Faded front cap and dull finish
- Thread starter Kblock108
- Start date
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
I've tried many different things but I think removing the decal and having the front and rear caps professionally painted and/or clearcoated is the best option. Sadly, the most expensive. From the side or an angle, my cap looks great. Nice and smooth and slippery too. But from the front, it really doesn't look that shiny.
Some have reported good results using a floor product from ZEP.
Some have reported good results using a floor product from ZEP.
GOTTOYS
Well-known member
I had the gray front cap on my Big Country painted and clear coated last year for a fading problem. It should be a permanent fix. This year I noticed my rear cap was turning white. In fact it looked worse than the front did before it was painted. Not wanting to go through the painting experience I decided to try it on my own. On another site I read up on a product called Red Max 3. It is no longer available but has been replaced by a product under the Zep, brand. As it turns out Zep made the Red Max so they are the same. I went through the steps as shown on RV net and the results were even better than painting. Yeah I know it's a floor polish but it sure makes the trailer shine. It takes a lot of prep work. Supposed to last 1-2 years then you wash it with soap and water and wipe on a couple coats to renew it. If you don't like it you can remove it with any ammoniated cleaner or even floor wax stripper. Well worth a try for me. I'll let you know how it holds up. My total cost was under $30.00 and I have enough material to do my entire trailer a couple times. I only used about a pint to put 5-6 coats on the rear cap. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...Don
For what its worth, I found this write up on another site detailing the use of ZEP.
This process is for older RVs that have lost their shine and no longer respond to conventional wax.
Restoring the finish of an older RV using ZWLFF:
Materials:
-Zep Wet Look Floor finish (Step 3) (available at Home Depot)
-Bar Keeper’s Friend (powdered)
-TSP (Trisodium Phosphate, powdered)
-3M scrubbies (white, fine)
-Microfiber rags (white or laundered)
-Latex gloves
Preparing the surface is the most important part, since anything left on the surface will be sealed under the ZWLFF acrylic coating, and improper prep can also result in peeling/flaking later. I repeat: The prep-work is the most important part! Do not try to cut corners here. The cleaner your RV is, the better your final results will be.
Step 1: Start by washing your RV well as you normally would, making sure to include the roof, and rinsing well from the top down.
Step 2: You now want to remove any and all stains, soiling, oxidation, and chalkiness from the surface. Dip a white 3M scrubbie into water and then liberally sprinkle Bar Keeper’s Friend (BKF) on it. Scrub the surface of the motorhome, rinsing the scrubbie and re-applying the BKF often. Do small areas at a time, rinsing well with water and a sponge as you go (Rinsing well is important to remove all BKF residue. I used a "flow-thru" brush attached to a hose to rinse the BKF residue thoroughly).
Step 3: Next you want to make sure that there is absolutely no remaining wax on the RV, since any residual wax can cause the ZWLFF to peel and flake. Mix up a bucket of TSP (1/2 cup) in water (2 gal), and use it to wash the entire RV again. You can use it with a carwash brush, a sponge, a pressure washer…anything you would normally use to wash your RV. Rinse well as you go, then rinse again and let it dry completely (again, rinsing well is important to remove all TSP residue). You should now be left with a clean and smooth (although dull) wax-free surface. Congrats, the hard part is done!
Step 4: Now comes the easy part. Shake the ZWLFF well, and pour some into a shallow container (a pie pan works well). Fold a microfiber rag to about hand-sized, dip it into the ZWLFF (trust me, use gloves!), and squeeze out the excess. How much/how wet? You want it more than damp, but less than dripping. Now simply wipe down the surface of the RV with the wet microfiber rag. Don’t try to apply a heavy coat or try to “rub it in”; just wet the surface (imagine wiping off a layer of dust with a damp rag). It really doesn’t matter whether you wipe horizontally, vertically, or in circles, and don’t worry about overlaps; ZWLFF is very thin/watery and you are just trying to “moisten” the surface. Work your way all the way around the RV. The thin coat of ZWLFF will dry very quickly; long before you’ve gone all the way around it will be dry and you can immediately start on the next coat.
That first coat will likely look really bad; streaky, blotchy, shiny in some places, dull in others…don’t panic. Each additional coat will start to even it out and build up a deep layer of shine. By coat 3, you will be grinning ear to ear. And coat 4 (or 5?) will be the icing on the cake. Not only will your RV shine like it hasn’t shined in years, it will be a deeper color as well*. Even old, faded graphics will have a new lease on life! All for less than $30 total!
*Note: This procedure will slightly change/darken the color/shade of your RV.
Things (I learned) to keep in mind:
-Don’t use new colored microfiber rags until they have been laundered, as the color may bleed.
-Don’t try to “over-apply”, or try for a heavy coat, or you will get runs. The thinner, the better. Remember, you’re just trying to “moisten” the surface with each thin coat, nothing more. If you are getting a lot of runs, you’re applying it too heavily.
-Be careful around window frames, locks, latches, etc., as the ZWLFF is very watery and will have a tendency to gather and cause runs. ZWLFF dries fast, so keep an eye out for any runs and give them a quick wipe before they start to “set up”.
-Some older, deteriorated graphics may “bleed” color onto the rag and surrounding areas. If you notice any bleeding during the BKF or TSP stage (steps 2 and 3), then give a quick wipe of ZWLFF across the graphics prior to step 4, which will seal them up. Then go ahead and apply the ZWLFF to the entire RV (including the now sealed graphics) as per step 4 of the tutorial.
