RaggTopp Fabric Protectant Review - Waterproofing & Waterbeading and Good Looks Too!

[Mike Phillips]

RaggTopp Fabric Protectant Review - Waterproofing & Waterbeadingand and Good Looks Too! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/21706-raggtopp-fabric-protectant-review-waterproofing-waterbeading.html)


After having my Bikini Top made I treated it with 2-3 applications of RaggTopp (http://www.autogeek.net/rafaca.html) Fabric Protectant to insure it was waterproof because when it rains here in Stuart, Florida it comes down by the bucket loads.

About an hour ago we had a shower and there was a thread about cloth tops and vinyl tops and that got me wondering what my top looked like as it's easily been about a month since I treated the Bikini Top. This truck is parked out side 24 hours a day and 7 days a week so it sees ALL the rain we get as well as a lot of wind and dirt and dust in the air. For all these reasons I wanted to get a good waterproof coating applied before the top had any dirt penetrated into the weave of the cloth.

So I grabbed my trusty and polish splatted Rebel T1i and snapped a few pictures for another thread and thought, heck might as well make this a review while I'm at it..

This is a far shot looking just past the Surfboard brackets. The water pools in 4 areas that sink down with the weight of the accumulated water but the water never penetrates into the inside of the fabric.

At the higher elevations of the top surrounding the edge of the windshield the water beads up. Either place, doesn't matter as the water never penetrates the material, it just beads up or pools.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/752/RaggToppBeading01.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/752/RaggToppBeading02.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/752/RaggToppBeading03.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/752/RaggToppBeading04.jpg


My top was new and as such clean so if you're working on an older top you should consider getting the kit and cleaning the top well before sealing it with the protectant.

RaggTopp Fabric Convertible Top Care Kit (http://www.autogeek.net/racotopcakit.html)
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/autogeek_2076_32807062

Or by itself...

RaggTopp Fabric Protectant (http://www.autogeek.net/rapr.html)
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/autogeek_2076_33294292


Besides creating a waterproof surface, the RaggTopp Protectant also provides


Protects By Keeping Out the Elements of Nature and Man
Renews and Extends the Life of Older Tops
UV Protection with UV Stabilizers
Contains NO SILICONE
Will Not Harm Automotive Finishes, Chrome, Trim, Glass, Vinyl, Rubber or Plastic Windows
Ozone Friendly to Meet California Air Quality Standards
Tested and endorsed by Haartz Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer of convertible topping


It's also real easy to apply just use it like a can of spray paint and allow enough time for each application to dry before applying follow-up coatings.

On a side note, I met the owner Rick Goldstein at SEMA and he's a genuinely nice guy as well as a car guy!

http://www.autogeekonline.net/sema2009/IMG_3813.JPG


Besides protecting and waterproofing your top, it keeps it looking new...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/747/JimmysNewTop01.jpg


:xyxthumbs:

[Da Fats]

any comparisons with 303 products? and is itsomething you must repeat often?

[cobraa]

any comparisons with 303 products? and is itsomething you must repeat often?

as soon as I saw this topic, I had the SAME EXACT question. comparaison to 303?

[christian900se]

I have used both and feel like I have enough experience to compare them.

I find that 303 is clearly better (fabric guard) because it has better durability, and it beads what better while being much easier to apply in my opinion. But Raggtop is still a decent product, just not my preference.

[Da Fats]

thanks for the feedback... I asked because this was the next item to add to my arsenal for clients cars...

[Jossy92]

Thanks for the review. I have a friend with a PT Cruiser (fabric) convertible. Left outside for at least a year.

It took Megs APC and clay just to clean off the CC for NXT.
When I tried to brush off the tiny leaves and "lint" the stuff just rolled around into wads of gunk. (Washing had no affect.)

I will give the RaggTopp a try after a preliminary APC 10:1 wash with my upholstery brush from AG. Then use the RaggTopp cleaner to get the apc residue off. (Assuming there is one.)

edit: Appreciate the above comments re 303. Wish I had read them before posting. Have 303 questions about vinyl versus fabric...whether durability affects subsequest cleanings... The ususal newb stuff.

Appreciate your offering no opinion until you actually test the 303. Busy, so that must be way down on your to-do list.

[christian900se]

No problem, I used Raggtopp for almost two years on my car as well as in my details so I definately have a grasp of what it is capable of. My biggest problem with it is application; the aerosol spray makes it very hard to minimize overspray. Also, it doesn't make the color of the top look as deep as if I were to use 303. The two are similar durability wise, but I give the edge in terms of water repellency to 303 as well as in the looks department (which is an opinion).

[Jossy92]

Thanks much for your answer. Which one do you feel would be easier for someone working on a top for the first time?