Removing oxidation on travel trailer with Filon siding

[fletcher33]

I'm a complete rookie when it comes to detailing and wanted to know what would be the correct steps/tools to remove oxidation and polish my 2005 30' Ameri-Camp travel trailer. After researching it seems the sidewalls are high gloss filon. Any tips and information would be greatly appreciated. Also I will be using the Meguiars MT300 DA. Thank you!

[GSKR]

Considering its age and somewhat of a large project,the goal would be to polish it once.Menzerna 3 in 1 works pretty good on that material.stay away from colored products may stain.along with some orange foam cutting pads for moderate fade,along with some patience.Top it with some powerlock sealant.when working on these trailers you have to make sure all the oxidation is removed other wise when you apply your last step protection it will dry into the material and it will be very hard to remove.so just take your time polishing it with the megs machine.

[Mike Phillips]

I'm a complete rookie when it comes to detailing and wanted to know what would be the correct steps/tools to remove oxidation and polish my 2005 30' Ameri-Camp travel trailer.

After researching it seems the sidewalls are high gloss filon.

Any tips and information would be greatly appreciated. Also I will be using the Meguiars MT300 DA.

Thank you!

Hi fletcher33,

Since this is your first post,

Welcome to AutogeekOnline!


High gloss filon is simply prefabricated fiberglas panels with a gel-coat finish so basically you can treat the oxidation like you would an oxidized gel-coat boat.

Like Jeff aka GSKR stated, when buffing out LARGE things like this the easiest way is to use a one-step cleaner/wax because this way you only have to go around the travel trailer once time. This includes buffing the sides and then wiping the wax residue off.

If you do a two step then this means buffing the sides twice and wiping the sides off twice. If you do a three step then buffing the sides three times and wiping the sides off three times. The point is with a one-step you can remove the oxidation and restore a glossy finish and only go around the trailer one time.

The more steps you do generally the better the results so it's up to you and your expectations but a quality one-step cleaner/wax will do a great job in one step. The the SECRET to detailing RVs and trailers is after you restore the gel-coat finish REGULARLY MAINTAIN it so it doesn't get bad again. Then buffing out the trailer will be fast and easy.

In the McKee's RV line there are two high quality one-step cleaner waxes, a light cutting and medium cutting. I'd recommend starting with the more aggressive product to cut the oxidation quicly but down the road maintain with the light cleaning cleaner/wax.


This is the heavy cutting cleaner/wax, note the word compound is in the name.

McKee’s RV One-Step Compound, Polish & Wax 32 oz





This is the light cutting or light cleaning cleaner/wax



McKee’s RV All-In-One Cleaner Wax & Sealant - 32 ounce







As for buffing pads for your Meguiar's MT300 I'd suggest getting a supply of their foam discs. These are THIN and will rotate really well on your MT300. The maroon cutting pad is very aggressive and should work really well to remove the oxidation. With a project this large I'd say get a minimum of 6 pads and even 12 pads would be best PLUS by swapping out to a fresh pad often you'll do better work faster and these pads will LAST LONGER so you can use them again in the future.


Here's my article on THIN foam buffing pads and in this article you'll find thin foam buffing pads from Lake Country, Griot's and Meguiar's and the links to the store are also in the thread.


5.5" SUPER THIN FOAM PAD OPTIONS for your Dual Action Polisher



Super thin 5.5" foam buffing pads






The primary benefit to super thin foam pads is that free spinning orbital polishers are able to rotate and oscillate these pads better than thick pads.


What does this mean to you?

You can compound and polish paint to perfection faster than ever before when using orbital polishers like the Porter Cable 7424XP or the Griot's Garage 6" DA polisher.



Currently Autogeek carries three brands of super thin foam pads,


From left to right

Lake Country 5.5" ThinPro foam pads

Griot's Garage BOSS 5.5" foam pads

Meguiar's 5.5" foam discs









Lake Country 5.5" ThinPro foam pads






Griot's Garage BOSS 5.5" foam pads






The Griot's BOSS foam pads are unique from the rest in that they have a hole in the center of the pad.





