Forum Discussion

FloridaRosebud's avatar
FloridaRosebud
Explorer
May 16, 2020

Paint Issue

OK, I hope this is the right place to post this. We have a 2006 National SeaBreeze LX. Real good condition. I've had a local guy do a full wash, wax, and detail for about $300. Last time he was working on it I mentioned some imperfections in the paint and could he rub them out? He said he tried, and showed me Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax that he was using. Good stuff (I've used it for years on my cars) but I asked about using a rubbing compound and orbital buffer. He said he'd never done that......OK then.

So I bought a Ryobi 6" orbital buffer, a bunch of pads and buffing cloths, and Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #1. I have to say, it works pretty good, and got 80-85% of the imperfections out. There are a couple that will need me to step up to a more serious rubbing compound, but for my first time I wanted to be "safe". I did the slide this morning before the rains came:



However, I have an issue with the back of the MH. I'm trying to figure out what the problem is, hence my post. Notice how things appear to be "pealing". Is this a loss of clearcoat? Maybe the owner before (I've had the MH 2 years) did a poly-gel thing and it's wearing off? Before I go and get some serious rubbing compound I wanted to get peoples thought. (also before I take it to to a paint place for their opinion)



Thanks in advance!!

Al
Class A
  • down_home's avatar
    down_home
    Explorer II
    May 16, 2020
    Mirror Glaze is good stuff but it won't stay with you.
    Paint is thin on our RVs so be careful with buffer.
    At Mercedes when they did our they used just a foam pad...but the paint wss perfect just a bit of sheen.
    Because our Mh is so large, for me anyway, use Mequires spray polish and spray synthetic wax.
    last time they washed our AMG I had them use the new ceramic spray on wax and rinse off with strong flow of water.
    Works good but the surface is is flawless.
    This Ceramic Wax, is the latest and greatest of course.supposedly but...we will see before doing a detail job on it.
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    May 16, 2020
    I would never use rubbing compound on a clear coat paint finish. MAYBE a polishing compound but never with a powered buffer. Only by hand and then very carefully. The clear coat finish is usually very thin and if you go through it, there is no easy, inexpensive fix.
    Most products say if they are clear coat safe.
  • Stephen_W's avatar
    Stephen_W
    Explorer
    May 16, 2020
    It could be failing clear coat from sun damage or maybe repainted and clear coated from backing into something. Pull a tailight or tag light and look for repaint clues. My 2006 Sea Breeze appears to have clear coat over the painted areas, but I don't think it has clear coat on the gelcoat.

    If the previous owner or dealer used Poli-Glow, it's a major PITA to remove and restore. I kept a sailboat in a marina slip for 20 years and several owners used Poli-Glow to get fading fiberglass to shine to help sell the boat. One clue I remember is that Polo-Glow starts to flake off and turns light yellow if not restored annually. Let us know what you find out.
  • FloridaRosebud's avatar
    FloridaRosebud
    Explorer
    May 16, 2020
    Stephen W wrote:
    It could be failing clear coat from sun damage or maybe repainted and clear coated from backing into something. Pull a tailight or tag light and look for repaint clues. My 2006 Sea Breeze appears to have clear coat over the painted areas, but I don't think it has clear coat on the gelcoat.

    If the previous owner or dealer used Poli-Glow, it's a major PITA to remove and restore. I kept a sailboat in a marina slip for 20 years and several owners used Poli-Glow to get fading fiberglass to shine to help sell the boat. One clue I remember is that Polo-Glow starts to flake off and turns light yellow if not restored annually. Let us know what you find out.


    This is kind of like a light tan. When you run your finger across the surface you can barely feel a line to the light tan, meaning it does have a thickness. I'm just trying to figure out what it is before I take the next step. It is interesting in that it's only on the back piece. No issues like that on the sides and front.

    Al
  • FloridaRosebud's avatar
    FloridaRosebud
    Explorer
    May 18, 2020
    OK, spoke to the previous owner and he said it's poly-coat. So I'll need to get some of the stuff from poly-coat to remove it.

    Thanks!!

    Al
  • Brob's avatar
    Brob
    Explorer
    May 19, 2020
    Hmm, that's interesting. I hadn't heard of Poly-Glow before. It does have the appearance of clear coat peeling at the top of the line. If that turns out to be the case, I have had success sanding the area with progressive grits until I had feathered the clear coat pretty evenly. Then I went over the surrounding areas with a scotchbrite pad, then a shot of clear coat from the automotive paint supply.
    Eventually more areas have succumbed to the Florida sun. I plan to ultimately repaint the entire rig a different color scheme.

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