Oxidation Problem

[Meliss]

We have a 2013 Heartland Gateway 3200 RS, had it covered in the winters, and uncovered spring and summer. Last summer we used Meguiars RV Polish twice as we had severe oxidation. Now again this spring we have the oxidation back. We took the RV and had it detailed, the oxidation removed and then waxed. Now 2 weeks later we have oxidation coming back.

Has anyone else had this problem with their Gateway, or even any Heartland RV?

 

[hoefler]

On our 06, the front cap has oxidied badly. I had several coats of Zep floor polish applied to the cap, and it has never look this good since we have owned it.

 

[carl.swoyer]

We have a 2013 Heartland Gateway 3200 RS, had it covered in the winters, and uncovered spring and summer. Last summer we used Meguiars RV Polish twice as we had severe oxidation. Now again this spring we have the oxidation back. We took the RV and had it detailed, the oxidation removed and then waxed. Now 2 weeks later we have oxidation coming back.

Has anyone else had this problem with their Gateway, or even any Heartland RV?

Detailing can include many approaches. But if it doesn't include buffing with a compound and wool bonnet you can't burnish a New Finish to the gel coat. I use 3-m finnesse and a Makita variable speed buffer.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[cookie]

As already stated you can wax and have it look good but the oxidation will return very soon if you don't remove the oxidation before waxing.
There is some good information on maintaining gelcoat HERE.


Peace
Dave

Peace
Dave

 

[Meliss]

We have tried so many different approaches to oxidation removal as well as waxing with several different waxes/polishes and the finish looks good right after, then a few days later its back. I called Heartland Service today and the gentleman in service told me he thinks our GelCoat is gone! He told me to take it to an auto body.

Has anyone had this trouble? We have been dealing with this now for 3 years and it just keeps getting worse. Our decals changed colors, cracked!

Any help or direction where to go from here would be appreciated.

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[aatauses]

We also had an issue and when we used an oxidation remover first then waxed it did seem to work better. I have heard not to try and wax out oxidation, you must use some type of remover first then wax.
al

 

[sengli]

Our rear cap on on the 13 we owned reached a point where it was oxidized and no longer shiny at all. Sitting out in the elements, and the constant UV will do this. Tried to wax a small area to see how it would do, but it didnt help.

 

[Lynn1130]

Oxidation is usually under the clear coat and is in the paint not the clear. So trying to get rid of it is near impossible without a full removal and repaint. In some cases where there was no clear, or it has worn or deteriorated to the point that the paint/gel is exposed some form of compounding/waxing/ polymer can restore a shine for a short time but not for very long. I know that some have talked about good results with one product or another but the fact is if the problem is under the clear, you cannot get to it to fix it. You polish the clear, which then looks nice, for awhile.

I have one of the 2011's that had an issue with the gel oxidizing. I had it repainted and new decals. Then I dropped the trailer on the truck bed rails which caused damage to the fiberglass of the cap. It was done again, but now I am working with the repair shop because after less than a year, the paint is oxidizing under the clear. It cannot be fixed without a complete redo and the shop is having the paint manufacturer foot the bill because of their defective paint. So bottom line. If it is in the gel/paint and under the clear you will not fix it with some king of polish.

 

[Daley07]

If you are worried about oxidizing in your RV like me, I will share with you how to remove oxidation from RV fiberglass. I recommend parking your motorcycle in a shaded area. Putting it in direct sunlight dries the polish and wax quickly, making it difficult to polish. Then wash it with a warm soapy solution. Apply a buffering compound to the fiberglass of your motorhome using an applicator. Spread the polish on a 2.5cm-sized portion and start polishing the backing. Take the yellow sponge and apply the polishing compound. Use the orbital polisher to spread the polish in small 22 inch square sections, combining up and down with right and left movements. Finally, waxing is an essential step for the complete restoration of RV fiberglass.

 

[jayc]

I remember several years ago, several people applied Bartender's Friend to remove the oxidation and then applied a coat of floor wax with good results, although I understand that the Bartender's Friend is difficult to put on.

 

[clark261]

You can simply remove the decal if you want your equipment to have a cleaner appearance. You'll need a lot of patience to go through this. Heat gun or hair dryer, adhesive remover, microfiber towel, and ghost-off oxidation cleanser are some of the tools you'll need for this project.

 

[Daley07]

You can try the wet sanding method to remove oxidation from RV decals. Some types of RV oxidation are superficial scratches that give the motorhome a dull and oxidized appearance. For this method, you will need to use sandpaper of different grit sizes. Always start with the coarsest sandpaper (No. 600 or No. 400) and work towards the best grit size (No. 2000) you can get.