Dealership Sellling Protective Coat

[KRL_Photo]

Newbie and picking my first AS this Friday. They want to sell me a protective coat inside and out. Do I opt for it or not? Any advice appreciated. Thanks

[PKI]

Lots of opinions. See links. Coat it with something - wax, sealer, coating, or clear coat on uncoated edges and rivets. Pat

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f348...ing-65333.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f295...-a-147276.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f232...at-160001.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f348...ng-138732.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441...am-168007.html

[gypsydad]

I would not pay for this; but if they threw it in for free, Id take it. You will likely wash/wax your AS at least once year...we have had 2 new AS's and 2 older units. All we have done is wash a few times when they get dirty, and wax at least once a year. Many folks wax a couple times a year...think it depends on where you live. But in Vegas, I don't think you have to worry about sever conditions like salt on the roads or in the air. If your leaving in the sun uncovered, you should consider getting tire covers also...enjoy!

[wulfraat]

Opt out. Don’t waste your hard earned money.

[rmkrum]

Welcome to having a soon-to-be terminal case of aluminumitis, also known as Airstream fever.

So-called protective coatings, etc are only a great idea if you want to line the dealer's pockets with more unearned money...I'd personally tell them to stop being silly, ditto maintenance plans--you have a front to back two year factory warranty. Any of these coatings will literally burn off or evaporate in 6 months or so in your weather.

Best thing to do is take the extra money, and put it in your maintenance fund savings account. Search the forums for data on how to properly maintain an Airstream by yourself.

Wash and wax the AS yourself 1-2x a year, and keep up with maintenance re: leaks, raw edges, etc as noted on the forums, and you'll be fine. It also helps you to properly bond with your Airstream by getting up close and personal with it.

Confession: Our family AS is now stored in the high SoCal desert--similar climate to yours. I wash and wax it maybe once a year if it's lucky. I suspect washing it causes more corrosion than not washing it around here. UV light damage is the real issue. It eats a set of vinyl tire and power jack covers in about two years no matter what I buy.

Keep shades drawn to keep UV out of interior, and have a vent cover to keep the interior a bit cooler. I use an aftermarket 150 watt output (at the moment) solar panel system from AMsolar to help keep the batteries properly charged when not in use.

When it moved from Washington State to CA, yeah, it took a lot of work to get the algae, dirt, moss, and mold off it...but its all good now.

[Airtandem]

I use Turtle wash/wax 2-3 times a year depending on where i've been. 2 cap fulls in a bucket of water and a soft brush : wet, soap and rinse than a car squeegee to get the drips off. I get comments on "how new it looks" I use WD-40 to remove road tar and bugs.
Save the $$
mj

[wavelength]

Complete waste of money

[MickeyR]

This is an old car dealer way of separating you from your money called mop & glow. Do as posted above.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Essentially *anything* they want to tack onto the deal other than taxes, title and licensing is bunk. The same is true of a car or truck purchase. The only possible exception are manufacturer backed (not third party) warranty extensions. Those do have some value. There it is very much a "what's the price?" sort of thing. Airstream does not offer warranty extensions so it is not an issue in this case. Any warranty you would be offered is third party and thus ... bunk.

Bob

[Hoagie]

I was offered the same product when we signed the papers on our 2017 Classic. Told the finance guy I'd get back to him while I noted the name of the product.

When I got home I contacted a friend of mine that does high-end, in-shop detailing. He was familiar with the product our dealer wanted to use and strongly advised we stay away from it.

I know this guy. I've had vehicles cleaned and detailed by him in the past. I've seen multiple examples of his work. So this was an easy decision for us. Had him put a better quality product on out AS for less money than the dealer quoted.The product he used left a beautiful finish on our AS.

This past weekend several other AS owners came over to ask how I kept our trailer looking so good. (They were out wiping theirs down to remove the dew.) Moisture just rolls off this finish. Time will tell how well it lasts, but at this time, with just a simple water-only wash it looks awesome.

PM if anyone would like more details on the product and/or where I had it down.

[m.hony]

Noooo!

[Johnnyooo]

I would not buy it..it's essentially a cost that is not really necessary..Your Airstream should be waxed annually, but that's about it ..there's a clear coat on it just like your car...It's protection is the clear coat.....

[HeadWest]

If it was free I won't let them put it on my Airstream.

Pure snake oil BS. There is no magic potion that does what they claim. With the interior upholstery, I definitely wouldn't want some nonsense coating put on it.

Plenty of decent waxes available. If you don't want to do it yourself, higher a good detailer to do it for you making sure they understand how to wax it without putting in swirl marks (apply by hand, not machine).

[Hoagie]

I can't respond to PMs as I guess I'm not a 'trusted member' yet.

The product I was referring to is called Mega Trend by Nanoskin USA.

[PKI]

Originally Posted by HeadWest

-- snip --Pure snake oil BS. There is no magic potion that does what they claim. -- snip -- Plenty of decent waxes available. -- snip --

Wax boils off. If that is your choice apply it regularly and consistently. There are nano technology products that work quite well. Do your research. Decide what is best for your maintenance preferance. Pat

[Slats]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Essentially *anything* they want to tack onto the deal other than taxes, title and licensing is bunk. The same is true of a car or truck purchase. The only possible exception are manufacturer backed (not third party) warranty extensions. Those do have some value. There it is very much a "what's the price?" sort of thing. Airstream does not offer warranty extensions so it is not an issue in this case. Any warranty you would be offered is third party and thus ... bunk.

Bob

Amen.

Even the manufacturer-backed "extended warranties" (more accurately "service contracts") are bad deals, when you consider the fact that they start running at time of purchase and you thus have duplicative coverage while the manufacturer's regular warranty is in force. Billions of dollars a year are wasted on this duplicative coverage, including the interest paid on it when it is packed into an installment sales contract.

I handled a couple of class actions against big car dealership entities involving the deceptive sale and pricing of "extended warranties" and got to put a bunch of money back in consumers' pockets. None of the class members I spoke to had any idea these "warranties" began running the day they drove of the dealer's lot. They were all led to believe they didn't kick in until the original warranty expired.

[StPeteSun]

How is the material holding up? What product did you use?

Originally Posted by Hoagie

I was offered the same product when we signed the papers on our 2017 Classic. Told the finance guy I'd get back to him while I noted the name of the product.

When I got home I contacted a friend of mine that does high-end, in-shop detailing. He was familiar with the product our dealer wanted to use and strongly advised we stay away from it.

I know this guy. I've had vehicles cleaned and detailed by him in the past. I've seen multiple examples of his work. So this was an easy decision for us. Had him put a better quality product on out AS for less money than the dealer quoted.The product he used left a beautiful finish on our AS.

This past weekend several other AS owners came over to ask how I kept our trailer looking so good. (They were out wiping theirs down to remove the dew.) Moisture just rolls off this finish. Time will tell how well it lasts, but at this time, with just a simple water-only wash it looks awesome.

PM if anyone would like more details on the product and/or where I had it down.