ticki2
NH
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Joined: 07/09/2008
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I have had good luck cleaning campers with Spray 9 . It’s also a disinfectant and helps control mildew .
'68 Avion C-11
'02 GMC DRW D/A flatbed
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TxGearhead
Texas
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notsobigjoe wrote:TxGearhead wrote:My Bigfoot has been sitting in my backyard "storage spot" unused for about 2 years. I had a fabric type cover on it, but it developed a light mildew. I hired a woman to polish and wax it a couple months ago. She didn't know what she was doing. I got on top of it yesterday with a pressure washer to get the black crud off it. It had a lot. I used Mr. Pink soap in a foam cannon.
Anyway, yes I had black streaks that my 2800# pressure washer couldn't remove. Hopefully compounding it will work.
edit add: seems I heard someone somewhere say that RAIN-X will clean the Bigfoot windows.
Be careful on the roof with a power sprayer. Use a light setting like 1500 PSI to remove the crud. I had one so bad once that I used a 3000 PSI setting and literally blew the white off the rubber roof. I had to reapply the white top coat after. Lots of work but wow what a job.
Also OP, A Random orbital will do wonders with a light pad and some soft grit and won't take off your wax. Like I said more work but way better finish. The gutters completely remove the problem and invest in some extension gutter ends to drain the water away from the camper.
Bigfoots don't have rubber roofs, except older 3000 models. The top is gel coat fiberglass just like the sides. There is no roof to side joint, it just rolls from roof to wall.
I've had pretty good luck with a Porter Cable random orbit with 3M Marine Fiberglass Restorer and Wax, Chemical Guys pads or a twisted wool pad.
2018 Ram 3500 CC LB DRW 4X4 Cummins Aisin Laramie Pearl White
2018 Landmark Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4
2014 NauticStar 21 ShallowBay 150HP Yamaha
2016 GoDevil 18X44 35HP Surface Drive
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notsobigjoe
southeast
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Joined: 09/15/2016
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TxGearhead wrote:notsobigjoe wrote:TxGearhead wrote:My Bigfoot has been sitting in my backyard "storage spot" unused for about 2 years. I had a fabric type cover on it, but it developed a light mildew. I hired a woman to polish and wax it a couple months ago. She didn't know what she was doing. I got on top of it yesterday with a pressure washer to get the black crud off it. It had a lot. I used Mr. Pink soap in a foam cannon.
Anyway, yes I had black streaks that my 2800# pressure washer couldn't remove. Hopefully compounding it will work.
edit add: seems I heard someone somewhere say that RAIN-X will clean the Bigfoot windows.
Be careful on the roof with a power sprayer. Use a light setting like 1500 PSI to remove the crud. I had one so bad once that I used a 3000 PSI setting and literally blew the white off the rubber roof. I had to reapply the white top coat after. Lots of work but wow what a job.
Also OP, A Random orbital will do wonders with a light pad and some soft grit and won't take off your wax. Like I said more work but way better finish. The gutters completely remove the problem and invest in some extension gutter ends to drain the water away from the camper.
Bigfoots don't have rubber roofs, except older 3000 models. The top is gel coat fiberglass just like the sides. There is no roof to side joint, it just rolls from roof to wall.
I've had pretty good luck with a Porter Cable random orbit with 3M Marine Fiberglass Restorer and Wax, Chemical Guys pads or a twisted wool pad.
Live and learn, Thanks! I've been recon-ing RV's for a while now and it gets easier. Most people go rite in with the heavy pad and cream and it's rarely needed. Thanks for the info... I think my favorite is McGuire's 67 one step compound. It's a good cleaner deoxidizer and a great polish in one. Use with a orange pad or heavier if needed. I rarely stray from that combo. I top off with Chemical guys extreme top coat sealant. If you like Chemical guys creams try the pro polish. It's pretty much the same thing as the 67 but a bit milder. All my pads are from china.
Joe
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TxGearhead
Texas
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Joined: 04/17/2016
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notsobigjoe wrote:TxGearhead wrote:notsobigjoe wrote:TxGearhead wrote:My Bigfoot has been sitting in my backyard "storage spot" unused for about 2 years. I had a fabric type cover on it, but it developed a light mildew. I hired a woman to polish and wax it a couple months ago. She didn't know what she was doing. I got on top of it yesterday with a pressure washer to get the black crud off it. It had a lot. I used Mr. Pink soap in a foam cannon.
Anyway, yes I had black streaks that my 2800# pressure washer couldn't remove. Hopefully compounding it will work.
edit add: seems I heard someone somewhere say that RAIN-X will clean the Bigfoot windows.
Be careful on the roof with a power sprayer. Use a light setting like 1500 PSI to remove the crud. I had one so bad once that I used a 3000 PSI setting and literally blew the white off the rubber roof. I had to reapply the white top coat after. Lots of work but wow what a job.