Meguiar's 5.5" foam discs





Thinner, smaller pads rotate and oscillate easier simply because they have less mass. Not only do they rotate better because they have less mass but since there is less mass pad saturation is not as influential of a factor as it is for thick pads on dual action polishers.




On Autogeek.com

It's a good idea to purchase a backing plate from the same company you purchase your pads so that way you know you're the velcro attachment system for the pads and the backing plate will match.


Lake Country

Lake Country ThinPro Foam Pad System 5.5 inch


Lake Country 5" Dual-Action Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate




Griot's

5.5 Inch BOSS Pads

6.5 Inch BOSS Pads

Griots Garage 5 Inch Vented Orbital Backing Plate




Meguiar's

Meguiars 5 Inch DA Foam Discs

Meguiars Soft Buff DBP5 DA Polisher 5 inch Backing Plate





Need a dual action polisher?

Below are the simple, safe and easy to learn how to use dual action polishers available at Autogeek.com

These tool all offer an 8mm orbit stroke length and work best with the thin pads and matching backing plates shared in this article. These tools all operate the same way just some of them use a longer body style for those that prefer a traditional shaped polisher.

Note: Some polishers are available with a heavy duty 25' electrical cord pre-wired into the tool. These are exclusive to Autogeek and when purchased through Autogeek you get the same factory warranty as the version with the stock electrical cord. The longer cord enables you to safe time because you don't have to mess around with extension cords coming un-plugged. The 25' cords also use the recommended heavy gauge wire to protect the tools electronics. Using an extension cord that uses light gauge wiring can damage your tool and void your warranty. Wiring in your own extended cord will void your warranty.



Porter Cable 7424XP - Standard cord

Porter Cable 7424XP - HD Cord - 25' Heavy Duty Cord already pre-wired

Griot's Garage 6" ROP - Standard cord

Griots Garage 6 Inch Heavy Duty Random Orbital Polisher - HD Cord - 25' Heavy Duty Cord already pre-wired

Meguiars MT300 Dual Action Polisher

Chemical Guys TORQ 10FX Random Orbital Polisher

Shurhold DA Polisher

[Mike Phillips]

Hate to assume - that said I'm assuming you have a 5" backing plate to use with 5.5" pads?

If not here's my article on backing plates,


5” Backing Plates Options for Dual Action Polishers



5” Backing Plates



Backing plates have come a long way!
In my first how-to book, The Art of Detailing, and in the second edition, The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine I document with pictures what early backing plates looked like and the evolution they went through as using dual action polishers like the Porter Cable 7424 hit the tipping point and went mainstream.

Now there are more brands to choose from and the quality has increased dramatically to withstand hours of extreme punishment in production detailing environments and I know some of you guys reading this completely understand what I mean when I say extreme punishment!


Not all the same
I know it’s easy for the average person to think that all backing plates are the same except for maybe the color or brand stamped on the back but that’s not true. There can be major differences in the material used, the shape and design, whether or not the backing plate is flexible or rigid and whether or not the backing plate has a tapered edge or not. One popular backing plate by Griot’s includes vented cooling holes to allow heat escape.





Differences in hook & loop material
Besides the design of the backing plate there are also differences in the style and type of hook-n-loop material used for the purpose of attaching a buffing pad to the backing plate. There are at least three different styles of hook-n-loop options currently used for backing plate construction that I’m aware of.

1. J-hooks
2. Barb or Mushroom hooks
3. Micro-hooks

For each design of hook there is a matching design of loop material.
Why is this important? Because for the best attachment performance you want to use a matched system, that is you want to use a backing plate that uses a hook design that will form the proper attachment to the loop material of the pads you’re using. If you use mismatched hook-n-loop systems your pad could literally fall off the backing plate because the hooks won’t make the correct attachment to the loop material.


