Covering your Airstream

[justbrian]

Would I be off topic as what what wax y'all use on the exterior? I figured and read non-abrasive already.
I did ask at the dealer of what to clean in interior/aluminum with and he said Orange Pledge. I said kewl...but hopes I don't do me with a chronic exposure.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Don't know about using Pledge, made for indoor use after all.

I use this for the exterior once a year.

Detail with this

And use the car-wash as needed, nice and slippery, won't scratch with a micro-fiber mitt.....

WD40 also works great for cleaning the stainless segment protectors.

Bob

[Airperson]

The dealer told me to use Pledge as well. He said to make sure the trailer is clean and go with the grain. It worked and it looks great...

[justbrian]

Thanks Bob Cross~
umm, does the 16 oz. sealer cover your 25 footer...use one of dem orbital jobbies?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by justbrian

Thanks Bob Cross~
umm, does the 16 oz. sealer cover your 25 footer...use one of dem orbital jobbies?

It takes very little to do the entire trailer...about 4oz.

The first time I used it I used WAY too much, got the foam pad completely soaked and wasted a lot. It doesn't haze as much as conventional wax so it's important to do small areas at a time, couple dime size blobs 5sqft at a time.
I use a Porter-Cable orbital for application to speed things up but remove by hand with micro-fiber. Using a foam pad by hand is completely doable, do it that way on our 53 Ford. (everything paint maint by hand).

One thing I do do, about every other application, use the clay bar to remove the surface gunk, gets it sooper clean and smooth, now THAT does take some time.
But I also believe it helps the application last longer.

Bob

[Kevo]

I will share a quick experience here. While I was replacing my A/C Unit I covered the hole with a cheap 10x10 tarp. It stayed on top of the AS for about a week. The tarp was silver on one side and brown on the other, and the brown side was down against the trailer. It was very hot that week, most days in the high 90's and it got four or five hours in direct sun. When I got the A/C replaced and went back to polishing, the tarp had done something to several places in the aluminum. It was almost like some sort of chemical had bled from the tarp and seeped in to the metal. It did polish out but it took forever.

lesson learned, I will never use a tarp on my Airstream again...

[justbrian]

Thanks for your time all~

[Bluto]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

It takes very little to do the entire trailer...about 4oz.

The first time I used it I used WAY too much, got the foam pad completely soaked and wasted a lot. It doesn't haze as much as conventional wax so it's important to do small areas at a time, couple dime size blobs 5sqft at a time.
I use a Porter-Cable orbital for application to speed things up but remove by hand with micro-fiber. Using a foam pad by hand is completely doable, do it that way on our 53 Ford. (everything paint maint by hand).

One thing I do do, about every other application, use the clay bar to remove the surface gunk, gets it sooper clean and smooth, now THAT does take some time.
But I also believe it helps the application last longer.

Bob

Bob,
Did you use the clay bar on the trailer too, or only on the Ford?

My trailer had some over spray from something used at the factory during the manufacturing process. After just waxing I still had small specks of whatever and it was all over the trailer. The specks could not be seen, but felt when you glide your hand over the finish
Long story short, I bought a bunch of clay bar kits and went to work on it.
It worked great and removed all the bad stuff and left a nice clean surface.
It was just a time consuming process. But it was worth every minute.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Bluto

Bob,
Did you use the clay bar on the trailer too, or only on the Ford?

My trailer had some over spray from something used at the factory during the manufacturing process. After just waxing I still had small specks of whatever and it was all over the trailer. The specks could not be seen, but felt when you glide your hand over the finish
Long story short, I bought a bunch of clay bar kits and went to work on it.
It worked great and removed all the bad stuff and left a nice clean surface.
It was just a time consuming process. But it was worth every minute.

Bluto,

Yep...on the trailer too. It do take time though.

Actually the Ford only got the treatment once, it's inside 24/7/365 and I'm a little more conscious of the 58 year old paint.

Bob

[Bluto]

Bob,
When I was doing the trailer with the clay bars I was thinking to myself that I must be nuts, but now that I know that at least 2 of us have done it makes me feel a whole lot better.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Three....I know Lewster do too!!

Bob

[69AirDream]

When I took a clay bar to ours, a friend stopped in to see the progress. I lamented to him that I thought it might take the rest of my life to get the job done. He said, "I don't think you'll live that long!"

[ROBERT CROSS]

Four!!!

[Bluto]

Originally Posted by 69 AirDream

When I took a clay bar to ours, a friend stopped in to see the progress. I lamented to him that I thought it might take the rest of my life to get the job done. He said, "I don't think you'll live that long!"

[Bluto]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Four!!!

Not bad! An elite group for sure.

[69AirDream]

My husband would say, an OCD group for sure! He thinks I'm nuts for doing it. And, with a '69, it really may take the rest of my life. . .