13 years old Pollensa in need of body shine

my pollensa is in need of a whole body rejuvenation after 13 years of being weather beaten .Have used all the caravan cleaners that are recommended over the years but paint work now dull.I do not know if it is possible to machine buff a gel coated surface and what polishes to use any suggestions that have been tried and proven would be welcome.

Have a look on MHFun at their detailing section, written by 'charlie' known as 'charliefarlie' on here. A whole division dedicated to waxing/polishing etc etc.

I use Meguiars -  marine/RV products for the hab, auto for the cab. I also have one of their dual action electric polishers which I use with their range of pads to save some elbow grease. Not cheap but then neither is my Pollensa.

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cheers
Roger

I can also thoroughly recommend Meguiars boat/Rev polish. It is easy to apply and does not take much effort to polish up. As your paint work has become dull would suggest you do it twice.
I bought mine quite reasonable from eBay.

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Polish is an abrasive, after polishing , good idea to wax it.

...I found lots of info regarding polish and waxes on a VWT forum, though the vehicles concerned are metal rather than fiberglass, so may not be quite so applicable to most here. In fact, there is so much info that it was difficult to come to a firm decision about what to use...in the end I went along with a lot of owners and used Autoglym products (it helped that they were 3 for 2 at Halfrauds).
During the recent mild spell I gave my pride and joy a thorough wash (lambskin mitt, not a sponge - holds all the grit), then a generous coat of SRP ( super resin polish ) and then 2 coats of EGP ( extra gloss protection wax).
Yes, a lot of effort, but the shine was worth it.

Paulmold wrote:Have a look on MHFun at their detailing section, written by 'charlie' known as 'charliefarlie' on here. A whole division dedicated to waxing/polishing etc etc.

thanks for all suggestions I can see I will be hard at it in the spring.

rogerblack wrote:I use Meguiars -  marine/RV products for the hab, auto for the cab. I also have one of their dual action electric polishers which I use with their range of pads to save some elbow grease. Not cheap but then neither is my Pollensa.

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cheers
Roger

Thanks Roger have taken note of sites to visit very helpful ..mike

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Worth a look

care-avan cleaning and polishing products are ideal for white Coachbuilt vans [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Boaby

Paulmold wrote:Have a look on MHFun at their detailing section, written by 'charlie' known as 'charliefarlie' on here. A whole division dedicated to waxing/polishing etc etc.

There is also a thread dedicated to machine polishing here on this forum. It I hope gives a good basic grounding as to what the basics are. 

Any questions specific or otherwise I will do my very best to help ,,, 

repoort wrote:...I found lots of info regarding polish and waxes on a VWT forum, though the vehicles concerned are metal rather than fiberglass, so may not be quite so applicable to most here. In fact, there is so much info that it was difficult to come to a firm decision about what to use...in the end I went along with a lot of owners and used Autoglym products (it helped that they were 3 for 2 at Halfrauds).
During the recent mild spell I gave my pride and joy a thorough wash (lambskin mitt, not a sponge - holds all the grit), then a generous coat of SRP ( super resin polish ) and then 2 coats of EGP ( extra gloss protection wax).
Yes, a lot of effort, but the shine was worth it.

Automotive polishes Are very suitable for the gel coats on fibreglass. They cost a fraction of dedicated polishes . Why ? Well its because they re package the same polishes and re brand them. This means they get paid several times as much for the very same products. 

Autoglym SRP (Super Resin Polish) has very very little cut indeed. So polishing a 13 year old vehicle is going to take an absolute age. Thats if it can cut through 13 years of use and grime at all . I seriously doubt it. 

EGP is an extremely low durability wax/sealant. This means you may have the vehicle looking shiney and looking good but trust me it wont last. A few rain showers and it will be gone. 

Applying either a wax or sealant to a large vehicle like a motor home even a small one is an arduous task .So the best wax or sealant to use is one which has great durability. Well unless you/I want to be applying every few weeks. I don't.

The same sealing/waxing and protection applies to normal metal bodywork and fibre glass finishes. I DO NOT have experience of the bonded laminate and composite materials used on many motor homes and/or caravans. Yet 

Honestly it is NOT my wish to criticize but using the right products is not only easier on the pocket but will have far better results and will last many times longer .

burlingtonboaby wrote:care-avan cleaning and polishing products are ideal for white Coachbuilt vans [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Boaby

Thanks will check it out.

spikeymatt wrote:

burlingtonboaby wrote:care-avan cleaning and polishing products are ideal for white Coachbuilt vans [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Boaby

Thanks will check it out.

Hi spikeymatt,
Jaytee has purchased some of their range of products, he may be able a give you a review on them.
Boaby

I have used the Care-avan products on a caravan and motorhome after buying them at the NEC show in 2014.

The polish is good and relatively easy to use but the  results with the shampoo were disappointing. The shampoo

did not remove the black streaks and the Halfords car shampoo I use on the car performed better. At the NEC 

show in February this year I went back to their stand and related these facts but didn't really get a satisfactory

explanation.

David

Charlie and I are of like mind on this, I have spent hours and hours restoring GRP hulled boats and must have tried just about everything to bring back the shine.... and more importantly keep it there.

An example is a navy blue hulled boat moored with the transom ( back bit) facing due south, faded when I first got to it, white chalky and no shine at all.

I used Farecla cutting compound followed by starbrite colour back and after a lot of work it came up brilliantly. This is a serious test for any sealant/wax and the best I found was Meguiars premium flagship which lasted longer than anything else but even that only a couple of months.

Bringing back the shine is the easy part, there are dozens of abrasive products varying from coarse to fine that will bring the colour back, 'you pays your money and takes your choice' but applied properly they will nearly all work in restoring the shine - that is the polishing bit.

Waxing or sealing is the important part. As Charlie has said use a product that will last, I have always been a Meguiars fan but will be trying Collinite next time to get a comparison. Cheap 'polish' is just a waste of time and money. 

And once you have done all that hard work don't wash it with washing up liquid or it will all come off - use a proper shampoo designed for the purpose.

I intend to try Meguiars in the spring. Th current finish is generally good but it is difficult to remove the black marks.

Looking at Meguiars website they do a product called Onestep RV Cleaner/Wax, has anyone any experience of using this?

David

Sorry no never used it, probably a reasonable product but for long term protection you still need a hard wearing sealer over the top. If you choose Meguiars go for the Gold Class Carnauba plus as a sealer.

Hi I would like to add another product to the mix  I use Crystal Glo it is a marine treatment from canada it is an acrilic polish,contains no silcone,wax or teflon.Use Farcela compound to bring back the shine then polish with Crystal Glo this will last for 6/12 months,I treat mine twice a year and it really shines

Dave

Yes there are indeed two ways to go, either a wax or an acrylic sealer but now we are entering anorak territory! Arguably acrylic sealers last longer but depending on your view carnauba wax gives a deeper shine, each to his own. Autoglym is another popular resin sealer. 

Thanks for the tip on Crystal Glo, Dave. Will be in Canada next week until next Spring so will check it out and maybe bring some back - it will probably be half the price over there!