What is a good pad and polish combo for RV’s?

[Rav777]

I have done some of my families RV’s, but I want to see what some of you guys use as far as products and pads when it comes to motor homes. I want to add RV polish, correction, and wax packages, but I want to experiment with different combos and set up a good arsenal to tackle the average RV’s.

So what do you guys use or prefer when it comes to polishing your own RV or your customers RV’s? Is it necessary to use wool pads as well or should I save this for really oxidized paints? Should I also use special coatings as far as sealants or will car sealants work just as well?

Any help will be appreciated. I am going to practice on my families and friends RV’s as well as toy boxes so I can get enough practice before summer comes around (Have some customers interested). In the meantime I want to see what most of you have been using and I will try to build a process this way I am ready to tackle the job.

Thank you!

[tuscarora dave]

The only RVs that I have done have been very chalky oxidized and were gel coat. In my experience a wool pad was necessary combined with a heavy compound like Mothers Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound or even 3M Super Duty if the gel coat is rough enough. I use rotary with a 3M Superbuff 2+2 9 inch pad for the cutting and do a rotary polishing step with a foam polishing pad and something like Poorboys SSR2 or M-205. I use UPGP with good success on gel coat.

[Perfections]

For decent condition rv's duragloss 501 and a polishing pad will do most of your customers, if they are in bad shape I use menzerna power gloss followed by 501. FYI never take a job if the sides of the rv look like painted tin roofing, this means not only is it old but you'll be there 3-4 days trying to polishing it lol

[BillE]

For me, I'm a BIG fan of Megs 'Power-Cut Compound' and their 'One Step Compound' for the heavy duty stuff. I use a DA with yellow and orange LC pads.

A rotary with a 'wool pad' is the normal artillery, but age along with being up on a ladder (or even a scaffold) kinda forces me to use the DA.

Bill

[Rav777]

Thanks for the replies you guys. And sorry ahead of time for all of the questions I just really want to make sure I cover all of my bases :props:


The only RVs that I have done have been very chalky oxidized and were gel coat. In my experience a wool pad was necessary combined with a heavy compound like Mothers Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound or even 3M Super Duty if the gel coat is rough enough. I use rotary with a 3M Superbuff 2+2 9 inch pad for the cutting and do a rotary polishing step with a foam polishing pad and something like Poorboys SSR2 or M-205. I use UPGP with good success on gel coat.

Thanks for the reply Dave!

So are most RV's coated with Gel coats? And if they are not is there a way to tell if they have some sort of coating applied?

I have seen most people start off with wool pads, are these too aggresive to start with? Not sure if RV paint is prone to holograms like cars, I would assume a less aggresive polishing step would follow after wool?

The good thing is that these RV's have been kept pretty clean. They still have some shine on them but they do have the potential to get more shine out of them.



For decent condition rv's duragloss 501 and a polishing pad will do most of your customers, if they are in bad shape I use menzerna power gloss followed by 501. FYI never take a job if the sides of the rv look like painted tin roofing, this means not only is it old but you'll be there 3-4 days trying to polishing it lol

I have seen those tin looking RV's and I will definately stay away from them. Those things would be a real pain to do. Are you using a rotary? If so I am assuming you are using pads bigger than 6" inches right? Any luck with wool pads?



For me, I'm a BIG fan of Megs 'Power-Cut Compound' and their 'One Step Compound' for the heavy duty stuff. I use a DA with yellow and orange LC pads.

A rotary with a 'wool pad' is the normal artillery, but age along with being up on a ladder (or even a scaffold) kinda forces me to use the DA.

Bill

Thanks for the reply Bill, and that is cool that you are able to use a DA. Are you still able to spin larger pads with the DA?

I believe It was the Megs power cut compound someone told me about for RV's, I will research all the ones mentioned.

[D_Nyholm]

I've only done one, and I used Megs D151 and a LC white pad with a Flex. I tried it with a LC HT Cyan pad and it left what looked like swirl marks behind. Granted, i was going quickly, but I do not think more time would have helped dramatically. The condition of the paint was pretty decent the begin with and this combo pulled off the oxidation quickly and left a nice shine behind. I did it again 6 months later and the condition was obviously a little better, but used the same combo again:

http://www.weebly.com/uploads/6/4/8/8/6488042/5060991_orig.jpg

[Jimmie]

I've done mine a number of times. It was chalky at first so I settled on black wool/compound. Next was DG 501/orange. The rest of the time I used blue wool/compound; DG 501.
Just the nature of the gel coat on motorhomes seem to make it tough to get the consistent even deep shine of auto paint.

