Getting the shine back on fiberglas.

judelaurenzo25g wrote:

bobmacc wrote:
If you have unfinished gelcoat, your best bet would be a marine product that removes the surface oxidation. If you have a West Marine store nearby or go to their online catalog, there are a myriad of products by 3M or Meguires that can do the job. Keep in mind that most boats are gelcoat only - not painted- and arguably face harsher treatment than an RV. We used 3M "Finesse It II" every couple of years on our boat and it restored the finish. We waxed afterwards and had best results using waxes containing Teflon. Good luck!

What do you mean by unfinished gelcoat?

Unfinished = Not painted

westend wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
This isn't trying to be a smart Alec answer, but shade is the only thing that is going to help keep a new finish, new. The problem arises when solar panels are chosen and a rig needs to be kept out in the sun. Do "they" make "in-use" custom covers that would expose the roof, cover the sides but leave windows are doors free? This would seem to be the most intelligent way to protect a tupperware finish. In Mexico I hired the kids to build a palm frond enclosure. I had the only Crown 10-wheeler with appliance white DuPont Imron on it. I guess that paint is illegal to use now. It laughed at ultraviolet light.

Mex, agree with you 100% about the effects of sun, UV degrading is the #1 cause of oxidation for most resins. Boat users that clean their hulls after pull out see the difference under the waterline.

Imron is till sold but anyone that's used the three part primer will advocate it's removal from the marketplace. Chemical masks need cartridges specially formulated for the toxic brew and skin absorption will still make you sick, if not totally protected. After priming, no one can approach the surface until it's cured for a week or has been top coated. I've painted with Imron and never want the experience again. Then again, maybe it's been recently reformulated and isn't the toxic soup I encountered.

I have performed tests on unprotected composite structures and have seen the epoxy matrix erode from the woven fibers be it carbon, Kevlar or fiber glass. We built a all composite fuselage and left it out in the elements for 10 years and the surface resin was almost gone. Painted surfaces stopped this erosion. If the surface is just gelcoat repeated waxing needed to stop this erosion.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
This isn't trying to be a smart Alec answer, but shade is the only thing that is going to help keep a new finish, new. The problem arises when solar panels are chosen and a rig needs to be kept out in the sun. Do "they" make "in-use" custom covers that would expose the roof, cover the sides but leave windows are doors free? This would seem to be the most intelligent way to protect a tupperware finish. In Mexico I hired the kids to build a palm frond enclosure. I had the only Crown 10-wheeler with appliance white DuPont Imron on it. I guess that paint is illegal to use now. It laughed at ultraviolet light.

Mex, agree with you 100% about the effects of sun, UV degrading is the #1 cause of oxidation for most resins. Boat users that clean their hulls after pull out see the difference under the waterline.

Imron is till sold but anyone that's used the three part primer will advocate it's removal from the marketplace. Chemical masks need cartridges specially formulated for the toxic brew and skin absorption will still make you sick, if not totally protected. After priming, no one can approach the surface until it's cured for a week or has been top coated. I've painted with Imron and never want the experience again. Then again, maybe it's been recently reformulated and isn't the toxic soup I encountered.

bobmacc wrote:
If you have unfinished gelcoat, your best bet would be a marine product that removes the surface oxidation. If you have a West Marine store nearby or go to their online catalog, there are a myriad of products by 3M or Meguires that can do the job. Keep in mind that most boats are gelcoat only - not painted- and arguably face harsher treatment than an RV. We used 3M "Finesse It II" every couple of years on our boat and it restored the finish. We waxed afterwards and had best results using waxes containing Teflon. Good luck!

What do you mean by unfinished gelcoat?

This isn't trying to be a smart Alec answer, but shade is the only thing that is going to help keep a new finish, new. The problem arises when solar panels are chosen and a rig needs to be kept out in the sun. Do "they" make "in-use" custom covers that would expose the roof, cover the sides but leave windows are doors free? This would seem to be the most intelligent way to protect a tupperware finish. In Mexico I hired the kids to build a palm frond enclosure. I had the only Crown 10-wheeler with appliance white DuPont Imron on it. I guess that paint is illegal to use now. It laughed at ultraviolet light.

bobmacc wrote:
If you have unfinished gelcoat, your best bet would be a marine product that removes the surface oxidation. If you have a West Marine store nearby or go to their online catalog, there are a myriad of products by 3M or Meguires that can do the job. Keep in mind that most boats are gelcoat only - not painted- and arguably face harsher treatment than an RV. We used 3M "Finesse It II" every couple of years on our boat and it restored the finish. We waxed afterwards and had best results using waxes containing Teflon. Good luck!

This is what I wound up doing. I bought a 3 step process of Meguires products a West Marine. They also had 3M but the sales guy had personally used the Meguires. It looks like new again. I did do every process twice though.

Thanks for all the help.

Red

I applied RMP-3 to my 1998 Class A, and was very happy with the results. That was two years ago, and after being in the sun, and through some bad weather, it has become spotty, and will not clean with just a damp cloth, like it did at first. Would like to redo the whole thing, but need to get the spots out. Any suggestions?

Many years ago my machine shop teacher was trying to sell a steam traction engine he built on a small JD tractor running gear 30 years earlier. No interest so he tripled his asking price and the next looker paid it. People are funny.

Gale Hawkins wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

robsouth wrote:
The manufacturers of Red Max Pro and Zep products do not recommend the use of their products on fiberglass. It is designed for interior use only.

What does all that matter?
It's been used by hundreds of folks with great success.

Properly prep'd and applied, I've never heard of a problem with RMP-3 or Zep.

Technically he is correct even if it is just noise. :)

The support woman I spoke with at Zep stated its intended use but said it would not be harmful and the finish would fail in time when used outside. We are still shining after two years outside but not as bright. Never got other options to shine or last like ZEP Wet Floor Look. All it is is a water based acrylic plastic coating so it is not rocket science to understand how and why it works well fiberglass. The boat people started using it years ago. Some rebrand the chemical and sell it with like a 1000% make up in small bottles. :)

Yep, before I sold my salt block manufacturing business, we tried to market some cattle mineral blocks to the horse crowd, no go, no way, sold very few. Had some horse labels made up and doubled the price, sold like crazy. Sometimes you got to give the folks what they want.;)

OnaQuest wrote:

robsouth wrote:
The manufacturers of Red Max Pro and Zep products do not recommend the use of their products on fiberglass. It is designed for interior use only.

What does all that matter?
It's been used by hundreds of folks with great success.

Properly prep'd and applied, I've never heard of a problem with RMP-3 or Zep.

Technically he is correct even if it is just noise. :)

The support woman I spoke with at Zep stated its intended use but said it would not be harmful and the finish would fail in time when used outside. We are still shining after two years outside but not as bright. Never got other options to shine or last like ZEP Wet Floor Look. All it is is a water based acrylic plastic coating so it is not rocket science to understand how and why it works well fiberglass. The boat people started using it years ago. Some rebrand the chemical and sell it with like a 1000% make up in small bottles. :)