Oxidation and Waxing

Protect All's "Fiberglass Oxidation Remover & Color Restorer"
It works.
Protect All

I do this kind of work day in and day out 6 plus days a week. I would never put any type of varnish, floor wax, or poli-glow on anything. I have seen the damage done by this type of process. The realty of owning anything gel-coat is that it will oxidize and the only way to keep it looking good is to maintain its shell at least twice a year.

Before any protection goes onto a gel-coat finish, you have to remove the oxidation. After washing the RV, we use a wool pad and a rotary polisher w/Presta Super Cut Compound. We then do a second pass with a Positive or direct drive Dual Action Polisher with a Orange Light Cutting Foam Pad w/Meguiars Flagship Premium Cleaner Wax.

This combination ensures a beautiful finish. After that all you need to do is wash your RV every 3 to 4 months, and wax it with a preferred wax/sealant formulated for Gel-Coat. Future follow ups (waxing) can be done with Pro-Polish from Yacht-Brite (wax on/wax off).

Obviously you'll need to go around the graphics by hand. On the graphics we use 303 Aerospace Protectant.

I've had good luck with a Meguire's Marine / RV waxes. I used the marine / RV oxidation remover first and then the cleaner wax second. It really brought back the shine, especially on my fiberglass nose. Usually I end up waxing 3 to 4 times a year, but this product appears to have held up for 6 months now. So I'm pleased.

The bottle recommends following up with Meguire's extreme gloss wax - also in their marine / RV group of products. I haven't tried this yet, but am curious.

Oh boy, you have a job on your hands. Stripping the top coat of wax should not be too hard. Wash it using a dishwashing soap like Joy lemon. Next step, do what should have been done in the first place. Depending on the severity of oxidation, & the application of a product that should have never been used, you may need either a mild compound or an aggressive compound. Go to a marine supply store to find what you need. 3M or Meguires have good product lines.

Do smallish sections at a time. If a mild compound does the job don't use the aggressive/cutting compound. After compounding, do it again with a cleaner wax. This will bring the shine back some more. The cleaner wax won't last long & you will be back to a dull finish in a month or so if you do not do the final step which is at least one coat of a top quality, yes it is expensive, sealer or pure wax.

I'm sorry. There is no instant easy way. I have been taking care of boats since 1981. Boats which are kept in saltwater. My time is valuable. It takes the same time to use a cheap product, which does not last, as an expensive product which can last a year. Me, I use the expensive stuff & only do it once a year instead of 2 or 3 times.

You might also want to invest in a rotary buffer as well. Your arms will thank you for it.

moose888 wrote:
Buy a car wax made for a Corvette. I use a wax made for fiberglass cars and use a product called Slick after i wash my RV. All this can be purchased at Auto zone. I wax a 35 foot Dynamax with no issues. I wax in the spring and fall doing half one day and the other half the next day. I put a few beers in the cooler and the radio on and getter done. My wife has to buy a few extra new towels after each waxing.

Disclaimer: I am a detailer by profession and I get this "all the time". Some Corvette owners want to know if I can put that Corvette wax on...

1. There is no such thing as a model specific wax. Period. That is Marketing!

2. Corvettes are NOT covered in Gelcoat. They are covered in the EXACT SAME paint as their metal counterparts!

3. The only thing that is different is the substrate. The paint is the same base coat/Clear coat.

My argument as always been "what about the plastic bumpers, door handles, and metal structure bits? Are they painted differently?"

Again, I paint cars for a living and I have this discussion 2-3 times a month...

Red Max + Zep = crap

Try Sea Power. Its a cleaner and wax. goes on and off so easy if it doesn't last a long time theres not much work in reapplying. Used it a lot on my sailboat and on the 5er now.

Buy a car wax made for a Corvette. I use a wax made for fiberglass cars and use a product called Slick after i wash my RV. All this can be purchased at Auto zone. I wax a 35 foot Dynamax with no issues. I wax in the spring and fall doing half one day and the other half the next day. I put a few beers in the cooler and the radio on and getter done. My wife has to buy a few extra new towels after each waxing.

No, a floor wax company will not tell you their product can be used for exterior applications.

I applied RMP on our 96 Southwind a couple years ago, it still looks good.
Did you use Bar Keepers Friend before you applied the wax?

Zep/RMP Application Process