-After each coat, go around and open/operate all hatches, locks, catches, etc. The ZWLFF acrylic coating can sort of “glue” them closed.
This process is for older RVs that have lost their shine and no longer respond to conventional wax.
Restoring the finish of an older RV using ZWLFF:
Materials:
-Zep Wet Look Floor finish (Step 3) (available at Home Depot)
-Bar Keeper’s Friend (powdered)
-TSP (Trisodium Phosphate, powdered)
-3M scrubbies (white, fine)
-Microfiber rags (white or laundered)
-Latex gloves
Preparing the surface is the most important part, since anything left on the surface will be sealed under the ZWLFF acrylic coating, and improper prep can also result in peeling/flaking later. I repeat: The prep-work is the most important part! Do not try to cut corners here. The cleaner your RV is, the better your final results will be.
Step 1: Start by washing your RV well as you normally would, making sure to include the roof, and rinsing well from the top down.
Step 2: You now want to remove any and all stains, soiling, oxidation, and chalkiness from the surface. Dip a white 3M scrubbie into water and then liberally sprinkle Bar Keeper’s Friend (BKF) on it. Scrub the surface of the motorhome, rinsing the scrubbie and re-applying the BKF often. Do small areas at a time, rinsing well with water and a sponge as you go (Rinsing well is important to remove all BKF residue. I used a "flow-thru" brush attached to a hose to rinse the BKF residue thoroughly).
Step 3: Next you want to make sure that there is absolutely no remaining wax on the RV, since any residual wax can cause the ZWLFF to peel and flake. Mix up a bucket of TSP (1/2 cup) in water (2 gal), and use it to wash the entire RV again. You can use it with a carwash brush, a sponge, a pressure washer…anything you would normally use to wash your RV. Rinse well as you go, then rinse again and let it dry completely (again, rinsing well is important to remove all TSP residue). You should now be left with a clean and smooth (although dull) wax-free surface. Congrats, the hard part is done!
Step 4: Now comes the easy part. Shake the ZWLFF well, and pour some into a shallow container (a pie pan works well). Fold a microfiber rag to about hand-sized, dip it into the ZWLFF (trust me, use gloves!), and squeeze out the excess. How much/how wet? You want it more than damp, but less than dripping. Now simply wipe down the surface of the RV with the wet microfiber rag. Don’t try to apply a heavy coat or try to “rub it in”; just wet the surface (imagine wiping off a layer of dust with a damp rag). It really doesn’t matter whether you wipe horizontally, vertically, or in circles, and don’t worry about overlaps; ZWLFF is very thin/watery and you are just trying to “moisten” the surface. Work your way all the way around the RV. The thin coat of ZWLFF will dry very quickly; long before you’ve gone all the way around it will be dry and you can immediately start on the next coat.
That first coat will likely look really bad; streaky, blotchy, shiny in some places, dull in others…don’t panic. Each additional coat will start to even it out and build up a deep layer of shine. By coat 3, you will be grinning ear to ear. And coat 4 (or 5?) will be the icing on the cake. Not only will your RV shine like it hasn’t shined in years, it will be a deeper color as well*. Even old, faded graphics will have a new lease on life! All for less than $30 total!
*Note: This procedure will slightly change/darken the color/shade of your RV.
Things (I learned) to keep in mind:
-Don’t use new colored microfiber rags until they have been laundered, as the color may bleed.
-Don’t try to “over-apply”, or try for a heavy coat, or you will get runs. The thinner, the better. Remember, you’re just trying to “moisten” the surface with each thin coat, nothing more. If you are getting a lot of runs, you’re applying it too heavily.
-Be careful around window frames, locks, latches, etc., as the ZWLFF is very watery and will have a tendency to gather and cause runs. ZWLFF dries fast, so keep an eye out for any runs and give them a quick wipe before they start to “set up”.
-Some older, deteriorated graphics may “bleed” color onto the rag and surrounding areas. If you notice any bleeding during the BKF or TSP stage (steps 2 and 3), then give a quick wipe of ZWLFF across the graphics prior to step 4, which will seal them up. Then go ahead and apply the ZWLFF to the entire RV (including the now sealed graphics) as per step 4 of the tutorial.
-After each coat, go around and open/operate all hatches, locks, catches, etc. The ZWLFF acrylic coating can sort of “glue” them closed.
mobilcastle
Well-known member
I did my front cap with zep and it shines like new-make sure it is clean before applying.
StarryNight
Retired Colorado Chapter Leaders
Went through the cleaning process given by kblock108 and continued with the floor wax product ZEP. It took several days to complete since I was doing it on my own but it turned out great. The end cap was the worse as far as the oxidation, so I can really tell the difference: it is so shiny now. I'm anxious to get some bugs smeared on the front cap so I can see just how easy it will be to clean them off
I was caught by bad weather twice while going thru the process so rinsing twice was a pain but necessary since dust/dirt had accumulated on the sides during the stormy weather. The rig has 4 coats of ZEP and I may do one more on the front/end caps just because. So glad I found out about this...the rig looks brand new again
Monica
I was caught by bad weather twice while going thru the process so rinsing twice was a pain but necessary since dust/dirt had accumulated on the sides during the stormy weather. The rig has 4 coats of ZEP and I may do one more on the front/end caps just because. So glad I found out about this...the rig looks brand new again
Monica
mscott4378
Member
I did my my whole trailer about 9 months ago and it still looks great. I agree you need to invest some time in the prep work, but the results are fanstastic.
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