Clear coat?

[1979er]

I just purchased a 1979 Sovereign, we have done very little in the restoration process. I just need to know if there is a clear coat, we are wanting to polish and shine at some point and first step would be removing the clear coat, if there is one. I took a close up photos as I could. If there is a way to tell I'd love to know! These photos were taken right after it rained

[Starstream]

Yes, there is a clear coat. You will want to be very careful choosing a stripper. In 1979, aircraft aluminum was still being used on the shell. Vintage Trailer Supply is one vender who carries products to restore aluminum trailers. Plus plenty of threads here concerning stripping and polishing.

[Starstream]

By the way, don’t be in a rush to polish. Do it last. We’ve had our trailer almost 3 years and haven’t polished it yet. We made our upgrades and interior redo our highest priorities. Polishing will be the icing on the cake after all the other big projects are finished. We’re getting close.

Polishing is a laborious project, especially on the longer trailers. You won’t want to do it during a Texas summer. And once you take that clearcoat off and polish, you have to keep it up. Not a one and done job. AS started clear coating in the 1960s because owners complained about the upkeep. You will find plenty of trailers for sale where the new owner made the mistake of polishing first.