How can a person know what type of hook and loop material backing plates and pads use?
Like car wax companies, backing plate manufacturers and pad manufacturers are not in the business of sharing what they consider to be proprietary information. This means without being an expert in the hook-n-loop industry it can be a tick on the difficult side to know for sure what you’re getting when you make a purchase.


Here’s a tip...
The best way to ensure the hook material on the backing plate will match the loop material on the back of a buffing pad is to simply purchase your backing plate from the same company that manufactures the pads you use. This involves the word trust. You need to trust that the company has done their homework and understands the importance of using matching hook-n-loop material for their brand of pads and thus you don’t have to be an expert on hook-n-loop technology. Let the pad manufacturer own this responsibility.



Backing plate options

Here at Autogeek we carry 4 different brands of 5” backing plates and that fit tools like,

Porter Cable 7424XP

Griot’s Garage 6” DA

Meguiar’s MT300


Each of the companies selling these tools offers either their own line of buffing pads or they recommend a specific brand of pads for their tools and sometimes both. To get the right backing plate for your tool, start by deciding which pads you’re going to be using and then match the backing plate to the brand of buffing pads and you should be able to avoid any attachment issues while getting the maximum performance out of your backing plate and pad choices.



On Autogeek.com

Lake Country 5” Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate

Griot’s Garage 5” Vented Orbital Backing Plate

Meguiar’s Soft Buff DBP5 DA Polisher 5” Backing Plate

Buff & Shine Dual Action 5” Backing Plate

Chemical Guys Torq 10FX 5” Backing Plate


If you have any questions or need help you can reach out to me personally at mike.phillips@autogeek.net or 1-800-869-3011 x206

You can order online at Autogeek.com or get help placing your order over the phone with our friendly customer care staff at 1-800-869-3011






Be sure to check out our friendly car detailing discussion forum at AutogeekOnline.net - That’s where I post car detailing articles and answer car detailing questions.

[fletcher33]

Thank you for your help Mike!

Yes it has the 5" backing plate. The polisher was lent to me from a friend who gave me 8" inch cutting/finishing pads from harbor freight and said they would be fine. After reading your article I will go with your advice.

I've been watching all of your videos and had no idea that the detailing industry was this intricate. Being from a small town in northern Ky. the most that we normally do is a simple wash and have learned now that I've been doing that the wrong way as well.

I will continue to keep you posted with my results. First I need to order some Mckee's and pads.

Here is a picture of my travel trailer I will be working with.

[Mike Phillips]

Yes it has the 5" backing plate. The polisher was lent to me from a friend who gave me 8" inch cutting/finishing pads from harbor freight and said they would be fine. After reading your article I will go with your advice.

Wow! I can't even imagine an 8" pad on a Meguiar's MT300. My guess is the pad wouldn't rotate at all or barely.

Here's what you want to do, mark your backing plate like I show here and explain why in the video.


Video: Mark your backing plate to make it easy to see pad rotation




Here's a quick video that show how and why to mark your backing plate to see and monitor pad rotation while doing any correction or polishing steps.

I've been watching all of your videos and had no idea that the detailing industry was this intricate. Being from a small town in northern Ky. the most that we normally do is a simple wash and have learned now that I've been doing that the wrong way as well.

I started out the same way too growing up in a small town in Oregon and this was before the Internet and I can guarantee you I started doing everything wrong but the primary reason was there wasn't any good or accurate information available on what I like to call the art of polishing paint and the craft of detailing cars.

That's behind us now...

I will continue to keep you posted with my results. First I need to order some Mckee's and pads.

Here is a picture of my travel trailer I will be working with.

McKee's doesn't have any of the small, thin foam pads like you need for a 5" backing plate. I included the links to the right size for the Meguiar's MT300 in some of my previous posts.

The McKee's RV line puts a lot of focus on the FLEX 3401 and pads that fit the FLEX 3401 because due to the size of most RVs and Travel Trailers, the FLEX 3401 being a GEAR-DRIVEN Orbital Polisher is the fastest way to correct a neglected finish on these types of items.