ZEP wet look...need UV protection?

[RV_daytrader]

I am doing the ZEP wet look treatment on our old class C...I doubt it has any UV protection in it, and wondering if it is needed. If so, what do you guys use?

[4x4van]

Just to clarify, the stripper is what damaged my graphics, not the Red Max. I, too, wonder if there is perhaps a subtle difference between the RM and the ZEP, although at the time (when both were still available), both were made by ZEP, just rebranded RedMax for the version sold at Lowes.

[JimK-NY]

4x4van wrote:
....
First, I DID get yellowing; not bad, but it was in fact there. In fact, it darkened the color immediately....

Second, after a couple of years, the sides that were exposed to the sun the most (here in SoCal) did in fact start to flake and peel......

damaged my vinyl graphics. ......

Well I certainly do not dispute your experience. I suppose the SoCal sun did it in, but I have not seen any of these issues.

My RV is white with black and gray decals. They was not been any yellowing or darkening. I have an area under the overhang that I did not treat for comparison. I did have that issue with McGuires RV wax. The wax gave the RV a slightly dark and blotchy appearance.

I have had no signs of problems with flaking or peeling or damage to graphics. If I do encounter any of these issues, I can easily strip off the ZEP. Ammonia works well and I also bought ZEP stripper. I used the stripper to remove the finish and dried on bugs from the nose of the RV. Otherwise the rest of the RV sheds dirt and water and shines like new.

I wonder if there is a difference between the Red Max which is no longer made and ZEP. I used ZEP a year ago and did spend several months in the desert southwest. Perhaps time will change my opinion but for now all looks good.

[NRALIFR]

So there you have it.

The answer is conclusively, 100%, without a doubt, garrunteed.............

IT DEPENDS

My own two cents, don’t expect miracles and you won’t be disappointed.

:):)

[4x4van]

I see these threads pop up every so often, and decided that it was time for me to weigh in once again. For those of you that don't know/remember, I am the one who posted the very detailed instructions on how to do this (Red Max) process way back when.

Back when I originally Red Max'd my 1988 class C, it was in really bad shape; faded, oxidized, etc. No amount of elbow grease, polish, wax, etc would do anything other than a temporary 2-4 week moderate shine at best. The Red Max did what I thought was not possible; made it look like a newly painted, clear coated, RV, and the shine lasted a long time with no additional work.

That said, here is my longer term view. First, I DID get yellowing; not bad, but it was in fact there. In fact, it darkened the color immediately. My RV was beige, so it was not a big deal, but I would not want the same on a white RV. Second, after a couple of years, the sides that were exposed to the sun the most (here in SoCal) did in fact start to flake and peel. I thought that I had possibly fell a bit short in prep on that part, but stripping, re-prepping, and re-applying was only a temporary fix; it again started to flake within 12 months. Not only that, but stripping in order to reapply was very difficult, and actually damaged my vinyl graphics. Eventually, the sides that were not exposed to the sun as much also started to flake. I finally gave up and let it all flake off. Oddly, the only part that didn't flake/peel was the metal painted cab, which remained amazingly shiny for years, although that was also the side of the RV that was facing north while parked, so it seldom was in direct sun.

So, would I do it again? I might consider it if my RV was in really bad condition (like my last one), but probably not if my RV was in decent condition (like my current rig is). For those of you who have had longer term success, great! Perhaps without the brutal SoCal sun, or with indoor storage, I would have had the same. Sadly though, that wasn't the case for me.

[Adam_H]

Roll on SealKrete, it will make it look shiny and new, seal it up, and has UV protection ++++. Plus it will never peel, dull or yellow and it's easy. I apply it to my fiberglass PUP roof yearly and it looks like new.

Adam

[Dutch_12078]

I think it should be made clear that ZEP is an acrylic floor finish that contains acrylic solids, not a "liquid floor wax". There's a big difference...

[NRALIFR]

I just reapplied liquid floor wax to my truck camper for the second time. The first time was in about April, 2011 according to the forum search function. That was long enough back that the product I used was the original Red Max Pro. I still have about a half gallon left after doing it a second time. Apparently I bought a lifetime supply. :W I have no personal experience with the current ZEP product.

My intention this time was to just redo the nose of the cabover, because bug guts had removed a lot of the wax. But, once I started I just couldn’t stop. I washed the entire camper first with ammonia, car wash soap and water. I didn’t feel it was necessary to strip off all the old wax. Everywhere except the nose the wax was still there, although it didn’t shine like it used to. It never yellowed, or peeled off. The filon on my camper was never bright white. It has always been a light almond color, and the parts that get the most sun still match the underside of the cabover, the sides of the slide, and the edge trim.

About three years ago I replaced the skirt panels (the area behind the truck rear bumper) with replacements I bought from Lance. Apparently the almond filon isn’t available any longer, because the filon they provided IS bright white. It doesn’t really matter to me, I just wanted to point that out because it’s noticeable in the pictures.

