Need some advice RV detailing
Auto Detailing 101Discuss Need some advice RV detailing in the Auto Detailing Forums forums; Ok, so I read as many posts as I could until my eyes burnt, I was so excited 2 weeks ...
Ok, so I read as many posts as I could until my eyes burnt, I was so excited 2 weeks ago when I placed my order. Pic. 1 Order, Pic. 2 free mystery gift from labor day sale. Spent all day Sat. washing it and some maintenance on the roof. Then I read some more this morning and decided I just needed to go see what happens. First I started with the front bumper using my orange flat pad and 503 the pad turned almost black right away. Is this normal? I used hand application with a microfiber towel to get around the spots I couldn't with the Flex 3401. The problem is when I tried to use the 3401 and same pad on the white it left some gray haze in places. So I redid those spots by hand and it took them off. I thought ok so I have to use a different pad on the turquoise then the white parts. Sorry no picture, I started soaking the pad in DP cleaner so I didn't get a picture of the black one. The picture is the ccs orange pad I started using on the white part. You can see the how little the area I did was. Again is the darkness normal? On the graphics I hope you can see the stains from the roof cleaner/life. Does anyone have a idea of how I can clean them better than the 503 did? This is my first time so any help is greatly appreciated. Ray said I would be able to do the whole RV with only 3 orange pads. If they get this dirty and I need to change them out I'll need something like 40 pads. lol I also wanted to know is there a way to clean the pads so they don't transfer the grey marks. I used a towel on the black pad didn't work that well, so I stopped and cleaned it in DP. Tonight I soaked them in DP,used the Pinnacle pad cleaner that came with the kit, then washed them by hand with Oxiclean and they are now in the front loader washing machine using Oxiclean low wash cycle Hot water. Are the pads going to come clean from the gray spots? Is there a better way to clean them during usage and still be able to use them to detail with, other than the cleaner bucket? P.S. I have to give a big KUDOS to all of the professionals that make a living in this field you work hard for your money. I used to be a tile roofer so I'm no stranger to hard work, and I can say you work hard. Thanks again, Scott
Last edited by Red Fire; 09-02-2012 at 09:45 PM.
Reason: New Pad Pictures.
Question 1, you were turning the pad instantly black polishing the green front bumper?
It sounds, from your other polishing experiences on the sides, there's a ton of contamination built up on the surface and probably oxidation. It's ok to polish the graphics, but do that last with a mf towel by hand or it will probably drag color smear onto the white sections. Clean the pad with the "clean the pad on the fly technique" every single time you polish a section. If there's oxidation you'll need to step up to a compound. My favorite for newer people to the rv polishing is Meguiars marine one step compound, super easy to use and remove. Then follow up with the 501
Next time you post split the paragraph up into about 4. I stopped reading because it was to much of a cluster. I have made paragraphs like yours but someone told me the same thing once.
Yes, the pad went black on the first half of the bumper. I did do a small section of the graphic with the polisher, but the pad was already dark gray. The last pic is after cleaning the pads, is this as clean as they will get? Thanks
Last edited by Red Fire; 09-02-2012 at 10:39 PM.
Reason: "clean the pad on the fly technique"? Is there more than the towel and brush technique?
I used Meguiars #67 one step compound, followed by Fk1000. Great combo, i used a GG6 and it was a PITA. Used about 4 pads, after every other section pass I switched pads so they wouldn't over heat. Also used a 3in backing plate with 4in pads for small places, call me lazy,but buffing gelcoat by hand is annoying and takes way too long. To clean the pads, I used a microfiber to scrub the face of the pad. Found this to work better then a pad brush. Hope this helps.
Before
After
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David 2000 Ford F-350 DRW CCLB BLACK/GOLD
Wish list:
Everything Mike has in his garage for detailing
Yes, the pad went black on the first half of the bumper. I did do a small section of the graphic with the polisher, but the pad was already dark gray. The last pic is after cleaning the pads, is this as clean as they will get? Thanks
The first RV I did was severely neglected and oxidized with clear coat failure. There was intense fallout contamination all over the entire thing. My pads got really dirty, just like what you are experiencing.
I ended up rotating between about 4 pads. Polish a section, buff off, clean pad, spin dry, switch to new pad. The pads were left on a grit guard to dry while I continued polishing. Then by the time I rotated to the next pad it would already be 95% dry from when I washed it.
