Advice for polish/wax

Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I am going to go with the turtle wax polish/wax that the filon care sheet calls out. I didn't get a chance to start on it yet but hope to soon.

The best, and i mean, the best is Liquid Glass. I have been in the Auto Industry for years, and have never found a better wax than this..... hard to find a supplier. Apply it in the shade, put itout in the sun and let the sun bake into the finish....

Re decals....on our ROO we replaced the rear one. Cost including shipping from FR was about $50. Removal of the old one was a piece of cake. A hair dryer and some time and you're done. Putting the new one on is not hard, but a bit nerve-wracking. I called FR because the instructions were vague to say the least. DH remembered that when we put the name decal on our big boat, the instructions were very good and said to make a solution of Dawn and water, wet the area thoroughly, apply the decal and the soapy water gives you a medium to allow movement to get it lined up. I asked the FR guy and he said all you had to do was press it on....easy for them to say, they do a zillion a day. We did the Dawn and water thing, got a small plastic wallpaper smoothing tool and we had it lined perfectly. Gently smooth out, let it dry and you're good.

Hadn't considered a marine polish, but makes good sense. Boats take a real beating and this may work and hold up better. Again, would suggest the 303 for over your decals. The directions say to repeat every 3 weeks....not likely to happen around here, but it's just a matter of wipe it on, wipe it off. Many swear by the stuff. Guess I'd know for sure if I'd gotten to use it.

BTW, nice looking trailer. Make lots of happy memories.

Padlin wrote:
Here's the buffing PDF from Crane, Filon's manufacturer.

Chalking

You could always call them if you want more info.

Ah! Thanks Padlin!

Didn't really want to go the paste wax route but it does show that a polishing compound is OK. I may have to think on this one a bit...

Here's the buffing PDF from Crane, Filon's manufacturer.

Chalking

You could always call them if you want more info.

Padlin wrote:
I used the McGuire's for a number of years on my 06, 1st the Paint Cleaner (red bottle), then the polish (also red bottle), then the Carnuba Wax. Dropped the polish step after a couple years. The last couple years I had the hybrid I went to their #50 one step Boat and RV Cleaner Wax. I use a dual action buffer with the McGuire's foam pads. As you are starting from scratch I'd do either the 3 or the 2 steps, depending how fussy you are. Once it's been done you can go to the one step if you do it once or twice a year.

Doing some more research, it appears I have a filon finish. The information I am finding seems to be all over the place on whether or not its OK to use an abrasive wax on this type of finish. Any knowledge with filon finishes? If the care is relatively the same as with gel coats I am leaning towards trying this:Meguiar's M4965 Marine/RV Fiberglass Restoration System

dadmomh wrote:
Are you going to replace any decals or stay white only? If you're going to replace, suggest you not wax until they're applied because you're going to have to clean it off the area before applying. Many use 303 Protectant on the decals and have been very pleased. Any chance just some detailing would make them presentable?

The decal on the front is shot. It's definitely got to go. The right side decals are OK...not great, but OK. The decals on the left side are faded and pretty severely cracked. I think I will start with removing the large one on the front then polishing and see how I like it. I may opt for new basic decals if the white looks too boring.

Thanks for the help and I will post up the results as I tackle this project over the next week!

You might do a search re ZEP. Seems like some time back there was a thread on it and IIRC, many felt that it was not a good idea. We've never used it, so have no help on that. Are you going to replace any decals or stay white only? If you're going to replace, suggest you not wax until they're applied because you're going to have to clean it off the area before applying. Many use 303 Protectant on the decals and have been very pleased. Any chance just some detailing would make them presentable? Currently we're using a wax that is specifically for using a buffer, but do not get near the edges of the decal or you'll for sure have to replace....think it's either a Mother's or a Maguire's product. Does a really good job and the buffer makes is fast.

I too like the McGuire three step process. Give McGuire a call. I have found them to be very helpful.

do a search on ZEP. It's a floor finish that many have applied to their faded fiberglass motor homes or trailer, fifth wheels.

There has been previous discussions on this before so you may want to search that thread for other ideas.