The endcap of our 5th wheel is really dull. We've washed the RV so it's clean but it just doesn't have any shine on the front end. I'm wondering if anyone has found a product that will bring a little luster back?
Dave Buck said
08:00 AM May 11, 2016
I have a similar problem. the top part if dull and and the lower prat is shinny where it turns underneath. I have wondered about the same thing.
The Bear II said
01:12 PM May 11, 2016
I used rubbing compound to bring mine back to life. Then a good car wax.
Judy L said
04:14 PM May 11, 2016
I also used a rubbing compound (Presta gel coat compound) and then Meguiars 45 polish for RVs and boats. It certainly made it look much better but I don't think there's anything that will make it look like it did when it was new. I'm not sure it makes much difference what kind of product you use but you can check out the discussions on boating forums and find all sorts of opinions on what works best and lasts longest. Also google how to restore fiberglass gel coat and you'll find lots of articles and videos.
Good luck with your project!
Cindy T said
04:39 PM May 11, 2016
Thanks very much for the tips, I appreciate it!
lmcallis said
09:59 PM May 14, 2016
I've had the same issue with my front cap. When the 5th wheel was new, all the gelcoat was there, it shined great, but after 7 years of scrubbing bugs, and sun, etc, there was no shine left. I did a year of rubbing compound with a buffer followed by a high quality wax like Meguiar's and while it would take a full day or two to do all the work, it would look good again for a couple of months. Wash off the new bugs and then you start all over again. You could rub your hand over it and see the white oxidized gel coat/fiberglass/wax on your hand and in the white runoff that covered the hitch pin housing.
So, take a look at this web site called fiberglassrv.com.
There's now 51 pages of discussion on the topic on the FiberglassRV forum so I'll boil it down to a couple of steps....
1. Clean the area you want to shine with a cleanser like "Bar Keepers Friend" That gets rid of all the dirt and grease
2. Wash all that cleanser off so you have a clean dry surface. Make sure any caulk/grout is also clean.
3. Apply a very thin coat of ZEP with a sponge. Wait for it to dry (5 min in a dry climate, 15 to 20 in a humid climate), then apply another thin coat. The thinner the better, and wipe out any air bubbles and runs.
4. Repeat until you've got 4 or 5 coats of ZEP on. I did 5 coats. Each new coat helps smooth out the previous coat and brings out a nicer, deeper shine. Don't be scared as the first couple of coats don't look good.
So last fall I got brave enough to give this a try. I took about an hour to fully scrub the front cap with the cleanser. Let everything dry. And starting applying the ZEP. I used a 4 in by 6 in sponge, about a 2 in thick I bought a lowes for $2 or so in their paint or wallpaper section and used a glass pie pan to hold the zep so I could dip one edge of the sponge in the zep.
Starting at the top of the cap I went from top to half way down all across the top half of the cap. Then came back and did middle to bottom all the way across. I also covered the rubber cap strip that covers the front cap screws and the grout/caulk. It was easier than I thought it would be, taking only about 10 minutes or less for each half coat. The first couple of coats are the hardest because you've got to put it on thin so you don't get runs. It gets easier with each successive coat as the prior coat helps hold the zep in place. But be careful to avoid runs and air bubbles.
Infact, it went so quickly that while I waited for drying on the front cap, I prepped and did the baggage doors on both sides of the 5th wheel. I think I started at 4PM and was done by 6PM
I am very pleased with the end result.....not quite like brand new, but my oh my, it looked almost brand new. The graphics also went from dull and faded to dark and shiny. The baggage doors look brand new.
Two weeks after this was done, the 5th wheel went from Iowa to Arizona where it was put in unprotected storage in the desert outside of Phoenix for the next 6 months. Sun shined on it, wind blown sand and dirt hit it, and in April it headed back out on the road again looking just as good as it did last October. (well, except for a test area I did on the LP gas tank door where I only put on two coats on half the door. There is some delamination of the zep along the edge between no zep and 2 coats).
An added benefit has been the caulk/grout between the end cap the rubber sealing tube that covers the screws, and the sealing tube itself that is suppose to be white but quickly gets black, when coated with the ZEP has stayed both white and shiny. Also, after picking up 800 miles of bugs from Arizona to Texas this spring, they washed off with just water and my 8 ft extension wash brush. Easiest front cap clean I've ever done.
Anyway, I like the results so much I've done the gray painted metal skirting and plastic wheel well cutouts a few weeks ago. They now shine as well. I'm now planning on doing the rear end cap which has absolutely no shine left on it.
