Waxing the TT

[Terryallan]

So yes it is done. 2 yes 2 fun filled days in the back yard, and it looks like new. I was thinking when I got done. This thing is 6 years old, and it looks like it just got to the dealer's lot. Just shows. they don't have to look worn out, and faded. IF you take care of them.

However. I do need to replace a down spout, a storage door holder open, and the main door holder open.

BTW. Me Quires cleaner wax is GREAT. Easy on, and easy off. Restores the finish to show room shine. You could actually see the finish take on a deeper healthy color.

[JimK-NY]

Tvov wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
Last year I worked on mine. I had to strip off all the old wax and then I rubbed down the entire RV with Barkeepers Friend. Then 4 coats of wax.

After that I took a long trip with lots of bad weather, dust, rain and bugs. Usually I would stop at a wash station at least once. I never had the opportunity or time so I returned with the RV caked with dead bugs just as winter started. After months of snow and rain, most of the dead bugs were gone. I still stripped off the old wax and reapplied wax to the nose of the RV. The rest of the RV looked like it had just been waxed even before I washed it. There were no typical black streaks. The surface shined and the dirt just rinsed off. If I had washed off the dead bugs before they baked on for months, I suspect the entire RV would have still looked like freshly waxed even a year later.

I should not have to tell you what wax I used. There have been numerous forum threads about this wax.

4, four, coats of wax?!?!? Holy crikey. More power to you!

Apparently my post was not clear. No way did I put on 4 coats of Mcquires. In fact I tried two coats that took the better part of the day to apply. I did not like the looks. I did not want to do that amount of work again.

I stripped the Mcquires which took a couple more hours. I then applied 4 coats of ZEP. That was absolutely a minimal amount of work and involved just wiping with a cloth dampened in ZEP. After another year of use and sitting in the elements, I merely washed off the RV. It looked like it was freshly waxed. Except for the nose of the RV. That had been heavily splattered by bugs. They cooked on and then I just left the RV over the winter without washing it. Since it was a small area, I just stripped off the old finish and reapplied. I was just amazed at the rest of the RV. I did not have black streaks to contend with. After a year without even washing it, the RV needed little more than just a spray from the hose.

I spent all of about 20 minutes applying another coat of ZEP even though there was no reason. I am not sure how many years the ZEP will last. Eventually I guess it will yellow, or get dirty or just wear off. I have ZEP stripper or just dilute ammonia works well. All I need to do is wipe or spray on the solution. Let is work for a couple of minutes and then rinse and repeat if needed.

[Tvov]

myredracer wrote:
.... So I have to wonder if the cover is flapping in high winds and wearing away at the finish on the cap. If so, how to prevent this? ....

Make sure to have every grommet / hole / connector secured with rope or bungy cords. You can also wrap a couple lengths of rope over and around the covered camper to help keep the cover from moving.

Some wear is basically inevitable, but you can reduce it. Think of how dirty the camper would be without being covered.

[Tvov]

JimK-NY wrote:
Last year I worked on mine. I had to strip off all the old wax and then I rubbed down the entire RV with Barkeepers Friend. Then 4 coats of wax.

After that I took a long trip with lots of bad weather, dust, rain and bugs. Usually I would stop at a wash station at least once. I never had the opportunity or time so I returned with the RV caked with dead bugs just as winter started. After months of snow and rain, most of the dead bugs were gone. I still stripped off the old wax and reapplied wax to the nose of the RV. The rest of the RV looked like it had just been waxed even before I washed it. There were no typical black streaks. The surface shined and the dirt just rinsed off. If I had washed off the dead bugs before they baked on for months, I suspect the entire RV would have still looked like freshly waxed even a year later.

I should not have to tell you what wax I used. There have been numerous forum threads about this wax.

4, four, coats of wax?!?!? Holy crikey. More power to you!

[LarryJM]

Terryallan wrote:
So yes it is done. 2 yes 2 fun filled days in the back yard, and it looks like new. I was thinking when I got done. This thing is 6 years old, and it looks like it just got to the dealer's lot. Just shows. they don't have to look worn out, and faded. IF you take care of them.

However. I do need to replace a down spout, a storage door holder open, and the main door holder open.

BTW. Me Quires cleaner wax is GREAT. Easy on, and easy off. Restores the finish to show room shine. You could actually see the finish take on a deeper healthy color.

I try and do the whole trailer with Meguires Ultimate once a year and the front cap a couple of times a year. For me that's plenty since I no longer have any black streak issues/problems.

Larry

[Terryallan]

rockhillmanor wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

ScottG wrote:

Terryallan wrote:


No canvas. I built a shed over it. 35' X 14'

That's a great luxury isn't it?
We had a 42X15WX13T carport built on a concrete slab for ours this year. Wonderful to keep it clean and be able to work on it anytime.

Yep, It is great. couldn't afford the cement at the time, But will get it done this summer. Yes it keeps it clean, and stops the hardware / vents on top from getting brittle. Just need a way to

stop the birds from nesting in the rafters

This was my new home for the RV!


I had real big problems when the barn swallows from Capistrano
decided to make my new building their snowbird home 'every year'!
What a mess.

