Wax or Ceramic Coating After Buffing an RV Finish

[climberbob]

I have a thorough hurricane 2016 31s. We've had it for 10 years and the finish needed to be buffed. It now looks really good, however, I'm wondering what type of wax should I put down Right after buffing to help keep it shiny. Or maybe is there a two-part system, one wax that stays on better and then the next wax on top of that one?

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

Ceramic for certain. I use aerowash on my TT and they have a wipe on wipe off ceramic, seems to last a year or so.
I use CQuartz on my cars and look great, lasts for maybe 3 years. Snow slides right off them, slippery and durable, but expensive at about $80 per car. But then again I don’t use cheap house paint! My labor is expensive!
Bill

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Ceramic-type "wax" is the in-thing these days, but any quality automotive or marine "wax" will be fine. I put "wax" is quotes because these days few modern paint & surface protection compounds have any actual wax in them - they are all synthetic polymers that chemically bond to the surface and form a hard shiny layer that sheds dirt & water and lasts anywhere from 3-12 months. A few may still claim they include Carnuba wax (a previous era'ss popular ingredient) but that's just for marketing purposes.

Synthetics are all lab-made polymers of some sort, including those with a ceramic component. They are all a trade-off between high shine, ease of application, and durability. Liquids are the easiest to apply but usually the shortest lived. Pastes typically last longer, but none should need much buffing. Unlike the hard wax based formulas of many decades ago, rubbing isn't a necessary part of getting a shine. Rubbing/buffing has more to do with cleaning & oxidation removal than applying the protective layer. Once you have the surface cleaned and shined, the rest is easy.

Some of the longer-lasting brands include: Meguiar's Flagship Marine, RejeX, and Nu-Finish. But there are dozens of good products and everybody has their favorite. Griot's Garage products have a solid rep, as does Collinite. Gel Gloss is another popular brand.

 

[CharlesinGA]

I se Gary mentioned RejeX, and I have used it on the roof of my fiberglass trailer and my entire '03 RAM truck. Its easy to put on and is slicker and longer lasting then anything I have used.

Charles

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

I should have said that CQuartz is what is used by professional detailers, albeit they use IR heat lamps to bake it on.
That process is very expensive, maybe $3-5k per car, but give a 3-5 yr warranty. In over 40 years engineering and detailing expensive cars, including my 800 HP Camaro, I have seen and used them all! The right ceramics are significantly better, IMHO! There is a balance on what is best for the large surface area of a trailer.
Sorry to disagree Gary but don’t think you are correct here.
Bill

 

[Babe2201]

I used to use regular car wax on the front of our TT. I want to say it might have been Turtle Wax.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The right ceramics are significantly better, IMHO! There is a balance on what is best for the large surface area of a trailer.
Sorry to disagree Gary but don’t think you are correct here.

Better than any other high quality synthetic polymer? Is Chemical Guys Hydroslick Ceramic really better than their Jet Seal nano-polymer? Maybe, though I suspect that anything you can pour out of a plastic bottle has limits as to what it can achieve. Real ceramic coatings are hot dipped or electrostatically powder coated onto the surface.

Fortunately, we all get to read the ads and make our own choices.

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

The coatings you suggest are consumer products not professional coatings.
Electrostatic coatings like used on powder coat paints and hot dipping pertain to bare metal coatings, and are wholly unsuitable to use on trailers and RVs which could not withstand the very high heat without being destroyed.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The coatings you suggest are consumer products not professional coatings.
Electrostatic coatings like used on powder coat paints and hot dipping pertain to bare metal coatings, and are wholly unsuitable to use on trailers and RVs which could not withstand the very high heat without being destroyed.

Of course. My point is that wipe-on ceramics that merely stick to painted surfaces do not and cannot produce the vaunted ceramic quality of industrial-grade finishes.

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

Fini