If you want to invest $25 in a bottle of ZEP and a sponge, you can try it on a small area and see what you think. (I've used less than a quart of the one gallon bottle I bought) Your experience may be different than mine. Also, at some point the ZEP could start to peel off. I'm not sure what's required to remove the ZEP, but since it's a floor wax, there is a stripper that might do a good job of removing old zep
Zep Commercial Heavy-Duty Stripper Concentrate 128-fl oz Vinyl Floor CleanerZep Commercial Heavy-Duty Stripper Concentrate 128-fl oz Vin…
Price$9.97
The blog starts in 2010 so some folks have had it on their rv's for 6 years or more. Some saw flaking at two to four years. I saw some on my test spot after 6 months which had just two coats instead of 5 coats. So maybe applying a new coat over the old coats will get you 4 + years.
Again, my opinion, it's so much easier, lasts much longer, and looks just as good or better as all that rubbing, buffing, and repeated work of waxing.
Your mileage with ZEP may very.
Now, there's also a product I just learned about called "frog juice" that is a brush on/spray on clear coat (one web site called it automotive clear coat) that is used to protect murals painted on the side of buildings. If you've been to Alpine, TX and looked at the bright, shiny murals depicting the history of Alpine, you've seen frog juice. According to one of the sponsors of the murals, they do some touchup's of the frog juice coating every few years, mostly because the underlying building surface chips or crumbles, but it's been protecting the murals from sun, sand, and graffiti for over 15 years. I have no idea how it would work on fiberglass but I might give it try on my sidewalls. Anyone else have any experience with frog juice?
Lance
Glenn West said
08:44 AM May 15, 2016
I imagine all the oxidization came form the roof. I know mine does.
Judy L said
09:30 AM May 15, 2016
Something to consider when choosing a wax product is whether it provides any sort of UV protection for the fiberglass. While floor wax may be more cost effective than other products, it doesn't contain a UV protectant. There are other similar products on the market (Poliglow, Vertiglass) that do contain UV protectants but are more costly than the floor wax alternatives. I'm by no means endorsing any of these products. You need to make your own informed decision on what is best.
We have had Poliglow on our trailer for a couple of years and I have mixed feelings about it. While is has made a huge improvement on the front cap especially, I'm not quite ready to say I'm completely sold. I just don't know what would be any better. My biggest fear is what it's going to take to remove it when the time comes. I've heard that if not maintained and left to deteriorate, it can turn yellow and start to flake off. At that point they say it's extremely difficult to remove. Also, if you ever consider having your rv painted, you need to be sure to inform the folks doing the painting of the product used. If not properly removed it may interfere with the adhesion of the paint. I've read that removal of this type of wax prior to painting may be an additional charge.
If you consider using this type of product just be sure to do your research first. Check out the fiberglas, rv and boating forums and make an informed decision. There's a lot of information available, both pro and con.
The endcap of our 5th wheel is really dull. We've washed the RV so it's clean but it just doesn't have any shine on the front end. I'm wondering if anyone has found a product that will bring a little luster back?
Good luck with your project!
Thanks very much for the tips, I appreciate it!
I've had the same issue with my front cap. When the 5th wheel was new, all the gelcoat was there, it shined great, but after 7 years of scrubbing bugs, and sun, etc, there was no shine left. I did a year of rubbing compound with a buffer followed by a high quality wax like Meguiar's and while it would take a full day or two to do all the work, it would look good again for a couple of months. Wash off the new bugs and then you start all over again. You could rub your hand over it and see the white oxidized gel coat/fiberglass/wax on your hand and in the white runoff that covered the hitch pin housing.
So, take a look at this web site called fiberglassrv.com.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f54/check-this-out-not-poliglow-time-will-tell-43004.html
Lots of discussion on restoring the shine on Casita campers and other older RVs using a product that is now call ZEP that LOWES carries.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_369986-531-ZUWLFF128___?productId=50286135&pl=1&Ntt=zep
Zep Commercial Wet-Look 12
z Floor Polish
Item #: 369986 | Model #: ZUWLFF128 $24.97
There's now 51 pages of discussion on the topic on the FiberglassRV forum so I'll boil it down to a couple of steps....
1. Clean the area you want to shine with a cleanser like "Bar Keepers Friend" That gets rid of all the dirt and grease
2. Wash all that cleanser off so you have a clean dry surface. Make sure any caulk/grout is also clean.
3. Apply a very thin coat of ZEP with a sponge. Wait for it to dry (5 min in a dry climate, 15 to 20 in a humid climate), then apply another thin coat. The thinner the better, and wipe out any air bubbles and runs.
