Almost New Trailer, What to use to Protect it?

[TOFAST4U2C]

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss286/jtramuta/photo3.jpg
I recently purchased a built to order white 2012 Haulmark trailer. I am trying to figure out what I want to use to protect the finish as long as I can as it going to live outside as long as I own it. I am pretty sure it’s a plain vanilla single stage finish as the MFG says it’s a baked on coating. I think we all know it will oxidize if left un treated too long.
I was looking for advice on what to put on the toy hauler before the NY winter gets here. I also was thinking of some kind of clear coat on the aluminum roof trim to keep the black streaks away. The roof has been completely covered in an elastomer coating so that’s fine. I had a thought of using Duragloss 501 applied with an orange pad and a PC DA followed up by some Collinite 845. I like the sealing properties I have read about the 501. Recently I have tried it on my silver 2001 4Runner and seems to be working as advertised. Not many trailer finishing posts other than a few oxidized ones. I see no need to use anything other than some clay or just the Duragloss 501 to get off the little deposits that have landed since manufacture. I know anything too aggressive will eat the little finish they put on these trailers.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Jack

[tuscarora dave]

I work on a lot of those type of trailers. You are right that the coating (Paint) is thin and it is also super soft and very easy to polish through. I think right now while it's still relatively new, you should clean it up and apply a coating such as Opti-Coat. You'll want to polish it as little as is necessary so if you get a long lasting coating on it now it will never really need any polishing, just cleaning. The black streaks are from settled dust on the roof, when the dew settles on the dust on the roof and runs down the side, it brings the black with it. Keep the roof washed clean regularly and you won't get the black streaks.

Just my opinion and experience.

[tuscarora dave]

I just did this one a few weeks ago with DG #501. If you go this route, I suggest using nothing more aggressive than a white polishing pad.

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd323/tuscaroradave/027-19.jpg

[TOFAST4U2C]

Nice work Dave. Anything special on the SS fenders?

[tuscarora dave]

Thanks..These were actually very soft aluminum fenders and all the sealants that I tried discolored them. I ended up just using a good metal polish and left them like that. I got a few syringes of Opti-Guard the following week. I would've liked to have tried that on them but it was gone by then.