Also OP, A Random orbital will do wonders with a light pad and some soft grit and won't take off your wax. Like I said more work but way better finish. The gutters completely remove the problem and invest in some extension gutter ends to drain the water away from the camper.
Bigfoots don't have rubber roofs, except older 3000 models. The top is gel coat fiberglass just like the sides. There is no roof to side joint, it just rolls from roof to wall.
I've had pretty good luck with a Porter Cable random orbit with 3M Marine Fiberglass Restorer and Wax, Chemical Guys pads or a twisted wool pad.
Live and learn, Thanks! I've been recon-ing RV's for a while now and it gets easier. Most people go rite in with the heavy pad and cream and it's rarely needed. Thanks for the info... I think my favorite is McGuire's 67 one step compound. It's a good cleaner deoxidizer and a great polish in one. Use with a orange pad or heavier if needed. I rarely stray from that combo. I top off with Chemical guys extreme top coat sealant. If you like Chemical guys creams try the pro polish. It's pretty much the same thing as the 67 but a bit milder. All my pads are from china.
Joe
I'm sorta OK with Chem Guys. I think they way exaggerate how good their products are. After I use up their Mr Pink I'm looking for something else.
I'll probably start with light polish and see what happens. I've got a collection of miracle cures that don't work.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Joined: 05/06/2013
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TxGearhead wrote:
I'll probably start with light polish and see what happens. I've got a collection of miracle cures that don't work.
There's no miracle cure, other than keeping water from running down the surface in the first place, IMO. Our new camper last year, takes up too much of the shop, so it is outside. Just from being parked on a cross slope, the one front gutter would drain onto the side of the camper. It would only take a few weeks and it would have a streak that required some elbow grease to remove. Started blocking up the low side wheels, no more water, no more streaks.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
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JimK-NY
NY
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TxGearhead wrote:JimK-NY wrote:I cannot help with the window streaks, but for the siding you might try Zep finish. This has worked on my Northstar for the past several years. All of the dirt, including streaks, just rinses off with the blast of a hose. Before then I had a lot of black streaks, worse than ever because my home parking spot is under some large trees.
Are you referring to ZEP floor polish?
Yes. It does not stain, rinses clean and lasts a long time. The only downside is the sheen is not initially as good as a hand rubbed paste wax.
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TxGearhead
Texas
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JimK-NY wrote:TxGearhead wrote:JimK-NY wrote:I cannot help with the window streaks, but for the siding you might try Zep finish. This has worked on my Northstar for the past several years. All of the dirt, including streaks, just rinses off with the blast of a hose. Before then I had a lot of black streaks, worse than ever because my home parking spot is under some large trees.
Are you referring to ZEP floor polish?
Yes. It does not stain, rinses clean and lasts a long time. The only downside is the sheen is not initially as good as a hand rubbed paste wax.
I have heard that it yellows and peels off in pieces. Difficult to completely remove. Your experience?
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TxGearhead
Texas
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Grit dog wrote:TxGearhead wrote:
I'll probably start with light polish and see what happens. I've got a collection of miracle cures that don't work.
There's no miracle cure, other than keeping water from running down the surface in the first place, IMO. Our new camper last year, takes up too much of the shop, so it is outside. Just from being parked on a cross slope, the one front gutter would drain onto the side of the camper. It would only take a few weeks and it would have a streak that required some elbow grease to remove. Started blocking up the low side wheels, no more water, no more streaks.
I'm familiar. All my junk sits outside except the bay boat. In the winter it gets a lot of rain and in the summer a lot of sun. Our 2 previous 5th wheels were a Cougar and a Montana HC. The Montana about killed me. Compounding and waxing the filon spring and fall. Went with the Landmark that is full body paint. It will get some light streaks but so far they have washed off easy.
Son asks me "when are you going to get a cover?" Never. I'm 72 years old. I might not be doing this RV thing in 6 months.
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JimK-NY
NY
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TxGearhead wrote:
I have heard that it yellows and peels off in pieces. Difficult to completely remove. Your experience?
Mine has been on the RV for several years with no peeling, no flaking, no yellowing. I typical do a Spring cleanup with a soap and water and then apply another thin coat of Zep by wiping with a dampened rag.
A couple of years ago I did have an issue with bug splatters that had dried on for months. I had to strip the nose of the RV and apply several thin coats of Zep.
There is a major issue and that is surface prep. Zep is not going to do well when applied over dirt, old paste wax or on an old, oxidized surface. I used wax stripper, then swabbed again with a pretty stiff ammonia solution. Finally I hand scrubbed the entire RV with a 3M scotch pad and Bar Keepers Friend. That sounds like lots of work but really that was not much more than it would take to hand apply a paste wax finish. After prep, I used a rag dampened with Zep to apply thin coats. It takes a minimum of two coats to get a decent shine and a couple more to build up the finish so it will last. I can say for sure it does last, year after year.
Zep also stops oxidation and bleaching of surface due to sunshine. The acrylics in Zep block UV light.
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TxGearhead
Texas
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^ Thanks Jim. Good info.
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