HELP! My wife and I cleaned up our trailer at the begining of the spring and at the end we waxed it.First we used black streak remover that we got at the RV store. He said wash and wax afterwards or they will come back worse.SO... we waxed it with NuBright, that stuff in the orange bottle you used to see peddled on TV.Now in many places and the MOST on the large decals there's a nasty white film. I have tried many cleaners right up to Super Clean in the purple bottle, NO DICE.It seems the haze/film/chalky feeling mess is a permanent part of the trailer! ACK!What do I do? I do have a gasoline power washer if that might do it. Let me know!

Give Rapid Prep a shot. I used to do vinyl graphics & that's what I used to prep surfaces. It will remove all wax residue.

Mequire's cleaner wax should take care of it.

what the real name of the wax you used?

I'm pretty sure my owners manual said not to wax over decals. That being said I used mcquires wax in the trailer and not the decals and it came out fine. Maybe you could try a clay bar and detailing spray on those spots

You can try using WD-40 to remove wax residue. Shake the WD-40 can well and spray a small amount directly onto the wax residue. Allow the WD-40 to sit on the wax for a few minutes to penetrate and soften it.

Wax residue won't come off! How to remove? | Good Sam Community

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Aug 28, 2014
Sounds like the wax you used co-mingled with the paint on your camper, caused a chemical reaction and now it's permanently, actually part of the paint and will never come out.

Not much you can do if that's what happened, except .... buy a new camper. :) (Hey, that ain't such a bad idea, is it?)
93Cobra2771
Explorer
Aug 28, 2014
If the wax used has petroleum distallates in it, then it will cause problems with most decals. Especially if the wax has any polishing/cleaners in it.

Sounds like you may have applied the wax too thick and simply didn't get it buffed it off complete after it hazed over.

I would try a little bit of alcohol based glass cleaner in a small spot and see if that cuts it enough for you. If not, then you may have to reapply your wax, making sure not to use too much, and making sure it is buffing off. I would suggest a small test patch to see if the results are what you are looking for.
Sinnettc
Explorer
Aug 28, 2014
FWIW I have the same problem with wax and the vinyl boot stripe/name on my sailboat. Something about vinyl and wax just doesn't mix well.
hddecker
Explorer
Aug 28, 2014
That nasty white chalky haze is likely caused by oxidation. Over time your paint or fiberglass finish gets microscopic pits in it, these nasty little pits are a great place for things to live, like waxes and polishes.

If the products that Frank suggest don't do the job, you may have to get into something that is a little more aggressive.

X2 on the Protectant 303 for a whole lot of things. Been using it for years on the dashboard, trim and the like on the the truck. Keeps stuff looking good for a long time.
FrankShore
Explorer
Aug 28, 2014
In the future, get rid of the products you're using and try some RV Glitter:

RV Glitter

and use the 303 on the decals, and you'll be good to go!
FrankShore
Explorer
Aug 28, 2014
Try some 303 protectant, sold at Amazon. It will restore your decals back to where they were, hopefully.

303 LINK
ScottG
Nomad
Aug 28, 2014
Don't use a pressure washer - that will cause more problems and damage. And don't use any solvents.
I would try a different polish cleaner - I've been using Mcquires on all my graphics for years. I lightly apply it without rubbing it in too hard (otherwise you can see the color come off on the rag). It gently cleans them and leaves them shiny and bright.
After ten years they still look new.

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Wax residue won't come off! How to remove?

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