Advice on buffer pads and wax needed

Lots of good products available...the 3M one you mentioned is good. I tried a new product this summer on the recommendation of "Dr. Glass" (local fiberglass boat repair guy) called Sea Power. I had great results with it on our 2001 Alpenlite. I used a fiber bonnet but only because I could not find a foam one to fit my palm buffer!

We used the 3m Cleaner & Wax with a 6" polisher/ buffer and our came out very nice.
The Restorer Wax is for heavy oxidation. The 3m website will tell you the product recommendation for the existing amount of oxidation.

X2 for the SeaPower. Used it on my fiberglass sailboat for years and on our Montana. Easy on and off and if you don't want to wash the RV before you wax it still works great.

If the gelcoat is really bad you may consider looking into PolyGlo. It's like varnish for gelcoat/fiberglass. Need to remove the old waxes first but the application of PolyGlo is easy, alternating coasts applied vertically then horizonally for a total of 6 coats. Then one light cleaning and and additional coat once a year.

I have a Porter Cable and use the foam pads. They can be washed out and used again but I usually just toss it. I use the Maguires line of Marine products.
Don

I went with a Flex polisher, although there are many cheaper alternatives, and McGuire's foam pads. I toss them too as they don't clean very well.

Started using Starbrite polish on the new trailer, so far so good. Did half the truck hood with carnauba wax and half with the polish in the fall. So far the polish is holding up quite a bit better.

I've always liked 3m products, from my autobody days, I don't think you could go wrong with it.

I clean the pads using Simple Green and OxyClean, work the Simple Green into the pad then put into the sink with Oxyclean and let them soak a while then rinse them out, too expensive to throw out after one use. I have over 10 times on mine. The 3M products work great and they own Meguiars too.

My preference is the Starbrite marine polish. I use a terrycloth bonnet for both application and buffing.

Garry&Gayle wrote:
I clean the pads using Simple Green and OxyClean, work the Simple Green into the pad then put into the sink with Oxyclean and let them soak a while then rinse them out, too expensive to throw out after one use. I have over 10 times on mine. The 3M products work great and they own Meguiars too.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot. Without cleaning, I get at least a few vehicles out of a pad.

If your FG is highly oxidized the Starbrite product has a lot of cutting compound and works well at least on boats. One word of caution boats generally have thicker gel coat than the sidewalls of a MH. It is easy to burn through 10 mils of gel coat and expose fibers with a buffing wheel and Starbrite. I would start with the Maguires compound sold at HF and use their buffing pads also. The lighter compounds take longer to remove the oxidation but is safer. If you take a small area and rub that area by hand with a cleaner wax and the shine comes back the Maguires or any compound or cleaner wax will work well with a buffing wheel. Some MHs have Filon side walls like mine where you can see the fibers through the gel coat. This will be a lot of work and if you have good shoulders will be worth it, if not the Zeps treatment works well for older highly oxidized MH's.

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful info. I will be giving the Seapower a try along with Maguires foam pad for application and a terry cloth pad for buffing. Soon as I get a decent day I will give it a try, thanks again to everyone!!!