Anybody want to try this on their fresh polish job?

[Becky B.]

Armour All just came out with this new wheel protectant: Armor All® - Product Detail I'm almost finished re-polishing my trailer. I had SO many water spots that wouldn't come off with my cyclo & "S". I had to use "C" with the compounder & even some "F7" and then the cyclo after that. That's a ton of work for a 31 footer. Especially if I have to do it every year!! I think I might try a small spot of this stuff. The Liquid Glass that I used last year didn't do squat. I think you have to wax every month or so to keep the water spots off! I'm really discouraged!

[Gene]

Becky, I assume you are talking about water spots on the trailer and not the tires.

Water spots are caused my minerals in the water. You can use a filter on your water supply to help. There are somewhat expensive filters available from companies that sell products to detail cars and other vehicles. Griot's Garage sells them. You can Google them. I use their paint sealant on the trailer and find it works very well—seems to last a year as they claim, is easy to apply and polish. It took the 2 of us about 3-4 hours to do our 25 last month. Bugs are easier to remove too.

You can get whole house filters at Lowe's or other big box stores and plumb them into your household water supply and that should help.

Gene

[Wabbiteer]

Out on the Prairie there is always enough dirt in the air the OP could have sand dunes! And when the ground is frozen theres the acid rain from scores of power plants, home heating fuel oil and wood fire fall out from parts unknown there are effects looking just like the honest hard water 'water spots'. We get them here too, occuring on everything polished including windshields, etc. and thats without pollen and organic stuff.

And for your original question - I don't know of any product that sheets off the water instead of letting it bead up.

When the beaded water evaporates it leaves the ring which then gathers more water in the exact same spot - I have holes burned in the clear coat of my F-150 from not paying attention to them - and - the wax that works on the smooth F150 paint does little or nothing on the aluminum.

[Becky B.]

I am talking about putting it on the trailer. Gene, do you have your trailer polished to a mirror finish? That's what I have, & that's the problem. Once the wax wears off (which was in the winter I assume), the water from rain, snow, sleet, etc. is what leaves water spots that adhere to the aluminum. I know, there is no magic thing (I tried Shark Hide & it wasn't satisfactory). I don't mind giving the trailer the once over each year, but an entire polish job every year is brutal!

[76sovereign]

Good info folks

[Gene]

Mine has the clear coat used on the 2008 models. It won't show the spots like a super shiny aluminum, so I guess I'm lucky. We also get a lot of dust in western Colorado (thanks Utah) so that covers up any spots we may see.

Gene

[76sovereign]

We were wondering about how much it would cost to have several coats of clear shot on the AS would cost. If it lasts 10 years that would put it past our problem...

Shine it to a mirror finish and shoot it with clear? Anyone done this? How much did it cost?

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by 76sovereign

We were wondering about how much it would cost to have several coats of clear shot on the AS would cost. If it lasts 10 years that would put it past our problem...

Shine it to a mirror finish and shoot it with clear? Anyone done this? How much did it cost?

ditto to that!

[Jezibels]

Becky,
My trailer is polished to a mirror, or was last year, now it has tons of water spots, I too Cyclo'd last weekend with "S" and have to say it did nothing to the water spots, I put in an order for Nuvite F7, so Im waiting for that to come.

I guess after that maybe this fall I will check back with you on the wax you found to be the charm!

PS If I find a good solution Ill let you know also!

~Jes

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Jezibels

Becky,
My trailer is polished to a mirror, or was last year, now it has tons of water spots, I too Cyclo'd last weekend with "S" and have to say it did nothing to the water spots, I put in an order for Nuvite F7, so Im waiting for that to come.

I guess after that maybe this fall I will check back with you on the wax you found to be the charm!

PS If I find a good solution Ill let you know also!

~Jes

Jes,
Try some Nuvite C before you use the F7 all over. I used the F7 where my finish wasn't as smooth from my first time of polishing (I used too harsh of a wheel on my curbside last year). I switched back to the Nuvite system this year, since, when I polished my 1976 I didn't seem to have such a tuff time getting the water spots off. On the streetside of my 1986, I used a softer wheel & the finish didn't hold on to the water as badly. The spots came off of that side with "C" & then you can go directly to "S". I think I might even try a little Rain-X too. I think I'll test some patches on the top of the trailer & see what flies!!

[howco]

Comment people; I hear a number of you saying that your wax is 'gone' in less than a year. I use a pure carnauba wax, (in my opinion) it is one of the hardest and strongest finish waxes available.
The big issue is what you use to wash the finish with. 'IF' you use detergent to wash the finish with, it will strip off almost any wax quickly. Most waxes are petroleum based and detergent dissolves grease and oils and boom, wax gone. Use only a non detergent car-wash, your wax will last for a long time.

