5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

[Fry5654]

Hello,

I was hoping that someone can point me in the right direction. I am new to all of this. I have a 42 foot camper that is starting to oxidize and getting a dull look to it. I want to clean it up and make it shine again. I just bought a new Makita polisher. First i am wondering what will be the best to use on this to restore it. I have been looking at the M50 marine/rv cleaner wax for a one step process. Will this do a good job? I have also seen Maguiars Flagship Premium Cleaner wax out there. Is this better than the M50? Can i use the Flagship Premium on my 5th Wheel? Last question, what pads do i use on my polisher that will work best for these products? I do know the Makita came with two hook and look pads. Will these work for what i am doing? Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.

Fry5654

[Nick Winn]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Hi Fry5654,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online. If the RV is chalky, we would suggest starting with our M77132 Marine/RV Heavy Duty Oxidation Scrub. This is kind of like an abrasive soap, which can be applied with a boat brush, which will easily knock down much of the chalky oxidation. Then after, Meguiar's Marine/RV M50 Cleaner Wax is often used in this situation as a great one step. Many users will even apply the product with a wool pad on a rotary, like our WRWHC7 Soft Buff Rotary Wool Heavy Cutting Pad.

This would be a great combination to make some serious improvement in a few amount of steps.

Feel free to post further questions. We are happy to help.

Nick

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

Thank you for the reply! I really appreciate it. I am new to all of this and want to do a great job. If the camper goes well, my plan is to move on to my truck with some of Meguiars other products. The one thing I did want to know, is the Flagship premium cleaner wax going to be a little better than the M50 cleaner wax. Can I use the Flagship premium cleaner wax on my RV?

Fry5654

[Nick Winn]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

Thank you for the reply! I really appreciate it. I am new to all of this and want to do a great job. If the camper goes well, my plan is to move on to my truck with some of Meguiars other products. The one thing I did want to know, is the Flagship premium cleaner wax going to be a little better than the M50 cleaner wax. Can I use the Flagship premium cleaner wax on my RV?

Fry5654

Hi Fry5654,

You are very welcome! We are looking forward to hearing how it goes. Feel free to post pictures if you would like! In regards to Flagship Premium Cleaner Wax, this product will protect better, but M50 Marine/RV Cleaner Wax will clean better for you situation. We would go with #50 Marine/RV Cleaner Wax.

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

Thanks again. The reason I was asking about the Flagship premium cleaner wax was because I had already purchased it. I had read some different articles about it before I realized about this online forum. I had not tried it yet. Winter doesn

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Sorry Nick, for some reason my reply got cut off. If you feel the M50 cleaner wax will do a better job then the Flagship premium cleaner wax, I can return it and get the M50. Also, is it ok to apply these cleaner wax

[Nick Winn]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Hi Fry5654,

Yes for you goals on this camper, #M50 Marine/RV Cleaner Wax would be our best recommendation.

It looks like your post got cut off again, regarding application of the cleaner waxes. To reiterate what we discussed previously, #M50 Cleaner Wax can be applied with a rotary & a wool pad, if, that is, what you were asking.

Nick

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

Sorry about my replies getting cut off. For some reason my phone was not allowing me to reply right. I did go ahead and buy some of the oxidation scrub and some M50 Cleaner wax. The two other things I tried to ask was, can I apply this stuff in the sun. My camper is 42 feet long and it is hard to find somewhere to pull it into. The second question was the camper decals, can I apply both of these products on the decals.

Thank you
Fry5654

[Nick Winn]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

Sorry about my replies getting cut off. For some reason my phone was not allowing me to reply right. I did go ahead and buy some of the oxidation scrub and some M50 Cleaner wax. The two other things I tried to ask was, can I apply this stuff in the sun. My camper is 42 feet long and it is hard to find somewhere to pull it into. The second question was the camper decals, can I apply both of these products on the decals.

Thank you
Fry5654

Hi Fry5654,

Not recommended to be applied in the sun, or to decals, for both products. In regards to finding shade, and not being in the sun, what is more important is to not work on a warm or hot surface. Maybe try working early in the morning or late in the afternoon. In regards to the decals, the Heavy Duty Oxidation Scrub would likely scratch them very bad, and the M50 Cleaner Wax has the potential to scratch & haze the surface of the decal. Some people do apply M50 to decals with success, but we cannot officially recommend it, since it was not designed for & tested on vinyl decal surfaces, and since it does have the risk of hazing/scratching.

We understand this can make the project more difficult, to work around the decals, but unfortunately it's part of it.

Hope this helps. Keep in touch!

Nick

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

So this weekend I decided it was time to get to work on my camper. I used the oxidation wash and then used the M50. I used my Makita rotary buffer to apply it. I did it in small areas. I used the buffer to apply and then I wiped it off with a micro fiber towel. I thought I was doing a great job until the sun hit it at the right angle and I could see some swirl marks. Did I apply it wrong? Did I not use the buffer long enough or not right? Should I redo the same area again with the M50? Any help on this would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Fry5654

[Nick Winn]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

So this weekend I decided it was time to get to work on my camper. I used the oxidation wash and then used the M50. I used my Makita rotary buffer to apply it. I did it in small areas. I used the buffer to apply and then I wiped it off with a micro fiber towel. I thought I was doing a great job until the sun hit it at the right angle and I could see some swirl marks. Did I apply it wrong? Did I not use the buffer long enough or not right? Should I redo the same area again with the M50? Any help on this would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Fry5654

Hi Fry5654,

Sorry to hear about the trouble. Let's first clarify the type of swirl mark you are referring to & then we can address. Are these more of a "buffer trail" type mark, where as you can see trails from where the rotary machine was used? Or are these more of a cobweb spiderweb swirl mark?

What pad & speed you were using on the machine?

Just to double check, this is a non-painted fiberglass 5th wheel trailer correct?

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

Yes. I would call them more of a buffer trail. I used a wool pad on the buffer and had it set for 1500rpms. Is there something I can do to fix them. My camper is grey.

Fry5654

[Nick Winn]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Fry5654,

To not inflict a "Buffer Trail" or "Hologram" with a rotary polisher comes down to technique with the machine. We recommend keeping the pad as flat as possible to help minimize the chance of a hologram or buffer trail. With that said, even for experienced users of the rotary machine, it still can be challenging to finish completely hologram or buffer trail free.

I should point out that wool pads can leave behind "spider web" looking swirl marks. On gel coat/fiberglass surfaces, these are typically much less noticeable. This is why many users will still use wool pads on fiberglass/gel coat boats or rvs, and not follow with a foam pad. On automotive paint, in most cases, it would make a dramatic difference to follow a wool pad with a foam pad, either on a rotary or on a dual action polisher machine, to remove any "spider web" looking swirl marks.

With that said, if you are experiencing "spider web" looking swirl marks on your grey fiberglass 5th wheel, which are apparent enough in your opinion to be not desirable, you can always use a foam pad instead of wool.

Hope this helps!

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick

I really appreciate all of your advice on this. I definitely believe I have a buffer trail. Now, what is my best option to get rid of that. Could it be that I didn’t wipe it done good enough after I ran the buffer. Can I just use a foam pad and put more M50 on it to fix it? What is my best option? I know I am new to all of this so I know there is a learning curve. What is really tough is yesterday when I was doing the work it was cloudy and I couldn’t tell I had the swirl marks until the sun hit it.

Thank you,
Fry5654

[Fry5654]

Re: 5th Wheel fiberglass trailer

Nick,

One more question, if a foam pad will help with this, which one should I use?

Fry5654