The polishing tips in this forum and the related websites are fantastic! However, I have yet to find any information on just how long it takes to get that "mirror shine," or at least a near mirror shine. Maybe it's a denial thing!
I know the answer is "it depends." That's the lawyer answer (don't ask me how I know). Condition and length are bound to be important factors, but...
What's a reasonable estimate of how long it should take to polish a 22' trailer in average condition? 3 weekends? 3 weeks? 3 months?
If someone could tell us how long their project took, that would be very helpful. Thanks! Tom
One of the reasons that I had P & S Trailer Service polish and Platicoat my Overlander was from talking to Ed Emerick about his experiences polishing his '68 Sovereign. If you haven't heard of Ed, he and his wife Sandy have won awards for their restoration work at each of the past two WBCCI International Rallys in the Vintage Airstream Club Concourse. He indicated that the intial polishing including stripping the Plasticoat was about 120 hours of work - - then maintenance runs about half that number of hours every year.
I would suspect that you could probably divide those numbers by a factor slightly less than two as your Airstream is about 9' shorter and Ed had prior polishing experience with his previous Airstream.
Good luck with your project!
Kevin
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Kevin D. Allen WBCCI (Lifetime Member)/VAC/Free Wheelers #6359 AIR #827
1964 Overlander International/1999 GMC K2500 Suburban (7400 VORTEC/4.11 Differentials)
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre/1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible (8.2 Liter V8/2.70 Final Drive)
I have been admiring the trailers and motorhomes that are polished by their proud owners and they have submitted pictures showing their accomplishments. I am considering polishing my 1985 motorhome. Can anyone tell me if this year has the plasticoat on it and needs to be removed first or what do I need to do to get the mirror finish. I previously had a 1966 airstream trailer and the finish on it, I believe better for polishing than the finish on the motorhome. The motorhome has more of a grain or brushed finished. Has anyone refinished that era of motorhome to guide me of what needs to be done and what they used. If I can't get the mirror finish what can I do to at least get the upper portion of the motorhome that is dull in appearance to blend in with the sides. I appreciate any information.
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AKA THE GUNNER There is no "I" in the word "team," but there are four in "Platitude Quoting Idiot!"
I'm no expert, but check out www.airstream.net for someone who is. According to the frequently asked question section of that site: "The pure aluminum alcladding that allows the skin to take a high polish was used up to 1982, when it was changed to a satin finish."
The site also advises that clearcoating became "standard" in 1964.
Don't know what can be done to yours, but maybe others will have suggestions. Good Luck!
GUNTER-Unless it has been removed by a p.o., your motorhome has the clearcoat on it. Easy way to tell, take some aluminum polish, and try polishing small area, in some spot where it won't be highly noticeable.If you get no "black"on the rag, and the area looks cleaner but not real shiny, it's clearcoated. The polish won't hurt the coating if you don't rub it in too hard.
If you want to get a good shine without stripping and polishing, a good wash and then a wax job will give you a surprisingly nice shiny look. The stripping and polishing is a major undertaking, and you have to want that ultra-shiny finish.
Think about a mirror finished rig pulling into a State Park for camping!
Might be a bit scary.....not that I don't appreciate that look, just that on the motorhomes it can be a bit much.
You may also want to check-out this polishing section. Lot's of good info & links.
Shari
BTW it took me about 22 hours to strip our 19-footer. We haven't started polishing yet except for a couple of "test" spots....waiting for warmer weather. If you want more info on our experience, check out Maxwell's webpage under "During"...
I spent almost a full week just getting the nasty clearcoat off my trailer.I then began polishing in April of 2002 and completed it in early August 2002.I worked on it pretty much whenever weather and time would allow.I did not keep an exact log of hours,but figure it has to be pretty darned near 300 in total!The results were worth it.....and I figure I will have to commit several days work each year to keep it up.
I have a 31' Excella that I am polishing. I started stripping in late December 2002 and finished half of it when I started polishing the stripped half. I started polishing on Jan 10 doing about 3hr a day average. That is as long as my arms would last. That amounts to about 75 hours and I am about 1/2 done. Add about 20 hours for stripping and we are close to 100 hours.
I have talked to Tom at perfectpolish.com and he indicates between 200 and 300 hours to polish a 31' trailer. That is based on reports he has had from those who have done theirs.
That length of time is to get to a 7 or 8 on a 10 scale, where 10 is a true mirror shine. Most of us are happy with a 7 or 8, I would suspect. The length of time to get from a 7 to a 10 is logarithmic.
A true mirror shine is no milky haze, no swirls, just pure shine. Tough to get to, but possible.
They sell the Nuvite polishes, which are superior, the Cyclo polisher which is the best that can be had and the sweatshirt material which is the best for polishing. The Mannings tell of their experiences and methods on perfectpolish.com and also have their own site where there is even more info. You will find that the most helpful available.
It will help if you publish your pictures on airstreamphotos.com to show your progress. Other can offer words of encouragement, which you will need when your enthusasiam begins to flag. It is a heck of a lot of work, but well worth it. My arms are killing me, but I will finish and maintain the polish as well.
Good Luck
Vic
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Vic Smith
WBCCI #6782
31' 78 Airstream Excella 500
2001 Ford Excursion V-10
Reese hitch and dual cam sway control
Thanks, everyone. Sounds like there will be a lot more shiny trailers in the world by summer! (and bigger forearms) (and strained marriages if we all spend 300 hours polishing an inanimate object!)
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