[76sovereign]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

Jes,
Try some Nuvite C before you use the F7 all over. I used the F7 where my finish wasn't as smooth from my first time of polishing (I used too harsh of a wheel on my curbside last year). I switched back to the Nuvite system this year, since, when I polished my 1976 I didn't seem to have such a tuff time getting the water spots off. On the streetside of my 1986, I used a softer wheel & the finish didn't hold on to the water as badly. The spots came off of that side with "C" & then you can go directly to "S". I think I might even try a little Rain-X too. I think I'll test some patches on the top of the trailer & see what flies!!

Did you try the rainX yet? We are wondering how that works...

[dbj216]

So Becky, you have lots of polish experience. Aluminum wax choice is like cold remedies; lots of theories out there. What have you found that works for your Airstreams?
David

[Becky B.]

Well, I now have a section with Rain-X, a section with Meguires caranuba wax, and a section with a product that truckers use called Master Formula Metal Sealer Gloss. Most of the trailer has Meguires. I'm waiting for rain to see how it wipes off after it's dry. I already have some spots where the Meguires was applied earlier this summer. I just put the other stuff on in the last couple of days. I put the wheel stuff from Armour All on my wheels. I think it's too cloudy for the mirror finished AS. I'll report back, troops!

[dbj216]

I tried some automotive "paint sealant" advertized as a long lasting car wax. Groits and Meguires have such a product. They say it can last a year, much longer than regular car wax. I smeared some on my polished aluminum and it took the mirror, or reflectivity away. I was left with looked like the dull grey of the origional plastic coat finish. Very disappointing, so I cut it off with lacquer thinner, and re polished the area.

Maybe I should test products on a mirror first. If it clouds up a mirror, then it will cloud up the polished aluminum.

I'm still looking for satisfactory weather protection for polished aluminum. Maybe this is why Airstream went to brushed aluminum and plastic coat years ago?

David

[erock53]

I realize that we do not have a solution to the water spots yet on a highly polished trailer, but does any wax help? I had my whole trailer cycled to F7 for the past few months and I just started on the "S." It just got back from a 2400 mile trip to the Birthday Bash and I was inspired by a few trailers that made mine look like it was not even polished. My mom was surprised when I told her that mine was not even close to being the shiniest. I washed it after our trip and did my best to remove all bugs, dirt and water marks. I had to go over a few spots again with F7 before I started the "S." It is about 1/2 done with "S." I keep the trailer indoors and I am now I don't want to bring it outside for fear of more water spots. I clean it with a non detergent car wash cleaner. Would you reccomend putting anything on it, or leave it raw aluminum. I realized that I would need to get the wax off before I polished again. Since it will be inside, I should be fine for a few years. What would you guys suggest?

[Wabbiteer]

For my TV I use McGuires NXT tech wax having good UV protection partially by reflecting UV - it ends up with a oblique deep purple sheen or luster as it scatters the far end of the spectrum. I tried it on my 73's tail light cast aluminum housings and had corrosion in just a three or four days of normal morning dews.

I'm thinking the aluminum surfaces need chemical 'passivating' to keep them from readily reacting with oxygen - Alodine is has been used in the aircraft industry for nearly forever, they have many flavors and a few multi-step processes to help protect any aluminum item before the pieces are incorporated in a larger structures.

Passivate the panels - castings, etc, then wax them?

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Wabbiteer

For my TV I use McGuires NXT tech wax having good UV protection partially by reflecting UV - it ends up with a oblique deep purple sheen or luster as it scatters the far end of the spectrum. I tried it on my 73's tail light cast aluminum housings and had corrosion in just a three or four days of normal morning dews.

I'm thinking the aluminum surfaces need chemical 'passivating' to keep them from readily reacting with oxygen - Alodine is has been used in the aircraft industry for nearly forever, they have many flavors and a few multi-step processes to help protect any aluminum item before the pieces are incorporated in a larger structures.

Passivate the panels - castings, etc, then wax them?

Are you going to try it? I already have 3 different things on my trailer. Anybody else gonna be a guinea pig!?

[NJtoNC]

Anybody else gonna be a guinea pig!?

no!!! we're all waiting on you!!!

[Becky B.]

Well, if someone wants to send me a bottle of Alodine, I'll put it on & have 4 different things going! I've got enough $ in stuff for now!