wash wax TT ?
I'm looking to hire my 14 year old nephew to wax our TT. Have had good luck with Mequiars car wash and Lucas slick mist spray wax on my truck / car. Plan to use 303 on decals and rubber trim. Do...
Forum Discussion
I used carnuba wax for a number of years. It hardly seemed to be worth the effort. These waxes only last a few weeks or a couple of months at best.
Then I switched to NuFinish. It is supposed to last a year. A few months is probably the maximum but it was hard to tell. After a few months there was little sign of wax still on the surface. Water did not bead much and I had black stains under gutters, windows and other places where water ran down the sides of the camper.
Approximately 5 years ago, I switched to ZEP, acrylic floor finish. I have not had to strip off or replace the original ZEP finish. I don't get black streaks. Except for dried on bugs, I can wash the RV with just a hose. Water still beads on the surface. Once a year, I wash the RV and then wipe on another thin coat of ZEP. It takes me an hour or so and most of the work and time is just spent moving the ladder. I suppose I could use a long handled sponge as an applicator, but a rag dampened in ZEP gives a nice, drip free coating.
Before using ZEP I read about the downsides. I was told the ZEP could yellow and flake off. Neither have happened in 5 years. I attribute that to adequate surface prep. I mopped the entire surface with ammonia solution two times to remove previous waxes. I was told ZEP does not contain any UV protectants and that would also lead to yellowing. Turns out regular waxes and NuFinish contain little or no UV protectants and they also fail to protect because the coatings do not last. Again after 5 years there is no sign of yellowing or oxidation. It seems that a good coating is all that is needed.
If I do need to start over, ZEP comes off easily with ammonia. ZEP is also very inexpensive. Initially I applied 4 or 5 thin coats. Since then I have added an annual coating for 4 more coats. I have used about 1/2 gallon of ZEP. I think the gallon jug cost me less than $20. ZEP is still available at my local Lowe's.
Then I switched to NuFinish. It is supposed to last a year. A few months is probably the maximum but it was hard to tell. After a few months there was little sign of wax still on the surface. Water did not bead much and I had black stains under gutters, windows and other places where water ran down the sides of the camper.
Approximately 5 years ago, I switched to ZEP, acrylic floor finish. I have not had to strip off or replace the original ZEP finish. I don't get black streaks. Except for dried on bugs, I can wash the RV with just a hose. Water still beads on the surface. Once a year, I wash the RV and then wipe on another thin coat of ZEP. It takes me an hour or so and most of the work and time is just spent moving the ladder. I suppose I could use a long handled sponge as an applicator, but a rag dampened in ZEP gives a nice, drip free coating.
Before using ZEP I read about the downsides. I was told the ZEP could yellow and flake off. Neither have happened in 5 years. I attribute that to adequate surface prep. I mopped the entire surface with ammonia solution two times to remove previous waxes. I was told ZEP does not contain any UV protectants and that would also lead to yellowing. Turns out regular waxes and NuFinish contain little or no UV protectants and they also fail to protect because the coatings do not last. Again after 5 years there is no sign of yellowing or oxidation. It seems that a good coating is all that is needed.
If I do need to start over, ZEP comes off easily with ammonia. ZEP is also very inexpensive. Initially I applied 4 or 5 thin coats. Since then I have added an annual coating for 4 more coats. I have used about 1/2 gallon of ZEP. I think the gallon jug cost me less than $20. ZEP is still available at my local Lowe's.
