Basic recommendations for detailing black trailer

[Bob89013]

I'm new to all this, so please bear with me. I've watched some of the videos and read a couple of the articles on this site. In this thread I'm seeking recommendations for products to use.

I've had this trailer for 3 years; I bought it brand new, and I hope to restore the exterior finish on it to get it looking as new as possible again:



Ideally, I would like to get it looking like the one in this photo, which appeared on this forum about 4 years ago:



My questions are:

1. Is this possible to achieve without repainting the whole thing?
2. I don't have a machine. Can this be done without one?
3. Which products should I buy to do this? Please include brand names.
4. In which order should I use the products?
5. You can see that there are small areas that will need repainting, such as the top corner in the first photo. What paint should I buy, and what method should I use to apply it?
6. There are some tape remnants that I was able to get rid of mostly using Goo Gone, but there are still some vestiges of tape. How can I remove them completely?

I apologize if these questions have been answered many times before on this forum. I have been reading through some of the older threads. Thank you in advance for any guidance on this.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Bob,

It will take forever and wear you out to try to do this by hand.

You want and need to get a Griot's 6" DA polisher, at least a half dozen foam pads and some 3D HD Speed.

I'm not behind a computer so it's hard for me to share pictures, videos and links to more information. I return to work tomorrow (I'm off for a day after my 3-day class), and can provide all the info you need tomorrow morning.

I also gave before and after pictures tackling this same type of project that will show you what I wrote above is true and accurate.

Welcome to AGO!

[Bob89013]

OK thank you Mike.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Bob,

Back to work today...

Here are 3 pictures off my phone, I think I have more I took with my Canon camera but no time to look, process, upload and insert. This was a HUGE car hauling trailer and the paint look just like the paint on your trailer. It was dull from oxidization and neglect.

The owner and I buffed it out in a couple of hours using the FLEX 3401 gear-driven orbital polisher aka The BEAST and a product from 3D called HD Speed.



Here's my Test Spot

I did the test spot with the Griot's Garage 6" DA orbital polisher. I didn't have all day to spend in the garage helping my buddy to buff out his trailer so we switched over to the FLEX 3401 and knocked it out in about an hour.







The results are actually very uniform and clear, if you look closely you see rain drops on the dull paint over the shiny spot and the rain drops dripping onto the shiny spot. It was rainy hard when we moved the trailer inside and that's why when you look at this close up of the shiny spot it looks like there are some lines down it, they are drips of rain water coming off the roof.





The Reverse Test Spot

Years ago I wrote an article called The Revese Test Spot, which is where you tape off a section and DON'T buff it out to show just how bad the finish was. I did that for this project.




Here's that article,

The Reverse Test Spot



And here's the product we used. It's a one-step cleaner/wax that works amazing.

[Mike Phillips]

Continued...


You can work by hand on that trailer but what will happen is you'll get tired and as you work around the trailer you'll probably notice the product not working as good as when you first started out.

Actually, the product will work great for the entire project but when working by hand YOU GET TIRED and the results show it.

If you want to work by hand then here's some tips...

Get some microfiber applicator pads, the FIBER will act like a gentle form of abrasive and make the cleaner/wax work more effectively.

Only work a small section at a time - about 16" squarish - like the size of the average microfiber towel.

When starting a new section, overlap into the previous section for good UMR or Uniform Material Removal for a uniform appearance.


Kind of behind in a lot of areas of my job so can't spend too much time on the forum today. If you want to work by machine, below is a brand new article I wrote that is FULL of tips and information all the way down the page.


Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips


Get the above polisher and not only can you do a great job of restoring your trailer but then you can take care of your truck and car.


Get these pads, I'd recommend getting two 3-packs but if you want to skimp you can punish a few pads, they just won't last long. Do some reading about pad failure and you'll see the most common cause is a person using too few pads for their project. When the pads become wet with product not only do they stop working good they also hold in the heat and break down. You overcome this by switching to clean DRY pads often.

Griots Garage 6.5 inch Orange Foam Correcting Pad - 3 Pack


And here's the link to the Speed


3D HD Speed


Thanks for joining the forum to ask for help with your project.

[Bob89013]

Thank you Mike, for your quick replies and all this information. I feel much more confident now that I can take on this project myself.

[Mike Phillips]

Thank you Mike, for your quick replies and all this information. I feel much more confident now that I can take on this project myself.

My pleasure... I never forget my roots. By this I mean I remember when I first started out there wasn't a lot of information available on detailing as we didn't have the Internet. I also remember there were lots of "opinions" and many of them would lead you down the wrong path. So I like to help others because I've been in your shoes.

I share this in an interview with Dennis Gauge

[Bob89013]

OK thank you Mike. I ordered those products from your web site. I'm still a little confused what my first step will be when I receive the products.