Does anybody here know Fred Ettline? Renee is his better half (sorry Fred!). Well Fred is actually Phred Sez in the Blue Beret - bringing you maintanence hints and tips in the Blue Beret.
Here's a pdf of a polishing paper he wrote up one month on the techniques of Fred Bothman (not to be confused with Fred Ettline). This is straight from the WBCCI site.
You'll notice that the top of this trailer is white -- using Interlux aluminum boat paints. That white paint is extremely durable, but is a three step process to putting it on. I've bought it for the '53 -- just haven't put it on yet. Yes, white is cooler, reflects heat instead of absorbing it, and besides, who wants to continually polish the TOP of a trailer?
I'm going to go white on the roof from awning rail to the same point on the street side for symetry. Good luck!
Thanks for the info folks, and your detail, Tim. From your list, it looks like you have a fondness for the G6.
Wish I could find Nuvite locally, doesn't seem to be the case though. So I'll put an order in today. With a little luck, maybe I'll have it by the end of the week, and have a nice shiney trailer a week after that. Just do it, I have to tell myself.
T
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If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter what road you take..............
One question for you experts. I prefer a matte finish rather than a mirror one. After stripping and a light polishing (if necessary) I want to apply plasticote. How is that done? By brush or spray? Haven't read much on here about that process.
__________________ 2003 Ford Excursion (6.0L PSD) Prodigy / Equal-i-zer / Honda EU2000i / Xantrex Link 10 U.S. Navy (Retired) Airstream Life Contributor Air#5661 / WBCCI#--
Well, the polishing is nearly complete. There is still more compounding to do near the top, but that's next year's project. Overall, she looks pretty good.
Mrs. Ferroequine has had more than enough of my polishing, and therefore we're hitting the road for a couple of weeks along with Ferroequine Jr. for some R 'n R.
(But I packed the cyclo in case I get bored... ).
Awesome Job! I'm SOOO excited to find out all this information. We will be taking on this project on our 31' 76' Sovereign we bought a couple of months ago. You are an inspiration.
Hi folks, I starting to do a polish on our safari.
Question, is there a trick to doing the fan/vent caps on top of the AS? Im tempted to just paint them but, If I can get them looking as good as the skin, it might be worth going for it!
TIA.
__________________ Digger Bear
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
Awesome Job! I'm SOOO excited to find out all this information. We will be taking on this project on our 31' 76' Sovereign we bought a couple of months ago. You are an inspiration.
Thanks for the kind words. Glad to help out, and good luck with your project.
Quote:
Originally Posted by digger bear
Hi folks, I starting to do a polish on our safari.
Question, is there a trick to doing the fan/vent caps on top of the AS? Im tempted to just paint them but, If I can get them looking as good as the skin, it might be worth going for it!
I don't think the vent caps are the same grade aluminum, so they won't polish as nice. I'm not too concerned about ours, you can barely see them.
I think the vent caps (like the ones for the black tank and fridge) can be done, but take a lot of elbow grease. I know ours could use more work...
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1975 Safari 23'
2004 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4x4
Do those of you who maintain a mirror polish use a wax or sealant in between the annual repolish jobs? If so, is there any particular brand/type that works better over a mirror polish?
TIA,
Jax
OK...I am taking the plunge on the exterior refinishing of my 67 Overlander. After talking with several folks at the Texas rally in Conroe this past weekend I have decided on the following action plan and want to get input/recommendations from you more experienced folks.
The vertical surface of my AS has a pretty good original clearcoat remaining from the bottom to about a foot below the awning height. There are numerous scratches here and there and at panel joints and around scratches you can see filiform corrosion evident. On the top part of the sides and ends and the roof, the clearcoat is obviously cooked away and very dull splotchy looking. I call it AS dandruff you can rub off with your finger. My plan is to use the Napier Removeall to strip the clear coat from the trailer, rinse it down with a power washer and reseal all the seams....and that's pretty much it. I will add a coat of wax to it and let it oxidize as it may. I can always decide go the cyclo routine at a future time. I might even just remove the clear coat on the tops of the ends and roof of the AS if I can figure out how to tape off and protect the portion of the trailer where the clear coat still looks good.
Does anyone think this is a totally bonehead idea? I am not really taking a shortcut. I am just not doing the whole refinishing job. I think I would be happy with a uniform semi-shiny finish on the roof and sides as opposed to the chrome-like finish overall many prefer.
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Aloha - Ronnie aka Lonali - Skipper, First Mate, and Cabin Boy of "The Leaky Tiki" - 1967 Overlander International Land Yacht
With our interior now completed, we’re working on our exterior and have succumbed to this whole polishing sickness. We used Removall from Vintage Trailer Supply followed by a pressure washer. We think Vinny our ’84 Sovereign looks 100% better without the battered clearcoat. As stated elsewhere in the Forum the Removall did not damage our decals or any sealant. We left it on overnight and it worked GREAT. We rolled it on using a foam “weenie roller”.
But…it did not strip the coating from the aluminum trim strips. These are the aluminum strips that received the blue plastic “rub rail” strip along the sides. (The blue plastic has been removed in the photo.) We have two in the center and a larger one all the way around the bottom.
I tried compounding a rear corner section the other night with some G6, mostly to see if our deep filiform corrosion would fade. It does fade with a few passes, but when I rubbed some G6 along the trim strips and they look horrible. I would say they come out patchy. Are they anodized? If so, we’re hosed.
(If this issue has been addressed elsewhere I couldn’t’ find it using the search feature.)
But…it did not strip the coating from the aluminum trim strips. These are the aluminum strips that received the blue plastic “rub rail” strip along the sides. (The blue plastic has been removed in the photo.) We have two in the center and a larger one all the way around the bottom.
I tried compounding a rear corner section the other night with some G6, mostly to see if our deep filiform corrosion would fade. It does fade with a few passes, but when I rubbed some G6 along the trim strips and they look horrible. I would say they come out patchy. Are they anodized? If so, we’re hosed.
(If this issue has been addressed elsewhere I couldn’t’ find it using the search feature.)
I sure wouldn't try oven cleaner on the outside of my trailer. Try going over it very slowly with your cyclo (if you have one). I found that when I stripped my '76, they looked dull until I did them with the cyclo.
I'm refreshing my memory here, as I'm getting ready to strip my '86. The top is totally missing the clearcoat. I want to clean everything up to an even shine. The endcaps are pretty dull, mid-sections have good clearcoat, so I'm sure they'll look pretty good after stripping. The question is--what grade nuvite do I use to get an even shine? I have some S, but do I need something with some bite to it? After reading this entire thread again, I realize how ocd I was when I had a mirror finished trailer (even though I adore the look), and just want mine to look even and clean!
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Awesome Job!
).
We used Removall from Vintage Trailer Supply followed by a pressure washer. We think Vinny our ’84 Sovereign looks 100% better without the battered clearcoat. As stated elsewhere in the Forum the Removall did not damage our decals or any sealant. We left it on overnight and it worked GREAT. We rolled it on using a foam “weenie roller”.
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