Keep in mind, this is an 18 year old TC (manufactured in April, 2000) and I’ve owned it since 2003. It gets taken off paved roads frequently. Close examination will reveal numerous scrapes and scratches where limbs have drug on it, plus the repairs I’ve made to it over the years. It has aluminum on the roof rather than whatever flexible membrane they are using today, which is one of the biggest reasons I’m hanging on to it.

To the best of my recollection, since first applying the floor wax, I’ve never waxed it with any type of paste wax or UV protection because to be honest that’s just more work than I want to put into a TC. I might have waxed it a few times when it was newer to me, but I don’t remember doing it. I’ve slept a few times since then. :B I wash it when it’s dirty, and I’m not averse to putting things like beach or ammonia in the wash water if it’s needed.

Here’s a few pics to show how it turned out.







:):)

[RV_daytrader]

Thanks for the replies...yes, it does seem that most, not all, that actually used it like the results and those that never used it say its no good. My old 89 class C had fiberglass strands poking out it was so rough. Washed it, used barkeepers friend and scouring pad, even had to use fine sandpaper to get it smooth. 6 coats of zep and it shines like new almost. I was just wondering if a UV protector is needed.

[ksg5000]

I've used Zep for many years - has worked like a charm. I use nothing but zip wax to maintain the nice appearance. I do reapply a new coating on the the Class C overhang ever few years. Never had flaking, yellowing or the other negative comments. It does require a considerable amt of prep work on the front end - but that's the same prep work you do with the expensive acrylic polish.

I also used Zep on my wifes old Camry - looked great and held up just like the RV.

[tatest]

This is a floor finish (originally developed to seal porous floors like terrazo), and while it will yellow with age and ultimately peel from non-porous surfaces, the yellowing is uniform and it is low effort route to a wet look surface compared to many apply and buff automotive waxes, or actually doing an automotive clear-coat.

But even when used on floors, these finishes are not low maintenance, because traffic means they are polished weekly or more often, and stripped and re-applied at least annually, because of uneven wear. In our military training barracks the floors got stripped and re-waxed by each class (10-12 weeks) but that was as much discipline training as it was maintenance.

[JimK-NY]

Someone wrote there is no free ride with RV maintenance. I think Zep comes pretty close. I used Zep on my RV a year ago. Cleaning the RV took some work and time, but 4 coats of Zep went on pretty quickly and was not much work.

A year later, most of the RV looked like I had just waxed it. I did have to clean on lots of bug splatter and dirt off the nose of the RV. I ended up stripping the Zep off with wax stripper and reapplying 4 fresh coats to the nose area. I gave the rest of the RV another coat even though it did not seem to need it. Even with the stripping and work on the front end the entire job was easier than waxing the truck. I may end up using Zep on the truck as well.

BTW, no sign of yellowing after a year exposed to sun and elements. I also did not have those nasty black streaks due to water running off the roof. There was another benefit. In addition to a year of weather, I drove 10k miles through bad weather, dust and lots of bugs. Typically I would wash the RV several times. I never washed it all year and the Zep helped keep it clean. This Spring it quickly washed clean except for some remaining bug splatters.

I would say that Zep is pretty close to a free ride.

[Gdetrailer]

JaxDad wrote:
Huh, 3 replies, 2 from people who seem to have never tried this method, 1 who has.

The 2 that have never tried it condemn it, the 1 who has used it said worked.

Seems about par for the course around here.........

I never "condemned" it.

Just stated that after a few years that the "allure" of a cheap, easy fix has lost it's shine..

Slapping a liquid wax that IS designed for indoors might be a quick fix to put an artificial shine, but it is a temporary fix to a long term problem and eventually you will be faced with removing the old and reapplying once again.

Kind of like putting lipstick on a pig, don't you think?

I look for LONG TERM fixes that tend to last.

Repainting with REAL AUTOMOTIVE PAINTS while is expensive can easily result in no need to wax ever again and last well over 15 yrs.

I HAVE done that with modern day automotive Epoxy paints on autos AND RVs..

But then again, I am not a slave to my RV and would rather spend time camping instead of primping a pig.

[Retired_JSO]

I did the Zep floor polish on our old fifth wheel. At the time, a good buffing and polish would fade in a few weeks. The zep made it shine like new. I would reapply the zep with just one coat about twice a year. Around year 3, I could not control the flaking. Used Zep floor stripper and redid the finish. Traded it after 7 years so who knows what it looks like now.

[donn0128]

JaxDad wrote:
Huh, 3 replies, 2 from people who seem to have never tried this method, 1 who has.

The 2 that have never tried it condemn it, the 1 who has used it said worked.

Seems about par for the course around here.........

Sorry, used the expensive clone. Could not wait to get the **** off after two years.