great with advice - so please shoot away



__________________
VanMar


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 253
Date:
Permalink  

Is the fiberglass painted or gel coated?  I bought a fiberglass boat with gel coat that was five years old and badly oxidized.  I used a buffer and rubbing compound first followed by wax.  It turned out pretty good.  If it is painted, I would use a polishing compound as rubbing compound sometimes damages the paint....it has coarser grit in it and is fairly aggressive.  What ever substance you use, you will definitely need a buffer of some kind.  Buffing and then waxing that much surface by hand would wear me out!

Vance



__________________

Vance and Marla

2010 Mobile Suites 36 TK3

2013 Silverado 3500 Duramax Dually 4X4 

Full Timing launch date 8-25-2014
Alie and Jims Carrilite


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 980
Date:
Permalink  

Here's what I did on our 1996 Carrilite. This 5'er had spent most of its life in Florida with little exterior maintaince. It was oxidized, chalky, faded beyound belief.
First we washed it with Dawn dish detergent- cleaned off all the grime.
Next we scubbed it with Bar Keepers Friend- its a soft cleanser like comet but no bleach and doesn't scratch. Put some on a soft rag, wet into a paste and wipe on/ lite scrub. This will remove all the oxidized surface.
Then I used Red Pro floor wax. There are other brands of this, relabeled as store brands for Lowes, Home Depot etc. It took 4 coats for it to bring an even shine back. The liquid soaks into the gelcoat/filon and seals the surface.
Yesterday I washed our 5'er after a 5 month non-cleaning, used every weekend, pull thru rain on several dirt roads stretch.
It looks great for a 17 yr old rig. I'll put a regular paste wax on it this fall just to keep the water beading on the surface. I like Meguirs myself.

__________________

Carrilite Home

Volvo Pickup

Alie & Jim

Morgan- DD

Sallie- 4 legged lab

Tabitha & Brooke -other furballs

FullTiming since March 2013
Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 60
Date:
Permalink  

My only offering is that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser will safely take off just about anything. Love those things! You might try that on the slides where you mentioned the black marks.

__________________

Full Time on September 6, 2012

2012 Ford F350 Diesel Dually Super Duty (she's got big hips!)

2013 DRV Tradition 380 RES

Our Blog  Rob and Me in our Little RV

 
mjlitz


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 73
Date:
Permalink  

Thanks once again to you all!!

Thought someone might ask if it is gel coated or painted - no idea!!

I need know to see if I can get the Red Pro Floor wax up here in Canada (I am a little skeptical) but if I can - the next questions is WHEN ARE YOU ALL COMING UP HERE TO HELP!!!??

Thanks.  Will let you know how it all turns out



__________________
flyone


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 289
Date:
Permalink  

Rosie---does the Mr. Clean magic eraser take off the Gel-coat?  I have a few black marks and I know the magic eraser does a good job but have been reluctent to try it on a Gel-coat surface.

 

Flyone



__________________

Team Cockrum:
2001, F250 Diesel, 2012 33 FT. CrossRoads Cruiser Fifth Wheel
VanMar


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 253
Date:
Permalink  

flyone wrote:

Rosie---does the Mr. Clean magic eraser take off the Gel-coat?  I have a few black marks and I know the magic eraser does a good job but have been reluctent to try it on a Gel-coat surface.

 

Flyone

 Actually, gel coat is very durable.  I think it would take sandpaper to remove it.  I have found that if you use a Magic Eraser too long in one spot though, it will take the shine off of some surfaces.  If that happens on gel coat, just buff it out.

On my boat (gel coated) I once used 2000 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper (wet) followed up with rubbing compound and wax...looked good.

Vance



__________________

Vance and Marla

2010 Mobile Suites 36 TK3

2013 Silverado 3500 Duramax Dually 4X4 

Full Timing launch date 8-25-2014
Lyman


RV-Dreams Community Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 18
Date:
Permalink  

I've used Nu-shine on my car it lasted over a year.



__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Maintenance and Technical Tips -> Help with outside maintenance
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us