The only other option, other than repeatedly cleaning your pads, would be to iron-x or clay the entire RV... That would probably be excessively expensive OR excessively time consuming. Best bet would be to let the pads polish off and absorb the contamination and just keep cleaning them on the fly. Sure it will take a little longer but the results will be worth it!
Ok, so I read as many posts as I could until my eyes burnt, I was so excited 2 weeks ago when I placed my order. Pic. 1 Order, Pic. 2 free mystery gift from labor day sale. Spent all day Sat. washing it and some maintenance on the roof.
Then I read some more this morning and decided I just needed to go see what happens. First I started with the front bumper using my orange flat pad and 503 the pad turned almost black right away. Is this normal?
I used hand application with a microfiber towel to get around the spots I couldn't with the Flex 3401. The problem is when I tried to use the 3401 and same pad on the white it left some gray haze in places.
So I redid those spots by hand and it took them off. I thought ok so I have to use a different pad on the turquoise then the white parts. Sorry no picture, I started soaking the pad in DP cleaner so I didn't get a picture of the black one. The picture is the ccs orange pad I started using on the white part.
You can see the how little the area I did was. Again is the darkness normal? On the graphics I hope you can see the stains from the roof cleaner/life. Does anyone have a idea of how I can clean them better than the 503 did?
This is my first time so any help is greatly appreciated. Ray said I would be able to do the whole RV with only 3 orange pads. If they get this dirty and I need to change them out I'll need something like 40 pads. lol I also wanted to know is there a way to clean the pads so they don't transfer the grey marks.
I used a towel on the black pad didn't work that well, so I stopped and cleaned it in DP. Tonight I soaked them in DP,used the Pinnacle pad cleaner that came with the kit, then washed them by hand with Oxiclean and they are now in the front loader washing machine using Oxiclean low wash cycle Hot water. Are the pads going to come clean from the gray spots? Is there a better way to clean them during usage and still be able to use them to detail with, other than the cleaner bucket?
P.S. I have to give a big KUDOS to all of the professionals that make a living in this field you work hard for your money. I used to be a tile roofer so I'm no stranger to hard work, and I can say you work hard. Thanks again, Scott
__________________
...Rollin down the strip on Vogues~Comin up slammin Cadillac do's
Hi Red
I'm new here & not an experienced detailer. However I've owned & maintained RV's for 25 years.
1st- Is the siding on your MH gelcoat or Filon?
Are the graphics painted on, or are they Vinyl decals? If they are vinyl do not run your machine over them or use any kind of polish or wax on them, even by hand.
Yes that kind of dark pad load is common on gelcoat or Filon. You may be using too much product for the size area you are working on. Back off on how much you are applying to the pad & see how that works. Clean the pad often.
Your pics are very small & I can't see any detail. Are you achieving the clean & shine you expected?
PS: Is that bumper metal or Fiberglass? Oxidized metal tends to put off a very thick black paste when compounded.
Hi Red
I'm new here & not an experienced detailer. However I've owned & maintained RV's for 25 years.
1st- Is the siding on your MH gelcoat or Filon?
Are the graphics painted on, or are they Vinyl decals? If they are vinyl do not run your machine over them or use any kind of polish or wax on them, even by hand.
Yes that kind of dark pad load is common on gelcoat or Filon. You may be using too much product for the size area you are working on. Back off on how much you are applying to the pad & see how that works. Clean the pad often.
Your pics are very small & I can't see any detail. Are you achieving the clean & shine you expected?
PS: Is that bumper metal or Fiberglass? Oxidized metal tends to put off a very thick black paste when compounded.
Hi, I thought it was fiberglass siding with a clear coat. But it maybe the Filon has the little hairs they talk about in the description. The graphics are vinyl. The bumper is fiberglass.
The dark green graphic is what made the pad so dark, not the bumper and bottom turquoise side.
If you don't use wax, what would you recommend? 303?
The amount of product could be to much, I first did the pad prep (speed all over at first) then started with the 4 dots, then thought that wasn't enough so went to the all over spider web. Is that to much , I was afraid of not having enough and ruining a pad wasn't really sure?
Need some advice RV detailing 
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