Polishing

[mmeburges1]

For those of you who have polished your airstream to a chrome like shine. How long does the shine last? Are any of you applying a protective clearcoat? Are there any secrets to maintaining the shine?

Thanks,
Mike

[Creampuff]

Welcome to the forums.
There has been much written on this subject and the answers will differ widely.Do a search on polishing.The short answer is that polished aluminum does oxidize and if you are anywhere close to salt water it will accelerate.You definitely need to apply a sealer to extend your shine and mostly to resist hard water streaks.having said that-there is no real consensus on what the best product for the job is!
In my case -unsealed ,5 miles inland from the Pacific,the shine lasted about 6 months.

[Inland RV Center, In]

As a general rule, a polished Airstream should be waxed every 30 days.

"IF" the trailer is close to salt water (50 miles or so) it should be waxed every week.

This general rule varies as much as our weather. It all depends on the location of the trailer, prevailing winds, chemicals in the air, in doors, out doors, etc.

Or, a polished trailer can be plasticoated, which will last 3 to 4 years, again, depending on location and weather.

Andy

[startrekker2001]

I agree. The first time I polished mine, after stripping the clear coat off, lasted about 6 month. (I live 8 miles from the Atlantic). However, most people thought it looked great and got many compliments even in the 'degraded' condition.

Stripping and polishing took about 200 hours. Repolishing and waxing with Mothers Carnuba Wax (I'm getting smarter) took about 30 hours.
Go to Perfect Polish to get the best advice. Read all the links. That's where I got my info.