I did some research. Here's what the bird people said to do.

What will stop them from nesting is simply nailing some white string all the same length, around the top rail of the inside of the building at equal space between them. T

They said that was all that was needed to deter them, but since I had the scaffolding out a put a few on the rafters just for good luck.

That year I did that before spring - NONE of them came back to nest. Takes a bit of time but it stops them from wanting to nest AND eliminates the poop factor on the RV.! :C

Thanks. the fake Owl ain't workin

[rockhillmanor]

Terryallan wrote:

ScottG wrote:

Terryallan wrote:


No canvas. I built a shed over it. 35' X 14'

That's a great luxury isn't it?
We had a 42X15WX13T carport built on a concrete slab for ours this year. Wonderful to keep it clean and be able to work on it anytime.

Yep, It is great. couldn't afford the cement at the time, But will get it done this summer. Yes it keeps it clean, and stops the hardware / vents on top from getting brittle. Just need a way to

stop the birds from nesting in the rafters

This was my new home for the RV!


I had real big problems when the barn swallows from Capistrano
decided to make my new building their snowbird home 'every year'!
What a mess.

I did some research. Here's what the bird people said to do.

What will stop them from nesting is simply nailing some white string all the same length, around the top rail of the inside of the building at equal space between them. T

They said that was all that was needed to deter them, but since I had the scaffolding out a put a few on the rafters just for good luck.

That year I did that before spring - NONE of them came back to nest. Takes a bit of time but it stops them from wanting to nest AND eliminates the poop factor on the RV.! :C

[Terryallan]

ScottG wrote:

Terryallan wrote:


No canvas. I built a shed over it. 35' X 14'

That's a great luxury isn't it?
We had a 42X15WX13T carport built on a concrete slab for ours this year. Wonderful to keep it clean and be able to work on it anytime.

Yep, It is great. couldn't afford the cement at the time, But will get it done this summer. Yes it keeps it clean, and stops the hardware / vents on top from getting brittle. Just need a way to stop the birds from nesting in the rafters

[ScottG]

Terryallan wrote:


No canvas. I built a shed over it. 35' X 14'

That's a great luxury isn't it?
We had a 42X15WX13T carport built on a concrete slab for ours this year. Wonderful to keep it clean and be able to work on it anytime.

[rockhillmanor]

X10 on the Mequires and or Mother's.

When full time RV'ing I wax every other month or so. Do it right at the CG. I take my time no hurry and I take 2 days to finish but it is a long MH.

Waxing often Keeps it looking like brand new.

[Terryallan]

myredracer wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
So yes it is done. 2 yes 2 fun filled days in the back yard, and it looks like new. I was thinking when I got done. This thing is 6 years old, and it looks like it just got to the dealer's lot. Just shows. they don't have to look worn out, and faded. IF you take care of them.

However. I do need to replace a down spout, a storage door holder open, and the main door holder open.

BTW. Me Quires cleaner wax is GREAT. Easy on, and easy off. Restores the finish to show room shine. You could actually see the finish take on a deeper healthy color.

Do you use a cover? Last year at 3 years old, our fiberglass front cap was faded along the top, down about 6" from the roof. Seems like a common issue and not much that can be done to prevent it. Used a restoration product (Meguiars I think) that helped somewhat. But when I took the cover off a few weeks ago, it looked more faded in the same area compared to the previous year. So I have to wonder if the cover is flapping in high winds and wearing away at the finish on the cap. If so, how to prevent this? Our TT otherwise looks great too with waxing and 303 each season.

No canvas. I built a shed over it. 35' X 14'

[ford_truck_guy]

That's a great feeling once done ! Standing back and looking at all the hard work paying off....

I give mine a good paste wax once a year, and usually 2 or 3 spray wax jobs over the coarse of the camping season..

[myredracer]

Terryallan wrote:
So yes it is done. 2 yes 2 fun filled days in the back yard, and it looks like new. I was thinking when I got done. This thing is 6 years old, and it looks like it just got to the dealer's lot. Just shows. they don't have to look worn out, and faded. IF you take care of them.

However. I do need to replace a down spout, a storage door holder open, and the main door holder open.

BTW. Me Quires cleaner wax is GREAT. Easy on, and easy off. Restores the finish to show room shine. You could actually see the finish take on a deeper healthy color.

Do you use a cover? Last year at 3 years old, our fiberglass front cap was faded along the top, down about 6" from the roof. Seems like a common issue and not much that can be done to prevent it. Used a restoration product (Meguiars I think) that helped somewhat. But when I took the cover off a few weeks ago, it looked more faded in the same area compared to the previous year. So I have to wonder if the cover is flapping in high winds and wearing away at the finish on the cap. If so, how to prevent this? Our TT otherwise looks great too with waxing and 303 each season.

[ScottG]

Did mine with Maguires a few weeks ago. I also had to rub out a lot of blemishes on the front and rear caps (from the factory).
I spent 6 days!

[RAS43]

Love that Maguiars. I wax ours once a year now as age has caught up with me. Trailer is 14 years old and still looks like new. Shiny and can see reflections clearly.