Forum Discussion

ken56's avatar
ken56
Explorer
May 29, 2022

Poly Glow.

Lost the last thread that this was discussed in so.....Just did the Poly Glow treatment on my 5 year old Laredo. I don't keep it covered so it is exposed to the south side Sun and it has oxidized to a dull chalky finish. Nothing heavy so a light scrub with their Poly Prep solution is all I did and it took off the chalky surface. Good to go. For me this was a long process, 2 days worth. I let the coats dry about 5 minutes between recoating.

I have to say I am pleased with the results. It looks exactly the north side of the trailer that does not get direct Sun. It took about 6 coats to get the finish uniform. I have to say it was a workout. Literature says it last 4 to 5 years with an annual maintenance coat. I've heard of using the ZEP floor sealer and people say it does the same thing...for a lot cheaper. But does it last? I'm locked into using the Poly Glow for now so we shall see how this holds up.
Seeking Advice
  • Dutch_12078's avatar
    Dutch_12078
    Explorer II
    May 29, 2022
    A ZEP coating applied using similar techniques to Poly Glow will have about the same life expectancy. In the past, there's even been some speculation that Poly Glow is just repackaged ZEP, although I know of no basis for that. Both use acrylic solids to achieve the shine and UV resistance.
  • JimK-NY's avatar
    JimK-NY
    Explorer II
    May 29, 2022
    My Zep finish is has been going strong for more than 5 years. If you want some details, I posted about it recently in the Truck Camper forum, the thread about Bigfood black streaks.

    I don't know if Poly Glow is similar, but for Zep, surface prep is very important. You must remove old waxes, oxidation, dirt and then apply several thin coats of Zep.
  • wildtoad's avatar
    wildtoad
    Explorer II
    May 29, 2022
    It’s all acrylic, thick enough (after a few thin costs) to fill the imperfections in the surface which is essential to creating a smooth shine. After applying any of these products you should follow up with any of the spray on wipe off UV protectors periodically to further help the shine last.
  • Ava's avatar
    Ava
    Explorer
    May 30, 2022
    I used Polyglow on my old rig and it did a great job of shining it up. It was done about 3 years ago and still looks good.
  • larry_barnhart's avatar
    larry_barnhart
    Explorer
    May 30, 2022
    we used poly glow for many years on our alpenlite. Many comments on how great it looked. Because we had a green decal and a brown decal the best trick is to apply the poly with the length of the decal and just one wipe . This will
    stop the bleeding as you continue. Awesome result for us. chevman
  • JimK-NY's avatar
    JimK-NY
    Explorer II
    May 30, 2022
    wildtoad wrote:
    It’s all acrylic, thick enough (after a few thin costs) to fill the imperfections in the surface which is essential to creating a smooth shine. After applying any of these products you should follow up with any of the spray on wipe off UV protectors periodically to further help the shine last.


    Why? Acrylic is quite effective in blocking UV light. Most spray on UV protectors are not very effective and do not last very long. Aerospace 303 is one of the best but it only lasts a couple of months even less with lots of rain.
  • wildtoad's avatar
    wildtoad
    Explorer II
    May 30, 2022
    My take is it’s worth a bit of/more of UV protection. Your experience may differ.
  • LittleBill's avatar
    LittleBill
    Explorer
    May 31, 2022
    JimK-NY wrote:
    My Zep finish is has been going strong for more than 5 years. If you want some details, I posted about it recently in the Truck Camper forum, the thread about Bigfood black streaks.

    I don't know if Poly Glow is similar, but for Zep, surface prep is very important. You must remove old waxes, oxidation, dirt and then apply several thin coats of Zep.



    what did you use to remove all the dirt, wax, oxidation? my rig is fiberglass.
  • JimK-NY's avatar
    JimK-NY
    Explorer II
    May 31, 2022
    LittleBill wrote:

    what did you use to remove all the dirt, wax, oxidation? my rig is fiberglass.


    I had used two coats of Meguiar's marine finish and did not like the results so I had to remove the wax finish in addition to the recommended surface prep. I swabbed the entire RV with Zep wax stripper. Then I used dilute ammonia. Next I hand scrubbed with Barkeepers Friend and a plastic Scotch kitchen pad. Scrubbing took a while but still took less time and work than the Meguiar's wax coats.

    I applied the Zep using a rag from an old T shirt. I just dampened the rag and wiped on very light coats. It took two to start looking good. I think I put on 2 or 3 more.

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