[Perfections]

I only use wool on really neglected finishes, usually I'm using flex da orange pad with 501 or if the coats in good shape white pad with duragloss 105

[Kristopher1129]

Gelcoat Labs has a nice one step product. Works real well.

[tuscarora dave]

Thanks for the reply Dave!

So are most RV's coated with Gel coats? And if they are not is there a way to tell if they have some sort of coating applied?

I have seen most people start off with wool pads, are these too aggresive to start with? Not sure if RV paint is prone to holograms like cars, I would assume a less aggresive polishing step would follow after wool?

I have only seen 2 types of RVs, 1. gel coat and 2. the tin type that someone here warned about being a pain in the rear end. (I second that notion)

Treat them just as anything else and do a test section starting with the least aggressive method first. Dial in your process and have at it. Don't be surprised if your tested method don't cut it in all areas of the gel coat as sometimes an RV will sit with one side being tortured by the sun all day for years on end. This side or area may require a more intense method of correction. I'd think an RV owner (if they knew better) should rotate the parking position of the RV from time to time so that the sun beats on both sides instead of just one side at a time but I guess that would be for another thread.

Oh yeah, the wool pads will instill holograms in gel coat too so a followup step should be used after using a wool pad but depending on product selection and technique, with practice, you can eliminate the holograms instilled by the wool pads.

[BillE]

Thanks for the reply Bill, and that is cool that you are able to use a DA. Are you still able to spin larger pads with the DA?

I believe It was the Megs power cut compound someone told me about for RV's, I will research all the ones mentioned.

On super flat areas I CAN get a 6 1/2" to rotate fine. But on 99% of what I do, I use 4 inchers for 'cutting' and then up to 5 1/2 for follow up.

A note of caution...watch the heat! Lay your hand on the surface(s) often, 'plastics' do not like too much warmth.

Bill

[Vegas Transplant]

Detailing rv's can be a lucrative operation. However, there is a large learning curve. What I mean by this is that some of your higher end units are bc/cc and can be proccessed just like an automobile. Some units are gelcoat, and some cheaper (qualitywise,not pricewise) units have a skin adhered to a wood product. This skin is ,similar to the rubber roof in the photo by D_Nyholm, but is glued to a plywood or particle board product . You see this mainly on toy haulers and lower end travel trailers and fifth-wheels. Condition is also key in determining your process. ON a heavily oxidized gel-coat or single stage I would suggest using an apc mixed heavily in your wash soap and also utilizing a pressure washer instead of a waterhose,as this will "cut" the oxidation. You would be surprised at the amount of dead paint and oxidation pooling on the pavement. This would also save time and effort in the compounding and removal step. Another isuue to deal with is the quanity of pads that you are going to use and or destroy. Finally, even though I did not specifically answer pad/pol. question, I would not recommend wool on a unit that has large areas of graphics and or vinyl. Taping of such large and intricate areas are costly and time consuming. RV's are a large canvas that will show your skills or lack thereof so pick your customer carefully. Happy trails...

[BillE]

^^^ Very well said Sir!

Bill

[Vegas Transplant]

^^^ Very well said Sir!

Bill Thanx. RV's are like cars. Models and Paints and materials differ from manufacturers as does the quality. American Coach had a rough spell of paint finishes in the 07 and 08 line and their units are quite pricey. If you plan on using a truck brush with an extended pole you must be very careful around the lights,especially the 'porch light' and marker lights, and around the fan exhaust for the stove. Must also be careful around the 'basement storage' area as some contain electronics such as tv, stereo, refridgerator ,etc. and water can get behind the door seals and prove to be quite costly. Another point of interest is the small door for the refridgerator on the outside of the unit. These are plastic also, and somewhat fragile and do get brittle with age. Not to mention their design, to vent hot motor air out, allows copious amonts of water in, if you are not careful. Also alot of units use a plastic drip rail or gutter that is usually brittle. On another note, I would also reccommend using some type of filtering device on your water source due to the acreage of panels that will dry before get to the drying process, leaving plenty of water spots. Finally, if you are doing a unit with polished aluminum wheels, some of the Alcoas have a protective finish that can not be polished with aluminum polish as they will stain. Happy trails...

[Rav777]

I've only done one, and I used Megs D151 and a LC white pad with a Flex. I tried it with a LC HT Cyan pad and it left what looked like swirl marks behind. Granted, i was going quickly, but I do not think more time would have helped dramatically. The condition of the paint was pretty decent the begin with and this combo pulled off the oxidation quickly and left a nice shine behind. I did it again 6 months later and the condition was obviously a little better, but used the same combo again:

http://www.weebly.com/uploads/6/4/8/8/6488042/5060991_orig.jpg

Wow that thing is pretty nice. I wonder how much those RV's run at. Most of what I see down here are toy haulers since we live so close to the desert. And from my understanding and experience with friends having one is that they are kinda built on the cheap side. I am sure they are some expensive models out there.


