Washing, Polishing, and Waxing

[MarkC 7]

Been scouring the web about this topic and what an assortment of possibilities.  Meguairs, collinite, Mothers, Rejex, Griots, Duragloss, Sea Shield, to name a few.  Then there is cleaners, wash and wax, oxidation removers (light, moderate, severer), one step does all, polishers, wax ( paste, liquid), on and on.  Electric polisher, orbital or non, cordless?  Foam pads or wool?  By now you can see my quandary.  I enjoy the research but have yet to come to a solid conclusion.  I like the powertool rather than elbow grease method.   I'm thinking one steps products don't do as good a job and multiple steps.  Don't know which is better...foam pads or wool (I think some of these thread refer to auto paint jobs rather than fiberglass). If you begin with a new trailer can you get by with just washing and waxing with a periodic oxidation removal?  Depending on use and exposure.  Definitely a big job and looking for the best solution.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Overland
edited title to remove all caps

[Overland 1,064]

I think that the most recommended polish here is Duragloss, which I can personally attest to, but also many owners have had good success with other products like 3M marine wax, Maguires, etc.  Some people really like Rejex, but I personally didn't care for it.  Some searching will probably provide you with a handful of threads on the topic.  

Many of us use a mixture of 4 parts Duragloss 923 and 1 part Duragloss 952 in a spray bottle for cleaning the interior and as a touch up spray on the exterior, cleaning off bugs and such.  I don't know who first came up with that mixture, but it really makes the interior shine.  

On the exterior, I think waxing twice a year is the typical recommendation, adjusting for use, climate and storage conditions.  

I don't know if I remember a discussion here on which type of pads to use.  

 

[mossemi 368]

5 hours ago, Overland said:

 

Many of us use a mixture of 4 parts Duragloss 923 and 1 part Duragloss 952 in a spray bottle for cleaning the interior and as a touch up spray on the exterior, cleaning off bugs and such.  I don't know who first came up with that mixture, but it really makes the interior shine.

I give credit for the Duragloss products and recipe to Bruce and Cheryl Norton.  They are full timers from North Carolina.

topgun2 can correct me if I am wrong, he's good at that.

Mike

 

 

[Overland 1,064]

That certainly may be the case. The Nortons introduced me to Duragloss when I was picking up our trailer. 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Overland

[topgun2 808]

Yep - as far as I'm concerned Bruce and Cheryl get the credit for this one.  I'm not sure just how they came upon these products from Duragloss other than the Duragloss Company is located in North Carolina.  I'm also not sure how they came up with the detailer/liquid wax combination, but I do know that it really works on all surfaces (yes, that includes the mirrored surfaces) inside the Oliver.  A light spray, wipe with a micro-fiber cloth, flip the cloth over and wipe again and you're done without streaks and/or haze- its so easy. 

[SeaDawg 910]

As our Oliver has the same type of marine gelcoat as our boats, we've  stayed with the marine paste wax we use on the boats, 3M Marine Ultra. It's not inexpensive, but one can lasts for several applications, and it's formulated for fiberglass and the harsh marine environment .

It's worked well on the sailboat ( now over 40 years old) , the powerboat and the Oliver.  The wax lasts, even in the Florida sun.

It's been one of the top two paste wax products in Practical Sailor's testing over the decades.

Sherry

Edited November 9, 2019 by SeaDawg
Typos

[SeaDawg 910]

I found this great article from Practical Sailor, with many links that may be of interest to you , from equipment to waxes and polishes. Practical Sailor is like the consumer reports of the sailboat community.  No ads accepted,  no commercial contributions.  Happy research.

https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/waxing_polishing_boat-10430-1.html