4. Repeat until you've got 4 or 5 coats of ZEP on. I did 5 coats. Each new coat helps smooth out the previous coat and brings out a nicer, deeper shine. Don't be scared as the first couple of coats don't look good.
So last fall I got brave enough to give this a try. I took about an hour to fully scrub the front cap with the cleanser. Let everything dry. And starting applying the ZEP. I used a 4 in by 6 in sponge, about a 2 in thick I bought a lowes for $2 or so in their paint or wallpaper section and used a glass pie pan to hold the zep so I could dip one edge of the sponge in the zep.
Starting at the top of the cap I went from top to half way down all across the top half of the cap. Then came back and did middle to bottom all the way across. I also covered the rubber cap strip that covers the front cap screws and the grout/caulk. It was easier than I thought it would be, taking only about 10 minutes or less for each half coat. The first couple of coats are the hardest because you've got to put it on thin so you don't get runs. It gets easier with each successive coat as the prior coat helps hold the zep in place. But be careful to avoid runs and air bubbles.
Infact, it went so quickly that while I waited for drying on the front cap, I prepped and did the baggage doors on both sides of the 5th wheel. I think I started at 4PM and was done by 6PM
I am very pleased with the end result.....not quite like brand new, but my oh my, it looked almost brand new. The graphics also went from dull and faded to dark and shiny. The baggage doors look brand new.
Two weeks after this was done, the 5th wheel went from Iowa to Arizona where it was put in unprotected storage in the desert outside of Phoenix for the next 6 months. Sun shined on it, wind blown sand and dirt hit it, and in April it headed back out on the road again looking just as good as it did last October. (well, except for a test area I did on the LP gas tank door where I only put on two coats on half the door. There is some delamination of the zep along the edge between no zep and 2 coats).
An added benefit has been the caulk/grout between the end cap the rubber sealing tube that covers the screws, and the sealing tube itself that is suppose to be white but quickly gets black, when coated with the ZEP has stayed both white and shiny. Also, after picking up 800 miles of bugs from Arizona to Texas this spring, they washed off with just water and my 8 ft extension wash brush. Easiest front cap clean I've ever done.
Anyway, I like the results so much I've done the gray painted metal skirting and plastic wheel well cutouts a few weeks ago. They now shine as well. I'm now planning on doing the rear end cap which has absolutely no shine left on it.
If you want to invest $25 in a bottle of ZEP and a sponge, you can try it on a small area and see what you think. (I've used less than a quart of the one gallon bottle I bought) Your experience may be different than mine. Also, at some point the ZEP could start to peel off. I'm not sure what's required to remove the ZEP, but since it's a floor wax, there is a stripper that might do a good job of removing old zep
Zep Commercial Heavy-Duty Stripper Concentrate 128-fl oz Vinyl Floor CleanerZep Commercial Heavy-Duty Stripper Concentrate 128-fl oz Vin…
Price $9.97
The blog starts in 2010 so some folks have had it on their rv's for 6 years or more. Some saw flaking at two to four years. I saw some on my test spot after 6 months which had just two coats instead of 5 coats. So maybe applying a new coat over the old coats will get you 4 + years.
Again, my opinion, it's so much easier, lasts much longer, and looks just as good or better as all that rubbing, buffing, and repeated work of waxing.
Your mileage with ZEP may very.
Now, there's also a product I just learned about called "frog juice" that is a brush on/spray on clear coat (one web site called it automotive clear coat) that is used to protect murals painted on the side of buildings. If you've been to Alpine, TX and looked at the bright, shiny murals depicting the history of Alpine, you've seen frog juice. According to one of the sponsors of the murals, they do some touchup's of the frog juice coating every few years, mostly because the underlying building surface chips or crumbles, but it's been protecting the murals from sun, sand, and graffiti for over 15 years. I have no idea how it would work on fiberglass but I might give it try on my sidewalls. Anyone else have any experience with frog juice?
Lance
We have had Poliglow on our trailer for a couple of years and I have mixed feelings about it. While is has made a huge improvement on the front cap especially, I'm not quite ready to say I'm completely sold. I just don't know what would be any better. My biggest fear is what it's going to take to remove it when the time comes. I've heard that if not maintained and left to deteriorate, it can turn yellow and start to flake off. At that point they say it's extremely difficult to remove. Also, if you ever consider having your rv painted, you need to be sure to inform the folks doing the painting of the product used. If not properly removed it may interfere with the adhesion of the paint. I've read that removal of this type of wax prior to painting may be an additional charge.
If you consider using this type of product just be sure to do your research first. Check out the fiberglas, rv and boating forums and make an informed decision. There's a lot of information available, both pro and con.