I've done mine a number of times. It was chalky at first so I settled on black wool/compound. Next was DG 501/orange. The rest of the time I used blue wool/compound; DG 501.
Just the nature of the gel coat on motorhomes seem to make it tough to get the consistent even deep shine of auto paint.

Thank you, Jimmie. I have never used 501 but I know a friend who has some. I am going to try that out on a test spot and see how it works.


I only use wool on really neglected finishes, usually I'm using flex da orange pad with 501 or if the coats in good shape white pad with duragloss 105

I will keep that in mind thanks. Seems like most of you guys use the 501.


Gelcoat Labs has a nice one step product. Works real well.

I just stumbled accros this product. Never knew AG carried it. Seems like it comes in the right amount for RV use.


I have only seen 2 types of RVs, 1. gel coat and 2. the tin type that someone here warned about being a pain in the rear end. (I second that notion)

Treat them just as anything else and do a test section starting with the least aggressive method first. Dial in your process and have at it. Don't be surprised if your tested method don't cut it in all areas of the gel coat as sometimes an RV will sit with one side being tortured by the sun all day for years on end. This side or area may require a more intense method of correction. I'd think an RV owner (if they knew better) should rotate the parking position of the RV from time to time so that the sun beats on both sides instead of just one side at a time but I guess that would be for another thread.

Oh yeah, the wool pads will instill holograms in gel coat too so a followup step should be used after using a wool pad but depending on product selection and technique, with practice, you can eliminate the holograms instilled by the wool pads.

Thank you for the informative post Dave. I never thought about one side being more sun beat than the other. I guess these are all factors to take into consideration, especially since I rarely, if ever have seen people rotate their RV's.

I will keep the wool pads just in case I get some bad ones :props:





Detailing rv's can be a lucrative operation. However, there is a large learning curve. What I mean by this is that some of your higher end units are bc/cc and can be proccessed just like an automobile. Some units are gelcoat, and some cheaper (qualitywise,not pricewise) units have a skin adhered to a wood product. This skin is ,similar to the rubber roof in the photo by D_Nyholm, but is glued to a plywood or particle board product . You see this mainly on toy haulers and lower end travel trailers and fifth-wheels. Condition is also key in determining your process. ON a heavily oxidized gel-coat or single stage I would suggest using an apc mixed heavily in your wash soap and also utilizing a pressure washer instead of a waterhose,as this will "cut" the oxidation. You would be surprised at the amount of dead paint and oxidation pooling on the pavement. This would also save time and effort in the compounding and removal step. Another isuue to deal with is the quanity of pads that you are going to use and or destroy. Finally, even though I did not specifically answer pad/pol. question, I would not recommend wool on a unit that has large areas of graphics and or vinyl. Taping of such large and intricate areas are costly and time consuming. RV's are a large canvas that will show your skills or lack thereof so pick your customer carefully. Happy trails...




Thanx. RV's are like cars. Models and Paints and materials differ from manufacturers as does the quality. American Coach had a rough spell of paint finishes in the 07 and 08 line and their units are quite pricey. If you plan on using a truck brush with an extended pole you must be very careful around the lights,especially the 'porch light' and marker lights, and around the fan exhaust for the stove. Must also be careful around the 'basement storage' area as some contain electronics such as tv, stereo, refridgerator ,etc. and water can get behind the door seals and prove to be quite costly. Another point of interest is the small door for the refridgerator on the outside of the unit. These are plastic also, and somewhat fragile and do get brittle with age. Not to mention their design, to vent hot motor air out, allows copious amonts of water in, if you are not careful. Also alot of units use a plastic drip rail or gutter that is usually brittle. On another note, I would also reccommend using some type of filtering device on your water source due to the acreage of panels that will dry before get to the drying process, leaving plenty of water spots. Finally, if you are doing a unit with polished aluminum wheels, some of the Alcoas have a protective finish that can not be polished with aluminum polish as they will stain. Happy trails...

Vegas thank you for the very informative post. I can see you have a lot of experience detailing RV's and large rigs like your avatar. I hope you did not find out the fragile spots on the rigs by accident ha. From what I have seen it seems like the bus looking RV's that I might get have actual clear on them. There are plenty of toy haulers here so I will probably be seeing those the most. The good thing is I am using DI water, I am so over using regular water lol. And thank you greatly for the pointers on the wheels. I wonder if they have a protective layer like Opti Coat.

The good thing is I am starting on families RV's before I move on to paying customers.