Protect All Fiberglass Oxidation Remover

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adun015

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Oct 22, 2008
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Anyone with experience with this particular Protect All product. I want to give it a try to restore the shine to my "Project". It does not appear to have had any fiberglass protection in quite awhile so I wanted to start with trying to restore the lustre and this seemed to have the goods. I have seen reviews and discussions on the board regarding some of the other Protect All products and seemed they are pretty well thought off.

Opinions. I also saw the 303 Protectant but saw pretty quick that it seemed to be a silicone based product. Do not even want to go there again.
 
Check out this article on maintaining the new look of your RV in our forum library.

Personally, on an unpainted fiberglass RV body, I'd suggest using 3M fiberglass restorer, available at WalMart or any marine store. It contains carnuba wax in addition to the light abrasive necessary to buff the dull finish. If you have very heavy oxidation, use the 3M rubbing compound, but go easy.
 
Tom said:
Check out this article on maintaining the new look of your RV in our forum library.

Personally, on an unpainted fiberglass RV body, I'd suggest using 3M fiberglass restorer, available at WalMart or any marine store. It contains carnuba wax in addition to the light abrasive necessary to buff the dull finish. If you have very heavy oxidation, use the 3M rubbing compound, but go easy.

Thanks Tom as always great advise. Probably a lot cheaper than the other probucts as well.
 
Tom said:
I'd suggest using 3M fiberglass restorer, available at WalMart or any marine store.

I wanted to give this stuff a shot, but Wal-mart doesn't carry it anymore (maybe just not stocked during the non-boat season) and there are no marine stores here.  I read a positive review of Gel-Gloss Fiberglass Restorer here some time back, and picked up a container of it upon seeing it at Menard's recently.  I plan on trying it when the weather warms up, as my MH's finish is certainly dull in the dark-colored areas.
 
I agree with Tom. The 3M products are great. I purchased mine at West Marine knowing that they have a good turnover of product. After it is shiny again, you can also use ReJex from True Value hardware It is a synthetic polymer and is about as easy to apply as any product you can use. I just wipe it on a clean surface and relax. It doesn't leave any residue on rubber, glass or plastic either.
 
I believe I've also seen the 3M products at Ace Hardware.
 
I've never used the Protect-All Restorer but I know of no method of removing oxidation on fiberglas that does not involve a LOT of muscle power. If someone promotes a product that does they are probably lying to you.
I'm certainly no expert on gelcoat forumulation but I imagine it is a lot like old-style automotive paint in that it contains a colorant and a clear resin. Over time the colorant bleeds to the top of the finish dulling it. It then has to be rubbed out (removed) with some type of abrasive to expose the clear shiny resin again. The application of a good coat of wax retards the oxidation but doesn't stop it.

Woody
 
Woody,

With gelcoat, the color is in the material, which is a topical layer on the outside of the fiberglass. (It's actually applied in the mold.) With prolonged exposure to sun, it oxidizes, leaving a dull, chalky finish. As you correctly say, a good wax will retard the oxidation, but not completely stop it.

You're also correct about the effort required for badly oxidized gelcoat. However, I warned about not going too hard with the abrasive because it's possible to go right through, leaving no gelcoat. This would not normally happen with hand buffing, but certainly could if someone used a power buffer.

When we do the boat, my preference is to do all the oxide removal and subsequent application of carnuba paste wax by hand. It consistently takes 21 days. A motorhome has much less surface area, and typically has less direct sun (except the roof). If done regularly, upkeep of a gelcoat motorhome exterior is not a huge amount of work, and can be achieved using the 3M liquid product, but it's not a free ride.
 
Tom said:
Check out this article on maintaining the new look of your RV in our forum library.

Personally, on an unpainted fiberglass RV body, I'd suggest using 3M fiberglass restorer, available at WalMart or any marine store. It contains carnuba wax in addition to the light abrasive necessary to buff the dull finish. If you have very heavy oxidation, use the 3M rubbing compound, but go easy.

Do you know exactly what 3M rubbing compound to use for heavy oxidation?  I'm removing my decals on my RV and there's a lot of oxidation that's taken place since 1999!  I've also heard that Nu-Finish is a good oxidation remover.  Any suggestions? 

By the way, how do I know if I have gel coating on my fiberglass on my 99 Dolphin?  ???
 

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