'74 Sovereign

[blueheart]

OK, I have no idea what anodized metal is. I only know mine has an aluminum skin and was told it would shine up like a mirror! I see a couple products are being used by some in this forum, but how do I clean and shine this baby up?

[Tdcraw]

First you have to determine if you have a clear coat. My 74 still had most of its clear coat on sides but the top and ends were splotchy. You can check by putting small amount of plain toothpaste on a rag rubbing a small spot. If rag is black no clear coat. No black you have to strip the clear coat first. Do plenty of reassigning here on the forum before you tackle it is a job got my clear coat off last fall and I'm trying to polish now if I could only get the weather to cooperate. Good luck

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by blueheart

OK, I have no idea what anodized metal is. I only know mine has an aluminum skin and was told it would shine up like a mirror! I see a couple products are being used by some in this forum, but how do I clean and shine this baby up?

Probably going to have to strip it first. Then polish. Long physical process for a large trailer like yours. I prefer to leave mine with APB... Airstream Pattern Baldness

Aaron

[blueheart]

Let's say it has a clear coat, how do I strip it, and what do I use to clean it, and what do I put after cleaning in place of it? So much work!

[Minno]

There are several "polishing" threads here on the forums. Click on the forums tab at the top of the page, and search the exterior forums threads. It sounds like a pretty extensive process.. We're going to strip our clear coat with something like Citristrip and then buff and wax, we think. High polish is a lot of maintenance from what we've read, and we already have jobs.....

Kay

[Panama Red]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Probably going to have to strip it first. Then polish. Long physical process for a large trailer like yours. I prefer to leave mine with APB... Airstream Pattern Baldness

Aaron

APB... I'll be using that one!

[adonh]

Originally Posted by blueheart

Let's say it has a clear coat, how do I strip it, and what do I use to clean it, and what do I put after cleaning in place of it? So much work!

You should be able to just look at the trailer and tell if you have any clear coat left. Here are some before and after pictures of my 1976 31' Sovereign after I paid the ransom and rescued it in 2000 and brought it home. It had been sitting in a dirt storage lot for 10 years and the clear coat had melted down the sides. I used a paint stripper, Bix (I don't think it is available anymore) that I bought at Home depot. After removing the clear coat or what was left of it I was amazed at what the final resulted looked like. Clean shinny aluminum. I didn't buff or polish it just washed it with regular auto wash products and it looked very good and still does. Post some pictures before you do anything and then follow up with the after pictures.

[Okiestreamer]

I would suggest searching YouTube for Airstream Restroation Polishing. This will give you an idea of what you are facing.

[littlebird]

Thanks adonh for the pdf of before and after. I recently purchased a 1970 31' Sovereign. It has the "airstream pattern baldness" mentioned in this forum. I plan on stripping it, but admit I've been a little apprehensive about tackling it. Your photos convinced me to go for it. Yours looks great!