How to wash, polish and wax your RV or Motorhome

[BillE]

OK,received the Pinnacle XMT 360 last PM.Started waxing RV today..
Gelcoat and no matter how long I run the orbital on it,it will not disappear and needs to be buffed off.It does not buff off easy..The Gelcoat is cleaned up and shiny but taking a long time.
I am using Griots 6" orbital with Griot's orange pad...Any ideas?
This thing is 37ft long and 8.5 high.Mostly ladder work..It does look nice where I have been but difficult to buff off..Thank you


May I make a suggestion?

Rent some scaffolding. Working on a ladder is fine for small areas, but the whole thing is a bear to say the least.

Much more safe and the feeling of NOT falling is worth its' weight in gold.

Bill

[Fuzzyp]

Thanks,will look into renting scaffold..Pull this thing with a Volvo 770 tractor..it's 13'2" high(Black) Scaffold would be nice there also.Thanks again

[Mike Phillips]

Gelcoat and no matter how long I run the orbital on it, it will not disappear and needs to be buffed off.



I'm sorry, but I don't understand the above sentence.

Especially in context with the below sentence.

Do you mean,


OXIDATION and no matter how long I run the orbital on it, it will not disappear and needs to be buffed off.


BLACK STREAKS and no matter how long I run the orbital on it, it will not disappear and needs to be buffed off.






It does not buff off easy..

The Gelcoat is cleaned up and shiny but taking a long time.



Here you're saying the gel-coat is cleaned up and shiny but taking a long time but in the first sentence it reads like you're saying the opposite? I'm trying.... but not quite sure I understand where you need help?






I am using Griots 6" orbital with Griot's orange pad...Any ideas?



Did you mark your backing plate with a black mark and is the pad rotating when you apply pressure?

See this article,

Video: Mark your backing plate to make it easy to see pad rotation (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-car-garage-how-videos/49489-video-mark-your-backing-plate-make-easy-see-pad-rotation.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1423/MarkYourBackingPlate01.jpg







This thing is 37ft long and 8.5 high.Mostly ladder work..It does look nice where I have been but difficult to buff off..Thank you



IF you're trying to remove oxidation then you want to use the product heavy or wet. That means you use a lot of product so you have plenty of liquid (chemicals and abrasives on the surface working for you).

Most of the time when people talk about waxing something they say lay down a thin coat. That's not how it works when using a one-step cleaner/wax to remove oxidation. Totally different process.

As you remove oxidation it mixes with the cleaner/wax and makes a gummy mess and thus... hard to wipe off.

Use more product and work smaller sections and then wipe off immediately.

As for how to do this type of work faster?

Get a Flex 3401.


:)

[Mike Phillips]

I'm in the middle of teaching our 3-day detailing class so no more time for the forum. Was typing these replies out while taking a lunch break.

One more article for you, lots of info on how to use a cleaner/wax.


How to choose and use a one-step cleaner/wax by Mike Phillips (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/81546-how-choose-one-step-cleaner-wax.html)


Back to the class, next up we'll be buffing out a 1950 Ford Custom.... the orange one in the picture below.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=100023


Just to note... I do cover how to correctly use one-step cleaner/waxes in my classes.



:)

[Mike Phillips]

The below was forwarded to me via e-mail?





Thanks for the answers....

I apologize for the confusion in my question...

The directions state to apply until product disappears...that didn't happen.

I had to buff of after application..It did clean up the Gelcoat well.
I guess where I questioned was the claim "One Step". It was not that. No complaints just wondering if I was doing something wrong ie,wrong pad or ???..

Thanks for the reply..

No black streaks, just the products does not disappear it needs to be buffed off. It works fine then




Okay, now I understand.

You were applying the Pinnacle XMT 360 which is a one-step cleaner/wax.

The directions state to buff the product till it disappears and when you followed the directions the product did not disappear and instead you had to wipe the residue off the surface by hand.


Got it!


Here's the deal. I didn't write the directions for this cleaner/wax. If I had they would probably need a small booklet to go with the bottle as I tend to over-write.

While the directions may work for some cars in some situations, (and in your case you're working on an RV), in reality, like I share in the article I included the link to above, in reality anytime you're using a one-step cleaner/wax on a neglected finish you want to use the product HEAVY or WET.

This means use a LOT of product because you want a LOT of liquid on the surface working for you. The liquid, (the wax) is doing these things,


Cleaning
Abrading
Polishing
Loosening
Lubricating
Sealing

That's a lot to ask from a product and it's also why you want to use the product heavy, or wet.

As for buffing till it disappears. That isn't going to happen on an oxidized RV.

First - You're removing dead, oxidized gel-coat. This gel-coat you're abrading off has to go somewhere. It's not simply going to disappear on it's own.

It's normal to have to wipe this residue off by hand.

The only time you would be able to buff a cleaner/wax till it disappears is if the surface is in GREAT condition and you only use a LITTLE BIT of wax.

Second - Even then, as you work around the vehicle, your pad is going to get wet with product and leave behind a film that has to be wiped off by hand.

I'm actually NOT a fan of the buff till the product disappears recommendation because when the product disappears you're losing lubrication, (the liquid is gone), and this can lead to micro-marring of the surface.

In fact, in my how-to book and on this forum I have an article on this topic.

Wet Buffing Technique (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/36237-wet-buffing-technique.html)



And to better explain what's happening at the surface level when you're buffing and why you will have to not only wipe the residue off the surface but also clean your buffing pad, here's this article.

Why it's important to clean your pads often... (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/28755-why-s-important-clean-your-pads-often.html)



Hope that helps.... sorry for the confusion on my part. Glad to hear your RV detail came out good.



:dblthumb2:

[Fuzzyp]

WOW! Thanks for the links and all the tips.Greatly appreciated

[NuthinFancy]

I don't see anything regarding coverage on products. How much Detailer’s Pro Series Xtreme Foam Formula Auto Shampoo should I expect to use on a 40' motorhome?

[NuthinFancy]

Also the
32 oz. Pinnacle XMT 360